Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-07-30
or I wouldn't have let him pick On

shares."
Even sharesr demanded Ellen
Snively.
"Quarter shares. And that's enough"
"Plenty enough" agreed Ellen.
II don't know az can get down 10
meeting, Ellen. but you might as well
take along my contribution to that
missionary vacation fund. I promised
S." said Alberta with conscious gem
erosity. She brought the money and
placed It in q small envelope. Il ex'
pect it's hard work for them mission.
aries to convert the heathen to the
Golden Rule" she sighed.
Hiram says he should think the
heathen would want a vacation In
stead Of the missionaries" giggled Fl.
len Snively frivolously as she pocket
ed the money.
"rm sorry Hiram amt protesting
Christian-its a great comfort" OBJ
served Miss Ely primly as Ellen dis.
appeared around the corner OF the
house.
Half an hour later she returned from
a trip to the little brown house. She
had recovered 80 cents Of Duncan's
money and had amended her bargain
by paying him 2 cents q quart for tho
cherries he had picked and thus re-
duced his earnings to 81. She felt very
uncomfortab BILE over the matter also,
for once inside the modest brown cot.
tage she found herself In refined sur.
roundings. Mrs Bartlett was charm
Ing woman and had introduced her
husband. DR.. Bartlett. whole souled,
genial man, who inwardly chuckled at
his little sons business venture. but
outwardly treated 1t with great sert'
BUSINESS and consideration. much to
Duncan's comfort.
Alberta Ely surmised that her new
neighbors were far from being In
straitened circumstances and had mere
ly sought the little cottage for Q
summers recreation In the valley.
Their simple courtesy put Alberta's
niggardly errand to shame. and her
cheeks flushed hotly as she tossed the
money down on her kitchen table. II
wish Ellen snively had stayed at
home." she said impatiently. "Tve
got to get all that fruit down cellar.
and It's dark now"
She lighted lamp and set It down
In the cellar; then while the darkness
closed In and the air grew more hot
and sultry every moment she toiled up
and down the stairs, carrying basket
after basket of the canned fruit she
had worked 50 hard to preserve. AZ
last she carried the basket Of cherries,
and halfway down the steep stairs she
stepped on her skirt, tottered and then,
overbalanced by the basket Of fruit
she fell down the remaining steps,
twisting her ankle badly as she did so.
For many dreadful moments Alberta
Ely lay .here on her cellar floor unable
to move her foot Pangs Of exquisite
pain stabbed her ankle to be succeeded
by hot burnings. She felt 1t swelling
within her shoe, and at last she extrt'
Gated herself from the mass Of crushed
cherries and assumed sitting posture.
but 1t was impossible to move farther
Thunder roared and shook the house
to its foundations. The fermentin0
Jars Of 1907 cherries yielded to the
heat and exploded with astounding 70
ports. At last there came a kissing.
sizzling fash Of white light outside the
cellar windows. followed by a deafen.
Ing crash. succeeded by another crash
Of splintering glass. Alberta Ely faint
ed from pain and fright
When she regained consciousness she
was In her own sitting room, sur.
rounded by the entire Bartlett family.
The doctor had skillfully bound her
injured ankle. and his wife was hold
ing wet cloths to Alberta's brow. while
Duncan pressed strong smelling salts
to her thin nose.
"Your preserve shelves came down
last night. and It looks as though you'd
lost all your fruit" explained Mra
Bartlett after awhile. I'm afraid
that's not the worst Of It, Miss Ely.
The lightning struck your cherry tree
and split II in two halves. We saw II
and came over. We were afraid the
bolt might have entered the house"
Alberta Ely looked through tear Oiled
eyes at the three who were 80 cheer
fully ministering to her in spite Of her
meanness regarding the cherries Dun
can had picked. Something hard loos-
ened from about her heart, and It must
have been the covering Of stinginess.
for 1t never appeared again. She
reached out and caught Duncan's chub-
by hand and kissed 1t with trembling
lips. and the Bartletts understood they
had made a new friend and smiled at
each other.
None Of them heard Alberta Ely
whispering to herself mo missionary
ought to take vacation SO long az
Ellen Snively and me can act 80 uu-
Christian" she thought bitterly. why.
God just had to send bolt Of lightning
to that cherry tree to make me under
stand some things"