108 TALKING APPLE BLOSSOMS 



and often cruel and wicked?" said a cunning 

 little bud just above Ruth's head. 



"I'll tell you," said the first blossom. "He 

 was out here yesterday with his brother John, 

 and I heard him say that there would be more 

 apples than usual this year and that he would 

 send a lot of us to Foley's cider mill. I wish 

 we could all drop off the trees now while we 

 arc only blossoms." 



Poor Ruth was in great distress. She tried 

 to speak and explain to her apple-blossom 

 friends that it must all be a mistake, but she 

 could not utter a word. 



The dear little maid was asleep, of course, 

 and dreaming of all this commotion in the 

 flower-laden trees, and when Mrs. Barrett 

 found her there were tears on her face. 



"Come, Ruth, supper is ready and father is 

 waiting. We began to think our little girlie 

 was lost." 



"Father," said the child, as Farmer Barrett 







asked her why she did not eat her bread and 

 milk, "I can't ever be happy any more if what 

 the apple blossoms said is true. They said you 

 are going to put them into a cider mill and 

 turn them into a wicked drink. I was dream- 



