138 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



May 



A. retui mist iiovei-ea on rne oreast ot tlio 

 underground stream, and beyond in the 

 recesses of the cave was the surge and roai 

 of water as if it was descending into some 

 abyss. ' ' 



"You're romancing a bit, aren't you?" 

 I asked incredulously. 



"No," he gravely asserted, shuddering 

 at the remembrance of his peril. ' ' The 

 cave's there yet; so is the insidious brook. 

 In the interior of the cavern the stream 

 grew in volume and power, and it whirled 

 me onward in its arctic grasp to what 

 seemed speedy death. The darkness was 

 for a few moments chaotic. Then I no- 

 ticed to the left a shaft of light and a gray 

 crag standing, like the King rock at Flam- 

 bro, out of the foam and spray the rushing 

 torrent made. 



"You caught hold of the stone pinnacle 

 and were rescued," I blurted out, rudely 

 anticipating the climax. 



"Oh, no," he said, "benumbed with 

 cold, I failed to grasp it, and then I 

 swooned." 



"My stars, this is getting exciting," ] 

 burst out. "However did you escape'?" 



' ' I could not escape — Martha saved me, ' ' 

 he said gently. 



"Never!" I retorted, in amazement. 



"Oh, yes, she did — and that's why 1 

 married her," he continued, after a few 

 tantalizing puffs as a lesson in patience. 



"But, how ever did she manage it — to 

 rescue you. not to marry j'ou?" 



"Oh, witli comparative ease, and yet 

 with splendid daring. She knew the coun- 

 try and the curve of the stream. When 

 she heard the caddie's cry, she crossed the 

 links swiftly, seized a coil of rope at the 

 lead miner's hut and climbed down the 

 chasm till she reached the surface of the 

 brook. At this point the stream had 

 emerged from the cave and was flowing 

 through the Devil's ravine, a grewsonae 

 place, associated with many a dark deed 

 and strange tradition. Here, gaining per- 

 ilous hand grasp and footliold, she crept, 

 face downward, on the narrow ledge that 

 jutted from the limestone crag and waited 

 in suspense. She had not long to wait. A 

 powerless, helpless thing, I was swept to- 

 ward her on the torrent's breast, and she 

 dragged lae, with maguiflcent strength, 

 upon the ledge. Then, amid the fierce 

 swish of water, and the toss of spray, she 

 placed the ropy around me, tied it securely 

 to the sinking rope the n;ine master's gang 

 had thrown dov.u, and I was drawn to llie 

 brink of the cliff, Martha follov>-ing, step 

 by step at every pull, to steady my uncon- 

 scious form." 



"What i\ splendid woman!" I e-xclaimed, 

 with genuine admiration. 



"Yes," he said, "it was not diflScult tc 

 love her after that, but thei'e's one ciueei 



thing aUout ner. " 



'What is it?" I asked, mystified, though 

 I noticed a humorous pucker about the cor- 

 ner of his mouth. 



"When I askt^d her to marry me, she 

 laughed and said she would, but only on 

 one condition." 



"Well, "I said impatiently, "what was 

 the condition?" 



"That we should be married in a chapel. 

 She had already read the Church of Eng- 

 land scriTice for the solemnization of mat- 

 rimony 3ud was prepared to love and cher- 

 ish me, but said she could not obey a 

 man!" — Million. 



Mosaic flours, laid with small pieces 

 of different colored stones set in regular 

 patterns, were known to the Egyptians 

 3300 B. C. In Babylon floors of this 

 kind dated from 1100 B. C. They were 

 common in the Athenian and Roman 

 houses. 



Wliat Comes After Death. 



A good thing is told in connection 

 with the lectures on theosophy in tliis 

 city. The lecturer, in the midst of a 

 learned discourse, asked in stentorian 

 tones: 



"What comes after death?" No one 

 answered, and after waiting a moment 

 he repeated, with vehemence, "Again, 

 I say, what comes after death?" 



Just at tliat moment the door opened; 

 and in walked one of the leading under- 

 takers of the city and went demurely to 

 a seat. The coincidence was too much 

 for the audience. — Bangor Commercial. 



A Curious Custom. 



There is found in Cheshire, England, 

 a curious survival of the ancient Satur- 

 nalia. During Christmas week the serv- 

 ants all flock to the towns, having re- 

 ceived their year's wages, and for seven 

 days they refuse to work. Engagements 

 are made for the ensuing year at this 

 season, but the engagement does not be- 

 gin Until New Year's day, the week be- 

 ing spent in jollity. 



SoiiiiMirns New In Biology. 



Some curious experiments made at Na- 

 ples during ISOy with the salts of lithium 

 gave some srartling results. Eggs of ma- 

 rine creatures were treated with the salts 

 and then allowed to hatch, whereupon it 

 was found that they had limbs," fins, eyes, 

 etc., m all sorts of abnormal positions. 

 The exact c-i!i.><e of this will be the subject 

 of future scientific inquiry. — St Loui^ 

 Republic. 



