1897. 



THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



183 



WHAT HE LOVED. 



I had a love. Dark haired was sh9. 



Her ^.yeh were gray. 

 For sa.ke of her across the sea 



I sailed away. 



Death, sickness, tempest and defeat 



All jiassed me by. 

 With years came fortune fair and fleet, 



And rich was I. 



Again for me the sun looked down 



Familiar skies. 

 I found my love ; her locks had grown 



Gray as her eyes. 



"Alas," she sighed, "forget me, now 



No longer fair ! ' ' 

 "I loved thy heart," I whispered low, 



"And nrfb thy hair." 



—San Francisco Chronicle. 



A BURGLAR'S YARN 



"Aye, the Bermoodas is a verra nict; 

 place," said Archie. 



Then he peered out of the window 

 into the chill Loudon mists and moodily 

 watched the rain pattering against the 

 panes. 



"A verra nice place! This weathei 

 makes one think on 'em," he exclaimed 

 in a mimite or two, without turning 

 round. 



I fancy I heard him sigh. 



There is a grim practicality about 

 Archie though. Down I dropped from 

 the clouds in one swift second. 



"Yaller Jack verra busy when I paid 

 my first visit," he said shortly and 

 plumped himself down into his chaii 

 before the fire. 



"Oh!" 



"Aye; took off many on us." 



"And you?" 



"Me. Oh, he were a verra guid friend 

 to me, were Yaller Jack. Aye, I've 

 nowt but kind words for him. " 



Never before had I heard the i^raises 

 of yellow fever sung. But Archie is 

 original if he is anything at all. 



"It were in this way: 



"As usual, I were nearly always in 

 hot water with my obstinate temper 

 and my willful ways. 



' 'The cat and me was well acquainted, 

 likewise the dark cell, likewise cheeus 

 and rings, likewise bread and water. 



"Things was gettin to a verra bad 

 pass when Jack come to my rescue. 



"But it were verra hard for a man to 

 keen out o' difficulties. 



"I'j] telJ you uuout Nat tlie stock- 

 man, fro' Leicester, who were doin sev- 

 en year for settin fire to .liis bouse. Him 

 and me was disgin the foundations of a 

 cookhouse. iNat wers down i' the hole 

 and I were atop wheelin the muck away. 

 One da}' it were pipiu hot, and Nat 

 were takiu a speel-o. Comes up a war- 

 der—an old .jiave driver he were — and 

 looks down at Nat. 'Now, then, get en 

 with your v/ork,' he sings out. Nr<t 

 looks up and never moves. 'Now, then, 

 stir, or I'll come down and make ye,' 

 cries the war Tier. 



"But old Nat only laughs. Then in 

 goes Mr. Warder, and Nat knocks him 

 down—silly — for meddlin — wi' his laug 

 handed shovel. 



"And would ye believe me? I don't say 

 nothin about Nat — he was a bit short i' 

 his temper — but they gives me 28 day;l 

 bread and water for not interferiu ! 



" 'And you stood by, Sloss, and se« 

 him do it, ' says the governor. 



"'Do ye think I'm a fuil?' I cries, 

 'to meddle in other folks' affairs? Not 

 me. I'll tell you what it is, sir. I've 

 more business o' my own nor I can man- 

 age. They was man for man — and let 

 'em fight it out. ' 



"But it were no good argufyin. 



"I only me7]tious it to show you what 

 sort of a place Bermooda was i' my 

 time. 



"Afore I'd done my 28 days comes 

 Yaller Jack. Ye should ha' seen their 

 faces! Takes warders and all! Spares 

 none! There was a fair panic. A man 

 were full o' life in the niornin and food 

 for the sharks by night time. 



"But I didn't care for it. I cared for 

 nowt — i' those days. I don't know as I 

 do now — excep' for what's afore me." 



Imagine a somber pause, full of sig- 

 nificance. 



"Well, Jack gets worse an worse. 



"There was none lef ' to tend the sick. 



"The commander of the hospital ship 

 comes ashore an calls for volunteers. 



" 'Hallo, Archie!' says I to myself. 

 'Here's a chance for a change. Lots o' 

 grub and smook all day long. Ye may 

 as well die here as anywheers else. 

 Here goes. ' So I holds up my hand and 

 cries, 'I'm one. ' 



' 'He looks at me and begins to laff. 

 'You're fat and lusty, Sloss,' says he. 

 'You'll be the first to go.' For Jack 

 were particular fond o' the lusty ones. 



