98 EYE SPY 



ing hornet chanced to buzz around the speaker, 

 and with a distinct object and deliberate aim 

 plumped itself against his nose, amid a roar of 

 laughter from the gentlemen present, and the 

 complete discomfiture of the victim, who lost 

 his balance and toppled over sideways upon the 

 floor. He was now glad to follow the ladies in- 

 doors, and enjoy the fun at his expense. " Well, 

 it might have been expected," he remarked, " af- 

 ter the way you have all been screaming and 

 banging at him. You have got him mad at last, 

 and the innocent spectator has had to suffer in 

 consequence." 



I chanced to be sitting within a few feet of the 

 surprised bachelor, and had observed the incident. 

 Indeed, the hornet had once or twice struck me 

 forcibly upon my coat sleeve and shoulder. Con- 

 cluding that the incident suggested an opportu- 

 nity for a little pedagogic enlightenment, illus- 

 trated by an object-lesson too good to be entirely 

 lost, I sauntered into the hotel parlor, and did 

 what I could to relieve the hornet from the unjust 

 aspersion on his character. 



" Did he sting you ?" I asked. 



"No, he didn't," replied the victim, who, like 

 the ladies whom he had ridiculed, was more sur- 

 prised than harmed ; " but he tried to, and I 

 concluded not to give him a second chance. 

 He struck me so hard that if his sting had 



