418 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 1. 





d \ ( J > ije 

 culiar to Tred to 

 address Alfaret- 

 ta as Miss Buell, 

 and to be ad- 

 dressed hy her as 

 Mr. Anderson; and, though the familiar face 

 was before him, they were, under the new reign 

 of reason, strangers. Then her voice, her eyes, 

 her general bearing, betokened a sensible young 

 woman. Showing signs of fatigue, Fred per- 

 suaded her to retire again to the cabin, and 

 rest, assuring her that the separation from her 

 parents should be looked upon as a providential 

 occurrence; for, had she never been separated 

 from her parents in this strange way, the 

 chances were that she never would have recov- 

 ered. Now in a few weeks she could return, 

 and surprise her people by the recovery from 

 her terrible malady. 



When Alfaretta had entered the cabin, Fred 

 strolled down to the little grove of oaks, and 

 there, an hour later, Dr. Hayden found him in 

 deep thought. 



"Fred," said the doctor. " I think I can di- 

 vine your thoughts. Alfaretta sane is not the 

 young lady she was to you. Remember, all the 

 past must be a blank, and your acquaintance 

 must be renewed from the present." 



"Yes," replied Fred, "those were the very 

 thoughts thai were occupying my attention. 

 When I thought myself well acquainted with 

 Alfaretta I Hud that 1 must commence my ac- 

 quaintance over again. She is so different that 

 I hardly know how to act in her presence." 



"I see," said the doctor. "In her evident 

 desire to seek you, and to be near you, you have 

 allowed your sentiments to get the best of yon." 

 " Compelled, you mean," replied Frrd; " who 

 could withstand such loveliness, even though 

 the subject were insane? and now that she is 

 sane, I fear 1 am unworthy to approach her." 



"Ah! well," said the doctor, as he moved 

 toward the cabin, "young people are liable to 

 build air-ciistles, and tenant them with fairies 

 and angels; but I think you will find Alfaretta 

 very human after all." 



The days and weeks sped all too fast for 

 Fred. He applied himself assiduously to the 

 management of the bees; and had he been in 

 any other place he would have avoided Alfa- 

 retta; but the narrow confines of the valley 

 made that impossible. 



The increase of the apiary was checked, and 

 the energies of the apiary were being prepared 



for a honei lidrvt>-t The doctor was much 

 worried in getting hi^ supplie", he spent much 

 time with his signal colony, and he learned 

 from the returning bees from day to day that 

 there was danger outside. The disappearance 

 of a girl and boy almost before their eyes led 

 the people outside to use every means to solve 

 the mystery. Even the Indians were abused, 

 and threatened with removal to a reservation 

 in the far south. But the mystery remained 

 unsolved. 



As Alfaretta became stronger she longingly 

 looked over the cliffs to the south, and entreat- 

 ed the doctor to allow her to return to her home. 



" Why, my dear," the doctor would say, " you 

 are not strong enough to endure, the hardships 

 of a horseback journey. When I think you can 

 endure it you shall return." 



;n her tramps around the valley she became 

 familiar with every portion of it. At first 

 Gimp was hrr leading chaperon. She real- 

 ized that she had followed Fred to the valley, 

 and, in consequence, was very reserved toward 

 him; but. being passionately fond of flowers, 

 which passion had never left her, even while 

 insane, and finding many new varieties, she 

 would take them to the doctor for the name; 

 and, though he knew the names, he would send 

 her to Fred. In that way they were thrown 

 much together, against their wills, and finally 

 tney were taking many twilight strolls together, 

 or singing songs to the accompaniment of 

 Fred's guitar, with evident pleasure. 



" Why, Mr. Anderson," said she, one evening, 

 " I find new beauties here every day." 



"That has been my experience,", replied 

 Fred; "but there is one beauty you have not 

 invostigated yet; you should study the wonders 

 of the bee-hive." 



" I fear I have as much abhorrence of them 

 as our colored friend Sam has," she replied. 



" Well, you ought not to," said Fred; "for it 

 was the bees that indirectly returned you to 

 health again." 



Alfaretta, after much hesitation, consented 

 one day to he veiled and gloved, and then Fred 

 posted her in a safe portion of the apiary, and 

 hims"'lf and Gimp entertained their guest for 

 an hour by manipulating the hives before her. 

 From this time she became a constant visitor 

 to the apiary, and, under Fred's kind directions, 

 she soon learned to manipulate a hive herself; 

 and with what pride she related the circum- 

 stance to the doctor! 



" But didn't you get stung ? " said the doctor. 



