600 



GLEANINGS IN LEE CULTURE. 



Aug. 15. 





'^ OK r«£ /IrsTERy OF CRysTAL Afoa/vfA/r/ 



vl I) nul \lt \retta hiltcil then ])unics 

 neai the corraL and whik Gimp 

 cared for them they approached 

 the house. The door was a trifle 

 aja. . rred knocked. There was a stir of 

 chairs within, and hastening steps. The door 

 opened, and Mrs. Buell's troubled face ap- 

 peared. 



" Fred Anderson!" she exclaimed, her face 

 aplow. "Fred Anderson! Fred Anderson! 

 dli! where is my girl, my Alfaretta? " 



" Right here, Mrs. Buell; allow me to intro- 

 duce her;" and Alfaretta stepped within the 

 hotise. 



" Dear, dear mamma !" 



"Dear child!" and mother and daughter 

 were clasped in along embrace. " My own 

 Alfaretta again, and still not my own, not my 

 own." 



" Whv, yes, dear mamma. Why do yovi 

 sav so? vour own, and well again; and pap- — 

 where is' dear papa? " 



Fred caught Mrs. Buell's eye, and made an 

 energetic dumb motion to her to keep quiet. 

 She appeared much surprised, and abruptly 

 asked, " Where is Dr. Hayden ? " 



Fred explained the doctor's queer departure, 

 and took occasion to whisper to her, while 

 from the veranda she was showing him where 

 to find Prof. Btiell, to say nothing about 

 Alfaretta' s parentage. 



Fred hastened toward the levee where the 

 profes.sor was at work; but he had not gone 

 far when he met his old friend. 



"Fred Anderson, as I live," 

 .shouted he. "I had a strong feel- 

 ing that something good was going 

 to happen, and I hastened to the 

 house. Dr. Hayden, of course, 

 is with you and Alfaretta? " 



"Alfaretta is at the house, and 

 sane," said Fred. 



' ' Sane ? sane ? ' ' repeated Prof. 

 Buell. "Yes, it is possible, and 

 true if you say so, Fred; let us 

 hasten. But, about Dr. Hayden— 

 where is he ? " 



Then Fred explained to, him 

 the sudden departure in the night, 

 and the motive. 



"Sure, sure," replied Prof. 

 Buell; "the same self-sacrificing 

 man I knew years ago. I should 

 have been so glad to meet him 

 again. But I believe I shall tell Alfaretta all 

 about her parentage." 



"No, I would not," said Fred; "it is the 

 doctor's request that you should not. It 



nu lit c Ills 

 goo I result. 



The professor's greeting was less effusive 

 than Mrs. Buell's, but not the less hearty and 

 loving. 



" Dear Alfaretta! and yourself again! How 

 great the blessings showered upon us! In this 

 hour of our joy let us remember the Giver of 

 these blessings, the healer of the sick, the one 

 who brings great joy in the place of trouble." 



The afternoon and evening were hardl}' long 

 enough for the rehearsal of the experiences of 

 the past|year. Prof. Buell said he would have 

 continued his search for Alfaretta again; but 

 upon his return home he found a letter from 

 Dr. Hayden, saying that Alfaretta would be 

 cared for and returned in due time. This led 

 him to await further developments, and now 

 the sequel .showed that Alfaretta's hejira the 

 year before was a providential occurrence. 

 The earthquake was a theme of constant re- 

 currence in conversation, and Fred now learn- 

 ed of its extent. vSacramento had been thor- 

 oughl}' shaken, and the town of Williams had 

 been so sever rly shaken that several houses 

 were demolished. It was the most severe 

 earthquake felt for years on the Pacific coast. 



T.iat evening Fred presented to the parents 

 his claims for the hand of Alfaretta. 



"It seems," .said Mrs. Buell, "that your 

 lives have run together ever since Alfaretta 

 fished you from the river; and, F'red, as ^-ou 

 have been instrumental in bringing her to iis 



'*. ^ * life 



well again, we shall let you two decide your 

 own destiny." 



"That is' what you meant, mamma," said 

 Alfaretta, "when 3'ou said I was not your own." 



