1S07 



GT.KAN'IXGS IN miK cri/ruRK. 



11)1 



"I suppose so," sail! Mrs. nucll, evasively; 

 ■■ you know I was so overjoyeil, Alfaretta, that 

 I h.>r lly knew what to say. Don't refer to my 

 foolish words attain, dear." 



The next day I'red desired to visit the Gher- 

 iuii raiicli, and Gimp was impatient to see his 

 mother "an" the kids," so the jiarly that 

 roweil up the river consisted of the uliole 

 Ihi 11 family. 



At the Gherinij: rancli there was j^reat rejoic- 

 iiiii aijain. Fred could hardly believe that 

 Mrs. Gherinij was formerly Mrs. Dawson, so 

 <jreat had been the chany^e. He made partic- 

 ular inquiries for Matt Hotjan; and while they 

 were lalkintj about him, who should appear 



"Me ould friend, it's a heaven-s;nt idea," 

 .said Matt; "and is it Alfaretta that would 

 make ver home comfortable loike for \''es?" 



It ha])p Mied that day, that, after Mr. Gh'>r- 

 in<< had shown all of the im])rovements he 

 had made upon his ranch, the Daw.son lanch 

 was discussed. 



"Wall, I 's])Ose the boys mij.rht work it 

 arter a while," said Mrs. Cxherinj.^; "but per- 

 haps it's better tu .sell it than tu s^e it j^o tu 

 rack. But, Fred Anderson, it ain't every one 

 I'd sell tu; but seein' it's you that'll occupy 

 it I'll sell, an' trust tu suthin" tu turn up fur 

 the boys. They seem ter like fishin' better'n 

 ranchin', anv wav." 



but that worthy himself, driving a mule team 

 to a farm wagon, and a comely Irish maid b}- 

 his side ? 



Biddy Maloney had been caring for an aged 

 father for many years. She had been a faith- 

 ful daughter; and when her charge was re- 

 leased by death she hastened to join her lover 

 here in California, and was proving as exem- 

 plar}- a wife as she had been a daughter. ]\Iatt 

 had improved his neat ranch, a few miles from 

 the river, and his main source of revenue was 

 from a well-kept apiary. 



•'It is meself that can projuce the foine 

 honey, I'red. Fd loike yees to settle down 

 here now, and become a compaterter. " 



" Well, Matt, what do you think of the plan 

 of my buying the Dawson location? " 



"Von know, Mrs. Gliering," said Fred, 

 " that I will help your boys all J can, and shall 

 want Gimp right along. We will rejuvenate 

 the old place." 



"That's jest my- idea," said Mrs. Ghering, 

 and the bargain was closed. 



Fred was very happy- for a few weeks in set- 

 ting things to rights on the old Dawson place; 

 and one of the first improvements was the 

 purchase of a dozen colonies of bees of Matt 

 Hogan, as a start for a large apiary. 



"Sure," said Matt, "it will be a pleasure 

 to have a neighbor baa-kaaper to talk to." 



"Yes, Matt, there's nothing like being fra- 

 ternal; and now if we had some of those 

 Crystal Mountain queens I have told you 

 about, what wonders w^e could accomplish! 



