The Washington critic., 1886-11-24

| =. u huo'tt plty ~ thc phuputh' ~
clean ten dollars as good as throwed
away"
But soon his face frightened. There
was the skylight, he could put the hive
out of that, perhaps they would take
a notion to It,"
A moment later Uncle True was
| putting up the attic stairs. The nerves
In his crown crawled as he remem.
| bcred how IL had seemed to attract the
insects; still he ventured n leg out
upon the long sloping roof, and gently
profferod home TO the rovers, NUT.
| tering:
"There, ye cant do better'n that !"
They rose In body, and with them
| Uncle True's hope; only to fall again.
as they at their queens behest went
down into the Baskins chimney
| "Pesky things he calculated. AS
the church.goers were returning he
withdrew the hive, closed the skylight
with bang, and appeared below Just
as Aunt True hustled in.
Feel better, Joshua? Such q ser.
mon as we had d,-you don't know what
you missed"
I'm alluz missing somethingl"
Uncle True answered, Grossly.
"Why, what's the matter?"
Matter enoughl Baskins is ten
dollars richer and the poorer this
morning"
Then he told her how the bees had
come, and "every soul of 'em gone into
Baskin's west chlmbly,"
Aunt True sat right down, bonnet in
hand, while Joshua enlarged upon the
subject. lie said he'd given anything
| If the bees had come TO him; he would
| have planted buckwheat for them, and
in the fall smoked them out, and gath.
| cred the honey.
| Suddenly Aunt True spoke
| 81 don't care If them bees be In Bas.
kin's chimbly You found them aud
you've the fust right; besides 1t opens
In our cellar, and that gives us some
| title to them"
"That's so' cried Uncle True. "Of
course they belong to Memo question
but the law'd decide thatl But Baskins
might not think sol'
Il don't spose he'd divide" said
Aunt True; "them Baskinses is bound
TO get all there Is, every time l
shouldn't mention the bees; maybe
they wouldn't find it out all summer. I"
| "Fact is, it's alluz best to manage
folks quietly" chimed in Uncle True.
So both agreed to keep very quiet
about the bees, plant the buekwheat,
and when the Baskinses went to the
beach, capture the honey. IL seemed
a simple matter; they had only. as
| Uncle True said, ''to keep dark"
Little did either dream what part
they would have to act, or how often
be forced into untruths.
Never were there such active, hot.
tempered insects--the young Basliinscs
were continually getting stung by what
they called hornets. Uncle True felt
very like liar when he told Mrs. Bas.
| kins:
at is powerful year for EN-; I've
got stung myself -
"Must be there's nest under the
caves" she said as she applied salaratus
water.
And Uncle True pretended to hunt
for 1t.
Then, when the garden blossomed to
buckwheat alone, and Baskins was
amazed, Uncle True explained the un.
usual spectacle by saying he "liked TO
see it blow!"
Later in the summer Joshua could
not forbear an inspection of the chin
ney, so he took cement with him that
he might be able to say to the Bas.
kinses that he was ''mending the Chin
bly,
"You won't get no thanks from our
landlord" observed Mrs. Baskins; "it's
his place to do the repairs. One of
our chimneys should ought to be seen
| n htlt | won't LOT mo r;,ly a.,
neck"
And Uncle True, fearing Baskins
would emulate him and discover the
risk himself on that slippery roof
again.
The buckwheat blossomed, and its
sweetness was culled by the busy
insects.
"Reg'lar workers they are," Uncle
True often said, gleefully. THAT
chimbly must be filing up fast Things
have gone along nicely. The BaslIinses
don't mistrust; just as soon as they
start we'll get the honey"
The buckwheat faded.
when are the BasllInses going to
the beach?" each asked the other.
The summer went, but alas the Bas-
kinses' stayed they Couldn't afford the
seashore" that year! 1t began to look
as If Uncle True would never get q
chance at the colony. Fortunately the
fall was unusually long and warm, the
bees kept on working clear up to
Thanksgiving.
On the morning of that day Mr..
Basllins started for his native town with
his family.
"Calc'late to make long stop,
neighbour"
Uncle True spoke as carelessly as
possible.
Mrs. Baskins said, "Pa wouldn'
hear 10 their coming home till the
next afternoon"
That would give Uncle True plenty
of time.
Don't hurry backl" he calculated,
scarcely knowing what he said. "We'll
water the hens; seems though yt
wouldn't never-ye scarcely ever sc
awayW
Then he rushed into the house as eX
cited as n boy, thrust mischievou;
finger into his wifes side, and wher
she WINGED, whispered:
"They've gone at last, - coasts
clearW
Even this fact did not open the way
for an immediate attack upon the bees
The Trues waited, fearing the Baskin
ses might return for some forgotten
article; then company came and stayed
all day.
They've spilled our best chancel
Uncle True said, dolefully.
Never mind" said Aunt True
"well send Bert TO his cousins to
night, and get everything ready for al
early start tomorrow"
The Trues retired long before tn,
usual time, and slept too soundly i
for they did not hear the Basklnses re
| t,,,,, ~ ,,,;l,tybt A. M, Do,