The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1907-05-23

among the males, ana III Is not unusual
to find the lower jaws deformed. The
left eye is said to be smaller than the
right, and the whale cannot see behind
him"
All from the professor sneered
Hiram as be bowed and walked out to
fasten the hencoop for the night
When the professor wasn't assisting
his man to dig for bones he was hunt.
ing bugs and bees and butterflies. To
his great joy, he discovered a seven
spot bumblebee. AS all of us know, a
bum blebee is OF dark color, with vel.
low spots on his back. There are of.
ten from five to six spots and only
rarely seven spotter. This bee, along
with a dozen Others was placed in a
pasteboard box, and when the house
was reached the box was deposited on
a window sill of the veranda The
professor had told the widow all about
whales. A. soon as he had u little
spare time he meant to tell her all
about bumbebees. Two days had gone
by when the moment came. The bone
digging lahors of the day We're over
and supper disposed of when the pro-
fessor and the widow took chairs on
the veranda. He had found the shell
of smaF turtle in the gravel that
day, and he set out to first explain
about that. Hiram Stebbins was greas.
ing his boots and chewing the rag in
the kitchen and could hear every word
He also knew all about that box Of
bumblebees on the window sill.
According to Professor Sweetzer, tur-
ties had hearts and lungs, hopes and
aspirations. He would even go so far
as to say that turtles loved and were
loved In return. They did not sing like
bird nor below like frog. but they
were supposed to have musical ears for
all that. In his earnestness the man
got hold of the widows hand 1t was
only his way. If he had got hold of
her ear 1t would have been the same
He had called her his dear woman and
his dear child half a dozen times, and
In his lecture he had got as far back
as the turtles markings when Hiram
Stebbins could restrain himself no lon
ger. He saw red. He thirsted for
gore. He rose up to do murder, but
checked his onslaught and walked soft
ly into the sitting room. The window
was up and the bee box before him,
while the backs of the sitters were to-
ward him. He lifted the cover and
stepped back.
The dozen BUNDLES had been hopping
mad and calling each other names for
the two days. The cover was no soon
err off than they swarmed to get room
to square off. AS they caught sight Of
the professor and the widow, however,
the Ratchet was instantly buried
There was wild swoop, followed by
wilder yells. Old seven spot led in the
fray. He 1t was who lifted the pro
fessor over the veranda rail and let
him drop among the hollyhocks while
the rest were paying the widow atten-
tons. The professor ran and was fol-
lowed, the widow shrieked and was
stung again and again. 1t was not IN
til Hiram rushed out with smoke and
fame that she was rescued and a
neighbor woman sent for to treat the
Jumps and bumps and put her to bed.
The professor returned not Old seven
spot wouldn't let him. No news came
from him as the hours of night wore
on, and Hiram wondered but next
morning the widow received note
reading:
MY dear child. please send my
satchel by bearer I'm Off after more
bones. The turtle. as I meant to have
told you, Is utterly without ambition"
WAL" said Hiram to himself as he
worked In the cornfield that day. there
was the professor and me and the wild
der and the whale and the bumblebees.
and II hain't come out top o. the
heap, who has"