The Washington herald., 1910-12-27

Daniel Prout, clerk in holy orders,
was Vicar of Greenleach. He might have
been a sehoolmaster, and would probably
have risen high in the profession; he
was born 10 be policeman, in which ca
pacity his success would have been as
sured. AS a clerical constable COM
bination of adopted and natural callings
The did not shine. The dual career was
too much for the man; he would have
failed utterly but for his wife. Mrs. Prout
Her &S0to0 in government stock was not
the least of the lady's charms In the eyes
Of her husband
The Rev. Daniel himself was good
looking. tail, perhaps a trifie stout. clean
shaVen, ford, and possessed of a smile
and gait that would have earned rapid
promotion IN the county constabulary.
For the rest the Prouts were a good
tempered. easy going, selfish. and self
satisfied couple, charitable to those who
grOveled before them, inclined 10 bullv
those who cou.d not resent their tyranny
Of which number Quintus Minis the
curate. was one.
The parish Of Greenleaeh might well
have dispensed with the ministrations OF
a clerical assistant, but since The nos
session Of one added no little 10 the ease
and dignity of the vicar. and since no
male servant can be no more useful in
a clergyman's family. the village had
known a succession OF these worthy if
ill-used gentlemen since Prout had held
the living. AS for the vicar, he preached
a little and farmed a little, was a better
judge Of heifer than he was Of a text.
was rs intensely idle as he was firmly con-
WINGED that he was overwOrked, and had
one overmastering hobby. the keeping OF
bees.
| Squire SpaTkett. OF NOrthbourne Hall,
and Lord OF the Manor Of Greenleach.
detested bees lie hated all insects,
winged or creeping, but in chief he hated
any that could resent his ill-wiH. Honey
had no merit in the squire's eyes; the
makers thereof be placed tn the category
Of wasps and hornets, and monthly he
gave II as an axiom that bee keepers
were among those whose mental capacity
should debar them from electoral privi-
ieges. Naturally. Nj. PrOut was regard
ed with no favorable eye by the squire.
who but rarely darkened the doors OF
Greenleach Church. Curates, too, the
squire disliked almost as much as bees.
These were the gentry who at times had
robbed him OF mis- Sunday pleasure OF
reading the lessons So he stuck 10
Northbourne Church. read the lessons.
and fiattercd himself that by so doing
he conferred a benefit upon the rector.
who ruled his parish single-handed
Moreover, the squire. who boosted a small
/ II particularly neat figure. had an an
/ tipathy TO big men, especially If their
bulk were due to excess Of adipose it's
sue His strenuous, highly-strung nature
was antagonistic to the heavy bovine
| disposition Of the Vicar Of Greenleach.
besides, he disliked the yeoman turn OF
! the cleric's mind
"a parson should be a parson.'' he
often insisted. NOW. that great. fieshy
fellow over there is all for his beasts. his
| dairy, and his singing vernin. Each 10
his trade; it's a scandal that the man has
not more work TO do"
1t was a morning late in spring. and
Daniel Prout rubbed his hands as ne sat
az the breakfast table and beamed upon
his wife.
What weather we are having" said
/ he. April ike May. and May almost like
July. The swarms viii be early this year,
depend upon H."
J He glanced out Of the open French win
1 dow, helped himself to eggs and bacon.
and covered the dish, his wife lived on
/ toast, his tow-haired children We're as yet
at the porridge stage. and Quintus Minis,
the curate. always took his egg boiled.
a swarm OF bees in May is worse
nor a load OF hay, isn't IL, pa?" observed
/ his daughter. pausing in her attack upon
i the oatmeal
| Worth my dear. Worth a load OF
! hay" said her father. genially. What
Z H.
I Mrs Prout, the arbiter of the curate' s
daily fate, answered for her aid-de-
| camp
/ Mr.. Minis will give an hour TO the
| children's history and geography. and
/ then. IL you have nothing for him 10 do,
he might go through the coal-club books.
and this afternoon he shall drive over
with NE TO Alchester and could look
after the pony while I did some shop
ping"
"As you please. my dear" answered
her husband; but if by any chance the
| bees should swarm to-day. ! must really
claim some part of Mr.. Minis time"
The bees did swarm that morning. and
with a vengeance, too. The day was
sunny. not breath of wind was stirring.
and a light haze yelled the horizon.
Thrilled by the influence of opening sum-
{
their heads to sail forth into the world
that baimy morning. The first left the
parent hive about 10 o'clock followed by
a cloud of emigrants bent on forming a
new home
The vicar. who had been anxiously OBJ
serving the signs Of evident unrest in
many a hive in his double row. was on
the qui viye in a moment.
Baker, Plumsett. Minis" cried the
Reverend Daniel "A swarm-a swarm
Get a sl1ep, the gong, pans, bells-any-
thingr'
Away he dashed. in wild excitement
in bee-farming the vicar was a cOnserva-
tive-he would not tolerate any breach
OF the time-honored ceremonial that
should accompany the pursuit and TAX
ing of a swarm. The beating Of pots
and pans, the holloaing and shouting
was music to his ears in May
Upward and away broke the struggling
bees, lowering amid the apple blossoms
in the orchard, then laZiiy drifting out
over the open meadows.
Quintus Minis. glad Of any excuse TO
be free from the company of the little
Prouts. was the first 10 answer his en-
ployer's call Clapping a college cap
upon his head-Minns had an infinite re-
spect for that style of headgear-hastily
adjusting his glasses, buttoning a shiny
alpaca jacket, he hurried TO join the
chase
Come on. Minis: come on reared
the Reverend Daniel
''YOicks, get forrardr' screamed Dan
lei junior from the nursery window to
the accompaniment of a sixpenny trum-
pet, vigorously blown by his sister.
The curate got forward as fast as he
conveniently could, hanpered as he was
BY slippers and the gong that, mindful
of the wears warning, he had seized in
his flight
There they goY' gasped Prout, astride