Mr. and Mrs. Cossart appeared in due course to sit beside their darling and watch how the fresh breeze brought some colour to her face. But Sheila flitted about like a sprite, never still, always intent upon some fresh fancy. Her merry laugh was one of the familiar sounds about the deck, and she seemed always the centre of a group of admirers. People were kind to Effie, and would come and chat to her; but the mother began to look with rather jealous eyes upon the little court that Sheila always had round her. “I hope she is not going to be a little flirt,” she said once to her husband. “She is certainly pretty, but I don’t know if I like that way of hers. She attracts more notice than I think quite seemly.” And in her heart she added, “I can’t have my Effie cut out and overshadowed by that little chit!” (_To be continued._) THE PLEASURES OF BEE-KEEPING. BY F. W. L. SLADEN. PART II. A little care will have to be exercised in purchasing the swarm. It should be got from a reliable local bee-keeper—a man on whom you can depend to give you what you want, namely, a healthy, natural, “first”[2] swarm, weighing not less than about three pounds. You should receive the swarm in May, but the middle of June will not be too late in many parts of England, especially if the season is at all backward. [Illustration: STANDARD FRAME FITTED WITH FOUNDATION.] Everything should be in readiness for the swarm. The hive should be given three or four coats of good light stone-colour paint, and a site must be chosen for it. This should be in a quiet corner of the garden, sheltered from the prevailing winds, and, by preference, shaded from the midday sun; but a dark, damp place under the constant drip of trees should be avoided. Most bee-keepers prefer to have their hives facing south or south-east to catch the early morning sun, but this is not a matter of great importance. The location having been decided upon and the hive set level in it, the next care will be to furnish the hive. Each frame must have a sheet of beeswax, called _brood foundation_, fixed into it, to act as a foundation on which the bees may build their comb. Bees naturally start building their combs from some support above them, continuing the work in a downward direction. The foundation must, therefore, be fixed into the top bar of the frame, which has a saw-cut down the middle on purpose to receive it. Prize the saw-cut wide open, and then insert the edge of the foundation into it. Two or three fine shoemaker’s brads driven through the side of the top bar will make the work secure. Strips of foundation about two inches wide are generally considered sufficient for fitting into frames, but larger sheets answer better. The illustration shows a full-sized sheet of foundation which is held in the centre of the frame by means of tinned wire embedded in the wax. The sides and bottom of full sheets must be kept clear of the frame.