Part 3 (2/2)
”Dragon-flies live on the best terms with the nation of bees”
”Very sensible in them,” flashed Maya
”Do you mean to insinuate that I aon-fly let go of the rush, which sprang back into its former position, and flew off with a whirr and sparkle of its wings, straight down to the surface of the water, where it made a superb appearance reflected in the ht there were two dragon-flies Both s so swiftly and finely that it see around therief over poor Jack Christopher and all sense of her own danger
”How lovely! How lovely!” she cried enthusiastically, clapping her hands
”Do you on-fly spoke in astonishment, but quickly added: ”Yes, I must ad along the brook, and you should have heard so on the bank rave over s!” exclais?”
”Of course,” answered the dragon-fly ”But you'll be very interested to know my name, I'm sure My name is Loveydear, of the order Odonata, of the fas,” ion-fly seemed won over She seated herself on the leaf beside Maya And the little bee let her, knowing Miss Loveydear would be careful not to co?” she asked
”Good gracious, ould they do with a sting! No, they have worse weapons against us, and they are very dangerous There isn't a soul who isn't afraid of thes show--the boys”
”Do they try to catch you?” asked Maya, breathless with excitelanced at her wings ”I have seldo who hasn't tried to catch me”
”But why?” asked Maya in a tremor
”You see,” said Miss Loveydear, with a lance, ”there's soon-flies That's the only reason I know Soht went through the cruellest tortures and finally died”
”Were they eaten up?”
”No, no, not exactly that,” said Miss Loveydear coly
”So far as is known, on-flies But so, which will probably never be explained You may not believe it, but cases have actually occurred of the so-called boy-s for pure pleasure You doubt it, don't you?”
”Of course I doubt it,” cried Maya indignantly
Miss Loveydear shrugged her glistening shoulders Her face looked old with knowledge
”Oh,” she said after a pause, grieving and pale, ”if only one could speak of these things openly I had a brother who gave promise of a splendid future, only, I'm sorry to say, he was a little reckless and dreadfully curious A boy once threw a net over hi like that? Tell me Would you?”