Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-11-14

UhOio was nO It'ck from tnaG nOur 10
this have never seen my child.
" For years we were on the search.
L have offered rewards times without
number. Children of Ill sizes and
ages have been brought here. have
been summoned to London dozen
times a year, but ! have never found
any trace of my poor little Alice
How long ago was that 2 asked.
THE children were just turned
four; it was seventeen years. he an
swered.
"The story produced strong i'm
preston upon me, but ! wondered at
his still sanguine expectation of finding
his little girl, as he called her.
"Six months from that day Mr..
Fontleroy accompanied me back to
America. l never saw more delighted
traveller. His enthusiasm over our
institutions was boundless. He was
very anxious to visit Washington, and
we spent nearly month in that city.
On the very day we had fixed to re-.
turn to New York, a gentleman detain-
ed us with the offer of his carriage and
horses to ride out to the suburbs, and
visit place owned by the banker Cor
coran, since then built up and known
as the Soldiers Home
He accepted the offer, and together
we drove out over the fine country.
We had nearly reached our destination,
when suddenly in the bend of the road
we saw q gypsy camp. The expression
that came into Fontleroy's face, as he
reined in his horses, I shall always re-
member.
"'I never see sight like that with
out throbbing heart, he said.
"The scene was utterly new to me,
and regarded it more with the eye of
an artist. It was indeed strange and
brilliant picture. The tall oaks stood
like sentinels in the background, their
beautiful brown trunks Redeemed
by broad patches of sunshine. The
green sward sloped to the front, and
was covered with well-made wagons,
fine horses, tents, and motley groups of
wandering men and women.
Sat one side the grass was thickly
strewed witch newly washed linen, and
on lines stretched from the branches,
gay bits of gypsy attire futtered in the
wind. There were jackets, red, blue
and gray, children's torn dresses, rags
of every color.
"Down in little hollow, a black
haired woman dipped water from run
ming spring into a heavy iron kettle,
looking at us suspiciously under her
straight, black brows. Beneath a
tree sat young girl, brown as an In
dian. She had hung a small mirror to
the bark of giant forest oak, and was
dressing her abundant tresses.
From forked pole mighty caul-
dron hung suspended, the smell of
which was most appetizing the steam
came up fast and furiously, but the fire
could hardly be seen in the garish light
of day.
"Suppose we get out said Mr..
Fontleroy, looking about for some one
to hold his horses.
"We soon found sturdy boy for
that purpose, and in few moments we
were in the midst of the camp, ex-
amining the blooded stock. Meantime
the woman who had been dipping water
had hurried into the midst of the camp,
and presented herself, with pack of
ultty CaIuS, UeIOro US.
"She was most forbidding looking
hag, sinister in countenance and
stealthy in manner, but Mr.. Fontleroy
was on the point of listening to her,
when suddenly there fell upon our ears
a most piercing shrek.
The woman dashed her cards down,
the man turned from the beautiful
horse he had been praising, people
sprang from sward and tent, the dogs
began to bark, and we were startled
with the rest.
It is Barb. I am sure it's her
voice, said the woman, wildly looking
round. 1t is back there in the woods.
Run, quick 7
"None were on the spot much sooner
than Mr.. Fontleroy and myself. The
cause OF the piercing outcry was soon
ascertained. Prone on the ground laid
stalwart, reckless-looking fellow, his
hat off, and crouched upon his breast,
It's almost human eyes watching the
girl, whose uplifted hand seemed even
in this moment to be regarded as law
by the brute, an immense blood hound.
"The handsome face of the gypsy
youth was fecked with blood and foam,
but my eyes were held by the face of
the girl, and Mr.. Fontleroy held my
arm with grip like iron. In all but
the color of the complexion, Drowned
by the constant exposure to the sun,
she was English Edith's counterpart
the height, the expression, the shape of
the brow, the color of the hair, the
very poise of the small, 1.-the figure
but not the angry blaze of the brown
eye.
"' I told him if he teased me any
more, I would set Lep on him, and if
said the word, as perhaps I should, the
dog would kill him, and serve him
right, she added. Father, call Lep
off /; he will come for you
"At the word father, which was ad.
dressed to the old man with whom we
had been talking horses, Mr.. Fontleroy
shivered from head to foot.
: &C. Ainslie, said he, under his
breath, as the hound skunk off at com.
mand of his master, and the cowed
! gypsy rose, that girl is my daughter
, I know it, 1 feel it to the very core Of
my heart.
Lou are rlBnI, was my answer.
None but Edith's twin sister could
look SO much like, her. What are you
going to doP'
) =" Mr.. Fontleroy was still silent, his
eyes devouring the girl as she sanl
| down, pouting and growing paler, while
r several of the men and women gathered
: about her.
Only the old hag remained neal
, us, hoping to tell our fortunes. Mr.
FOntIerOv turned tayarda her sud