West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-11-15

pN one hVr bltS OF gypsy unCrN, her neck
la"e of beads and armlets of silver, and laws
them ON the big stone in the rivulct which
is her favoritc seat. \ little cross too, that
hcrlovcr has given her and taught her TO
prize, she lays amongst them.
''llow pretty they are, how pretty they
must look ON me-" she cries i'm Innocent
vanity. not knowing it WAS she who gave n
beauty 20 the trinkets far moro than they
gave To her. "But my ring is the best, -
she SAYS, ''ah, let me see how that sparllcs
amongst thcm-so tiny, but 50 precious"
She lays IL on the stone in the midst of
her armlcts, and g0zcs at it admiriugly.
But ia another instant sound reaches her
ear. She thinks it is her lovers foOtstcp,
and turning away her head to listen, sec
ond only, and she turns sgain 10 see her
priced and fatcd ring carried from her in
the bcak of q raven which had been hover
ing over her head
With cry of despair the girl leaps from
the rock To meet her lover and to pour into
his ear the snd tale Of her loss.
To the Tcutonic mlnd of Hans this event
is annoying rs involving the loss of the ring
but otherwise not overwhelming.
"Attcr all another ring can bc got whore
that come from" he said lightly Don't
spoil your pretty eyes, my Elsa 10y crying
after the haubleI'
Then Elsa tells him with fatcring tongue
and white checks of the old sibyl's proph.
ccy. ''Aly happiness goes with that ring"
she cries passionatcly, looking up at the
ravens nest overhangiug tho edges of the
rock far above her head, where the bird has
retired with his prey.
"lf that bc So said the young lover,
smiling, yet moved by the anguish of her
face, you shall very soon have il back
again-hoth ring and the happiness"
Before the girl is well aware OF what hc
is about ne has begun climbing, hand over
hand, the rugged face of the steep gorge,
clnging here TO "a bush and there toa stone
and hanging now and again over the nhyss
ON the strong arm OF "A tree
"S,av. stay cries the gypsy, as she
watches her lovers progress with horrible
fascination. Come back Alas! the ring
is not worth your danger to me- What
have ! saidy"
But the young man, excited now with
the sense of an exploit almost achieved.
sends back "a rcassuring shout, and pursucs
his peHlous way upward. One more spring
and the prize is his.
He stretches his hand over the nest from
which the scared bird rises supporting him
self meanwhile ON "A clump of gorsc which
ovcrhaugs the torrent
Elsa, seized with sudden prcscntmcnt
OF evil, shuddcrs and covers her eyes with
her hands A horrible sound Of something
falling heavily beside her makes her start
away and look.
Al her feet lies the body OF her lover. the
last faint breath of life but now futtcring
from his white lips, while in his tightly
clinchcd hand nc still holds the prize for
which nc had strivon-hcr ring.
Three days afterward some Of the gypsy
tribe, searching for the lost Elsa, who has
been for this time missing coming upon n
white-iaccd, scared and ghost-lile creature
sitting in the roar Of the water fall, beside a
dead and mutilatcd body. to which she is
still chattcring plaintivc words of fond en-
dcarncnt, and tender rcproach for its silent
codncss. The gypsies carried the body Of
the young man TO the abbey, where he was
buried, and removing their camp from the
ncighborhOod, took the unfortunate Elsa
with them.
But the glen where her happiness and her
misery had IN turn come TO her had n weird
charm for her unquict spirit, which no dis
tancccould alter She found her way back
again 10 her favoritc haunt, and not many
months aftcrward lay down with chld's
weariucss to die on the spot where her low
crsiifc and her own reason had alike left
her.