The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-08-19
always with energetic Aunt Maria at

diers, and again divided into groups just
as fancy and the unevenness of the road
dictated.
But the camp was soon reached, and
very picturesque it looked with the
strange, dark people fitting about, with
much effective display of red and yellow
in their dress, and the bright fires, over
which savory stews were cooking. The
children and dogs were playing noisily,
and very few of the company seemed to
take any notice of the numbers of visi-
tors VINO were making the most Of their
opportunities for investigation.
But before ore OF the tents sat a
woman with a large basket at her side,
and as Mrs. Stone and Aunt Maria ap.
preached she drew from it a piece of
what seemed to be very fine, beautiful
lace, which she held up for their inspec-
ton, with the words:
":It's pure linen, handraade lace, every
thread, ladies', and will last a lifetime.
We makes it all ourselves in the Win
tiers, when we steps in houses, and that's
the reason we can sell it for so much
less than you'd have to give in the shops.
We learned to make it in hold Heng-
land, where there's a many as works at
it but there's few in this country as
can equal us, and there's lots of ladies'
as knows it, and gets their lace of US.
There's Mrs. Stanleigh, and Mrs. Pope,
and Mrs. Gen. Devens, in the town a
dozen miles back they all buys of us
when we pass through there every year.
We're sort o off our regular track now,
lady, and Won mayn't have another such
q chance. Only two dollars for this
and you'd have to pay four in the shops"
".Ah. indeed r said Aunt Maria, with
sudden inteies at must be the gent
inc article if Cousin Francis Devens
would buy it, and really think | must
have . little. I've always wanted some
nice lace, and, as the woman says, | may
not have another such a chance"
"Don't you feel as if it is rather ex-
travagant 2 Mrs. Stone ventured to ask.
"Well, rather" Aunt Maria replied,
but then you know it will last 50 long"
The gypsy oma saw her advantage,
and the result was that instead Of the
ward Aunt Maria intended to buy, she
went away with two and Il half yards,
and the woman was 10 call at the house
that evening for five dollars which she
accordingly did.
The next morning Aunt Maria missed
something; there was no Pedro to eat
the ccld p3tato. and investigation re-
vealed the fact that several OF his fam
lily had accompanied him to parts I'M
known. But Aunt Maria had her lace
and WAS consoled. The sypsies had
folded their tents, also a pair of sheets
and a shirt from Mrs. Deacon Prices
clothes-line, and had vanished.
Not many weeks after these occur
rences came the time for Aunt Marla's
yearly visit to her cousin, Francis Dew
ems. The lace vas arranged in the neck
and sleeves Of the best black silk dress,
and Aunt Maria put it on the first after
noon of her stay, feeling remarkably
well dressed. But Cousin Francis cast
queerlooks at thelace, and hoped it might
disappear in a day or two; but as it did
not she hit upon an expedient to get rid
of it before Sunday, when the black
silk would probably so to church. She
looked over her WI stock of rich laces,
and selecting therefrom a neat set, pre-
scented it TO Aunt Maria, saying as she
did SO:
This is real lace cousin, and will last
forever; SO put it right on, and get al
the good You can ont OF it.
81 suppose you bought it of the gypsy
woman l got mine Of" said Aunt Maria,
after thanking her. She flushed a little,
fearing that Cousin Francis had failed
to notice her investment in the lace line,
and she added, 1.-The told me
you bought all your lace from her"
Mrs. Devans opened her eyes in as
constituent, and answered.
"Why, Cousin Maria, l never bought
an inch of lace of a gypsy in my life
l know q tribe of them comes through
here every year, but l have never ven
seen them, and I'm very much afraid
you've been victimized." Then, seeing
that Cousin Maria looked somewhat
mystiied and %incredulous, she said
"But perhaps you'd like to take a piece
Of your lace down to Wholesalers and
see what they say about ii. They keep
all kinds of lace there, and will know
all about 1t, Of course"
So the lace was ripped from one of