The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1884-10-01
THE GYPSY QUEEN.

that YOU ought to know of your
future. Iou are rich and generous.
Put silver in my hand again, and YOU
will be fully repaid by what tell You.
"Oh." said the Young man, with lazy
satisfaction, balancing himself luxurious
" upon the stump, Il love to think that
the contest is not vet decided between
the fair Young lady and the dark one.
If YOU showed which was to be crowned
and blessed with me, i should feel as If
must reverse your prophecy from sheer
contrarincSs."
The woman cast q shrewd and black
eyed look at him. half enjoying his I'M
pudencc, but not the less determined on
more fees.
The encampment Of tents, wagons,
dogs. children. men, women, and horses
stretched quite into the woods. Smoke
from a number of fires, and several dirty
table-cloths were spread in the long
perspective. Around these tsf children
rolled with those woltlsh dogs which
the gypsy makes his brethren. 1t was
warm summer sunset, and the mosquitoes
werc abroad, twanging their instruments
OF torture, while on that very carthen
table the f%ortunc.tcller had fOrsakcn for
her subject, flies grcedily covered the
lbeefsteak, or riskcd their lives in wait
ing cups Of coffee. A ruddy, swart
young man, very sparkling in eyes and
mouth. when he opened his lips or
widely separated his eyclids, lounscd at
his length on the wagon tongue, and
Kicked at two dogs whenever they at
tempted to deliver the becfstcak from
the flies. He was too youthfulto be the
woman's husband, and too old to be her
81. for she had several small, dirty
children knocking their heels among
the tea-cups. Yet he staid by, as If the
kettle on the crooked iron was his own,
the table-cloth his individual board, and
the space about the woman his sky
rooted dwelling.
Young Harrison enjoyed his surround
ings. He had passed 4 season among
1.-The Assiniboin Indians; was a good hum
ter and canocist; he had run on snow
shoes, and logged in the Assiniboin
carts; he had seen the barbarian of the
tropics, clothed only in flowers; he
thought he knew life, and he felt an
honest love for everything that dwest
close TO the ground. The children of the
road were like grimy and Ishmaelitish
brethren to him. He had a finer life. lived
quite overthcirh heads, but he battered him
self Congreve Harrison could get down
to deep sea level with the monsters, and
enjoy the rude delights of simple exist
ence. Especially was such fellowship a
delight when it let him look at the tent
and-wagon-dwelling type of a beautiful
woman.
"And she's the queen" he repeated,
scarcely taking his eyes off the distant
figure. "By all that's handsome, she
ought to be! What's the extent of her
kingdom"
The fortune. teller cuffed a dog which
was just in the act of gulping one piece
from her beef p'atter. She then looked
Af young Harrison, and used the same
hand to point eastward.
awe have farms over there, said she.
EDO you see that house on the hill? And
we have other land in Ohio. And we
have land in the South"
'.You let it out to tenants, and live on
The road yourselves"
dyes" with a nod which made her
heavy earrings swing.
'tBut I mean over how large a tribe Of
people does your Queen Emeretta ruler"
'tAre you making q book?" said the
swart young man from the wagon tongue.
'sThere was a man made a book about
ns,' explained the fo-.unc-teller, her
recollections kindling. 81 never see it.
You have much to do with studying.
You are a gentleman that meditateS."
II am only making u book of my W
experience" replied Harrison, to the
young man on the wagon tongue. "How
large did you tell me your tribe is Z" he
asked the woman.
A stolid look covered her face. She
famed away a fly with one ring-laden
hand, and said, with the air Of a duchess
preserving court secrets "There
are MANY families. There are fami-
lies in England, and families in this
country"
Eyes. In short. the whole haman race
is one compact and prodigious family
said Harrison, laughing. His laugh
shaded off through smiles to interest, to
seriousness and finally to an enthusiastic
narrowing Of the eyes, for the young
queen was coming down toward this ia
BE cloth at his feet.
Her own feet were in low shoes and
scarlet stockings. He did not remember
ever seeing such another pair of little in
nocent, unaggrc>sive feet. Her dress
was black. She had a scarlet silk hand
kerchief around her neck, and a scarlet
md blue one eros scd on her head. Her
hair was a mighty fleece of shining black
rings, frizzling to minute tendrils around
her ears and temples. The high cheek
bones Of the gypsy were p~crccptiblc only
because at these points the glow Of her
color was richest. She was all black,
Sssgold and scarlet, in flesh tints, hair,
glsnce and dress, the clear whites of
her eyes being emphasized by their
warm .hued lids and dark lashcs. This
little queen was probably seventeen years
old. She carried her shoulders and head
as if she felt the crown and robe which
her people of. the road have never given
to any of their sovcrcigns. She was slim
and perfectly shaped rather than tail.
And just noticing the stranger by an in
different turn Of her eye, she said some
thing to the fortune-tcller about the
chivvy and kckavi. Harrison detected
The words by which the gypsy always
tries bis Philistinc intruders.
He took off his cap and bowed, stand
ing up from the stump against which his
gun leaned. lie was large and hand
some in his hunting clothes, as even the
swart fellow on the wagon tongue must
have seen.
ooh. l can rakkcr a little Romany,'
he put forth. II learned of your folks
over in New Jersey. They were Coles.
campcd near Camden
The fortune-tcllcr relaxed, the fellow
on the wagon tongue relaxed a little, but
something like a nipple passed through
the teeth of their sovereign. She flashed
out her teeth in a laugh, and covered
them instantly with dccorous, beautiful
lips.
"Come, now, We will take you in,
Rye" said the swart young man, rising,
~jocular light breaking over his face.
"You've a good gray tied to that tree.
Let's look at him.
she isn't mine" said Harrison, glanc-
ing toward his horse and resolving to
keep an eye thcreabouts. Il borrowed
him to hunt to-day. You see l can't
trade"
Maybe you'll buy" continued the
gypsy.
"Tute wants to pookcr mandy" said
the young man, at whom the brown fell
ldw laughed with a shout.
"Romany chals never cheat" he de-
cleared" "And Romany dyes tell true
fortunes. Don't they2' he appealed to
The queen.
"Always true" she replied, with the
sincerity of a child. 1--WE know the
future by the lines in the hama"
81 wish you'd look in my hand" said
q 1Jorricon or1npf1,-