The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-07-14

spite of himself.
At the entrance of the forest, in the
spot where stood the little cross beside
which she halted in order to take rest
and to share piece of bread with her
savage friend, she perceived that Serbian
was following her.
"What do you want2" she asked.
"Nothing belong to the place"
"You are a musician.'
"No; my mother has home and gar
den in the neighborhood."
Then what do you want?'
4 want to follow YOU"
"To follow me! Are you crazy?"
A smile played softly about the lips of
the handsome girl.
And why can't l." asked Serbian,
quite discouraged.
"Bccause TO. bid you to-"
THE road is free for everybody"
81 shall take good care to compel you
to 60 back hame.'
"You cant drive away your shadow.
am your second shadow. pray you
do not be so cruel. can't help following
YOU.
She looked at him with her great sibyl-
line eyes and did not answer. While she
was eating, he also sat down on the grass
few steps away from her.
When she had finished her meagre
meal, she rose up. She took the imperial
road, and Serbian, after watching the
young girl for al instant, followe | her
at the distance of about a hundred
yards.
He follow d her from farm to farm,
from vi lagc to vilIge, rom one town
to another; wherever she halted, or
wherever she mn lc er bear dance, he
stopped. too, AID never cea>e admiring
her. He rcste il the same place where
she passed the night--wh ther under
peasants t at he'd roof, or under the
starry sky; he ',u nrhed his thirst at the
stme fountain us she; he asSuaged his
hunger whenever she and her bear took
their meals to day, perhaps, IN a
g oomy tavern, tomorrow among the
stones of some old ruined castle. or per-
haps, in ditch under somc wild sorb.
lie ne er approached her except when
he felt her to be in dange:-when Il
drunken man would presume to attempt
to take liberties with her-when she
happened to be in some very lonesome
place-or when, through the night, he
perceived the shining eyes of Il wolf.
Once, during a violent storm, when
she had sought shelter under the willows
bordering a stream, Serbian had placed
himself near her, under a nut tree, and
she hal spoken to him for the second
time.
"What is your name2'
SERBIAN; and Leptkowitsch is my
family name! And you:"
'My is Ca lima"
"You are not of our courtry!'
'.Nom
''Then, where are you from"
'From the mountains over there; near
the Hungarian frontier"
He asked her nothing more; then he
began to look at her. He could not sa-
ii tie himself with admiring the adorable
creature, whose cha te face WAS illumi-
mated by two great dark eyes that flashed
beneath her magnifice 1t hair.
but what do you want to follow me
this way for?" she continued, after short
silenc-. eff it is simply Joke, I think
it has been carried on long epongh."
son the contrary, it is very serious"
'T beg of you 60 back home" she
said to him, in her gentlest voice.
Serbian shook his head.
'sYou won't2"
s'I won't"
tAnd if I order you2"
AS she said thes, words she rose, and
walked majesticallY toward him.
"And if I order you, will you obey
me-"
"Now
"Serban, do not provoke my anger! I
have been we'll enough able to tame my
bear, ;Ed I can just as easily conquer
that OBJ 'tinacy of yours.
81 pray you, cardina' do not send me
away"
The poor fellow had half risen up, so
that he found himself on his knees before
her. looking up into her face with sup.
plant eyes.
She approached him and stood silent
for few moments. Suddenly her hand
some fa:e resumed its merrinent ag lin.
ssStay, then," she said; ''but in that
case you will have to perform tricks, like
Ivanok, my bear"
"Whst do you mean by that"
il am going to show you right now"
She took OF the chain around the
bears neck and fastened it uron Serbian.
"Come, now she cried. with burst
of laughter, ''pay attention!-for if you
don't work hard you will get nothing to
cat, and if you show yourself disole lient
l will punish you. Up, now"
Serbian got up.
"Dance, my bear, dance"
She commenced to beat her tamborine,
and the young man began to dance, both
OF them bursting with laughter, just like
two children.
In the meantime the bear had ap-
preached them, and stared at them in
astoni>h &c It. Calina, in her childish
glee, still kept cracking her whip.
Come, Ivanok come on, my friend,
if you want to. Hop! hopn
The amin Il rose on his hind legs and
made as if he was about to EN- race his
young mistress. But Serbian, misundtr-
standing this demon tration of friend
ship and fearing that Cadina was in dan
ger, placed himself before her for the
purpose of protecting her.
Ivanok pricked up his cars and gave
vent to deep growl, then, taking Ser
ban unawares, as the latter was threat
ening him with his violin bow-which,
unfortunately for himself, he still held