Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-08-11

ping tambourine, the booming Of
which, blending with the argentine
clash of little bells, produced n uniform
sound characterized by sort of mel
ancholy fury.
The profile of the 1.-the and gracile
young girl was splendidly outlined
against the bright evening sky; it
seemed like the head of some byzantine
saint relieved against a background of
gold Her feet were shod with dainty
| little red morocco shoes; she wore n
short striped tunic, and round her
neck, a string of coral and silver pieces
which fell over her richly embroidered
chcmise. A piece of red cloth was
gracefully twisted about her handsome
dark head. and gave her face some
what Oriental and prophetic aspect.
Coins rained down from all direc-
tions; she uttered all at once some
thing like cry of thanks; then she
began 10 dance. She poised grace
fully, passed round the circle tripping
in cadence, and casting n passionate
look toward the spectators; now she
would curve her body with prodigious
suppleness; then again she would skip
upon the very tips of her feet, bending
her head forward over her breast; oil her
movements were marked by an admi-
rable grace, without the least appear
ancc of coquetry.
Next she took her whip and cracked
it; then she gave her orders to the bear
in a sharp, quick tone. The animal
understood every one of her signs; he
listened to her with the blind obedience
Of slave who loves and fears his mis-
tress; he sat down and gave his paw,
ros, up again, and the beautiful girl
stood triumphantly upon his rugged
back; he assumed all the pastures of q
clown, and, at another signal, began
to perform kind of pantomime. To
end with he threw himself on the
ground, pretending to be dead; and
the girl stretched herself upon him, in
the attitude Of conqucror who has
| Ovcrthrown his enemy.
Serbian stood there, without moving;
but he never took his eyes off her.
Don't go near her!" cried neigh
Dor, the tailor Atlas Mensch, "she is
as proud as she is wild, know her
well; they call her The Bcar-Princcss.
The best advice 1 can give is to keep
out of her way"
This warning came too late. AS the
young girl approached Serbian to pick
up the coins which had fallen at his
| feet, it seemed to him that she had
suddenly pulled out his heart, and
hidden it away. And when she had
again put the collar on the bear and
left the square with her animal, he
felt as if he also were attached to a
magical chain, and obliged to follow
her in spite of himself. At the en-
trance of the forest, in the spot where
stood the little cross beside which she
halted in order TO take n rest and to
share q piece of bread with her savage
friend, she perceived that Serbian was
following her.
"What do you want?" she asked.
Nothing. belong TO the place"
You are musician?'
mo, my mother has house and
garden in the neighborhood."
Then what do you want?"
| II want to follow you.n
ITO follow mc-are YOU crazy?" A
chastc laugh played softly about the
lips of the handsome girl.
"And why can't ~" asked Serbian,
quite discouraged.
"Bccausc forbid you tor
1.-The road is free for every body"
II shall take good care to compel
you to go back home"
"You can't drive away your shadow
l am your second shadow. / pray
you do not be so cruel; | can't help
following YOU" She looked at him
with great sybillnc 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 mcager
meal, he rose up; she took the imperial
road, and Serbian, after watching the
young girl for an instant, followed her
at the distance of about q hundred
yards. He followed her from farm to
farm, from village to village, from
one town TO another; wherever she
halted, or wherever she made her bear
dance, he stopped too, and never
ceased admiring her. He rested in
the same place where she passed. the
night-whcther under peasant
matched roof, or under the starry sky;
he qucnched his thirst at the same
fountain as she; he assuaged his hun
ger wherever she and her bear took
their meals-to-day, perhaps, in a
gloomy Jewish tavern, tomorrow,
among the stones of some ruined cas-
tic, or perhaps, in ditch, under some
wild sorb. He sevcr approached her
except when he felt her to be in dan
gcr--whcn she happened to be in some
very lonesome place, or when, through
the night, he perceived the shining
eyes of wolf.
Once, during violent storm, when
she had sought shelter under the will
lows bordering stream, Serbian had
placed himself near her, under nut
tree, and she had spoken to him for the
second time:
"What is your namcp"
"Serban; and Leptkowitsch is my
family name! And youp"
my name is Cadina."
"You arc not of our countryP'
"Nor'
"Then, where are you from?"
From the mountains over there
| nOor tho HIM ,.o, f.o,t;or -