The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1890-11-21

posals of that kind her answer invari-
ably came. Il will waitr
''In this way year passed Her lady
ship was now seventeen Her birthday
was celebrated with all the splendor
and pomp that became her station in
life. Toward evening the Countess
grew tired of all the gayety and fes-
tivities that were going on in the cas-
tie, and slipped out into the park, &C
companied only by myself. The air was
cool and refreshing, and the twilight
fast settling into darkness uRder the
huge old chestnut trees. For the first
time all that day the Countess seemed
to feel quite happy. and danced about
like a little fairy among the deep shad-
ows of the park.
Suddenly she stopped, and gave
little startled scream. I ran to her
side, and was nearly as scared as her
self, when l saw the dark, bent form of
an old gypsy woman standing in our
way. The gypsy uuttered something,
and grasped the white little hand Of
the Countess, and led, without saying a
word further. the frightened girl a little
out OF the way, into the lingering rays
OF light which still played on the west
ern horizon. In a low, husky voice
heard the gypsy say, after sire a mo-
ment had glanced at the lines in the
Countess hand: My pretty girl, be
careful not to throw away thy heart to
any one of thy many wooers- Nobody
but King shall ever take thee away.
BE patient if he should tarry. He shall
come, even If it Is late.'
The gypsy disappeared as suddenly
as she had come; scared and trembling
did VIC leave the park and return TO the
castle. On our way back the Countess
told me that year ago, just the very
night before her sixteenth birthday,
she had had a dream to the same effect
as thatth old gypsy had told her-that
nobody but King would ever carry
her away from the castle OF her an
cestors. And sho could not help find
ing in this meeting with the gypsy and
her proPhcsy very strange coincidence
to her dream Of a year ago. She took
my promise to keep all this secret,
and dhl SO until this tim@
From this day she was more reserved
than ever to all the gentlemen that
came within her presence, and nobody
won her heart or hand. Thus years
passed away, and for every yeas the
number Of her suitors deere ased. Her
old parents began to despair, and sought,
=
tors strange way OF refusing evcu the
thought of marriage. When they would
not give her any rest she told, them all
about the dream and the gypsy, ami aft
or that they let her do as she liked In
poace.
"a few years more and the Countess
WAS left alone in the world. I staid on
in her service even after my marriage,
my husband being the Countess stow
ard or business manager till his death,
and 1 continued 70 be her maid or COM
panion.
''On every birthday she ordered me to
bring out her costly trousseau and mag
nificent wedding dress worthy of
queen, for her inspection, and aftBr she
had looked at this wealth OF lscss and
silks, diamonds and pearls she would
turn away, signing, and repeat 30 her
self tho words of the gypsy: Even IL he
tarry, yet he will come. He shall come
even II IL is late But for twenty
years she has never repeated these
words to me, and the King has not ONE"
This is the story the old housekeSper
told on her deathhed. Tho faithful
friend preceded her mistress TO the
grave a few months, still half cling
ing to the gypsy's prophesy, although
the countess hat only nYo more birth
days TO celebrate till she reached her
centennial.
AS / said before the Countess did not
live many months after her true friend
and faithful servant had left her. She
died, as she had lived, in peace and in
faith: and tho girls troubling old
hands dressed the Countess at last in
the queenly bridal gown, not for the
altar, but for the grave. And loFwhen
the undertaken scrambled up tho hill TO
tho old castle and gave his name at the
iron gates his namo was King and the
gypsy's prophesy was fulfilled.
When this King laid tho Countess IN
her royal attire down in tho narrow
coffin to be taken away at last she
Mother could smile nor cry at the bit
tor irony that was in this mcckery OF
her destiny.-Signc AnkarfeIt.