The Louisiana Democrat., 1890-10-22

her the idclisea Iavorite with high and
low. Already, at this early a3e, she
was actually besiesed with suitors, more
in number than the year has days. They
represented the very flower of chivalry,
and there were Dukes and Princes at
her feet But she refused them all.
Not that she was in any way proud, far
from it; she was as humble and modest
as any girl in the land. But to all pro-
posals of that kind her answer invari-
ably came; i will wait!'
'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 mir was
cool and refreshing, and the twilight
fast settling into darkness under tho
huge old chestnut trees. For the first
time all that day the Countess seemed
to feel quite happy, and danced about
like little fairy among the deep shad-
ows of the park.
Suddenly she stopped, and gave q
little startled scream. | ran to her
side, and was nearly as scared as her.
self, when saw the dark, bent form Of
an old gypsy woman standing in our
way The gypsy muttered something,
and grasped the white little hand of
the Countess, and led, without saying a
word further, the frightened girl little
out of the way, into the lingering rays
OF light which still played on the west
ern horizon. In low, husky voice |
heard the gypsy say, after she 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 ii he should tarry. He shall
como, even If it is late
THE gypsy disappeared as suddenly
as she had come; scared and trembling
did We 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,
| sho had had a dream to the same effect
as that the old gypsy had told her-that
nobody but King would ever carry
her away from the castle of her an
cestors. And she could not help find
ing in this meeting with tho gypsy and
her prophesy very strange coincidence
| to her dream of q year ago. She took
my promise to keep all this q secret,
and did so until this timc
From this day she was moro reserved
than ever to all tho gentlemen that
came within her presence, and nobody
won her heart or hand. Thus years
passed away, and for every year the
| number of her suitors decreased Her
old parents began to despair, and sought,
at last, some reason for their daugh-
ter's strange way of refusing even the
thought of marriage. When they would
not give her any rest she told them all
about the dream and the gipsy, and aft
er that they let her do as she liked in
peace.
"a few years moro and the Countess
was left alone in the world. staid on
in her service even after my marriage,
my husband being the Countess stew
ard or business manager till his death,
and continued to be her maid or com,
i paniOn.
"On every birthday she ordered me to
bring out her costly trousseau and mag
nificent wedding-dress, worthy of q
queen, for her inspection, and after she
had looked at this wealth of laces and
silks, diamonds and pearls she would
turn away, signing, and repeat to her.
self the words of the gypsy: Even if he
tarry, yet he will come. He shall come
even IL it is late But for twenty
years she has never repeated these
words to me, and the King has not CO me" "
This is the story the old housekeeper
told on her deathbed. The faithful
friend preceded her mistress to the
grave few months, still half cling
ing to the gypsys prophesy, although
the Countess had only five 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, MS she had lived, in peace and in
faith; and ''tho girls" trembling old
hands dressed the Countess at last in
tho queenly bridal gown, not for tho
altar, but for the grave And 10! when
tho undertaken scrambled up the hill to
the old castle and gave his name at the
iron gates his name was King and the
gypsy's prophesy was fulfilled.
When this King laid the Countess in
her royal attire down in the narrow
coffin to be taken away at last she
neither could smile Tor cry at tho bit
ter irony that was in this mockery of
her destiny.-Signe Ankarfelt.
THE LIONS OF INDIA.
They Are Gradually Disappearing from