San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-12-30
THE GIPSY,S DEBT.


seen my foe.
1t was long narrow road, little bet
ter than alane, with great high hedge
on either side, and tall trees that
mingled their wide-spreading branches
overhead and shnt out the rays of the
sun by day and the pale beams of the
moon by night.
At last | came to sharp bend in the
road. The outer curve was a piece of
waste ground covered with dense
thickets of gorse and briar which might
prove a good ambnscade. InStinctively
| gave it a wide berth: but it was of no
avail. Two huge shadows gljded
stealthily from behind bush; then the
tramps l had seen slouching by the
gipsies' camp suddenly confronted me
/ was profoundly ignorant of military
tactics; nevertheless / disposed my
forces" to the best advantage, and all
unconsciously did the correct thing in
the circumstances.
i beat a hasty retreat. An ancient
oak grew close beside me: it's wide
spreading branches formed a vast
canopy above my head and it's gnarled
and twisted reots-the growth of ages
ran and twined in every direction
about the grassy path. / flew to the
the enemy With that massive trunk IN
the rear, fanl1ed on the right by a high
bank of red mari, and on the left by an
immense heap of unbroken stones with
Jagged edges sharp as flints, ] felt
less unprotected than in the open road
way. The manouvre was a brilliant
though unintentional success. / think
we were all rather astonished; 1 Was,
anyhow.
No sooner was my intention aseer-
tanned than the tramps darted after me
more like tigers than men. In mo-
ment one of them, catching his foot in
the projecting roots, fell with great
violence upon the stony heap; then,
without.a sigh or a moan, he slid to the
ground, where he lay quite still, "a sense
less helpless log; and his upturned face
was CHASTITY white, save for cruel red
mark on the brow.
1t was a terrible shock to me and an
awful warning to the other eyil-doer;
but, if / had hope that the PROSTATE
mans companion in crime would profit
by il, / was soon undeceived. With
brutal imprecations and threatening
gestures, i was ordered to fork out"
my purse; and with trembling hands
did SO. | think | had a hazy idea
that, if / complied with the wretch's
demand with as little fuss as possible,
Knight conciliate him and satisfy his
unlawful greed; but / was mistaken.
"Only flyer and two half-sous! /
wonder you amt ashamed to walk
about with such a scrubby bit o
money!" he said, with real or assumed
contempt, as he cropped the purse into
his pocket.
at is all l have, s" tried TO say, but
nv teeth were chattering in my head,
and my lips refused to utter the words,
few as they were. l was terribly
afraid; and, to add my fears, there was
mist swimming before my eyes, giving
the burly form before me a gigantic
size and strange uncouth shape, unlike
a thing of earth.
"Oh, if he would only let me go!"
thought despairingly. al shall faintor
die If stay here!"-and, as 1 looked
at the senseless form at my feet,
.shuddered, and wondered if the man
was dead.
Don't stand a-shiverin' there like a
ghost, but just hand over that time o.
day of yours as goes tinkle, tinkle so
pretty, like the bells in church, and look
sharp"
/ looked at the man aghast. Give
him my fathers watch, wretch like
himl Oh, the very thought was mad
ness i could not suffer that sacred
treasure to pass into such unhallowed
keeping.
al cannot" ] nerved myself to ex-
claim; and the sound of my own voice
somewhat treasured me and braced me
up to further efforts.
"Now none o. yer nonsense! / aint
a-goin' to stand here all night
palaverin' with you-so don't think!
You just hand over that ticker and
them pretty rings, or it'll be the worse
for you!"
81 WON'T"
ooh, you won't, won't your"
"No; I'll die first" And l felt that
would.
Part with Jacks ring-the sign of
the tender, love he bore me, the seal of
our betrothal-impossibl Jack, my
Jack, my husband that was to be, had
placed it on my hand, and l had
promised him, with little shy kiss,
that would wear it night and day;
and was only too glad to keep my
word. My bonny sailor-lad was on the
sea; many a cruel wave and awful
billow flowed and foamed between my
love and me; but, when | looked at that
precious token, Jack did not seem so
far away. And the pure gold was like
himself, and the lustre of the stone was
the love-light in his eyes. Part with
my darling's ring! No, would never
do that would keep it as long as
the breath of life was left to me! L
told the wretch so, and / stood before
him no longer shivering shaking
coward, but a bold defiant woman.
Vain were his threats and imprecations
II would not surrender; nothing he
might say or do should induce me to
deliver those priceless treasures into
his hands.