Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-06-09

Night lay-a balmy, perfumed sum-
mer's night-upon the broad plains,
the castled heights, the blooming vine
yards of the Danube. On a high rock
springing abruptly up from the water
the castle of Thurzo was perched. At
its foot nestled the straw-roofed huts
of little village. Slumber brooded
over all-above in the high vaulted
chambers of the castle; below in the
low clay huts of the village. Only the
young and lively wife of the lord of the
castle still kept her vigil
The attendants, indeed, believed
their mistress to have been asleep some
hours back; but unknown to all she
had arisen from her couc44 and now sat
alo- on small balcony that hung,
per ed like martens nest, high up
in one of the buttresses of the castle.
AS the lady sat there drinking in the
beauty all around her, the strains of a
violin, exquisitely played in the valley
below, fell upon her ear. 1t was a
wonderfully sweet and subtle melody
that now broke the stiffness of the
night, and fell like balm upon the
heart of the listener. She sat there
listening eagerly, intently, until the
last note died slowly away.
The next night, however, while
seated as before on her balcony and the
music again falling on her ear, the
countess summoned her maids and or
dered messengers to be sent in search
of the unseen musician. A page re-
turned presently bringing gypsy with
him. The gypsy wore blouse of scar
let linen, his feet were bare, and no
covering was upon his long, black elf
locks that hung divided about his
brown, lean face; in one thin, tawny
hand he held battered old fiddle. In
obedience to the countess commands.
he began playing one of those wild mel
odies that form such a fitting accompa-
niment to the strange, beautiful
dances of his race. In reply to the
countess questioning, he said that his
name was Asboth; that for the present
he and his wife were living in one of
the huts in the village below. Soon,
however, they would go back to their
tribe, and resume their wandering life.
The countess, who was anxious to
keep him near her, proposed to him to
enter her service. The gypsy con-
sented, but with the proviso that when
the desire should come upon him to
resume his free, wild life again he
should be at liberty to do so.
Some weeks after this, by strange
freak of destiny, the countess and the
gypsy woman gave birth on the same
dya and at the same hour to boys.
TO the wife of the gypsy the young
count was given to nurse, and in her
care and to the music of Asboth's vio-
Inns the two children grew up. From
the very first, the son of the count man.
ifested as much love for and skill at the
instrument as the fiddler's son himself.
Stephan, count Of Thurzo, loved indeed
the violin better even than horse or
hound or falcon, better than fitting at
the lists or riding in the tourney, bet
ter far better, than all study OF books
or rusty parchments Both children
were apt and willing pupils of Asboth;
and Count Thurzo, observing this, gave
each OF the lads on his twelfth birthday
fine and valuable violin.
Time passed ON, and the children were
now tall, handsome youths. The love
they bore each other was as deep and
fervent as that of twin brothers. In
appearance, however, they were quite
unlike. For Gezas, the gypsy, was as
brown as a hazlenut, but Stephan, the
count, red and white as a flower
When from time to time Asboth left
his home to go wandering, fiddling
through the land. the two boys never
failed to accompany him on these pill.
grimages. Although Stephan's parents
tried to keep him home at their side,
they were powerless to do So En-
treaties, threats, punishments even,
could not keep him from his beloved
gypsy playmate and comrade. One
day, however, when the lads were tall
striplings of IS or 70, Asboth fell heav.
lily to the ground, his precious fiddle
dropping from his brown, nerveless fin.
gers. His young companions hastened
to raise him up, but it was already toe
late, he was dead He had died, how
ever as he had wished to die, on the
high-road, the blue sky above him, the
green turf beneath. He was buried in
the shade of the linden-tree where he
fell, with his precious fiddle lying on
his breast. The lads returned to the
castle directly after, bringing the news
of their companions fate with them
For some weeks after, they remained
quietly at home; then again the
longing for their wandering, trouba
dour life attacked them, and this time
stronger than ever before.
They had been on the road some days
| when one hot. sultrv afternoon thar