The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-09-08

brushwood for the fires. did their worA gloomily. and with none of the sum mer time whoop and hailoa.
 Here and there groups of the elder gipsy men. seated on upturned buckets on vanthills. or leaning their backs against van wheels. smoked their pipes with long. strong. interpretive puffs saying little. while that little was meas ured and reflective.
 Old spae wives puttered and bothered querulously. unsteadier in tone. more restless in movement. and full of thai petulant resentment to change. so true and pathetic seal upon the overrip' faculties of old age
 Gipsy lasses. ever demure In the pres ence of potent act or fact in their cid CTS, but miracles of winsome physica and heart free abandonment in joyoui hours. looked twice their age in theii long gowns and faces: while the zip sy dogs. those rare, sad-visaged, voice less cheats. whose pretense of sodder ignorance out-gipsy the slyest Roman, themselves. sat ranged at deferentia distances from the campfres. the em bodiment of dreary dolefulness.
 But I could see that tinker Zeke'i forebodings were not wholly those In definable touches of melancholy whici stir the lowliest heart in the saddenint autumn days, and emerging from oul tent I placed my hand softly on hi: shaggy old head, asking him sympa thetically.
 "Zeke, tell me truly what worries vol this morning."
 He looked up in my face for mo ment with that strange gipsy lool which reads slowly but searchingly t' the end. Then he drew me down beside him and returned my question with an other one earnestly:
 "Long OCT yer Gorgio ways, did v ne'er ha' summat as wus tn best par O ye, an ye couldn't make less"
 Questions had ever been the othel way between us; but I wonderingl! nodded my head.
 An tn more ye tried t keep 1t by ye tn more 1t crep' away like?"
 Again I nodded assent.
 An yer likin' an carin' an wor ritin' stead O bringin' 'tother thinl closer, kep' sorter edgin' tn 'tothe thing fur an furder away?'
 "Why, yes, zeke;" l replied con cernedly. You surely have no troubl like that?"
 "An' ye jess lost 'art," he continued doggedly, "an' tn skies kinder conn down low like an shet ye in a alon by yerseI?"
 Well, well, well" I could only an swer.
 Wait till ye gifts old, an w'atheve ye 'as drops hout little by little" h. retorted grinding one huge fist into th other open palm.
 I reflected that gipsy old age hat few cheery f1resides at which to dog and croon, and found my hand pat ting his rough shoulder comfortingly.
 "Thar wuz Ephe an Boze-they wen to 'Meriky. an'll never come back Thar was Cetta an Zella. They wen an got book larnin' an married abov us, an they be, good as dead. Then Betty, or wife, went wi tn fever, an Hi ain't been arf a man sense"
 "But there's your daughter, sophro mia, over wonder, zeke," I suggested encouragingly, motioning toward tha lively young gipsy, Who after spir ited race and struggle on the moo with old Zeke's donkey, was at tha very moment victoriously bringing tn stubborn animal into camp.
 Hits Ter Him losin', an she's tn last!' Losing Sophronia, Zeker I ex aimed'cincreduously. \ Hits Phrony, an no hotherw
 "To one of the lads in camp, Zeke?" Lord, no! I could put up wi that! was half in love with the 1.-the am lively gipsy lass myself; and the dis closure gave me more than a vagarou emotion of curiosity.
 "Who is the lucky fellow, Zeke?" anxiously inquired. "Eer arn't no lucky fellow, w'atsumd ever. Ee's Lunnon wagabone, ar that's wat worrits me sore"
 Isn't there any way to separat them, Zeke?"
 "No way. 'thout murderin' one ( 'em!"
 "Well, we'll, that's bad! Do you min my speaking to Phrony about it?" "Talki,, won't mend Ter. But ye cal do as ye loikes."
 I think the wild thing knew we wer talking about her, for she observed u keenly from time to time, while busie in feeding and harnessing the donkey and obeying my gesture she was be side us with a bound, looking sharpl from one to the other. led her into the tent and bade ol Zeke follow, which he did hulkingl and with glowering face. "Phrony," began, not knowing jus which tack to follow, I've known yo, and Zeke long, long 'time?" "So you 'as, sir"
 Since you were tiny little chauvie Phrony?"
 Down at 'op-picking in Kent;" sh added quietly. .. .t.
 '"Your mother was alive then Phrony?"' ..+t
 "Ay, ay, so she wus, sure." ~~..1e.
 "You must miss her dreadfully a times? She was a strong, brave wom an, Phrony." ,e,
 "Oh, ay. Hits fayther as takes ol mostv'
 The soddenness of the little heath en piqued me. Tinker Zeke felt it too, for he groaned and shook his head
 "Your father is getting old, Phrony?'
 "Ay, too old for tn drom (road)."