The record-union., 1894-06-23

Darling, by thy hope of heaven,
oh. be true as to thee
Save The sweetest kiss for me!
The Professor followed at the conclu-
sion with an improvised refrain which
filled and flooded that Maine autumn
evening with rarer music than it had
ever before known.
The musicians head laid so near to his
loved instrument, and he had closed the
improvisation with such a flourish, that
he was startled when he looked up and
discovered the mysterious SongStreSs be-
side him, but he withdrew his hat With a
respectful Evening, ma'am," following
this with rap of the bow on the dogs
nose and the injunction, mind your
manners, siri''
Nose arose upon his launches, ducked
his head to The little lady and awaited
further orders.
The moonlight falling upon this beauti-
ful girl showed her standing there with
arms akimbo, intently regarding first the
Professor then the dog.
~ ou bent one o. hus, is ye-atatchi
Romany "a genuine Romany)?" she
asked curiously.
IA = what, ma'am?" stammered
Poppett, twirling his hat confusedly.
"a pilgrim?" This rather stolidly
from the girl.
YES, lady; II rather think you might
Call US pliRTlmS-MOS0 ana i. &"
where be your-your friends?'
'Well, lady"-the Professor was get
ting into deep water-'well, Nose there
is my friend, and Pm Noses friendv
Hasn't ye others?"
mo, lady,
mot on earth?"
Not on earth!''
No friends OH earth, an you a-makin'
that 'eavenly music? WY, an you're in
sorry luck, sure!'
sorry luck, lady? All broke up
Eh, Mose?'
Nose admitted it as plainly as dog
could.
She walked straight to the woebegone
musician. took his ragged hat from his
hand. placed it kindly upon his head and
said:
"Might-might l beg ye boldly to make
that music agin?"
Yes, yes; a thousand times, ladyr"
Then the Professor put his very soul
into the work, played the melody from
beginning to end, never missing note.
and fingered lovingly over the impro-
vised refrain
When he had finished he saw that her
hands were clasped tightly across her
bosom and that she was weeping Bit
.erly.
Loretta, racklie! oh, Loretta" called
a rough but kindly voice from just over
the gate. "Oh, Loretta! Ha' We na bet
ter come long WI Lie? Bring the i'd
dler feller, if ye likes"
''Ay. ay, Lijah Boswell. Th' music
was a-puttin' me back in oP Yorkshire
like" Then turning to Poppett she said:
Come long wi your fiddle an dog,
stranger Anyhows ye'll sure find sup
an a bite wiz hus."
The girl had been to the stream for a
hf1a Of I ,ol~ -
up, and chatting merrily enough, led the
party over the old road through dense
woods for short distance, when, on
rounding heavy clump OF oaks, they
came suddenly upon large gypsy camp.
Lijah Boswell, with broad grins and
much gesture, III a few Romany words
told bis gypsy companions all he knew
of the wandering musician and his Won
derfuI dog, and then these simple people
crowded around Poppett in scores. while
he gave them the best melodies his weary
fingers could invoke, urged on by de-
lighted applause and grateful incense of
steanlng pots swinging above cracking
fires, while Nose, in his happiest vein,
did his finest tricks and passed the hat so
wisely that, amid roars of laughter, it
was fairly filled with copper coin.
Then came a smoking hot supper for
the pilgrims from these ever-hospitable
gypsy pilgrim bands. How that hungry,
foot-sore wonderer ate, how Nose ate, and
how they both felt and looked gratitude
unutterable, brought both smiles and
mists to the eyes of member after mem
Der of the band as they caught stealthy
glimpses OF their beaming faces and then
as silently stole away to rejoin their COM
panons and indulge in grotesque pas
time and hilarious laughter.
After the Professor and Nose had fin
! iShed, nothing would satisfy the gypsies
! but more music-music wild and heroic.
music registering and bacchanalian, and
then dance, ay, dance such as they
had not had since they LETT old York
shire! Old and young joined, and never
in all Poppetts theatric experience even
in grandest spectacular, had he seen Or
imagined anything equaling the wild
abandon of these tawny people, from
haggish spae-wite to rosy faced chauvie,
as they sped by him in fantastic group
ings, never desisting until utterly ex-
hausted, long. long into the hours Of the
starlit, happy night.
Then with grinder Lijah and Nose for
tent-fellows, the Professor gratefully sank
upon a couch of fresh leaves and aro-
matte cedar boughs, and endeavored to
drive the face and form of Loretta from
his mind and collect his scattered senses,
| but daZedly he saw the fiaring campfires
! grow dim and DINNER, was conscious OF
the peaceful quiet and hush that fell upon
the happy spot, and in a trice was pill
/ griming in the land of pleasant dreams.
III.
Loretta, racklie, the songstress of the
camp, and the Professor became insepa-
rabIe companions upon the road or in
camp, with the melodies which somehow
grew more and more tender. they were
| soon together the loved minstrels of the
band. The passion which had over
whelmed poor Poppett since he had first
| heard those grand Maine woods filled
with the echoes of Loretta's song had
been wordless, but the old violin had told
his love, told it pleadingly, eloquenfly;
and true as truth. love unspoken by
| tongue or pen will reach unto the object