The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-02-11

4 ltErQ neF 10 the enc Win painting DTedSL
and clittering eyes.
GO. We arc ma chauvie o. mine. The
curse o. all Romany folk 20 WI ye,"
so answered. Baba syria, and Griselda
went away. They burned her little cloth
ing and gcwgaws, as Gipsies at burials
do; mourncd her loss tenderly for Ba5a
Sy'ra's sake, as for one dead; and for
a lime her name was said no more.
The Gypsy mother-heart throbs Ike
them all; and soon old Baba syria
fingered by coming and going Gypsy
bands, scanning their members faces
with elmost savage eagerncss; listened
furtiycly to gossip Of the read with
never stated hunger; piled all arts or
! spae-wife craft and cunning on these
who Idly came; until her lest childs
name was ever on her trembling tongue.
Tell her. If we come up wi her." the
desolate soul would say with husky voice
and averted head, "as hus dcan't claim
her in law nor in force; but as huS DO
yearn erter her by night an by day,
by near an by far, an how hus jess
wants her homevisc an kindly we hus
as ia her own ~Jess-jes5 w'ensohever
she ltkesi'
For nearly twenty years this piteous
plant had ~quayered from the old Gipsy's
withered lips. But now that the band
WIZ SOL 81 INC NlSSdlll(hOU tGIIp,
a sudden and great strength Of purpose
had come to Bahia syria. Bob the
grinder, had bellowingly argued against
IT. Ieph, the chief. had kindly and firmly
dissuaded. All the raunies and racklies
had crOwded about her tent, and. woman
like, had urged in garrulous and fearful
tenderness the dangers Of her quest.
Even shock-headed fsphe, Griselda's
Gipsy lover of old, and true TO his
younger day dream through all these
years, had said it must not be.
But nothing could dissuade or dis
hearten her. Her lettering limbs seemed
10 nave regained the strength of youth,
and a strange light had come into her
pinched old face that filled the Gipsies
about her with something akin to awe.
Long into the previous night the men
sat smoking their pipes by the campfire,
consulting hopelessly.
'She has IA long TO live. Hus might
tell her what hus knows suggested
Ephe despairingly.
shed jaw the drom take the road)
then, %sartin,' said the chief slowly shak-
ing his head.
Or ne'er speak to hus agin. 'Twould
be IN KILN o her belikes;" responded
Ephe.
Hi tells ye," insisted Bob yehementlv.
III Ddpd mort q DIT rang / her 'ead
,the grandmother is a bit wild in her
head). 'Owsumdeyer all believe. Hi Bays
81 tn poor body her own foolishment."
"She be a rawnikie decking gueri "a
lady-like looking woman, an she'd COON
TO no harm peerdieip' Goaming) round OF
Philadelphy fur Griselda a bit" suggest
ed the chief. thoughtfuly. AN huss'U
bide about ERE till wen (winter). Illus
might cit tn little mukto-tan G"iterally
hex tent; cottage) by tn bridge fur she:r
"Paracrow tute. paracr6w tute. q thank
you gratefully exclaimed Ephe. grasp
ing the chiefs hand warmly. Hill 20
nov an dicker for it against tn morn"
With this Ephe hurried away over The
hill road to Man.yuLk. the pretty village
hard by the Wissahickon Bridge. where
The highway from the great Dutch farms
of Central Pennsylvania winds broad End
white TO Philadelphia's olden market
houses and squares; end after n little
wills pering and holdings Of approval end
delight between the chief, Bob and q few
OF the older women of the band. the fires
were banked, and the Gypsies, taking
one by one a parting peep at Baba Sy'ra's
face. as peacefully now as a child's in
slumber. crept softly to the hooded tents
for the night.
SO when the morning came old Bahia
syria rose sprightly as a girl. placed
some coin and Griselda's picture In her
bosom, parted tenderly with all her Clip
sy kin, and stepped lightly down the path
leading from the camp to the sun-splatch-
ed river road below.
She had hardly disappeared within the
glen. when half a score OF Gypsy men
and women, carr wing all manner of camp
belongings, and with loyal Ephe at their
head. set out in the same direction along
tla .o.I .Hoya Only q few old Snac-
wives, the romping chauvies. and "a horde
of those stra nge sentinels of the GiDsy
camp, the grizzled. gauDt. and voiceless
Gypsy dogs, remained.
one of the latter, "Old Boze, Datte-
SCARED and grim. seemed sorely worried
and perpleXed. lie ran a little way To-
ward the departing Gipsies, halted ana
looked long and wistfuliy after them,
and trotted back to camp. Smiling about
the vacant tent of "a syria, Boze
whirled his head around and around with
open mouth and whining g%urgiines Of
grief and dolOr. Then circling the camp
with furtive looks. as IL about TO COM
nit unwarrantcd treachery or savage
foray, he suddenly shot along the river
path. halted, raised his head and peered
tremblingly toward the registering Gypsy
children sporting at the camp-edge above.
and then with Dropping tail and lowered
IOct EllQCu SNlAble WV NNff'Nf-f
Ing motion 10 BAHIA Sy'ra's side.
Boze looked INTO the older pilgrims
npturned. ligh,ful face. licked her with
cred hand, tugged at her iuttering gown.
stopped her, retired a few PAGES, sat
upon his hGlnchcs beating a tattoo with
his tail uron the ground. and plainly
said with iolling tongue, half-eiosed eyes
and wagsing head,
Nov Bahia syria. Wen ga back to
camp together"
The old woman understood the brutes
directorate pantomine Instantly, bet
seemed as II hesi,atlng a moment in
thought. Then she sternly ordered the
dog 10 camp. Boze would not go. He
sided about her. sprang away as she
shook her stick at him. always return
ing in al instant as Bahia syria re-
sured her way. Finally the old mi
turned ard looked at him with a smile.
Boze wagged his tail furiorsly. Thea /
she said kindly.
Coon long; COON long. Boze. Wen
lind Grisclda tgether."
Win n bound the faithful animal was
at her side. crowding his head against
her feeble limbs. as II Loyalty Offering
her that promise OF support: and thus.
old Bahia Sy'ra's hand resting upon the
dogs stoutly poised head, the two bat
tered old lives. each firm ia a determina-
ton that held them close TO the end,
passed own the enchanting valley path
beside the Wissahickon stream upon
their quest together.
re the most ignorant and darkaned
heart. 10 the sorest and most desperate
SOUL, light and elation instantly come
with fixed resolve. Now tina the pathetic
second childhood OF this old benighfed
pilgrim was illuminated by her supreme
determination to find her only child, the