The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-05
GYPSY VENGEANCE.

J park rail- thought 90 as they saw her re-
I clining on the rustic bench In the grounds
l that surround Castle Feherhaza. At her
feet little Lilli was playing with the flow
| ers she had gathered In her pinafore.
In the path beyond which leads from
the meadows into the park stood another
grandmother leading her grandchild by
the hand--a tall, brown skinned gypsy
woman. Pail, the people called her. The
child, a 1.-the limbed girl Of 10, was decked
in shabby tinseled garments with beads Of
| glass in her raven locks and a tambourine
In her little hand. lima was the girls
name.
When the old gypsy woman baheld the
princess, an evil fire leaped into her eyes.
She caught little lima by the hand and
dragged her to the spot where the grest
lady was sitting
Dance and beg!" she Missed.
The princess was startled by the sudden
appearance Of the old gypsy and drew her
little granddaughter within her embrace.
"It's only Pail, the old gypsy" moaned
the brown skinned, gray haired creature.
1--WE are poor and homeless. This child is
an orphan, already compelled to earn her
crust of bread Dance, nmettai Her high
ness will not drive you away. She will let
you dance for the little Lilli."
The gypsy child danced as only gypsies
can dance. But in the clear olive tinted
face there was singularly contemptuous
expression. Princess Lilli laughed and
laid her grandmother's generous gift into
Ilmetta's outstretched hand.
Laughing and shaking her head the old
gypsy took her child by the hand and dis
appeared in the thioket.
The old princess pressed Lilli to her
breast. Her heart was filed with strange
foreboding. Dark clouds had arisen on
the horizon, hiding the face of the young
spring sun.
Soon the rain begins to fall, cold,
dreary, merciless rain, such as only the
Hungarian prairles know. Under tree
outside the castle grounds crouches old
Pail, with little Ilmetta wrapped in her
coarse ragged shawl. She rocks the shiv-
ering little creature on her knees and
croons and whines in an endless monotone
"I've seen the handsome white lady
again, the cause Of all my distress, she
who has ruined my lifel But her stupid
eyes did not recognize me. Eli, hi! Why
should theyp It's long time ago. The
eye of hatred alone is seen, and I'll be re-
venged at last Will live to see itp There
is neither love nor happiness in the lines of
the white child's hand Hi, hill There are
evil, suffering and broken heart You
shall avenge your grandmother, Ilmetta!"
she continued, rocking the slumbering
child fiercely to and fro. "You shall carry
misfortune into yon hated house. for in
your sweet, brown hands can foresee de-
struction to all whose heart you stir to
love. Precious childW
And she fondled the sleeping girl with
wild, passionate tenderness and crooned to
her the story of her life:
"There was pretty young gypsy WON.
an many years ago. Now she Is old and
ugly. Her name was Pail, and she won
the hearts of all those who fell under her
spell. One day fair haired young officer
came in her way. His name was Prince
Serinyi and he fell in love with the brown
skinned PAIL and Pail loved him. They
were married, not in the cathedral, after
the fashion of the rich, but in the gypsy
camp, after the manner Of the Zingarl.
The red wine flowed in torrents, and the
gypsies sang and danced for three nights.
away, hiding her in the little white Prussia
house, where they were happy. For year
or two their happiness lasted. Then his
people came and said, Its time that you
should marryl' They knew nothing of
the gypsy wife and made him acquainted
with delicate girl of noble birth. She
had gentle blue eyes, waist like a wasp's,
and a princely revenue was attached to her
name Prince Serinyi was weak. He
tired of the dark skinned Pail. The fairy
princess pleased his eye, and he married
her in the cathedral amid pomp and glory
Poor Pail returned to the camp of her peo-
pie. The sun parched her beauty, and
hatred scared her heart 1t was the old,
old story and today they have met face to
face, the gypsy wife and the white lady,
and each had little grandchild with her
My little brown darling shall avengo her
old grandmother upon the noble lady
through the fair haired little child. Sleep
on, Ilmetta, for the rain is cold and drear
and if ever in life thou shouldst meet doll
faced beauty whose name is Lilli Serinyi
crush her!''
II
Years have passed since that day, and
the two grandmothers died without seeing
the day of revenge Princess Lilli grew
into gentle beautiful woman, She mar
ried her handsome cousin, Count Primo
| Aprilone, whose castle lies on the rocky
coast of Dalmatia. The young couple re-
moved to Vienna where they inhabited
| the old palace of the Serinyi
One day there came to the city a strange
singer, Signora Amalia Wilma, whose
| fame was great in Italy. The signora was
| n dazzlngly beautiful woman, with large
dark eyes and smiling, crimson lips She
took the heart of the young husband by
storm Intoxicating his sensuous nature.
| Cold and unapproachable herself, she lured
him into her net He was maddened with
infatuation for the beautiful creature and
fingered at her feet. He poured his riches
! into her lap and forgot the world for her
sake. Lilli, his gentle wife, grieved over
/ his perfidy and died of a broken heart.
When he had buried her, he FASTENED to
his enchantress. Nov that am free,
he cried, come and be my wife Make
me happy at last"
Your wifel" sneered the singer with
cruel GOODNESS. II never loved you, countw
Were you playing with me then when
you told Inc that if l were free you would
| be mine2'
ayes. 1t was a game / was playing,
count" answered the heartless Wilma
What prompted your"
'Let Inc tell you, count. A song my
grandmother has often sung to me came
| to my mind when saw your fair haired
wife. The refrain of old Pali's ditty was
always the same, If ever in life thou
shouldst meet doll faced beauty whose
name is Lilli Scrinyi, crush her' No one
ever loved me like the old gypsy woman,
who was poor and fierce, but always gen.
| tie with me. Your wfe's name was Lilli,
and she belonged to the family of the Sc
rinyi When l saw hor, the memory of
| the old cradle song haunted me. I've
crushed the doll faced beauty, and my
grandmother is avenged. You and have
no further business with each other"
"Cruel womanl'' shrieked Count April
lone.
"CIuel was he who forsook old Pail,
count and made me her tool of rctribu
| ton From the German For st. Louis
Republic,