Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-10-06

I
west Under the trees shorc the street
lamps, breaking the shadows with
| patches of light Up from RE square
into the hush Of the evening iiuatcd tho
! faint chatter Of traffic, while carriage
rolled silently by over the smooth drive
to lose itself soon in the shade OF the
great elms. Over all the town, peace;
over the hills, the moonlight; in the cree
tops, the robins, huShjug thrir last notes,
over the world, the soft wind, the white
stars
Ny football awakened tho pleasant
echoes rs | Went ON trca,ling the uneven
bricks of TIE pavement, bits Of song
filed the evening, stealing out from
half opened windows where the breszc
gently stirred the white curtains. or,
like benson, ringing richly from TIE
church doors as the congregation gath
cred for prayer ling
Across the cool square into the heart
of tho town, down the main street and
over tho bridge, with only 4 pause here
and there to ill good wicker basket
or to change word with FRIEND SO
on and SO over the bridge, So on to the
great elm in the lane where Mrs. Lee
and my pal AnSclo had once made their
camp, so to the van and the tan of my
friend i'll the gloomy room with the
barred windows.
paused ut some little distance 20 put
my basket down i'll the tail grass while
l reconnoitered. For all the soft sum
mer night and the lights of the town
just over the water the camp had IA lone
ly, desulate look, as II hearth has when
the lire burns low and tired children
huddle over the Goals awaiting the re-
turn of their mother, y tire was siaol.
dering out near the tent From the
wagon came the sound Of child S voice.
child singing u child TO sleep The
voice trcinhlcd. Suddenly the song
ceased, The singers sharp ears had
caught the sound of my steps on the
path.
NANNY, nanny" cried two little
voices In the moonlight l saw three
dark little heads crowd to the front of
the van.
is it you, nanny? Nevader won I
30 to sleep Izc been singing gillie
to he. But it won't shut ITS eyes.
18th not mummy, a second voice
lispingly whispered; "mandy's atnSh,
I'm afraid.
"Manmy," trcmb';nrly questioned
the first voice. AIN I 1t sou, mann
N.Y."
why don't nanny come home from
the CAV; mandy's atrash!" lsped the
second voice
"Mann " Amt it you, NANNY!
Dtarie inammy, am I il you:'
,, "SarishanW lcrIed, coming forward
"Romany chel! Romany chol -
piped the voices, Then the three little
I. heads sunk into the gloom of the wagon,
and profound silence reIgncd
"Sarishan!" | repeated, knowing
/, nothing more soothing to the ear OF u
gypsy than the old mystic greeting
"Sar' san, pipcd a faint, frightened
voice from the wagon. "but you ain I
NANNY.
"Tute tan't tum into our tan, Gspcd
|, the second voice; ''mandy's atrash.
"Iou need not be afraid, pal, for
come from your mother. Get down from
the wagon and let's have supper. Nam
my can I come home tonight, so have
come TO stay with you. Come down
, and let's be acquainted"
"Who it'll your" asked the liSper.
~ am the man with the supper.
"Wherc it'll tho supper" quoth the
lispor, venturing his head little way
out of the wagon. MANDY tan't dicl
, 'er upper"
, "Dick adovo tucheni adoi, look al
! that basket there. The supper is il
, it,"
|, 18th there much upper" demanded
the hsper
"There is enough"
! 9TH that ALP" plaiptively walled
the lisper
"Do you want more?"
, "Yeth, | wanth more" sighed tn,
|, lisper.
turned to tho smoldering fire, break
: ing some dead boughs that lay in III,
grass into fagots and fiinging them upol
the embers Soon the flames burst iron
the twigs, throwing merry light owe
tho camp,
"Now come down, pals, and you shall
see what l have in the basket. Com,
now or I'll be FALLING back to the CAV.
"Not with 'er upper" pleaded tn
; lisper
Come, then.
.. "Us is coming.
!. They came. first cautiously descend
ing tho lisper. closely followed by tn
| child whom / heard singing when