Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1903-08-29
The GypSy'S
!. Daughter ~
BY PEEAI-LEY@Y YALE sCURT
ccopyrighs.lsss. iby Daily ssOrsPub. Co,
Theas gentlemen


% AGAIN, Leah! The& gentlemen
N n wish fly !
>! "But.I am sodired, mamma"
Eyes, yes! But, see all kthe pennies
Once more and Il will getSthee red
scarf"
And so, inspired by that promise, the
little gypsy again broke fntosthe strange
fantastic-dance. her tiny feet-in perfect
step, and time to the thrum,l thrtrm o,
the mothers old. guitar. Light assthis-
tie down, she gfided to and fro over
the rough ground, the gypsiss in their
ragged, yet.artistic, garb for1ninga PIC
turesque background for seibeaHifully
gowned women and their rich escorts
who crowded aboutzthe little dancer.
To the casual observer the child was
an enigma. seeming ito possess two ma
lures In one, while, to'the AeenT mind
the solution was found as ONE turned
from the sweet, pure.sace Of thesmother
to the father, handsome, yet crafty
The elfin child was i'm fact the' fitting
issue of 30 strangea unson-
AS the visitors left the camp, theta
Their in reply to q sign. from one ofthe
gentlemen, followed to- turn Of the
road, where, the dingy tents, no'longe1
| visible, the gentleman, bidding the rest
of, the party drive on, SCALED the man
to him"
''The child is. rs?"sheinquired.
Mime
: Elbow old is she?"
I sSix years"
ssWho taught herFtoAdance4and sing?'
Like me she dancea the song come
from the mother" us
'Ah! So thought. j And she,resem-
| bles you both?
sWhy you ask?"
Because ,desires to know. Come
tell me all; you viii not losesby it, T"
commanded the gentleman, using, as he
believed, the stronges ersuasiOn.
Listen BeforetLeah born theEmoth-
er love me much. Onesday the queen
| tell her somethingTT want her not to
know. When come home she turn
from me. DO not touch me, I hateyou,'
she said; the queen tei1.nne all, and I
laugh and say: All, .so'the queen talk;
some day she talk nomwe-but do not
hate me or your child besIike me- And
again laugh, and. that night:the queen
die and Leah born.
Hall love, Hall AdL0 10 LACS1LS IAdL
way she be till Idle. The stars have
told it. When die she be like the
mother always. Till then she be as you
see her now, part heaven, part he'll"
AS the gypsy ceasedspeakng, the gen.
tleman turned towards him with an ex-
preston of decision: would you like
to sell your daughter"
"SeIl herr" returned the man.
Eyes, sell her. You need money"
eyes, much. But the mother need
Leah; it kill her to lose her"
"WelI, don't tell her; steal her away.
She'll get over it in time"
"N6, never, never" answered the
gypsy, shaking his head.
Look here!" commanded the gen.
tleman, tonight after all are asleep
bring Leah to me; you know the place.
/ will have,a paper for you to sign re-
linquishing all right to the child, and
in return give you 81 ,000."
zone thousand dollars?" echoed the
man in low. half-doubting tone.
eyes, 81 900; it's q lot of money"
eyes, lot" the man hesitated. With
1t he knew he could be chief of the tribe,
a position he had long coveted. And yet
|
'eWell?" interrogatively.
eyes, 1 bring her tonight. 1t be as
you say. promise And the gypsy
turned back to the little camp.
Shortly after midnight man with q
child closely clasped in his arms walked
hefriedly along one Of the great boule-
wards of the city AS he neared hand
some residence, in the window of which
q soft light burned, he paused, then
creeping softly to a side door, he gave
a low knock; the door opened and the
man with the child entered.
clay her there was the command
of the gentleman. pointing to low
couch The man complied.
The door opened and the man was
gone, leaving his little one asleep In
the rich room; while on a bleak hill
side a mother slept, her arm thrown
over the coverlet, seeming to hold with
In it's clasp little child.
'FYou said, monsieur, the child could
sing?"
Like an angel. Come, Leah, the pro-
lessor wishes to try your voice."
''But don't want to sing" and, I'm
needing alike entreaty and command
the child, girl Of about II years, wit
a wil1fuI, yet beautiful gypsy face
whirled away into another dance.
AS one watched her he noted tn
grace and fire of every motion. Sh
seemed creature OF air, SO light wa
she. With perfect ease and abandon
she followed every change of the mu
sic, seeming never to tire
"A