Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-18

ling emerald, was slipping across the
Iopen page. The conversation ended
labruptly. Both girls sprang up from
the lair Of fern, and ran off screaming
into the woods.
Where were the other members of
the class, and the two under-teachers
who had the fair girl graduates In
charge? They looked and listened, but
neither saw nor heard anything Of the
rest Of the party.
"Oh, they are spreading lunch some
where, l dare say" remarked Maud
LOTUS, ruefully. II fear the patties
and cold chicken win all be eaten be-
fore we find them and alas! 1 am
dreadfully hungry"
The June forest was full of the odor
Of pines and scented green things
growing. There was a soft musical
stir Of young leaves everywhere. and a
sound Of birds twittering high up in
the tree tops.
81 think we are lost, like the. Babes
in the Wood" said Mignon. gayly, "and
1t Is very delightful Let US hunt for
specimens and wait for the rescuing
party, which will surely be sent out
when Miss Grimes awakes to a realiz-
ing sense Of our loss"
But Maud was not so we'll pleased
with the situation.
Perish all specimens. ma belle, IL
only the jelly and sandwiches remain!
| ~ al
detect the odor of tea in the atmos-
phere?'
NO" said Mignon, 1T is sweet-fern
and brier-rose."
Pooh! 1 tell you it is tea; yes, and
bouillon. Can 1t be that banquet is
in progress near by? Miss Grimes
was going to light fire, you know,
and boil a kettle. Eureka! what is
that curling up through the trees yon-
der? Smoke! / smell young twigs
burning, 1 smell the flesh pots OF
Egypt. We are saved, Mignon-you
from the fever Of specimen hunting.
and 1 from. uevouring you in my ex-
cessive hunger"
The girls, guided by sound Of
voices and some gray spirals Of smoke,
curling up through the neighboring
branches, made a dash forward but
suddenly stopped aghast. They had
stumbled, not upon any guardian un-
der teachers with a class Of fair girls
around them, not upon sandwiches and
cold chicken, but upon something so
strange and unfamiliar that both stood
dumbfounded.
In a cool hollow Of the wood was
tent-an old, weather. canvas
stretched on poles, with a corner
hitched up for air. Near 1t were group
ed wagons, like the ships Of the desert
which Mignon had seen on the plains
in her childhood. Tethered horses fed
close by, and over erackling~ fre OF
sticks swung a big iron pot. In which
some savory mess seethed and boiled,
and around which lean dogs and
brown, half-nude children tumbled and
rolled together. Two swarthy, gleam-
ing-eyed men lay on the turf in front
of the tent, smoking clay pipes and
thumbing a pack of greasy cards; and
the cry of a baby, mingled with wo-
mans low grooming, came from under
the canvas.
1t was a camp of gypsies-those
mysterious nomads that come and go
everywhere, like crows in the tree-tops,
and whose reputation is questionable
I h,,f nnio llxy in
| a horse-trade.
| AS the two girls stood surveying the
scene somebody arose from a pine
stump near the boiling pot and ad-
vanced to meet them-a preternatur-
ally tall woman, with a red handker-
chief twisted about her head, and
enormous hoops of gold swinging in
her ears-a brown. imposing creature.
with a glance like lightning, and
strong, white teeth showing betwixt
dusky red lips.
Pretty ladies, shall read your for
tunes?" she said, in a wheedling tone,
holding out her dark palm for the GUS
tomary fee.
| MlSHOll DdCh.
mo, oh, no." she murmured. but
Maud LOTUS gave her a vigorous
pinch.
"Oh, you dear little goose. OF what
are you afraid" she whispered. "Of
course We want to know our fortunes!
This is surely some Romany queen.
Do you happen to have any change
about you?"
Mignon was one of the few school
girls whose allowance always seemed
to exceed her expenditures. She pro-
duced little purse, and Maud prompt
ly took from it two silver pieces.
"Are you sure that you can read
fortunes" she asked, rather skepti-
caly.
TRY me and see," replied the gypsy.
I'VE did not come here to pry into
the future" said Maud. with great dig
nifty I'VE are looking for a picnic
party. l suppose you have not seen
anything of the kind here in the
woods"
The Romany grinned.
Yes, pretty lady: down yonder by
the brook. l have been there, reading
fortunes two -four eight ten of
them"
rs it possible" cried Maud, indig-
nantly, that Miss Grimes has been in
Idulging in such frivolity at her time
Of life. We will not be outdone by the
81 creatures, Mignon! Fifty cents
worth of revelation. If you please, Cas-
sandra." and she tossed the silver
pieces into the gypsy's hand.
The swarthy card-players went on
with their game. The lean dogs and
scantily clad children rolled together
on the forest earth beside the crack
ling fire. An old hag ran out from
among the trees and stirred something
in the savory pot. With mysterious
air, the Romany seized Maud's palm