The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1909-12-24

her hands gently In his own. She had
no needle, but she took breast-pin
from the neck of her gown, giving him
a glimpse of a pretty throat. So he
set to work removing the splinters,
hurting her much. but drawing no
sound from her.
She fixed her black eyes on him,
shyly examining him from head to foot
as he bent over her palms. She looked
at the sunshine that gave red CLINT
to his carefully brushed brown hair
She noted how well-groomed he was
and how broad his shoulders were,
how clean was his linen and how white
the strong hands that held held own so
firmly and yet SO tenderly. But her
eyes dwelt longest upon his keen, man.
ly face.
They're all out now, think" he
said at last, and she was sorry. He
wiped the tiny spots of blood away
and bound her hand in his soft, white
handkerchief. AS they walked to the
gypsy camp together he talked to her
cheerily Of the things that he thought
would amuse her, while she, seldom
speaking, looked at him shyly out of
the corners of her dark eyes.
At the camp the women gathered
around Horton and demanded to. tell
his fortune. II tell 1t for Ave dollar"
said one old bag. IT tell 1t for three
dollar" screeched another, more
greasy than the first. mo, no! tell It
for one dollar" screamed a third, try
ing to draw him into tent. He shook
them all off. good-naturedly. One of
the women pushed forward the girl,
urging her to ask Horton for q quar-.
ter.
II will not" she answered angrily.
"You make me feel 'shamed. Go way!"
She sat sullenly on the tongue OF q
wagon, listening sulkily to the torrent
Of abuse the slatterns poured out at
Horizons refusal to give them money.
All the charm was gone from her face.
She watched while her father once
more led out the horse for a final in.
spection. She scrutinized Horizons
face to see II her fathers eulcgies OF
the horse were affecting him, and
strained her ears to hear his decision.
'I'll take that horse" said Horton
decisively. 'T'll pay you to-day and
send for it."
A smile of triumph fitted over the
gypsy's sinister face, but Horton did
not see it; he was looking at the girl
seated on the wagon, for she had made
a quick gesture to attract his atten-
ton. She slyly shook her head at him,
but he came nearer, not understand
ing.
Don't buy that horse" she whis-
pered hastily. Cannot you see he is
going bhnd2- Watch how my father al
ways faces him to the sun, so both eye
lids droop alike. He balks, too. I'm
telling you the truth, because-be-
cause" The blood rushed to her dark
face, and she ran into tent.
Horton coolly walked back and
turned the horse from the sun. One j
eyelid did not droop. He waved his /
hand close to the other eye, but the
horse did not wink.
THE deal is off," he said contemptu-
ously, and walked away: The old man.
flew into a rage and cursed vilely,
while the women ran after Horton
with insulting epithets. He caught a
glimpse of pair of black eyes flashing /
at him as he passed the tent. and saw
for moment pretty brown face. He Il
turned to speak to the girl, but she |
was gone in fash.
That night the woods around the
gypsy encampment rang with girlish.
shrieks, and crumpled heap of
bruised flesh and yellow clothes, gay
with bangles, fiobbed itself to- an un-
easy sleep OF 2 pile of straw, But
when daylight came only the trampled4I
grass showed where a gypsy camp hadlE