Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-09-17

PENNSYLVANIA. and then out along a
rugged country highway. A couple of
miles brounght him to the camp OF a
band Of gypsies.
around u campfire was a picturesque
group Of persons, all Of whom, with a
single exception, vanished at the APP
proach of the The man who
stood his ground was a truly sinister
being. He was tall, thin and angular;
his clothing was scant and ragged
his face bronzed with exposure to the
sun.
Good morning, Baltasar, said the
visitor.
The gypsy acknowledged his saluta-
ton with a froWn.
Il wish to sell this horse" the traV-
eler added, without appearing to notice
his cold reception.
The gypsy swept his eye over the
animal and shook his head.
IF you will not buy, perhaps you
will trade" the traveller said.
Come" was the laconic
and so saying the gypsy turned to-
wards the forest which lay just beyond
the camp. The doctor" obeyed. A
m later he found himself in a Sc
questercd spot where there was an
improvised stable; and a dozen or
| more horses glancing up from their
feed whinnied a welcome.
A little rivulet lay across their path,
| and up from the margin Of it where
| she had been gathering water crosses
| there sprang a young girl, who cast n
startled glance at him, then bounded
swiftly toward a tent and vanished
through the opening. This keen adj
mirer of horses was equally suscepti-
= - tIN -, ~r,- nf ovnntn hoo, ;
SO swift an apparition would have be-
wildered rather than illumined the
mind of an ordinary man. But the
uuack was not an ordinary man. He
was endowed with a certain rude DOW
err Of diVination which enabled him to
see in a single instant. by swift intui-
ton, more than the average man dis
covers by an hour Of reasoning. BY
this natural ~clairvoyance he saw at a
glance that this face Of exquisite deli
cacy could no more have been coined
in q gypsy camp than a fine cameo
could be cut in an Indian WiGwam. He
knew that all gypsies were thieves.
and that these were Spanish gypsies.
What was more natural than that he
should conclude with inevitable logic
that this child had been stolen from
people of good if not of noble blood!
"Baltasar!" he said.
The gypsy turned.
You are d girl-thief as well as a
horse-thief. You stole this girl from
the family of / Spanish nobleman. l
am the representative of this family
and have FOLLOWED you trail for years.
You thought l had come to set the
grill"
"Perdita!" exclaimed the gypsy,
taken completely off his guard.
Lost indeed" responded the quack,
scarcely able to conceal his pride in his
own aStuteness. And thCl he added
slowly: She must be Il burden to you.
Baltasar. You evidently never have
been able or never have dared to take
her back and claim the ransom which
you expected. I Will pay you for her
and take her from your hands. 1t is
the child I want and not vengeance.
What will you a for herr"
The doctor drew a leather wallet
from his pocket and held it up tantal-
izingly. It's influence was decisive.
"Pepeeta! Pepeeta!" called the gyp-
sly.
Out of the door of the tent she came,
her ayes fixed upon the ground, and
her fingers picking n~ervously at the
JllSel Strings WHICH fastened nGr bod
ice.
Gift me re money and take her."
The doctor counted out the gold, and
then approached the child. For the
first time in his life he experienced an
emotion Of reverence. There was some
thing about her beauty, her helpless
ness n his responsibility that made a
new appeal to his heart.
Yielding to the gentle pressure of his
hand, h permitted herself to be led
away. Not a goodbye was said. The
doctor lifted the child upon the -,orse's
C. and climbed into the saddle. The
beautiful child trembled; she also
wept. She vas parting from those
whose lives were base and cruel: but
they were the only human beings thai
she knew. She was leaving a wagon
and a tent, but it was the only home
that she could remember.
To have a fel~low-being completely
in our power makes us either utterly
cruel or utterly kind, and all that was
gentle in that great rough nature went
out in a rush of tenderness toward the
little creature who thus suddenly be-
came absolutely dependent upon his
compassion. After they had ridden a
little way, he began in his rough fash
ion to try to comfort her.
Don't cry, Pepeeta! You ought 70
be thankful hat you have sot out Of
the clutches Of those villains. You
could not a been worse off. and you
may be a great deal better! They
were not always kind to you, were
they? I shouldn't wonder If they beat
you sometimes! But you will never be
beaten any more. You shall Lave a
nice little pony. and a cart, and flow
ers. and pretty clothes, and everything
that little girls like. I don't know
what they are, but whatever they are
Q shall have them. So don't cry any
more! a pretty name Pepeeta
is! 1t sounds like music when l say
it. I have got the toughest name in
the world myself. It's a regular jaw
breaker-Docto Paracslsus Aescula-
plus! What do you think of that, Pc
peeta! But then you reed not call me
by the whole OF T.! You can just call
me Doctor. for short. Now. look at me
just once, and give me a pretty smile.
Let me see those big black eyes! No?
You don't want to-? Well, that's all
right. I won't bother you. But I want
you to know that 1 love you. and that
you are never going TO have any more
trouble as long as you live"
These were the kindest words the
| child had ever had spoken to her. or at
least the kindest she could remember.
The fell Oh her ears like music and