The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-09-09
THE EVENING STORY
On the Road to Already.
CBy A. Maria Crawford.)

|
son rose in the brown curls over her
left ear She laughed at a happy
young face that laughed back at ner,
She stood up and looked across a helo
at a new tent and a bright GYPSY
wagon that was near. An old lady
sat knitting on the back steps of the
1 gaudy vehicle. Jean blew Hght
kiss toward the bent head. and brush
ing the earth from her short GRIM
son skirt went dancing into the
woods.
! 1t was the last day of that won
derfuI week when she had played
Gypsy life out in the open with only
| Aunt Hannah and old black Jim TO
remind her that she had ever known
any other life. She ran along the
| bank of a little stream that seemed
| to have caught the music of the birds
| that sang in the leafy trees ana
| echoed their lifting melodies IN ITS
| own ripping song. She dropped down
beside a bed of wild strawberries and
began filling the little rush basket on
her arm with the red fruit. She heard
4 the sound of a horses hOof striking
/ into the soft, newly warmed earth.
| and scrambling up tree, she hsteneo
| attentiye1y. A young horseman rode
| under her hiding place, and hft1nS
his hat peered through the leaves at
her.
I'm sorry that I frightened you.
Won't you let me help you down."
| Just turn your back" answered
Jean. land I'll drop on the moss"
He wheeled his horse obediently
| and sat motionless until he heard her
strike the ground. Then he turned
quickly.
Are you hurt, little GYPSY
| mo. Do you want me to tell your
| fortune, sir?"
| Bob Thurston stared down into the
pretty face until the girls lashes
swept her pink cheeks. He leaped
| from his horse and dropped the bride
over the animals head.
| Wont you sit down and tell me
all about yourself? Are you a real
| GYPSY"
jeans heart beat fast under the
white bodice.
Yes" she said, presently, Il am a
real Gypsy
| Then tell my fortune. please" He
extended his hand with a piece of
gold in the palm.
She gave the money back to him.
IF any of the fortune L tell you
when L come again next year"
.-An right he returned. You are
! certainly an honest gypsy"
He wanted to add that she was the
prettiest girl he had even seen, but
| something kept him quiet. Perhaps
| it was a certain reserve about the girl
| not common to a nomad. She puz-
zled him and he bent toward her cur
| iously.
Tell me a nice fortune, if you
cam
| Jean took his hand in her own, and
Thurston noticed how white they
| were for the hands of a gypsy girl.
You are sad" said Jean briefly.
| GO away for while and forget the
cause. Don't despair, for I see great
happiness in store for YOU
why am I sad? What is the
.JLJ don't know - said loan truth
fully.
Then I'll tell you and you can adj
| wise me what to do He drew an
| envelop from an inside pocket and
Jean him slip out a square white
card bearing gold monogram in the
| center. "Of course you know that
L do not love you," he read, but
since my eccentric uncle has divided
| his fortune between us provided that
| we marry, perhaps it will be only just
| and right to you for us to meet and
| talk things over. l myself do net
! want the money, but / can never be
happy with the knowledge that I kept
| YOU out of a great fortune. You are
| the son of his only sweetheart. and
| for sentiments sake he wanted You
| to inherit the bulk of his fortune.
| May L expect you the 20th?"
What a strange Will" commented
| Jean quietly. why does she state
| that she doesn't love you? How
| could she when you have never seen
| II thought that I loved her and
wrote the same to her last week. Her
! letters have been wonderful. We
have been writing for two years. but
she hasn't wanted me to go to see
her, believing that 1 would pretend
to love her whether I did or not.
1T was such cruel thing for a
good old man to do. Now she feels
| that she can never be happy mar
| ried to me because she doesn't love
me, and yet she can never be happy
| if she doesn't marry me because her
| conscience will always hurt when she
| remembers that she deprived me of
a great fortune. If she only knew Il,
1 have all the money / need or want"
| Jean put her hand out and touched
him timidly She'll feel differently
about it when she has seen you, she
said comfortingly.
He caught her hand and held it TO
his lips. IF she were only like you.
I thought I loved her. but since
have seen you, little gypsy girl,
striped wagon and leave me, I shall
! be forever desolate because of you.
This isn't madness. Don't turn away
from me-"
There was a wistful smile in Jeans
eyes and on her mouth when she
I'm only a gypsy girl. Go meet
your heiress, Tomorrow is the 20tll.''
II don't want money. 1 only want
| to love and to be loved"
She pulled the rose from her hair.
and as she backed away from him
she scattered the crimson petals at
| intervals on the green earth.
why do you scatter the rose,
gypsy grip
s"Fo pattern the trail to me with
giri proves unkind."
He stood watching her red skirt