The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-08-19
WITH A Gypsy BAND
BY INA WRIGHTSON.


pF soul a poet and by desire an ad
Fehturer, started one morning for the
nils several miles from town. On
Tie nils fed cattle from which he
would select such as he needed in
MS business He elected to walk and
made the trip a holiday.
Before reaching the hills he was
matted by woman's voice. She was
hidden from him by blackberry and
poison oak thicket, but her words
were to the effect that if somebody
came but step nearer she would
throw herself into the lake to drown
vi a necessity, if she should do that
Max being not poltroon, but hero,
must go after her; and he could not
SWIM With disma! groanings he laid
down his hat and undid his necktie.
The splash came, He lunged
through the thicket, scratching his
face and hands; then, breathing hard
ne went down into the water.
As he drowned, conventionally, he
should have reviewed his past in every
detail, but he did not; at least the face
OF his comfortable, plump Pauline or
those of his twin sons, should have
passed before his minds eyeball: but
they did not He saw, only, how a
spot of rust looked in the bottom of
their kitchen dipper, Then he re-
membered nothing for he was
drowned.
! When he came alive again he lay in
a tent, and beside him sat beautiful
lady in wet bathing suit. Max re-
membered that he had gone to her de-
liverance
SO | rescued you, madame?" he
murmured, weakly but politely
The lady looked at him curiously,
then smiled If you had hung on to
me little closer when | was getting
you to shore, | surely should have
drowned; you didn't hang on a little
closer, so-you rescued me. Many
thanks"
But before the mocking words were
finished, Max slept Awaking, he
found the lady still By him, but instead
of wet bathing suit, were short Grim
son skirt and bodice with many many
spangles. A crimson silken kerchief
bound her shapely head. A man can
not be moving picture habitue and
not know gypsy when he sees one.
Max knew her at once. Came then,
his Great Idea.
, Fair queen, crave thy pardon for
| sleeping" spoke Max grandly, but
adventures are most wearisome, and
many have had"
/ He was delighted To have the queen
answer in similar highsoundng con
drink While he rested afterward be-
fore his open tent danced the gypsy
band with much clashing of cymbals
and light laughter Not the men
they seemed stolid lot and did moth
Ing but smoke.
BY and by the queen waved them
away One man seemed minded to
rebel--but he went Then Max and
the beautiful one talked Not Of his
Pauline nor of his twin sons talked
Max; only Of his wonderful adven.
lures! The queen listened well. How
lustrous we're her eyes and how sweet
her voice! At twilight she went away.
Happy Max! For two days he would
stay with the gipsies and play hero;
then, In the silence of the night. he
! would steal away, and they, thinking
that the wander-lust had seized him,
would never know that he went back
to his cursed butcher shop as galley
slave to his oars
His excitement would not let him
sleep. He took his blankets to a rock
ledge some distance beyond An ad-
venturer should sleep under the star
ry skies; but neither could he sleep
here. Hours afterward, he heard
two talking on the other side Of the
ledge
oh, he's bugs. of course!" growled
strident voice and masculine, It's
wonder he didn't drown himself and
you, too"
Maybe his mind isn't all there, but
he's harmless and he's handsome" -"
answered the queens sweet voice
Anyway, it proves | can recite some;
you can't deny that, Arnold He
thought twas the real thing
Inarticulate growl Of the voice mas
culine.
Isn't this the best camping trip yet?
We women gipsies are fine, but you
men are fierce, You cant masquerade
worth a penny Tomorrow only the
girls shall dress up again and listen
to the Arabian Nights Of our brave
Don Quixote."
The queens voice lifted out Of hear
ing. Max sighed. So they weren't
real. after all, or course he wasn't
real. either, but he wished they were.
Mind not all there" harmless 50
that is what they thought Of him! II
his Pauline ever knew what they
thought OF his mind, Suddenly the
glamour of adventure fell entirely
away from him, and he longed might
" for his comfortable bed and his
Pauline.
He slept at last but awoke TO
L; smar+inp itching misery.