Williams news., 1917-12-27

in South France, on the Mediter- ranean.
 There they chose the gypsy king.
 Why there? Because a servant wom- an of Judea, in the days of our Lord Jesus lived the last years of her life In this French fishing village-and be came the patron saint of all the gyp- sies.
 Alone, among the lagoons, with the antique village grown round it, rises the venerable edifce which has exist ed, in some form, since the dawn of Christianity. Good old King Rene of Provence gave it its present aspect in 144S.
 History and legend tell how two of the Marys of the Gospels were cast on this shore by a tempest. The Gentiles of Antioch had put them in a boat with out sail or oars. They were women who had wept at the foot of the cross and visited the tomb and found the Lord had risen. Mary Salome and Mary the mother of James lived on this spot with their Egyptian servant, who was wrecked with them and whose name was Sarah. Here they built the church, died and were buried in it. And because of Sarah (she who be came the gypsies' patron), these sands, each year, and greatly every fifth year. were strangely peopled.
 Over the roads came processions Oi bizarre vehicles. prehistoric stage coaches, prairie schooners, gypsy vans and rich house wagons mounted and surrounded by a dusky people. Some ho droO O1od hS fr,r years!
 Three times May has slipped round since the war;" said minor official. land no gypsies have appeared at the Sts. Maries. In May, 1914, there were three thousand in the German-Aus- trian-Danubian camp, while the Ital- ian-Spanish-Greek Gitanos were less numerous but richer. Without quar- reling they met in not very good friend ship, the Germanos being jealous of the Gitanos' newer, finer wagons"
 "Was there any truth in the rumOr," asked, that the Gitanos had made a find of some great treasure about eight years ago, which all the gypsies had been seeking for three hundred years?"
 The French official professed igno- rance.
 Did they really elect a king?
 "They elect a queen," said NJ. Sc billie. 'Local opinion judges the cleo ton to be a kind of play, as on Holy Innocents' Day or Twelfth Night but as no order was given to penetrate to the crypt, of which the Romanich- els are very jealous, exactly what hap pens Is not known. There is no complaint. The pilgrimage amuses the peasants and brings sightseers and money. The crypt is turned over to the gypsies on the night of May 24-25-"
 What can we know? When the chiefs go down the winding stairs to the subterranean arched hall. what signs from Memphis and Thebes do they mark on the wall? What sudden gleam of light (perhaps) joins the scat tered descendants of the magnificent, accursed race which pretends to know the future of the world?
 Mot so united as all that ." murmured an official.
 I do not bring the controleur-general Into this romantic part of it. But l have come across queer mentions of "The Song of Pharaoh" which they sing down in the crypt, the reading of the gypsy gospel, and the oldest mag cian" who, each time, "foretells the future of the world for the next five 7ears."
 Did he foretell it in May. 1e14?" suggested.
 One of the French officials equivo- ,ated politely.
 'They got away from the war;" he ;aid '"The gyDSies diSappeared l'' Most people will tell you they went to Spain.