The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1919-08-28
Gypsy Lore
IN
By ALvAH JORDAN GARTH

l.ura I'rane. clapping her hands IN
glre. "Now do something for Althea
here, Who hasn't u finnce. not even a
beau. except Winston Morse, who is
worse t!Uan none AT all -
"lou won't lose by crossing the gyp.
sys palm with silver" spoke the tawny
fortune teller persuasively. Come,
pretty miss. you surely wish 10 know
all the golden happiness in store for
YOU"
Tn. gypsy encampnent had became
"a feature Of the woodland surround.
ing Cloycr,lalc. In idle curiosity the
two schuo, chums had WISHED the
place. Hesitatingly Althea placed her
fair snowy hand In the weather
bronzed one Of the fortune teller.
"You will meet your life companion
in the woodland with the moon shin
ing brightly upon his face-a duuhle
face, ] see, but the lines are not clear,
and there lies the mystery love must
solve.
The idea go derlded AltIca. but fui.
teringly. Somehow the words of the
.oothSaycr bore tin.y of romanti.
cism. AS II would be- wanderin. IN
The woods AT night. looking for lover
mysterious that even the gypsy
cannot construe her own silly predic-
iion."
Now | wonder If by any mischanc"
This promised husband can he Win
ston Morse" suggested Lura mis-
chieyously. for of all the young men
she knew he was most detested by
Althea. A stranger in Cloverdalc. he
had flashed upon the community rs
the scion of an opulent family ia the
South and his reckless extravaganza
ia n way bore OUT his assumption.
In an hour Ahhea forgot the gypsy
oracle Two evenings later she left
the home of Lura To hurry to her own.
Lying upon the dewy sward, clearly
revealed in the white moonlight, was
man, asleep. II. resembled some
homeless tramp. His hair was I'M
Nempt, weeks growth of beard gave
sinister expression to his features.
one eye was bandaged. Althea shud-
dered as the words of the gypsy
flashed through her mind;
In the woodland with the moon
shining brightly upon his face"
She fled precipitately and never
paused until she cleared the last fringe
of trees, to almost run into the arms
ri Winston Morse. lie noted her
breathless agitation. and. much TO her
discomfort, insisted On seeing her
safel, home. He was the man To In
fringe upon any consideration shown
him. and distracted Althea knew not
how TO forbid rs he spoke of calling
upon her the following evening.
There had been distressing episode
in the experience Of Althea. A month
previous she had recently lost her
mother and had been offered new
home by an aunt at Cloverdale. one
week after her arrival there the
house had been entered while the fam
lly was absent, and fair little legacy
left Althea by her mother, comprising
monds and valuable family heirlooms.
was appropriated by some clever bur
glar.
Twice during the week after the for
est incident Morse called upon Althea.
They We're returning from party late
one night in Morse's automobile. when
he left the main road and struck OF
through the shortcut trail through the
woods. and suddenly halted in the cen
ter of the lonely stretch.
"Althea," he spoke. Il have come
here purposely to tell you that | am
going to leave here tonight have all
my traps In the machine. and you must
20 with me. ! love YOU. and | cannot
live without you. DO not shrink from
me. will he an indulgent husband.
can deck you with jewels-I can
give you life Of luxury stop"
With cry of loarhing Althea sprang
from the auto lie followed her.
"You shall GO" he grated forth
Willingly or unwillingly! Who are
your
A man had sprung from behind
tree. In wonder Althea recognized
him as the person she had seen In the
woodland. There was metallic
sound, produced by pair of hand
cuffs.
Its been long wait, Winston
Morse. gentleman. alias Clever Dan.
professional burglar. but have you,
and think. the result Of your raid on
tho RoSS hnlue A. well "
As he spoke Adrian Noble drew
from the rear seat Of the machine
satchel resting there. lie wrcnched
II open.
Just look, please, Miss Ross" he
spoke. Don't be afraid of our un.
masked friend here, nor of me-" and
he smiled lightly. II am nothing worse
Than detective. on the trail of mi,
man and Your stolen property for some
time past. Do you recognize any of
this plunderf" aud opening small
box the speaker disclosed the treas.
ures that Alihea had 50 sadly missed.
And when Adrian Noble the next
day called upon Althea TO arrange for
the trial OF Winston Morse. Invested
Of his disguise and In proprla per
soma. as presentnble and handsome q
young man a. one would care to see.