Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-04-22
Romany Rose
By DOROTHY SMITH

heD woods. NOW IndL llC P'N
as completed, he stared at the green
lnnel which he had transferred 10
hnvas. The perspective stre'cheu
way to the vanishing point markeu
" bit of blue sky. He frowheu at
no tameness of his own work.
at needs life after ALL he grumoIeu'
Az If evolved from nOthingness for
is necessity, girl stood before nm
a fantastic figure in gay, clean rags
Nth a dark vivid face, soft black eyes
nd a cloud of misty hair under Sc
uined scarf.
"A gypsy" he muttered aloud
She nodded and smiled. "a peecter
of me. sir? Cross my palm J" she
aughed gleefully as he tossed hahu-
+. hui of silver coins. She caught them
and dropped them into her pocket
SOP She leaned against the nearest
tree trunk, so entering deliberately
INTO his picture, and her svelte young
form fell into lines that seemed 10
melt into the rough bark.
"A dryad-no, La Zingara hersell
he decided as he hastily scratched III
the outline against his painted 'ree
"Wbere is your camp?" he asked.
She nodded carelessly down the
Green road. "They are coming" she
said
"Here?" he frowned little. 1t was
his own land. .,
"Always-my people camp ne'e'
she said CURLY.
He looked around at the worn
matches of coarse grass, at the strag-
Cling little paths that had seemed un-
accountable to him; over there was
a busy stream whose bank had oeeh
worn down by the feet of vagrahl
horses.
"This is my property" he said after
while. ~ do not want your people
TO camp here. They can 90 into my
south field yonder" And he pointed
vaguely beyond the stream where his
farm lay.
She shook her head impatiently'
"This place is the camp of my people
my father, my grandfather ana
away back. The wagons are coming
now"
Far down the road hung a cloud OF
gray dust that sifted up to the tree
tops. When the caravan had ehtereu
+he wood and the wheels Creaked along
IN the dead leaves of many seasons
the dust settled and the gayly painted
wagons became gorgeous charlots'
and tired horses were proud chargers
coming home, and the fat women loli-
ing in the upper compartments OF the
wagons wore eastern OdaliSques, Der
ringers artist eye absorbed the RIOT
of color and he sat spellbOund until a
yagabondish fellow dropped indolently
from the saddle and approached him.
The gypsy was beautiful in a smart
way with laughing bold eyes ana
black hair. He tossed off ragged nat
and when he spoke his voice dropped
into a professional whine.
1.-THE gentleman buy horse he
was beginning when Derringer jumped
up and waved a dispensing arm.
"Private property. You can camE
in nv south field" he said grudgingly
"Ah. meester" the girls pleading
voice was heard. ITS so hot in the
fields and my peepul poor"
every we'll" he said good humored
", and picking up his traps he started
down the path toward his home Iht
girls voice detained him.
THE peectur-yOu did not hnsl
him?"
"Never mind will remember how
Won looked" Their eyes met and
velvety blush swept her cheek. His
heart ouickened. 81 will come tomor
row-perhaps you will pose again"
at NAV be-" she said dreamily, ant
as he strobe down the path he wa'
haunted by certain Tilt in her voice
The last words she had spoken wer'
as if spoken in another tongue from
the broken patois of his first speech
with her
He thought of her the rest OF TIT
evening and he dreamed OF her a
night. He had determined to cas-
pride to the winds and woo this no
many maid. What wondrOusly beau
tiful wife she would make He coulC
tame his wild bird Of the woods to hi
civilized ways. He visualized her
her hair dressed in the mode, clothed
in amber satin with scarlet flower
she was all that his nature crave'
for beauty, and the soft goodness o
her face told the rest He determined
to cast family tradition to the fou
winds after pride-and so he reali,
fell asleep at last to waken in tn
early dawn to the soft patter OF rail
on the roof and the thought OF tn
gypsy camp.
He dressed and breakfasted il
haste; then in rough tramping clothe
he went out into the rain, pulling hi
cloth hat well over his eyes-the,
were too betraying-and he did no
want to startle the girl.