The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-04-06
Romany Rose
By DOROTHY SMITH

| e. 1899. By Mcclure Newspaper Syndicass.)
Derringer had been painting in the
deep woods. Now that the picture
was completed. he stared at the green
tunnel which he had transferred to
canvas. The perspective stretched
away to the vanishing point marked
by bit of blue sky. he frowned At
! the tameness Of his own work.
ut needs life after ALL" he grumbled.
| As II evolved from nothingness for
his necessity, a girl stood before him
| "a fantastic figure in gay, clean rags
with a dark vivid face. soft black eyes
and cloud of misty hair under Sc
quined scarf.
"A gypsy :" he muttered aloud.
| She nodded and smiled. "A peecter
of me, sir? Cross. my palm" She
| laughed gleefully as he tossed hand
| full of silver coins. Size caught them
and dropped them into her pocket.
"So." She leaned against the nearest
tree trunk, SO entering deliberately
into his picture, and her syelte young
form fell into lines that seemed TO
melt into the rough bark.
a dryad-no. La Zingara herselfF
he decided as he hastily scratched In
the outline against his painted tree.
"Where Is your camp:" he asked.
She nodded carelessly down the
green road. "They are coming" she
said
"Here?" he frowned a little. 1t was
his own land.
| "Always-my people camp here.
she said CURLY.
He looked around at the worn
patches of coarse grass, at the strag-
Cling little paths that had seemed I'M
accountable to him; over there was
busy stream whose bank had been
worn down by the feet Of vagrant
horses.
This is my property" he said after
while. II do not want your people
to camp here. They can go 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, mV grandfather and
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 entered
the wood and the wheels creaked along
on the dead leaves of many seasons.
the dust settled and the gayfy painted
wagons became gorgeous chariots,
and tired horses were proud chargers
coming home, and the fat women loll-
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
vagabondish fellow dropped indolently
from the saddle and approached him.
The gypsy was beautiful in smart
way, with laughing bold eyes and
black hair. He tossed off ragged hat
and when he spoke his voice dropped
into professional whine.
1.-THE gentleman buy a horse" he
was beginning when Derringer jumped
up and waved a dispensing arm.
"Private property. You can camp
in nv south field" he said grudgingly.
.Ah. meesterT the girls pleading
voice was heard. Its so hot in the
fields and my peepul poor"
Every WELL" he said good humored-
ly. and picking up his traps he started
down the path toward his home. The
girls voice detained him.
THE oeectur-you did not finish
him?"
Never mind-1 will remember how
you looked" Their eyes met and a
velvety blush swept her cheek. His
heart qutckened. Il will come tomor-
row-perhaps you will pose again?"
ut may be-" she said dreamily, and
as he strobe down the path he was
haunted by certain Tilt n her voice
The last words she had spoken were
as il spoken in another tongue from
the broken patois Of his first speech
with her.
He thought of her the rest Of the
evening and he dreamed Of her at
night. He had determined to cast
many maid. What wOndrously beau
tiful wife she would make! He could
tame his wild bird Of the woods to his
civilized ways. He visualized her
her hair dressed in the mode, clothed
in amber satin with a scarlet flower
she was all that his nature craved
for beauty. and thes soft goodness Of
her face told the rest! He determined
to cast family tradition to the four
winds after pride-and so he really
fell asleep at last to waken in the
early dawn to the soft patter Of rain
on the roof and the thought of the
gypsy camp.
He dressed and breakfasted in
haste; then in rough tramping clothes
he went out into the rain. pulling his
cloth bat we'll over his eyes-they
were too betraying-and he did not
j.want to startle the girl.
The rain was drumming lightly on
the canvas tent and the gay wagons.
| The horses were under n canvas shell