Evening star., 1922-06-10
Playing Gypsy.

1
midnight blackness. Nan Blais-
il dell found it exceedingly hard
| to keep her eyes on the excit-
able small doggy. who was running
ahead of her. On the road across
the valley and through the cross
| roads beyond. she could see score
of flashing lights that she knew must
! be from the motor cars of the search
| ing parties that the entire neighbor-
hood had organized to help the police
look for Merriam Lindsay. and her
twins. missing since morning.
| Every clue that anybody had fol-
| lowed had so far proven vain. but
| the men in the searching parties ana
! the police We're rather certain that
| the gypsy band which had moved on
| SO hurriedly that afternoon knew Tar
/ more about the strange disappear
| ance than the members were willing
| to admit.
Nan had forgotten about the syp-
! sizes. A quarter of an hour before she
| had discovered some bits of twigs and
/ papers tied within the draggled bow
| that was attached to Ragsy's collar
y, For the first time since they had
found the dog. hours before. he had
an air of wanting to obey, of under
| StanulnS what was DelUS Sdiu " i4Iih
| The bits of paper had been torn
| from a cracker contaiuer. which en-
| couraged Nan in the theory that Mer-
| riam had taken a lunch with her
| when she set forth. But the only
word that she could make the torn
| letters spell was S-wa-m, which
seemed utterly senseless until she
discovered that Ragsy was running
| down a small footpath that skirted
a wet meadow beyond beech grove
Mans heart beat with hope. Mer-
riam had always referred to the
meadow as Heap Big swamp" Nan
! hurried along so rapidly that her
! feet slipped into hidden mud holes
and her skirt kept catching on the
| bushes.
Ragsy yelped reassuringly. scurry-
| ing back to the circle excitably when
! ever she had to pause.
| \ full mile beyond the road she
stopped. She could hear faint
| halloo.
She answered it with a trembling
! sort of whistle.
! "Ohee-ohee." Merriam's husky
sweet voice sounded far away.
/ Nan CROPPED along IN the darkness
! trying not to waste breath.
! Merry, Merry"
"Ohee. The voice sounded still
! farther away. wait"
! Nan waited.
! "Nan-dou't try to cross-go round
go rouud-it's quicksands - its
swamp-go roundabout hurry-l'm
/ beyond the brook
| But of course Mrs Blais1ell did hurry.
| stumbling for what seemed ages around
! the nillocks of swamp ferns.
! SSH. Merr:ams voice cautioned
quite nearby. You are most here
isn't 1t, silly-silly-both twinses are
asleep"
! A shadowy group on an island-lie
clump of ferns. Nan could discern them
now.
! They aren't cold. Their sweaters are
around them and | propped their cart
| over them. | told them we'd play we
We're gypSies till daddy came. oh Nam
! She clutched at the warm hand des-
! perately It's my beastly Old weak
| ankle-it turned under me just as we
were starting for nome-l think It's
broken this time-so-l-I-- Tears
water like the physiology books say.
Her ready giggle came This pool was
right handy" Her head on Mans
i shoulder. she wept a moment.
| Half an hour later the rescuinS party
! that Nan led across the swampy place
found a serene and laughing young
woman waiting for them.
! Haven't | the smartest lsiddieS and
I the smartest doggie In the world"'
! she boasted as her distratt husband
lifted her Safe in his arms. with
/ Thornc B'aisdell and Mr. Davis each
following with a sleeping twin. she con-
! tinued to chatter. trying to hide the
ghastly pain of that broken ankle and
! to comfort i1er shaking John.
! ''All your fault she ch'ded him.