A Wasted Love

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1160, 2 December 1904, Page 4

A Wasted Love

Author of "Leslie's Loyalty," "

CHAETER I Cnniberleigh Fair was in full swing. At ono time there usod to be a fair, once a yoar at least, in every town, or small; thero woro soveral in London, for instance, But merry England \im some* how or other grown ut very sad and grave and serious England, and if you want to see a fair now you must go far down into the country, into thoso remote districts whore roon—and woman—have not yet grown ashamed of themselves in the open air.

Cumborleigh Pair was held just outside the market town on agood sized common; it lasted three days, and during those three days the good folk of Cumberleigh hiked, thought, ate, drunk fair, ft was the ono event of the yoar to which the country people—and tho town people too, looked fo ward to and backward at They dated from it, It wns:" I bought that horse at Cumbe leigh Pair." " They were married three weoks como Fair-time," and so on,

It was the third and hut day, and the fair was at its height. The lanes between the booths waro crowded with a donse throng ofpleasiite«makers, men and women in their Sunday best; some with their children on thoir shoulders. The row was awful, From ono side came the yolls oi tho showmen decanting on tho merits of their particular shows, and

imploring the people to "-walk up !■' From another there oauio the dull IIOIIV7 ronr of a lion in his cage; whilo from rainy, too many, drinking booths snatches of tipsy chorus floated out and rainglod with the general din. Merry-go-rounds mid swings | revolved and swnng to the melodious strains of steam organ?, Every showman had a drum, and seemed to he trying to knock the head in. Children blew innumerable tin trumpols, and the inponious gentloman with tho thrco thimbles and » pes, shouted hoarso oxhortations to the crowd to come and win their fortunes, There was overy kind of show, The fat woman was here, in company with tho giant and tho dwarf and the living skeleton, Tho spotted' nobleman was ut groat attraction, nnd tho wild man of the woods roared and yelled invitingly through the bare of his cage, A little apart from the rest whero half a dozon gypsy caravans, No lair would bo complete without gypsies, and they worn at Cumberland in full force. Every now andthon a dark-skinned, blank haired lass would glide in and about the crowd with that easy and grnctfui gait which these strange pcoplo havo inherited from the days when Pharoah was kii;» over Egypt, and whisper " Let me tell your fortune,kindgentUmnn, Cross llic gipsy's hand with silvor, protty hdy."j Nut-brown children sat on the steps of the caravans, and in tho centro of tho colony, so to speak, wiu gathered, round a kettle suspended over a tire, a group of gypsies eating their afternoon iiuul as placidly as if thoy had pitched their tent on some sylvan island. Just ontside this ring round tho fire a young girl leaned against tho side ot a oaravan. She was supposed to bo partaking of tho moiil with tho rest oi the company; butshewasnotoating, and tho dark eyes had a dreamy and far away expression. In the dross them was liltlo to distinguish her from tho othor womon of her tribe, with tho exception that tho brown woisoy frock was clean, and that sho woro no gold rings in her cars as did tho rest. Sot the dress was well made and she seemed to wear it and tho shawl with that indesorible sir of oaso and grace which is born with some women, and can neverno' novcr-bo acquired. ' She was about tho middle height, but Blim and well built; there was youth and health and strength in every limb, in tho very poise of tho shapely head, on the slender neck. Her hair was dark, almost black; her eyes wero largo, lustrous, and unlike a gypsy's, soft and melting, Beauty is not uncommon among. the gypsios, but this girl's loveliness was of a striking and oxquisite ordor, That she wore a better dress and woro it with oxcoptionalgraco might bo ascribed to tho fact that sho was qucon of her tribo, as also perhaps sho owed the reposeful dignity which sat so well upon her at this moment, when, as if unconscious of the Burriundiug turmoil, sho stood lost in thought and her own doy-dreams; for oven a gypsy who lives in a caravan by tolling fortunos may liavo day-dreams. Presently a man caino round tho caravau, Ho was a gypsy like the rest, but was dressed in a shabby suit, winch might have beon the cast-off of a shop-man or • clerk, Ho was a man of about fifty, with the air and expression whiw dissipation' nnd oxcoas stamps upon gcntlo and siraplo alike, and his countonaneo was not ren<> dered nioro prepossessing by a pair of crafty eyes and lips which woro a smirk and a Bneor by turns. He stopped short as ho saw the girl seemed about to speak, then turned aside and entered the ring round tho fire. Ho walked with a peculiar gait, which was intended to conceal tv slight limp, fcr he had once been strong and handsome, and was still vain, "Hullo, Undo Jake!" said one of tho men, looking up with tho faint laugh which greets a ne'er-do-well who is M scorned, "Pow goes it-toa?'' "Uncle Jake screwed his ovil mouth into a qonteraptoui smirk and shook his head. " Tea ? Not while there's anything oW going, eh, Jake ?" another, and ho held up a stone bottle. The man took it, drank from it without a word, end stood silently looking at tho fire; thon ho glanced sideways at the motionless figure of the girl, and jerked his thumb over hisshou!dor inquiringly, Tho man ho addressed by tho gesture looked in her direction. "Oh, Madge!" he said with a laugh, " She's mooning as usual," " Sho's always mooning," said Jake, half fiercely, half sullenly. " Why don't sho work liko the rest of us'?" Thero was a general laugh at the" us," Tho day on which Uncle Jake had worked had not yet dawned. " Lot hor alono," said a woman, looking up from the kettle of slew sho was inspecting. " Boil not interfere with her, Uncto Jake, Bho's been liko that most of tho d».Y."

Jake emitted a snarl under his brcalh. "I'm not afraid of her,'' ho said, with a kind of defiance, and setting his wideawako a little on one side, thoreby giving himself a rakish air, ho loft tho ring pnd approached the girl. She did not seo or hear him, or nt any rate did not appear to do so, for a gypsy's ears are sharp as tho panther's, until ho was close upon her, then she started, but EOt With fear, and turned her largo oyes upon him questioningly, The man's crafty eyes wavered and foil beforo hots. " Well, Madge." ho said in a tono l\w was meant. "Mooning and star-gazing again, eh?" "There are no stars or moon, Uncle Jake," she said quietly. "Oh," he said. "You're sharp on a word, you are. It's a pity vou don't rank" usoofyour sharpnoss, There's mouths to be fed, my girl, and money to bo got, and you don't do your share, leaning up agen that von liko a wax figger." ''l was resting," she said simply, "but I'll go now." She drew the shawl round her face as

• . BY CHARLES GAUVICB

llaine," " A Woman's Soul," *o.

sho spoke, and moved toward tho crowd, and Undo Jako looking after her until the slim iiguro had disappeared in tho throng, wont bnck to the fire, and lot himself down to the ground gently. 11 l'vo stnrto.t her,'- he said with a grin. " You don't know how io manage hor,any of you, ion spoil her amolig you. Why shouldn't she woilt like tho rest ? Ugh I 1 Imte idleness and loafing. Whore's that botilogotio?" The giil made her way through the pushing, seething mass, repeating the formal—''Let the gypsy tell your fortune, Cross tho gypsy's hand with silver," but sho uttered it mechanically, and without any desire to gain clients, and tho people paid no heed. About this timo a young man ontercd the fair, Ho had beou walking with the steady, swinging paco which puts Inc mile-stones behind one, across tho common on tho curt truck which led from tho high road to tiio park and mansion of Monk Towers, and hearing tho noiso end hlaro of the lair on the slight hollow to tho hollow lo tho left of him, ho had stopped and loolted, and listened, hesitated a moment, then turned off and eniored the fair.

Ho was a young man—scarcely indei d, more thnn a boy, and thorc woro two things noticeable about him, First, that bo was a gentleman; and secondly, that tho god* had been very good to him in tho matter of good form and features. Beauty has been culled the fatal gift, and yet it is tho gift which most women desire for themselves, and tho ono gift in man which, when it is combined with strength, they adtniro and worship. This young man had the kind of f,co which Hliir Leighton is so fond of painting. Every feature truly hut delicatdy cut, dark oyes full of fire and life and the love of life, with brows dark and arched; and hair that, closely cut as it was, broke into ripples and waves. Ho was six tat, broad-shonlderod and straight-limbed, and moved as only a practised athlete can move. Ue was dressed in a suit of twoed, which seemed lo hove (jrown on him, and which bore evidonco oi a |loug and dusty walk. Ho wore his soft lint lilted off his forehoad, and he hummed or whistled as he walked, as if ho had not a c.ire in a world which had been specially mado for him, Ho had beou walking for fivo hours and i a half, and almost every person whom he had passed hud turned anil lookod after him, sonic of his own sex onviomly, nil oftho other sex admiringly, At the o;lgo of tho lair ho pulled up, and seemed to consider, looking in the direction of Monk lowers; then ho took a coin from his pocket, spun it in tho air, and said gravely: '' Heads 1" It came down a head, and pocketinr tho coin he crossed tho boundary lino, so to speak, and joined tho crowd, through which ho shouldoted his way with a good humoured smile, which now and again broke hits a laugh, as if ho wero entering into tho fun of the tiling, nn.l meant to enjoy himself; as indeed ho did, Ho stopped at ojosiof thu slulls, bought some gingerbread •and ate it, and drunk a glass of beer nt a booth, Ho went into Richardson's Show, aud laughed at the funny man and applauded the tragedian, He saw tho Fat Lady, chaffed the Giant, end talked lo tho Dwaif and tho Living Skeleton,

(To be continued.)