Part 26 (1/2)
”Thank you,” said Cora, but, of course, she had no way of knowing how this girl had tried to befriend her in the gypsy wagon
”We have some splendid berries I picked them before the sun touched them,” said Lena ”And fresh milk; also toast, and what else?”
”We will leave it to you, Lena I know Sa lady like soht not suit for daylight”
Cora was still wearing her handsoown that she had worn at the Tip-Top ball It did look strange in the bright, earlysunshi+ne
”Would you?” asked Helka of Cora ”I have a good bathroom, and there is plenty of water” She sht she had never before seen such huhed ”If I must stay I suppose I may as well be practical about it”
”Oh, yes,” Lena ventured ”They all like you, and it will be so ive any trouble”
”You see, Lena knows,” said the queen ”Yes, Lena, get out so pretty, and Miss----”
”Cora,” supplied the prisoner
”Cora? What an odd name! But it suits you There is so lish robe--the one with the silver crown”
To dress in the robes of a gypsy queen! If only this were a play, and not so tragically real!
But the thought was not co It meant imprisonment Cora had determined to be brave, but it was hard Yet sheunexpected would happen to rescue her
”Lena is my maid,” explained Helka ”I tell her more than any of the others And she fetches my letters secretly Have you not one for irl slipped her hand in her blouse and produced a paper The queen grasped it eagerly ”Oh, yes,” she said, ”I kneould write
Good David!” and she tore open the envelope Cora watched her face and guessed that thethe breakfast things
”If only I could go out andthe letter ”I would run away andJust think! He has followed land!”
”And you never meet hiht the two fierce dogs
I would never dare pass theon, but I never could ride in that You see, I aypsy My father was a sort of Polish noblelish She becareat question of the poor, and so left society for this--the free life My father was also a reformer, and they were married twice--to make sure It is my father's money that keeps me like this, and, of course, the tribe does not want to lose me”
”And this man David?”
”I met him when I rode like a queen in an open chariot in a procession
That is, he saw et a note to me Then I had him come to the park ere quartered in And since then--but it does see!”
”Could not Lena take a letter for me?” asked Cora timidly
”Oh, no! They would punish her very severely if she interfered in your case You see, Salvo ed and released from jail I always hated Salvo!”