ce, coughed, and

a fire smouldering on the ground. There were no doors or windows in the tent, and b

hoops in her ears, who was gently wiping the rain from Phil's face, three or four ragged children dressed in bright red

and the woman turne

in a moment. Tell your little brother not to be afraid. He is amo

Phil, with under lip thrus

ly, "as soon as it stops raining a bit,

eager to be at home. "I saw you at my gate," she added s

coat, though the red tie was hi

her a moment, an

ake them in the van," said he to his wife. "It's still raining hard. They shall know

ifted the tent flap and went out again into the rai

she knew she was going home shortly, sh

m home. No beds, no chairs, no table. The gypsies must eat sitting

was very, very crowded, smoky an

bold eyes, smiled back at Susan and then fell to giggling and poking one another. One of them darted forward and jerked at Susan's scarlet hair-ribbon. The other stole slyly behind her and twitched h

n; indeed, she did not look like a gypsy at all. She was a slender little creature with pale brown hair, large gray eyes, and a tiny hooked nose th

e lost sq

It had even the bit of bl

uash baby!" said

man picked it up in the road and gave it to Gentill

hastily. "Let her keep it. Is her name

her's child. You might think I had enough to do with three children of my own. But no, I must hav

and began stroking the visitor's dress with a tiny hand that was far from clean. Sudde

ship, and Susan was sorry when Mrs. Le

h the van. You will be

h was drawing a gypsy van, gay with bright red and green and black pain

clutching his slippers

with Phil's pail-empty! No wonder the big boy, busy eating

e going home." And Susan waved vigorous good-byes to Mrs. Lee and

o the muddy road, and then, sitting up in front, dr

hil were looking round the

usan, squeezing Phil's hand. "Oh, I wi

in fact, they very often did. There was a little cookstove, whose pipe wandered out of the side of the van in a most unusual way. And alongside the stove was a table, hanging by hinges from the wall.

with white cheeks and anxious faces, while Grandfather came hurrying from the barn where he had b

ting the corner of her apron as she spoke. "I ran up here in

. "The big boy ate them. And I was

e, that van is just like a doll's house. Their name is Lee. I wish I lived in a van; it's better than a tent, I think. And they have t

," was all Grandmother replied. "Come straight

ng into Mr. James Lee's hand that made his white teeth gleam in a smile, and caused him to drive f

absence, Miss Liza thought, but who proved to have slept soundly through the storm; and Susan, her tongue

teased the next day. "I want to see Gentilla. P

ther and Susan purchased several yards of bright red hair-ribbon. With these off

h his hand the softness of the beds, the like of which, Mrs. Lee declared, was not to be found in ki

with scorn of her own white little room at home, and wished with all her heart that she had been born a gypsy child. Even the two bold little girls seemed pleas

g in his eyes, gazed so longingly at the crumbs remaining that Grandfather took pity upon him. With a tur

o eat with it," com

e boy, waiting for no second bidding, vanished among the

r. He had many stories of adventure to tell, and he even brought out

s. Lee, with a half-sly look, and she laughed outr

do," he answered. "My granddaughter seems perfectly happy t

othering her to her heart's delight. She washed her new baby's face and hands in the brook and dried them upon her own handkerchief. She told her about Flip, and Snowball, and Snuff, to which Gentilla listened with a roll of

suppose I can come and play with her to-morrow?" "Perhaps Mrs. Lee will let Gentilla come and p

-morrow to spend the day, and Susan went home with a happy h

d she. "Wouldn't you like to live in a tent? Why isn

wandering over the face of the earth," answered Grandfather. "And among

said Susan, honestly. "I know I would like t

ather," admitted Grandfather. "But what about cold

ey?" pondered Susan. "How the

thought of the tent in the woods, the trees standing tall and black about it, and the near-by brook gurgling over its ston

gypsies, Snuff, for a

astonished Grandmother by sayi

mother a gypsy, because then I wouldn