aken the gypsy girl's baby and was
cuddling it like a wax doll, its tiny birdlike face contrasting oddly
with her pretty plumpness.

"The youngest lady shall have a fortune like an apple pie, it shall be
so trim and neat and nice and good to look at and to taste, with plenty
of sugar and kisses in it," the old woman chuckled good naturedly,
glancing kindly at happy Frieda.

Ruth turned quickly around and smiled. At this moment Jim Colter came
stalking across the yard toward them, with the strange gypsy at his
heels, and Ruth supposed he wished to hear the girls' fortunes. But Jim
did not appear interested and looked at Ruth so queerly that she was
afraid he was angry.

"Shall I tell you your future now, Miss?" the gypsy woman demanded
slyly, talking to Ruth, but discerning all of Jim's six feet of shyness
and troubled emotion at the same time. "I can see a great change coming
in your life, Miss," the fortune teller went on quickly. "You can feel
it stirring in you now, but you won't give up to it. You are going to
take a long trip and you are going to----"

Whatever the gypsy meant to say Ruth did not wish to hear, so she
remarked quickly: "Please don't tell me anything of my fate. I--I don't
like to have my fortune told," she explained, blushing furiously. She
felt angry with herself for her absurdity, as Jim was gazing directly at
her across the circle of listening girls.

"I believe you have told us all quite enough of our futures, granny,"
Ruth announced. "We are going to leave you to rest," and she beckoned to
the ranch girls to follow her indoors.

Jim watched them until the last fluttering petticoat disappeared. Then
he and "Gypsy Joe" walked away from the house together. A few hours
later, just before dusk, the ranch girls were in the big living room of
the Lodge, waiting for Ruth to come in and for Aunt Ellen to bring in
supper, when there was a sound of wagon wheels along the road that led
away from the house to the trail across the ranch. Jean danced to the
open window and signaled to Jack.

The gypsy caravan was rolling slowly toward the distant plains. A
delicate purple mist hung over the world and the wagon seemed to float
along in the soft evening air; a single star shone over the travelers.

Jean pinched Jack's arm until she gave a cry of pain. "What is it,
Jean?" Jack inquired anxiously, for she could see that her cousin's
expression was curiously grave and that her eyes were shining and her
l