Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 12, 1927 — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SOMEWHERE “ But, grandmother,” the younger wom- an would have dissuaded her,: “ it will be too much of a strain upon you. You are not strong enough to—”’ “ Silence!” thee Queen broke ‘u impe- riously. “ And do as you are bir.” Then, when the odd-shaped pack of gypsy cards was brought, she squatted down and fumblingly laid them out in three piles on the ground. Mavor, crossing the wrinkled palm she extended to him, squatted down opposite her, and with tense lines in his face awaited the revelation. 3 Three times the old woman shuffled and cut the cards, and repeated the operation of laying them out, narrowly scrutinizing the result on each occasion. “Tt is your son of whom you seek to know. Is it not so, gorgio?” The banker could not repress a slight start at the uncanny perception she showed. He had made no mention of the purpose of his quest, had merely told her he was in trouble. “Yes,” he said huskily, “my son. What do the cards tell you of him, mother?” There was a quiver in his voice. “T see him here ’’—she indicated the jack of spades with her shaking forefinger —‘a dashing young chal, lithe, dark- haired, flashing-eyed, much as you were when I knew you firsi. “ There are mountains all about.” She gave a wave of her hand over the layout in front of her, which somehow raised a picture of tumbled peaks against the sky, and of a road winding among them past yawning gorges and dark ravines. “ He is in a car, and driving furiously. He does not know how to drive any other way. There is a danger sign at a sharp curve just ahead, but he pays no heed to it. ‘ Ah-h!” She drew in her breath sharp- ly. ‘The car leaves the road. It somer- saults twice, and crashes against the rocks. The boy is thrown out. There is blood on him. He lies still.” She paused, and shuffled the cards to- gether as if she had finished. “Ves, yes.” Mavor gripped her wrist. “ But what then? You have not told it all. Was—was he killed?” 489 “He is not dead, gorgio.” She sheok her head. “ He was not even badly hurt. Young bones do not break so easily. He lies there a few minutes, then struggles up and gets to his feet. He limps over to the car; but it is a total wreck, and he turns away from it with a shrug and makes his way back to the road. “Now we shall see what happened to him.” She spread the cards out afresh. “He is in no condition to travel on foot, and sits there by the roadside a long while, waiting for some one to come by and pick him up. But no one passes until at last as dusk is falling there is a cloud of dust, a jingling of harness, and a band of our peo- ple, a gypsy caravan, comes into sight. “Your boy hails them and talks to their leader. He reveals himself as of Zingari blood, of the line of Queen Narok; and they consent to carry him with them, and let him stay in their camp until he is able to travel. He is made at home with them, the women bind and dress his injuries, he has a place at the camp fire. “And yet I see trouble, trouble: The leader of the caravan looks at him with a jealous eye. There is a maiden— _ But, no, she is not the one for him. He does not care for her. There is another to whom fate leads him.” Her voice faltered and broke. She passed her hand before her eyes, as if to brush away a mist. “I can tell you no more,” she mum- bled. “It grows dim, dim. I am an old woman.” She turned weakly to the girl, who had passed a solicitous arm about her shoulders. ‘“ Help me back to the van, Alice. I must rest.” “But just one thing more, mother,” pressed Rado eagerly. ‘‘ How can I con- firm what you have just told me, how as- sure myself that it is true. Let me know where the boy is now, so that I may com- municate with him. Is he still with the caravan, or—”’ _ “Ah?” Her withered lips twisted into a smile of derision. ‘ You show, indeed, that you are only part Rom, gorgio. The Rom in you drove you here to me, but the other part will not let you believe. Well, you will have my story confirmed within an IN NEVADA. COPMICLOOOKS (E@)