Indianapolis Times, Volume 35, Number 254, Indianapolis, Marion County, 3 March 1923 — Page 8

8

Alice of Old Vincennes By Maurice Thompson COUBIGHT, 1908, B I ALICE LEE THOMPSON

BEGIN HERE AUCE and . r E AN were tfa* (otter ihildreo of GASPASD HOUSSDLLON. who. in the V nce of a milfiarj commander. was retarded as chief oi Vincennes In its early instory. Aiict was admired by KJINII LC RON TILLS, a handsome youth, tvho told her it was his dream to marry her (ml tin ■ that ha loved ' ShLE AXDUIENNfi BOUKCIER, her Jeolouc rival. FA Til hit GrP.AULT, arrived from Ksek&sMa ( with the news that France and the American colonies had made common cause j ayainst the Tlnslrih in the treat Revolutionary War. o( which the people of vino ones m-ilhtr knew the cause nor oseeti atoni the outcome. P.ons*iH-.in '■ as -u- imoned to the river treat importance. CHAPTER V REAT movement* in the affairs of man are like tides g, of the seas which read and affect thy remotest and Quietest nooks and Inlets, imparting a thrill and a swell of the general motion. Father Gibault brought the wave of the American Revolution to Vincennes. He was a simple missionary. but he was, besides, a man of great worldly knowledge and personal force. Col. George Rogers Clark made Father Gibault’s acquaintance at Kaskaskia, when the fort and Its garrison surrendered to his command, and, quickly discerning the fine qualities of the priest’s character, sent him to the post on the Wabash to win over its people to the cause of freedom and independence. Nor was the task assumed a hard one, as Father Gibault probably well knew before he undertook It. A few of the leading men of Vincennes, presided over by Gaspard Roussillon, held a consultation at the river house, and it was agreed that a mass meeting should be called bringing all of the inhabitants together in the church for the purpose of considering the course to be taken under the circumstances made known by Father Gibault. Oncle Jazon constituted himstii an executive committee of one to stir up a noise for the occasion. It was a great day for Vincennes. The volatile temper atinent of the French frontiersmen bubbled over with enthusiasm at the first hint of somethin" new and revolutionary In which they might he expected to take part. Without knowing in the least what It was that Father Gibault and . Oncle Jazon wanted of them, they: were all in favor of : t at a venture. Rene de Ror.ville, being an active and Intelligent young man, was sent about through the town to let everybody know of the meeting. In passing he stepped Into the cabin of Father Beret, who was sitting on the loose puncheon floor, with his hack turned toward the entrance and so absorbed In trying to put together a great number of small paper fragment that he did not hear or look up. “Are you going to the meeting. Father?" Rene bluntly demanded. In the hurry that was on him he did; not remember to be formally polite, a? was his habit. The old priest looked up with a startled face. At the same time he swept the fragments of paper together and clutched them hard In his right hand. "Yea, yes. my son—yes. I am going, but the time has not yet come for It has It?” he stammered. “Is It late?" Ha sprang to his feet and appeared confused as If caught In doing something very improper. Rene wondered at this unusual behavior, but merely said: “I beg your pardon. Father Beret, I did not mean to disturb you “ and went his way. Father Beret stood for some minutes as If dazed, then squeezed the paper fragments into a tight tail. Just as they were when he took them from under the floor some time before Reno came in, and put it in Ills pocket. A little later he was kneeling, as we have seen him once before. In silent yet fervent prayer, his clasped hands Listen toward the crucifix on the wall. “Jesus, give me strength to hold on and do my work,” he murmured be seechingly, “and oh, free they poor

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servant from bitter temptation.” Father Gibault had come prepared to use his eloquence upon the excitable creoles, and with considerable cunning he addressed a motley audience at the church, telling them that an American force had taken Kaskaskia and would henceforth hold it; that France had joined hands with the Americans against the British, and that It was the duty of all Frenchmen to help uphold the cause of freedom and independence. “I come,” said he, "directly from Colonel George Rogers Clark, a noble and brave officer of the American Army, who told me the news that 1 have brought to you. He sent me here to say to you that if you will give allegiance to his government j you shall be protected against all enemies and have the full freedom j of citizens. I think you should do this without a moment’s hesitation, as I and my people at Kaskaskia have already done. But perhaps you would like to have a word from your distinguished fellowcitizen, Monsieur Gaspard Roussillon. Speak to your friends, my son, they will be glad to take counsel of your wisdom." There was a stir and a craning of necks. AL Roussillon presently appeared near the little chancel, his great form towering majestically. He bowed and waved his hand with the air of one who .--accepts distinction as a matter of course; then he took his big silver watch and looked at it. He was the only man in Vincennes who owned a watch, and so the incident was impressive. Father Gibault looked pleased, and already a murmur of applause went through the audience. M. Roussillon stroked the bulging crystal of the time-piece with a circular motion of his thumb and bowed again, clearing his throat resonantly, his face growing purplish above his beard. "Good friends.” he said, "what Fiance does all high-class Frenchmen applaud.” He paused for a shout of approbation, and was not dls t ppeinted. “The other name for France is glory,” he added, "and all true Frenchmen love both names. I am a true Frenchman!” aid he struck his breast a resounding blow with the hand that still held the watch. A huge horn button on Ills buckskin jerkin came in contact with the crystal, and there was a smash, fol lowed by a scattered tinkling of glass fragments. All Vincennes stood breathless, contemplating the irreparable accident. M. Roussillon had lost the effect of a great period In his speech, but he was quick. Lifting the watch to his ear, he listened a moment with superb dignity, then slowly elevating his head and spreading his free hand over his heart he Bald:.

"The faithful time-piece still tells off the seconds, and the loyal heart ! of its owner still throbs with patri- 1 otism.” Oncle Jazon. who rtood In front of the speaker, swung his shapeless cap as high as he could and yelled like a savage. Then the crowd went wiid for a time. "Vive la France! A has 1’ Angleterre!” Every’ body shouted at the top of iiis voice. “What France does we ail do,” continued M. Roussillon, when the noise subsided. "France has clasped hands with George Washington and his brave compatriots; so do we.” "Vive Zhorz’n Vasinton!" shrieked Oncle Jazon In a piercing treble, tip:oeir.g and shaking hta cap necklessly under M. Roussillon’s nose. The orator winced and Jerked his head back, but nobody saw It, save perhaps Father Gibault, who laughed heartily. Great sayings corns suddenly, unannounced and unexpected. They have the mysterious force of prophetic accident combined with happy economy of phrasing. The southern *t>lood In M. Roussillon's veins waa effervescing upon his brain; his tongue had ceught the fine freedom and abandon of Inspired oratory. Ho towered and glowed; words fell melodious ly from his lips; his gestures were compelling, hls visage magnetic. In conclusion, he said: “Frenchmen, America is the gardenspot of tho world and will one day rulo it, as did Rome of old. Where freedom her home, there is the centre of power!” It was in a little log church on the verge of a hummock overlooking a marshly wild meadow. Westward for two thousand miles stretched the unbroken prairies, woods, mountains, deserts reaching to the Pacific; southward for a thousand miles rolled the green billows of the wilderness to the warm Gulf shore; northward to the pole and eastward to the thin fringe of settlements beyond the mountains, aii was houseless solitude. If the reader should go to Vincennes today and walk southward along Second St. to Its intersection with Church St., tho spot then under foot would i probably be very near where M. Rous j sillon stood while uttering his groat j .sentence. Mind you, the present • does not pretend to know :ho ■ ?xact site of old St. Xavier Church, i If it could be fixed beyond doubt the i spot should have an imperishable i monument of Indiana stone. ; When M. Roussillon cease-1 speaki :ng tho audience again exhausted its | vocal resources; and then Father Gij bauit called upon each man to come | forward and solemnly pledge hls loy- ; aity to the American cause. Not one j of them hesitated. Meantime a woman waa doing her part in the transformation of Post Vincennes from a French.-Fngllsh picket to a full-fledged American fort and town. Madame Godere, finding out what waa about to happen, fell to work making a fltig In imitation tis that under which George Washington was fighting. Alice chanced to l>a in tho Godere home at the time and joined enthusiastically In the sewing. It was an exciting task. Their lingers trembled while they worked, and the threat, heavily coated with beeswax, squeaked as they drew it through the cloth. “We shall not be in time," said Madame Godere; *T know we shall not. Everything hinders me. My thread breaks or gets tangled and my needle’s so rusty I can hardy stick It through the cloth. O dear!” Alice encouraged her with both words and work, and they almost finished when Rene came with a staff which he had brought from the for^gh "l\>. lieu, but wo have had a greaMj ctlngf’ he cried. He was

DOINGS OP THE DUFFS—

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walki.ig; leaning on the staff he mopped hi.i face with a blue handkerchief. “We heard much shouting and noise,” said Madame Godere. ”M. Roussillon's voice rose loud above the rest. Ho roare-i nice a lion.” “Ah, he was speaking to us; he was very eloquent,” Rene replied. “But now they are waiting at the fort for the new flag. I have come for it." T> t. rfta&y ** said Mailama Godfire.

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

OUT OUR WAY —By WILLIAMS

THE OLD HOME TOWN—By STANLEY

With flying fingere Alice sewed It to tne staff. “Voicl!’’ she cried, “vlve la republlque Americalne!” She lifted the staff and let the flag drop over her from head to foot. “Give it to me,” ald Rene, holding forth a hand for It, “and I’ll run to Ihe fort with it.” “No,” said- Alice, her face suddenly fighting up with resolve. "No, I am gnlrur tn taka It * and without

a moment's delay off she went. Rene was so caught by surprise that ho stood gazing after her until she passed behind a house, where the way turned, the shining flag rippling around her, and her moccasins twinkling as she ran. At the blockhouse, awaiting the moment when the symbol of freedom should rise like a a tax over old Vincennes, tiie crowd had picturesquely broken into scattered group*. Aiioa

Her Main Thought

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Vanquish This On Your Violoncello

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entered through a rent In the rtock ade. us that happened to be a shorter route than through the gate, and ap peared suddenly almost in their midst. It was a happy surprise, a pretty and catching spectacular apparition of a sort to be thoroughly appreciated by the lively French fancy of the audience. The men caught the girl s spirit, or It. caught them, and they made haste to be noisy.

FRECKLES AND HIS FRIENDS—By BLOSSER

OUR BOARDING HOUSE—By AHERN

bannlare de Zhorzh Vasinton! (Look, look, little Alice and George Washington's flag)” shouted Oncle Jazon. Hi put hls wiry little legs through a sort of pas de zephyr and winked at himself with concentrated approval. All the men danced around and yelled till they were hoarse. By this time Rene had reached Alice's side; but she did not see him: *he ran Into the blockhouse climbed UP ft rude Hfider-wayi then

SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 1923

—By ALLMAN

—By AL POSEN

she appeared on the roof, still accompanied by Rene* and planted the staff In a crack of*the slabs, where It stood bravely up, the colors floating free. (To Be Continued.) The world’s population at the begin ning of the nineteenth oentury was esitmated at 700 millions. Now It is put at approximately 1,660 millions, having more than doubled in I*o years.