Indianapolis Times, Volume 35, Number 265, Indianapolis, Marion County, 16 March 1923 — Page 8

Alice of Old Vincennes By Maurice Thompson COPYRIGHT, 190& BY ALICE LEE THOMPSON

BEGIN HERE ALICE, whom GASPARD ROUSSILLON of Vincennes hart taken from the Indiana when a child, did not remember how they came In possession of her. A locket she had always worn bore a family crest and the name TARLETON. LIEUT. FITZHUGH BEVERLEY, an officer of the American Army during the Revolutionary War, who loved Alice, recognized the name as that of an old Virginian family. Before. CAPTAIN HELM’S reluctant surrender of Vinoennrs to the English because of lack of garrison. Roussillon, unbeknown to Captain Helm, had stolen to the camps of of the English to rCr GENERAL HAMILTON command of the town and had been taken captive because Hamilton knew Roussillon had willingly consented to rebel dominion a short time before. AS Hamilton spoke he very naturally glanced up to where la banniere d'Alice Roussillon -waved briliantly. Someone stood beside It on the dilapidated roof of the old blockhouse, and was already taking it from its place. His aid. Captain Farnsworth, saw this, and the vision made his heart draw in a strong, hot flood. It was a girl In short skirts and moccasins, with a fur hood on her head, her face thrillingly beautiful, set around with fluffs of wind-blown brown-gold hair. Farnsworth was too young to be critical and too old to let his eyes deceive him. Every detail of the fine sketch, with its steel-blue background of sky, flashed into his mind, sharpcut as a cameo. Involuntarily he took off his hat. Alice had come in by way of the postern. She mounted to the roof unobserved, and made her way* to the flag, Just at the moment when Helm, glad at heart to accept the easiest way out of a tight place, asked Oncle Jazon to lower It. Beverley was thinking of Alice, and when he looked up he could scarcely realize that he saw her; but the whole situation was plain the instant she snatched the staff from its place; for he, too, recollected what she had said at the river house. The memory and the present scene blended perfectly during the fleeting instant that she was visible. He saw that Alice was smiling somewhat as in her most mischievous moods, and when she jerked the staff from its fastening she lifted it high and waved it once, twice, thrice defiantly toward the British lines, then fled down the ragged roof-slope with it and disappeared. The vision remained in Beverley's eyes forever afterward. The English troops, thinking tnat the flag was taken down in token of surrender, broke into a wild tumult of shouting. Oncle Jazon intuitively understood just what Alice was doing, for he knew her nature and could read her face. His blood effervesced in an Instant.

"Vive Zhorzh Vasinton! Vive la bannlere d’Alice Roussillon!" he screamed, waving his disreputable cap round his scalpless head. "Hurrah for George Washington! Hurrah for Alice Roussillon's flag!” It was all over soon. Helm surrendered himself and Beverley with full honors. As for Oncle Jason, he disappeared at the critical moment. It was not just to his mind to boa prisoner of war, especially under existing conditions: for Hamilton's Indian allies had some old warpath scores to settle with him dating back to the days when he and Simon Kenton were comrades in Kentucky. When Alice snatched the. banner and descended with it to the ground, she ran swiftly out through the postern, as she had once before done, and sped along under cover of the low bluff or swell, which, terrace-like, bounded the flat "bottom” lands southward of the stockade. She kept on until she reached a point opposite Father Beret's hut, to which she then ran, the flag streaming bravely behind her in the wind, her heart beating time to her steps. It was plainly a great surprise to Father Beret, who looked up from his prayer when she rushed in, making a startling clatter, the loose puncheons shaking together under her reckless feet. "Oh, Father, here it is! Hide it, hide it, quick!” She thrust the flag toward him. "They shall not have it! They shall never have it!" He opened wide his shrewd, kindly eyes; but did not fairly comprehend her meaning. She was panting, half laughing, half-crying. Her hair, wildly disheveled. hung in glorious masses over her shoulders. Her face beamed triumphantly. “They are taking the fort.” she breathlessly added, again urging the flag upon him, “they're going in, but I got this and ran away with it. Hide it, Father, hide it, quick, quick, before they come'.” The daring light in her eyes, the witching play of her dimples, the madcap air intensified by her attitude and

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the excitement of the violent exercise Just ended—something compounded of all these and more—affected the good priest strangely. Involuntarily he crossed himself, as if against a dangerous charm. “Mon Dieu, Father Beret," she exclaimed with impatience, “haven’t you a grain of sense left? Take this flag and hide it, I tell you! Don't stay there gazing and blinking. Here, quick! They saw me take it, they may be following me. Hurry, hide it somewhere!” He comprehended now, rising from his knees with a queer smile broadening on his face. She put the banner into his hands and gave him a gentle push. - “Hide it, I tell you, hide it, you dear old goose!” Without speaking, he turned the staff over and over in his hand, until the flag was closely wrapped around it, then stooping he lifted a puncheon and with it covered the gay roll from sight. Alice caught him in her arms and kissed him vigorously on the cheek. Her warm lips made the spot tingle. “Don't you dare to let any person have it! It’s the flag of George Washington.” She gave him a strong squeeze. He pushed her from him with both hands and hastily crossed himself, but his eyes were laughing. “You ought to have seen ine.; I waved the flag at them—at the English—and one young officer took off his hat to me! Oh, Father Beret, it was like what is in a novel. They'll get the fort, but not the banner! Not the banner! I've saved It, I’ve saved It!” Her enthusiasm gave a splendor to her countenalce. heightening its riches of color and somehow adding to its natural girlish expression an audacious sweetness; The triumphant success of her undertaking lent the dignity of conscious power to her look, a dignity which always sit well upon a young and somewhat lmmaturely beautiful face. Father Beret could not resist her fervid eloquence, and he could not run away from her or stop up his ears while she went on. So he had to laugh when she said: “Oh, If you had seen it all you would have enjoyed It. There was Oncle Jazon squatting behind the little swivel, and thero was Captain Helm and Lieutenant Beverley holding their burning sticks over the big cannon ready to shoot —all of them so intent that they didn’t sec me—and yonder came the English officer and his army against the three. When they got close to the gate the officer called out: ‘Surrender!’ and then Cap tain Helm yelled back: ‘Damned If I do! Come another step and I'll blow you all to hell in a second!' I was mightily In hopes that they'd come on; I wanted to see a cannon ball hit that English commander right in the face; he looked so arrogant.” Father Beret shook his head and tried to look disapproving and solemn. Meantime down at the fort Hamit ton was demanding the flag. He had seen Alice take It down, and supposed that it was lowered officially and would be turned over to him. Now he wanted to handle It as the best token of h!s bloodless but important victory. “I didn’t order the flag down until after I had accepted your terms," said Helm, “and when my man started to obey, we saw a young lady snatch it and run away with It." “Who was the girl?” “I do not Inform on women,” said Helm. Hamilton smiled grimly, with a vexed look In his eyes, then turned to Captain Farnsworth and ordered him to bring up M. Roussillon, who, when he appeared, still had his hands tied together. *

"Toll me the name of the young woman who carried away the flag from the fort. You saw her, you know every soul In this town; Who was it, sir?” It was a hard question for M. Roussillon to answer: Although his humiliating captivity had somewhat cowed him, still his love for Alice made it impossible for him to give the information demanded by Hamilton. He choked and stammered, but finally managed to say “I assure you that I don't know— I didn’t look—l didn't see-—lt was too far off for me to see—l was somewhat excited—l—" "Take him away; Keep him securely bound,” said Hamilton. "Confine him. We'll see how long It will take to refresh his mind. We’U puncture the big windbag: While this curt scene Was passing, the flag of Great Britain rose over the fort to the lusty cheering of the victorious soldiers. Hamilton treated Helm and Beverley with extreme courtesy. He was a soldier, gruff. unscrupulous and cruel to a degree; but he could not help admiring the daring behavior of these two officers who had wrung from him the best terms of surrender. He gave them full liberty, on parole of honor not to attempt escape or to aid In any way an enemy against him while they were prisoners. Nor was It long before Helm’s genial and sociable disposition won the Englishman’s respect and confidence to such an extent that the two became almost Inseparable companions, playing cards, brewing toddies. telling stories, and even shooting deer In the woods together, as if they had always been the best of friends. Hamilton did not permit his savage allies to enter the town, and he Immediately required the French Inhabitants to swear allegiance to Great Britain, which they did with apparent heartiness, all save M. Roussillon, who was kept In close confinement and bound like a felon, chafing lugubriously and wearing the air of a martyr. His prison was a little log pen In one corner of the stockade, much open to the weather. Its gaping cracks giving him a dreary view of the frozen landscape through which the Wabash flowed In a broad steel-gray current. Helm, who really liked him, tried in vain to procure his release; but Hamilton was Inexorable on account of what he regarded as duplicity In M. Roussillon’s conduct. “No, I'll let him reflect,” he said; “there’s nothing like a little tyranny to break up a bad case of self-impor-tance. He’ll soon find out that ha has over-rated himself!” A day or two after the arrival of Hamilton the absent garrison of but-

DOINGS OF THE DUFFS—

nIT TO GIVE VOL) \ ( f-J—/' TWO DOZEN EGGS- A "X P| f/" HELLO, TOM DUFF, HOW \ 1 HOW'S BUSINESS? ?DER AND I WISH U"~* ( DOZEN BANANAS, F|VE \ % ARE YOO? HAVEN’T SEEN j ( AR E YOU STRL WORKING^ WOULD DELIVER (ALL RIGHT/} f rnF Wt= AD l -4 YOU IN A LONG TIME - / . FORTHE SAME >DAV - TWO VmR-DDFF- / i- r a j ' JJI HOW’S EVERY JL> V PEOPLE ? yS YES, THE , E t OP - a F do?en A of A. fW amp two) SACK OF FLOOR / K ORANGES AND A FW6 / ® HAVE YOU ! / V K *° S ~ V

TU l \l DAYS IS GONE FOIiEVER

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falo hunters straggled back to Vincennes and were duly sworn to demean themselves as lawful subjects of 'Great Britain. Reno de Ronvlllo was among the first to take the oath, and it promptly followed that Hamilton ordered him pressed into service as a woodlchopper and log-hauler during the erection of anew blockhouse, large barracks and the making of some extensive repairs of the

OUT OUR WAY—By WILLIAMS

THE OLD HOME TOWN—By STANLEY

stockade. Nothing could have been more humiliating to the proud young Frenchman. Every day he had to report bright and early to a burly Irish Corporal and be ordered about, as If he had been a slave, cursed at, threatened and forced to work until his hands were blistered and his muscles sore. The bitterest part of it all was that he had to trudge past both Roussillon place and the Bourcier cabin

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

with the eyes of Alice and Adrienne upon him. Hamilton did not forget M. Roussillon in this connection. The giant orator soon found himself face to face with a greater trial even than Reno’s, lie was calmly told by the English commander that he could choose between death and telling who It was that stole the flag. "11l have you shot, sir, tomorrow

Still Kept Very Busy

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“1 Got Those Installment Blues.”

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morning if you prevaricate about this thing any longer,” said Hamilton, with a right deadly strain in his voice. "You told me that you knew every man, woman and child in Vincennes at sight. I know that you saw that girl take the flag—lying does not servo your •■‘urn. I give you until this evening to tell me who she Is; if you fail, you die at sunrise tomorrow.” In fact, it may be that Hamilton

FRECKLES AND HIS FRIENDS—By BLOSSER

. OCR BOARDING HOUSE—By AHERN

did not really purpose to carry out this blood-thirsty threat; most probably hei relied upon M. Roussillon’s tmagi-ition to torture him successful): ■ but the effect,, as time proved, co’ Jl not be accurately foreseen. * ptain Farnsworth had energy enough for a dozen ordinary men. Before he had been in Vincennes twelve b mrs he had seen every nook and corner of its surface. Nor was his activity due altogether to military ar-

FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 1923

—By ALLMAN!

—By AL POSEN

dor, although he never let pass an oimportunity to serve trie best intaros' s of his commander; all the while his mind was oil the strikingly beautiful girl whose saucy countenance had so dazzled him from the roof-top of the fort, what time she wrenched away the rebel flag. "I’ll find her, high or low,” ha thought, "for I never could fall to recognize that face. She’s a trump.’ (To Be Continued.)