Indianapolis Times, Volume 35, Number 267, Indianapolis, Marion County, 19 March 1923 — Page 8

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Alice of Old Vincennes By Maurice Thompson COPIRIGHT, 19 08. BY ALICE LEE THOMPSON

BEGIN HEKE ALICE, whom GASPARD ROUSSILLON had taken from the Indians when she was a child, did not remember how they came in possession of her. A locket 6he had always worn bore a family crest and the name TARLETON. LIEUT. FITZHUGH BEVERLEY, an officer of the American Army duriu? the Revolutionary War. who loved Alice, recognized the name as that of an old Virginian family and hoped some time to locate her people. Because of lack of garrison, the rebel. CAPTAIN HELM was forced to surrender Vincennes to the English, but when HAMILTON, their General, demanded the flag Alice had taken down it could not be found, and he threatened to have Alice's foster father shot at sunrise unless she delivered the American flag to them at once Accompanied by CAPTAIN FARNSWORTH as guard, she went to FATHER EERET'S house, where the flag had been hidden under a board in the floor, but it was gone and Father Beret was away on a mission. FVRNS WORTH hoard her utter a low cry of surprise of dismay. and was on the point of going In when Father Beget. coming around the corner of the cabin, confronted him. The meeting was so sudden and unexpected that both men recoiled slightly, and then, with a mutual stare, saluted. “I came with a young lady to get the flag.” said Farnsworth. ‘‘She is *nside. I hope there is no serious intrusion. She says the flag is hidden under your floor.” Father Beret said nothing, but frowning as if much annoyed, stepped through the doorway to Alice’s side, and stooping where she knelt, laid a hand on her shoulder as she glanced up and recognized him. ‘‘What are you doing, my child?” ‘‘Oh, Father, where is the flap!”* It was all that she could say. "Where is the flag?” “Why.* isn’t it there?” "No. you see It isn’t there! Where Is It?" The priest stood as If dumfounded. gazing into the vacant space uncovered by the puncheon. “Is it gone?* Has someone taken it away?” They turned up all the floor to no avail. La banniere d’Allce Roussillon had disappeared, and Captain Farnsworth went forthwith to report the fact to his commander. When he reached the shed at the angle of the fort he found Governor Hamilton sitting stupid and dazed on the ground. One Jaw was Inflamed and swollen and an eye was half closed and bloodshot. He turned his head with a painful, irregular motion and his chin sagged. Farnsworth sprang to him and lifted him to his feet: but he could scarcely stand. He licked his Ups clumsily. “What is the matter? What hurt you?” The Governor rubbed his forehead trying to recollect. ‘‘He struck me.” he presently said with difficulty. “He hit me with his fist. Where—where is he?” "Who?” ‘‘That big French idiot—that Rousilion—go after him, take him, shoot him—quick! I have been stunned: 1 don’t know how long he’s been gone. Give the alarm—do something!” Hamilton, as he gathered his wits together, began to foam with rage, and his passion gave his bruised and swollen face a terrible look. The story was short and may be quickly told M. Roussillon ha 1 taken advantage of the first moment when he and Hamilton were left alone. One herculean buffet, a swinging smash of hi 9 enormous flst on the point of the Governor's Jaw. and then he walked out of the fort unchallenged, doubtless on account of his lordly and masterful air. ‘‘Ziff!" he exclaimed, shaking h'--i self and lifting his shoulders, when he had passed beyond hearing of the sentinel at the gate, ‘‘ziff! I can punch a good stiff stroke yet. Monsieur le Gouvemeur, Ah ziff!" and he blew like a porpoise. Every' effort was promptly made to recapture M. Roussillon; but his disappearance was absolute: even the reward offered for his scalp by Hamilton only gave the Indians great trouble —they could not find the man. Such a beginning of hi3 administration of affairs at Vincennes did not

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put Hamilton into a good humor. He was overbearing and irascible at best, and under the irritation of small but exceedingly unpleasant experiences he made life well-nigh unendurable to those upon whom ills dislike chanced to fall. Beverley quickly felt that it was going to be very difficult for him and Hamilton to get along agreeably. With Helm it was quite different: smoking, drinking, playing cards, telling good stories —in a word, lude and not unfrequentlyl boisterous conviviality’ drew him and the cammandant together. Under Captain Farnsworth’s immediate supervision the fort was soon in excellent repair and a large blockhouse and comfortable quarters for the men were built. Every day added to the strength of the works and to the importance of the post as a strategic position for the advance guard of the British army; Hamilton was ambitious to prove himself conspicuously valuable to his country'- He was dreaming vast dreams and laying large plans. The Indians were soon anxious to gain his favor; and to find them securely to him he offered liberal pay in rum and firearms, blankets, trinkets and ammunition for the scalps of rebels. He kept this as secret as possible from his prisoners: but Beverly soon suspected that a “traffic In hair,” as the terrible business bad been named, was going on. Savages came In from far away with scalps yet scarcely dry dangling at their belts. It made the young Virginian’s blood chill In hl3 heart, and he regretted that he bad given Hamilton Ills parole of honor not to attempt to escape. Among the Indians occasionally reporting to Hamilton with their ghastly but valuable trophies was Long-Hair, who slipped into the fort and out again rather warily, not having much confidence in those Frenchmen who had once upon a time given him a memorable run for his life. Winter shut down, not cold, but damp, changeable, raw. The work on the fort was nearly completed, and Rene de Renville would have soon been relieved of his se: vile and exasperating employment under the Irish Corporal: but just at the point of time when only a few days’ work remained for him, he became furious, on account of an insulting remark, and struck the Corporal over the head with a handspike. This happened m a wood some miles from town, where he was loading logs upon a sled. There chanced to be no third person present when the deed was done, and some hours passed before they found the officer quite cold and stiff beside the sled. His head was crushed to a pulp. Hamilton, now thoroughly exasperated. began to look upon the French inhabitants of Vincennes as all like M. Roussillon and Rene, but waiting for j an opportunity to strike him un- j awares. He increased his military vigilance, ordered the town patrolled day and night, and forbade public gatherings of the citizens, while at the same time he forced them to furnish him a large amount of provisions. When little Adrienne Bourcler heard of Rene’s terrible act, followed by his successful escape to the woods, and of the tempting reward offered by Hamilton for his scalp, she ran to Roussillon place well-nigh crazed with excitement. She had always depended upon Alice for advice, encouragement and comfort In her troubles: but In the present case there was not much that her friend could do to cheer her. With M. Roussillon and Rene both fugitives, tracked by wily savages, a price on their heads, while every day added new dangers to the French inhabitants of Vincennes, no rosy view could possibly lie taken of the situation. Alice did her best, however, to strenghen her little friend's faith In a happy outcome. She quoted what she considered unimpeachable authority to support her optimistic argument. "Lieutenant Beverly says that the Americans will be sure to drive Hamilton out of Vincennes, or cap lure him. Probably they are not so very far away now, and Rene may join them and come back to help punish these brutal Englishmen. Don’t you wish he would, Adrienne? Wouldn’t It be romantic?” “He’s armed. I know that.” said Adrienne, brightening a little, "and he's brave, Alice, brave as can be. He came right back into town the other night and got his gun and pistols. He was at our house, too and. oh !•—” She burst out crying again. “O Alice! It breaks my heart to think that the Indians will kill him. Do you think they will kill him, Alice?” ’’He'll come nearer killing them,” eaid Alice confidently, with her strong warm arms around the tiny lass: “he’s a good woodsman, a fine shot —he’s not, so easy to kill, my dear. If he and Papa Roussillon should get together by chance they would be a match for all the Indians in the country. Anyway, I feel that it’s much better for them to take their chances in the woods than to be in the hands of Governor Hamilton. If I were a man I’d do just as Papa Roussillon and Rene did; I’d break the bigoted head of every Englishman that mistreated me. I’ll do it, girl as I am, if they annoy me, see if I don't!” She was thinking of Captain Farnsworth. who had been from the first untiring in his efforts to gain something more than a passing acquaintance. As yet he had not made himself unbearable; but Alice’s fine intuition led her to the conclusion that she must guard against him from the outset. Adrienne’s simple heart could not grasp the romantic criterion with which Alice was wont to measure ac tion. Her mind was single, impulsive, narrow and direct in all its movements. She loved, hated, desired, ca-n-ssed repulsed, not for any assignable reason more solid or more luminous than "because.” She adored Rene and wanted him near her. lie was a hero in her imagination, no matter what he did. Little difference was it to her whether he hauled logs for the Eng'lsh or smoked his pipe in idleness by the winter fire^—what could it matte- which flag he nerved under, so that h was true to her? Or whom he served if she could always have him comnig to see her and calling her his little pet? He might crush an Irish corporal’s head every day, if he would but stroke her hair and say: "My s\jeet little one." 7‘Why be quiet and do

DOINGS OF THE DUFFS—

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TJLLuAI is gone fokkyer—

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os youi man, Lieutenant Beverly, did?” she cried in a sudden cnange of mood, the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Lieutenant Beverly surrendered and took the consequences. He didn’t kill somebody and run off to be hunted like a bear. No wonder you're happy, Alice; I’d be happy, too, if Kene were here and came to spend half of every day with me. "Why, what a silly girl you are!”

OUT OUR WAY—By WILLIAMS

THE OLD HOME TOWN—By STANLEY

Alice exclaimed, her face reddening prettily. “How foolish you prattle! I’m sure I don’t trouble myself about Lieutenant Beverly—what put such absurd nonsense into your head, Adrienne?” “Because, that’s what, and you know it’s so, too. You love his just as much as I love Reno, and that’s just all the love in the world, and you needn’t deny it, Alice Roussillon!” Alice laughed and hugged the wee,

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

Wilbur’s Heart Was Right, Anyway

brown-faced mite of a girl until she almost smothered her. It was growing dusk when Adrienne left Roussillon place to go home. The wind cut icily across the commons and moaned as it whirled around the cabins and cattle-sheds. She ran briskly, muffled in a wrap, partly through fear and partly to keep warm, and had gone two-thirds of her way when she was brought to an abrupt stop by the arms of a man. She

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screamed sharply, and Father Beret, who was coming out of a cabin not far away, heard and knew the voice. ”Ho-ho, my little lady!” cried Adrienne’s captor in a bx-eezy, jocund tone, "you wouldn’t run over a fellow, would you?” The words were French, but the voice w r as that of Captain Farnsworth, who laughed while he spoke. “You jump like a rabbit, my* darling! Why, what a lively little chick of a girl it is!”

FRECKLES AND HIS FRIENDS—By BLOSSER

OUR BOARDING HOUSE—By AHERN

Adrienne screamed and struggled recklessly. “Now don’t rouse up the town,” coaxed the captain, lie was just drunk enough to be quite a fool, yet sufficiently sober to Imagine himself the most proper person in the world. “I don’t mean you any harm, moiselle; I’ll just see you safe It I(< v you know; ’scort you to your B dence; come on, now—that’s a g lrL” (To lie Continued.)

MONDAY, MARCH 19,1923

—By ALLMAN

—By AL POSEN

Children Are Wanted I-iONDON, March 19.—Only families with children will be acepted as tenants in houses to be built on the Duke of Westminster's estate. Motor traffic is so heavy in London that roadways are now built up on '.concrete foundations 12 inches thick, (instead of six inches, as a few years