Indianapolis Times, Volume 35, Number 279, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 April 1923 — Page 10

10

Alice of Old Vincennes By Maurice Thompson COPYRIGHT, 1008, BY ALICE LEE THOMPSON

BEGIN HERE ALICE, foster daughter of GASPARP ROUSSILLON, was loved by FITZHUGH BEVERLEY, American Army officer, who with CAPTAIN' HELM, surrendered Vincennes to the English general. GOVERNOR HAMILTON, during the Revolutionary War FATHER BERET and • CAPTAIN FARNSWORTH, an English- ■ man. infatulated with Alice, planning to ft spare her the punishment Hamilton in- ■ tended for her because she assisted RousJ sill on to escape. R Beverley, a fugitive from Vincennes. ■ waa captured by Hamilton'a Indian ■ scouts. During the night their leader. BpNG HAIR, stole Beverley away and ad friendship for his captive. The had in his possession a locket beBntuig to Alice which Beverley wants <1 gUf ONG-HAIR fumbled In his pouch and took out Alice's locket, which he handed to Beverley. ‘"White man love lit Key girl?" he inquired in a tone that Mfirlered upon tenderness, again Heaking in Indian. clutched the disk as soon ■s he saw it gleam in the star-light. f "White man going to have little . girl for his squaw—eh?” “Tes, yes,” cried Beverley without hearing his own voice. He was trying to open the locket, but his hands were numb and trembling. When at last he did open it he could not see the child face within, for now even the starlight was shut off by a scudding black cloud. "Little girl saved Long-Hair's life. Long-Hair save white warrior for little girl.” A dignity which was almost noble accompanied these simple sentences. Long-Hair stood proudly erect, like a colossal dark statue in the dimness. The great truth dawned upon Beverley that here was a characteristic art. He knew that an Indian rarely failed to repay a kindness or an injury, stroke for stroke, when opportunity offered. Long-Hair was a typical Indian. That is to say, a type of Inhumanity raised to the last power; but under his hideous atrocity of nature lay the indestructible sense of gratitude so fixed and jerfect that it did Its work almost automatically. It must be said, and it may or may not be to the white man's shame, that Beverley did not respond with absolute promptness and sincerity to Long-Hair's generosity. He had suffered terribly at the hands of this savage. His arms and legs were raw from the biting of the thongs; his body ached from the effect of blows and kicks laid upon him while bound and helpless. Perhaps he was not a very emotional man. At all events there was, no sudden recognition of the favor he was receiving. And this pleased Long Hair, for the taste" o? the American Indian delights in Immobility of countenance and reserve of feeling under great strain. “Wait here a little while." LongHair presently said, and without lln gering for reply, turned away and disappeared in the wood. Beverley was free to run if he wanted to, and the thought did surge across his mind; but a restraining something, like a ryxnd laid upon him, would not. let his move. Down deep In his heart a calm voice seemed to be repeating herWfc'Utle whjle A few minutes later Long-Hair returned bearing two guns, Beverley’s and his own, the latter, a superb weapon given him by Hamilton. He afterward explained that he had brought these, with their bulletpouches and powder-homs, to a place of concealment near by before he awoke Beverley. This meant that he had swum the cold river three times since nightfall; once over with the guns and accoutrements: once back to camp, then over again with Beverley! All this with a broken arm, and to repay Alice for her kindness to him. Beverley may have been slow, but at last his appreciation was, perhaps, all the more profound. As best he could he expressed it to Long-Hair, who showed no Interest whatever in the statement. Instead of responding in Indian, he said ''damn” without emphasis. It was rather as If he had yawned absently, being bored. Delay could not be thought of. Long-Hair explained briefly that he thought Beverley must go to Kaskas kia. He had come across the stream In the direction of Vincennes in order to set his warriors at fault. The stream must be recrossed, he said, farther down, and he would help Beverley a certain distance on hfs way, then leave him to shift for himself. He had a meager amount of parched corn and buffalo meat in his pouch, which would stay hunger until they could kill some game. Now' they must go. The resilience of a youthful and powerful physique offers many a problem to the biologist. Vital force ■seems to find some mysterious reservoir of nourishment hidden away in the nerve-centers. Beverley set out

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upon that seemingly impossible undertaking with renewed energy. It could not have been the ounce of parched corn and bit of jerked venison from which he drew so much strength; but on the other hand, could it have been the miniature of Alice, which he felt pressing over his heart once more, that afforded a -subtle stimulus to both mind and body? They flung miles behind them before davdawn, Long-Hair leading. Beverley pressing close at his heels. Most of the way led over flat prairies covered with water, and they therefore left no track by which they could be followed. Late in the forenoon Long-Hair killed a deer at the edg? of a wood. Here they made a fire and cooked a supply which would last them for a day or two. and then on they went again. But we cannot follow them step by step. When Long-Hair at last took leave of Beveriy, the occasion had no ceremony. It was an abrupt, unemotional parting. The stalw'art Indian simply said in his cwn dialect, pointing westward: “Go that way two days. You will find your friends.” Then, without another look or word, he turned about and stalked eastward at a marvelously rapid gait. In his mind he had a good tale to tell his warrior companions when he should find them again; how Beverley escaped that night and how he followed him a long, long chase, only to lose him at last under the very guns of the fort at Kaskaskia. But before he reached his band an incident of some Importance changed his story to a considerable degree. It chanced that he came upon Lieutenant Barlow, who, in pursuit of game, had lost his bearings and, far from his companions, was beating around quite bewildered in 'a watery solitude. Long-Hair promptly murdered the poor fellow and scalped him with as little compunction ash would have skinned a rabbit; for he had a ejever scheme In his head, a very audacious and outrageous scheme, by which he purposed to recoup, to some extern, the damages sustained by letting Beverley go. Therefore, W'hen he rejoined his somewhat disheartened and demoralized band he showed them the scalp and gave them nn eloquent account of how ho tore it from Beverley's head after a long chase and a bloody band to hand fight They listened, believed, and were satisfied.

CHAPTER XVI THE ROOM in which Alice was now imprisoned formed part of the upper story of a building erected by Hamilton in one of the foui angles of the stockade. It had no windows and but two oblong port • holes made to accommodate a small swivel, which stood darkly scowling near tne middle of the floor. From one of these apertures Alice could see the straggling roofs and fences of the I dreary little totvn. while from the other a long reach of watery prairie, almost ■ a lake, lay under view with the rolling, muddy Wabash gleaming beyond. ! There seemed to be no activity of gar risen or townspeople. Few sounds broke the silence of which the cheerless prison room seemed to be the cen- | ter. Alice felt all her courage and cheerfulness leaving her. She was alone 'in the midst of enemies. No father or mother, no friend —a young girl at the mercy of soldiers, who could not be i expected to regard her with any sympathy beyond that which Is accom panied with repulsive lers and hints. . Day after day her loneliness and help- | lessness became more agonizing Farnsworth, it Is true, did all he could to relieve the strain of her situation; : but Hamilton had an eye upon what ; passed and soon interfered. He administered a bitter reprimand, under which his subordinate writhed In speechless anger and resentment. “Finally, Captain Farnsworth,” lie said in conclusion, “you will distinctly understand that this girl is my prisoner, net yours; that I, not you, will direct how she is to be hold and treated, and that hereafter I will sufi fer no interference on our part. I j hope you fully understand me. sir, j and will govern yourself accordingly." Smarting, or rather smothering, unI dc-r the outrageous insult of these remarks, Farnsworth at first determined to tiing his resignation at the Governor's feet and then do whatever dea perate thing seemed most to hia mood. But a soldier’s training Is apt to call a halt before the worst befalls in such a case. Moreover, in the present temptation, Farnsworth had a special i check and hindrance. He had had a j conference with Father Beret, in i which the good priest had played the part of wisdom in slippers, and of gentleness more dovelike than the dove’s. Avery subtle impression, illuminated with the "hope that withers hope,” had oome of that interview, and now Farnsworth felt its restraint. He therefore saluted Hamilton formally and walked away. Father Beret’s paternal love for Alice —we cannot characterize it more nicely than to call it paternal—was hfs justification for a certain mild sort of corruption insinuated by him into the heart of Farnsworth. He was a crafty priest, but his craft was always used for a good end. Unquestionably Jesuitic was his mode of circumventing the young man's military scruplea by offering him a puff of fair weather with which to sail toward what appeared to be the short of delight. He saw at a glance that Farnsworth’s love for Alice was a consuming passion in a very ardent yet decidedly weak heart. Here waa the worldly lever with which Father Beret hoped to raze Alice’s prison and free her from the terrible doom with which she was threatened. The first interview was at Father Beret's cabin, to which, as will he remembered, the priest and Farns i worth went after their meeting in the : street. It actually came to nothing, save an indirect understanding but half suggested by Father Beret and j never openly sanctioned by Captain | Farnsworth. The taik was insinuating j on the part of the former, while the j latter slipped evasively from every ! proposition, as if not able to consider it on account of a curious obtuseness i o? perception. Still, when they sep- j arnted they shook hands and ex- j changed a searching look perfectly satisfactory to both. The memory of that interview with the priest was in Farnsworth’s mind when, boiling with rage, he left Hamilton's presence and went forth into! the chill February aid. He

DOINGS OF THE DUFFS—

' TOM, HAVEVOO "Y __ n__ N I HAVE SEVERAL CD'TE'Y f I’LL BET HE CAN’TV/T , 1 "BETTY,* THAT’S JUST] DECIDED ON A NAME ut \ HAKIES IN MIND BUT THINK OF A NAME c,f T up rAKI WHAT IT WILL BE! i-"" N ~' FOR ©UR LITTLE tv ; H TC n M JUST CAN ' T D£C ' DE ZI’LLTELL YOU FOR HIS LITTLE /A L. ' "BETTY DUFF'AND HE/ I KNEW HE DAUGHTER YET?/ VOUWANTIP Y WHICH ONE I LIKE TwHAT WE’LL 00“ , SISTER! TANARUS!/ A. , NAMED HER.- /COULD DO ITTO oELEcr . )'v &£ST- LET DANNV HE NAMED HIS J) KNEW IT y ( AMAM6FOR, ( TELL US WHAT NAME /C^vYYUr, OVHM SISTER! A ALL THE T!M E ! V HER-- / v tHE WOULD LIKE FOR /WHY DON T YOU V . S His SISTER. , NA^E her BETTY J / If \ ,

( best -tastin'p*e l m |j|| gb GKfJ % r \ T l J 1 1 V : 1 > t ) „ few announcement! mM | uJttllr ) [** \ ( J 1 ”" |jpi

TLUiM DAYS IS GOAF FORM’ER—

57 t HATS THAT DAKri t S’POSC 'lOO’v/C GOT TO I -RECOLLECT WHEA) TME&S PATI IS COWTIfSPTtOiO 1 HOW X Hre HA.MD IT TO THESE SCiENTIFIC HATCHIAIS DAS' THE . FQRFVgro ? The THiMs! rnfrf M&o— susiew oe A Hes)! - rwnMin.

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passed out through the postern and along the sodden and queachy edge of the prairie, involuntarily making his way to Father Beret’s cabin. His indignation was so great that ho trembled from head to foot at every step. The door of the place was open and Father Beret was eating a frugal meal of scones and sour wine (of his own make, he said), which he hospitably begged to share with his visitor. A lire smoldered on the hearth, and a flat stone showed, by

OUT OUR WAY—WILLIAMS

TJIE OLD HOME TOWN—By STANLEY

the grease smoking over Its hot surface, where the cakes had been ba.ked. “Come In, my son,” said the priest, “and try the fare of a poor old man. It Is plain, very plain, but He smacked his lips sincerely and fingered another scone. "Take some, lake some.” Farnsworth was not tempted. The acid bouquet of the wine filled the room with a smack of vinegar, and the smoke from rank scorching fat and wheat mAJ did not suggest an

THE INDIA >wVPOLIS TIMES

agreeable feast. "Well, well, If you not hungry, my son, sit. down on the stool there and tell me the news.” Farsnworth took the low seat without a wprd. letting his eyes wander over the walls. Alice's lapier, the mate to that now worn by Hamilton, hung In its curiously engraved scabbard near one corner. The sight of it inflamed Farnsworth. “It’s an, outrage,” he broke forth. "Governor Hamilton sent a man to

Danny Picks Her Name

inscribe Tins On Your Incubator.

Roussillon place with orders to bring him the scabbard of Miss Roussillon's word, and ha now wears the beautiful weapon os if he had come by it honestly. Damn him!" “My dear, dear son, you must not soil your lips with such langague!” Father Beret let fall the half of a well-bitten cake and held up both hands. “I beg our pardon, Father; 1 know I ought to be more careful in your presence; but—but—the beastly, hell-

FRECKLES AND lIIS FRIENDS—By BLOSSER

OUR BOARDING HOUSE—By AHERN

lsh scoundrel ” "Bah! doucement, mon fils, doucement.” The old man shook his head and his finger while speaking. “Easy, my son. easy. You would be a fine target for bullets were your words to reach Hamilton’s ears. You are not permitted to revile your edmmander.” “Yes, I know: but how can a man restrain himself under such abominable conditions?" Father Beret shrewdly guessed tha v Hamilton had been giving the Cap tear

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 1923

—By ALLMAN

—By AL POSEN.

fresh reason for bitter resentmentMoreover, he was sure that the mov-J ing cause had been Aiice. So, in orde*.' to draw out what he wished to he said very gently: "How is the little prisoner getting along?” Farnsworth ground his teeth and swore; but Father Beret appeared not to hear: he bit deep into a soone, took a liberal sip of the muddy red wine and added: (To Be Continued^