Indianapolis Times, Volume 35, Number 293, Indianapolis, Marion County, 18 April 1923 — Page 8

Alice of Old Vincennes

By Maurice Thompson

GASPA-RD ROUSSILLON, immediately after Clark’s victory, thought he saw a good opening favorable to festivity at the river house, for which he soon began to make some of his most ostentatious preparations. Fate, however, as usual In this ease. interfered. Fate seemed to like pulling the big Frenchman’s ear now and again, as if to remind him of the fact—which he was apt to forget—that he lacked somewhat of omnipotence. “Ziff! Je vais donner un banquet a tout le monde, moil” he cried, hustling and bustling hither and thither. A scout from up the river announced the approach of Phillip Dejean with his flotilla richly laden. ai\d what little interest may have been gathering in the direction of M. Roussillon’s festal proposition vanished like the flamo of a lamp in a puff of wind when this news reached Colonel Clark and became known in the town. Beverley and Alice sat together in the main room of the Roussillon cabin —you could scarcely find them separated during those happy days—and Alice was singing to the soft tinkle of a guitar, a creole ditty with a merry smack in its scarcely intelligible nonsense. She knew nothing about music beyond what M. Roussillon, a Jack of ail trades, had been able to teach her —a few simple chords to accompany her songs, picked up at hap-hazzard. But her voice, like her face and form, irradiated witchery. It was sweet, firm, deep, with something haunting in it —the tone of a hermit thrush, marvelously pure and clear, carried through a gay strain like the mocking bird's. Os course. Beverley thought it divine; and when a message came from Colonel Clark bidding him report for duty at once, he felt an Impulse toward mutiny of the rankest sort. He did not dream that a military expedition could be on hand; but upon reaching headquarters, the first tiling he heard was; “Report to Captain Helm. You are to go with him up the river and intercept a British force. Move lively. Helm Is waiting for you. probably." There was no time for explanations. Evidently Clark expected neither questions nor delay. Beverley’s love of adventure and his patriotic desire to serve his country came to his aid vigorously enough: still, with Alice's love-song ringing in his heart, there was a cord pulling him back from duty to the sweetest of all life's Joys. Helm was already at the landing, where a little fleet of boats was being prepared. A thousand things had to be done in short order. All hands were stimulated to highest exertion with the thought of another right. Swivels were mounted in boats, ammunition and provisions stored abundantly, flags hoisted and oars dipped. Never was an expedition of so great importance more swiftly organized and set in motion, nor did one ever have a more prosperous voyage or completer triumph. Philip Dejean, justice of Detroit, with hir. men, boats and rich cargo, was captured easily, with not a shot fired, nor a drop of blood spilled in doing It. If Alice could have known all this before it happened, she would probably have saved herself from the mortification of a rebuke administered very kindly, but not the less thoroughly. by Colonel Clark. The rumor came to her —a brilliant creole rumor, duly inflated —-that an overwhelming British force was descending the river, and that Beverley with a few men, not sufficient to base the expedition on a respectable forlorn hope, would be sent to meet them. Her nature, as was its wont, flared into high indignation. 'What right had Colonel Clark to send her. lover away to be killed just at the •time when he was all the whole world to her? Nothing could be more outrageous. She would not suffer it to be done; not she! Colonel Clark greeted her pleasantly, when she came somewhat abruptly to him. where he was directing a squad of men at work making some repairs in the picketing of the fort. He did not observe her excitement until she began to speak, and then It was noticeable only, and' not very strongly, In her tone. She forgot to speak English, and her French was Greek to him. "I am glad to see you. Mademoiselle," he said, rather inconsequently, lifting his hat and bowing with rough grace, while he extended his right hand cordially. “You have something to 'say to me? Come with me to my office.” She barely touched his flngeca "Yes. I have something to say to you. I can tell It here,” she speaking English now with softest creole accent. "I wanted —I carne to—” It was not so easy as she had imagined it would be to utter % what she had in mind Clark’s steadfast. Inscrutable eyes, kindly yet not altogether sympathetic, met her own and beat them down. Her voice failed.

ASPIRIN Say “Bayer” and Insist! Unless yes see rhe "Ba.ver Cross” on pi.ckag© or on tablets you are not getting the genuine Bayer product prescribed by physicians over twentythree years and proved safe by millions for Colds Headache Toothache Lunu>ago Earache Rheumatism Neuralgia Pain, Pain Accept "Bayer Tablets of Aspirin" only. Each unbroken package contains proper directions. Handy boxes of twelve tablets cost few rents. Druggists also sell bottles of 24 and 100. Aspirin Is the trade mark of Bayer Manufacture of Monoaceticacid eater of EaJicylicacid,—Advertisement.

He offered her his arm and gravely said: “We will go to my office. I see that you have some important communnicatlon to make. There are too many ears here.” Os a sudden she felt like running home. Somehow the situation brokb upon her with a most embarrassing effect. She did not take Clark’s arm, and she began to tremble. He appeared unconscious of this, and probably was, for his mind had a fine tangle of great schemes in it just then: but he turned toward his office, and bidding her follow him, walked away in that direction. She was helpless. Not the slightest trace of her usual brilliant self-asser-tion was at her command. Saving the squad of men sawing and hacking, digging and hammering, the fort appeared as deserted as her mind. She stood gazing after Clark. He did not look back, but strode right on. If site would speak with him, she must follow. It was a surprise to her, for heretofore she had always had her own way, even if she found it necessary to use force. And where was Beverley? Where was the garrison? Colonel Clark did not seem to be at all concerned about the approach of the British —and yet .those repairs—perhaps he was making ready for a desperate resistance! She did not move until he reached the door of his office where he stopped and stepped aside, as if to let her p iss in first: he even lifted his hat. then looked a trifle surprised when he saw that she was not near him. frowned slightly, changed the frown to a smile and said, lifting his voice so that she felt a certain Imperative meaning in it: “Did I walk too fast for you? I beg your pardon. Mademoiselle.” He stood waiting for her, as a father waits for a lagging, wilful child. “Come, please.” he added, “if you have something to say to me; my time Just now is precious—I have a great deal to do.” fihe was not of a nature to retreat I under fire, and yet the panic in her breast came very near mastering her will. Clark saw a look in her face which made him speak again: “I assure you. Mademoiselle, that you need not feel embarrassed. You can rely upon ine to ” a gesture that interrupted him: at the same time she almost ran toward him. gathering in breath, as one does who is about to force out a desperately resisting and riotous thought. The strong, grave man looked at her with a full sense of her fas cination, and at the same time he felt a vague wish to get away from her, as if she were about to cast, unwelcome responsibility upon him. “Where Is Lieutenant Beverly’.’" She demanded, now close to Clark, facto face, and gazing straight Into his eyes. “I want to see him.” Her ton® suggested intense excitement. She was trembling visibly. Clark's face changed its expression. He suddenly recalled to mind Alice's rapturous public greeting of Beverly on the day of the surrender. He was a cavalier, and it did not agree with his sense of high propriety for girls to kiss their lovers out in the open air before a gazing army. True enough, he himself had been hoodwinked by Alice’s beauty and boldness In the matter of Long-Hair. He confessed this to himself mentally, which may have strengthed his present disap proval of her personal inquiry about Beverly. At all events he thought she ought not to be coming into the stockade on such an errand. “Lieutenant Beverley is absent acting under rr.y orders,” he said, with perfect respectfulness, yet In a tone suggesting military finality. He meant to set an indefinite yet effective rebuke in his words. “Absent?” she echoed. "Gone? You sent him away to be killed. You had no right—you—” “Miss Roussillon,’' said Clark, becoming almost stem, “you had better go home and stay there; young girls oughtn’t to run around hurting men in places like this." His blunt severity of speech was accompanied by a slight frown and a gesture of Impatience. Alice’s face blazed red to the roots of her sunny hair: the color ebbed, giving place to a pallor like death. She began to tremble, and her lips quivered pitifully, but she braced herself and tried to force back the choking sensation In her throat. “You must not misconstrue my words,” Clark quickly added; "I simply mean that men will not rightly understand you. They will form impressions very harmful to you. Even Lieutenant Beverley might not see you in the right light." “What—what do you mean?” she 1 gasped, shrinking from him, a burning spot reappearing under the dimpled skin of each cheek. "Pray. Miss, dq not get excited. There is nothing to make you cry.” He saw teak? shining in her eyes. “Beverley is not in the slightest danger. All will be well, and he’ll come back in a few days. The expedition will be but a pleasure trip. Now you go home. Lieutenant Beverley ia | amply able to take care of himself. And let me tell you, if you expect a good man to have great confidence in you, stay home and let him hunt you up Instead of you hunting him. A man likes that better.” It would be impossible to describe Alice's feelings, as they just then rose like a whirling storm in her heart. She was humiliated, she was Indignant. she was abashed; she wanted to break forth with a te.npest of denial, self-vindication, resentment; she wanted to cry with her face hidden in her hands. What she did was to stand helplessly gazing at Clark, with two or three bright tears on either cheek, her hands clenched, her eyes flashing. She was going to say some wild thing; but she did not: her voice lodged fast in her throat. She moved her lips, unable to mak*- a sound. Two of Clark's officers relieved the situation by coming up to get orders about some matter of town government, and Alice scarcely knew how she made her way home. Every vein in her body was humming like a bee when she entered the house and flung herself into a chair. She heard Madanap Roussillon and Father Beret chatting in the kitchen, whence came a fragrance of broiling buffalo steak besprinkled with garlic. It was Father Beret’s favorite dish, wherefore his tongue ran freely—almost as freely as that of his hostess, and when he heard Alice come in, he vailed g&yly to her through the kitchen door:

DOINGS OF THE DUFFS—

DADDY THE LADY THAT\ OH, SHE ASKED ALL N C? W ' ' ~~ T X / L , VE s IN THE eiG \ ABOUT MV LITTLE SISTER-V \r —/ VAS - I THANKED \ WELL. I THANKED HER. \ / YELLOW HOUSE ACROSS? BETTY AND HOW MOTHER/ DID YOU HER- BUT I THINK V THE BUNK p y WHEN SHE GAVE ME THE / ' THE STREET CALLED WAS AND SHE GAVE ME YOUR GOOD THIS HAVING GOOD j WHY DO YOU ’ COOKIE. BUT IT DIDN'T ) [ _ -roDAV- w A COOKIE J MANNERS AND MANNERS IS THE f SAY ITS THE J DO ANY GOOD - SHE J ’* ' AAAWW-What DIO phA =! , l Buwcl, Bw*K? Z didn’t offer me / ' f V XT-.6 ' . l,l£

OUT OUR WAY—By WILLIAMS

THEM DAYS IS GONE FOREVER—

i"' J) "| ?' J J J "J, | r ' "~~| J. j/i! - !* _ .*" I TKG STOCK FATHCfc I DROFPFD FOC2TV PowOTS- OUT SAYOU LOUF "1 THEM 9AYI If BOUGHT LOST VBOR. De’RE RUIfJeD, t Feo.fi HeRfHWL DCWS - 60 NE FOREVER !

S’ rg [ HOLD E.R. NEWT ) W [SHBS Ef&sfilWßa " IP H fe? -—"i 8_ m „ /Tpicked that) I IT I (COPY PAPER our (<£> I I 111 ' \ 5 \o\ YOU HAD Um LAST FAU - Isl 1 ■ \ HAD AN AFiGOMEMT THIS AFTEIRAIOON IcOWCBRNWO A MISTAKE THE PAPER HANftER- MADE X- I-- -

"Come here, la fille, and lend us old folks j'our appetite: nous avons urie tranche ala Bordelais©!” "I am not hungry," she managed to say. “you can eat it without me.” The old man’s quick ears caught the quaver of trouble in her voice, much as she tried to hide it. A moment later he was standing beside her with his hand on her head. “What is the matter now, little one?” he tenderly demanded. “Tell your old Father.”

THE OLD HOME TOWN—By STANLEY

She began to cry, laying her face in her crossed arms, the tears gushing, her whole frame aqulver, and heaving great sobs. She seemed to shrink like a trodden fiowet? It touched Father Beret deeply. He suspected that Beverley's departure might be the cause of her trouble; but when presently she told him what had taken place in the fort, he shook his head gravely and • owned. ’

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

"Colonel Clark was right, my daughter," he said after a short silence,’ and it is time for you to ponder well upon the significance of his words. You can’t always be a wilful, headstrong little girl, running everywhere and doing just as you please. You have grown to be a woman in stature —you must be one in fact. You know I told you at first to be careful how you acted with—” "Father, dear old. Father!” she cried,

It Doesn’t Get You Anything

It YAtfALONj j ATOM \ DOoP 'MJAT | L p HJIL-T i BSJEBYOO'DE J J—-W 7 UAVJE VO) S H WUAOJA { ] DOIN6 AND ( I’TfT'fl ( sbackjus! wir J "'l ■ Z ” Yi 1 ii ] 'aastut v |i i r 7Wr^ r \ ! >. Jl I ! j WSU Boviu noo { I j

Greet Tins On Your Guitar

VoO LOOK 50 *** VEM* LAPtES 'f PoßYkArr7- A | ° * . VfM , \ > ROMAkIYIC \KJ I VOUR FUTfTtTRV POE<3 hlor K) VJHVYttAY VJYP ? TvJat" ETODIO p EMBARRASS ME. I ViAVE ? MILL COOLD^T 2 S SiCtl ’ ©ASB. Micro* * • RECiEV/BP PRAISE FROM : A CAVJ OF ■ - veil make me -rue most bvacY.ug art c/T'AiJ'D BACK IWlkiK SO MUCV* CR'T'CS OF EUROPE* iRtS g U Y UE -DO^EU'Y Mere miss ' ofyue tolls' j cauvas \5 BUT" a "daub to 1 waeU to Ixo brusmes. uvis H ' • I SOMETIME WMEkJt HAVE \ ujrTU-fIUT _ | 't>UE SPELL I \aJILL SYIiFF ' j PAIMY A PoUBLE PDRTRAtY pY— K 1 OFVoU = -YME ducvaessof 1 | vsa searjct IM Aki 9ARL.V 9YA(3S

springing from her seat and throwing her arms around his neck. "Have I appeared forward and unwomanly? Tell me, Father, tell me! I did not mean to do anything—" "Quietly, my child, don’t, give way to excitement.” He gently put her from him and crossed himself—a habit of his when suddenly perplexed—then added: “You have done bo evil; but tnere are proprieties which a young woman

FRECKLES AND lIIS FRIENDS—By BLOSSER

OUR BOARDING HOUSE—By AHERN

must not overstep. You are impulsive, too impulsive; and it will not do to let a young man see that you —that you—” "Father, I understand,” she interrupted, and her face grew very pale. Madame Roussillon came to the door, flushed with stooping over the fire, and announced that the steak was ready. “Bring the wine, Alioa,” she added, "a bottle of Bordeaux.”

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 1923

—By AL POSEN

Bhe stood for a breath or two. her red hands on her hips, looking Hjyt at Father Beret, then at Alice. "Quarreling again about the romances?” she inquired. "She’s been at it again?-—she’s found 'cm again?” "Yes,” said Father Beret, with a queer, dry smile, "more romance. Yes, she’s been at It again! No*. 5 ; fetch the Bordeaux, little one." 0 (To Be Continued.!

—By ALLMAN