Show BY XVI rather Father Berets erets Old Oid Battle The Tho room r om in which breI Alice Allee was now Imprisoned formed part of or the upper story tory of or a building erected by Harsh Hamil Hamilton Harshton ton on In tn one on of or the four lour angles of the stockade It had no windows and but two wo oblong portholes made to accommodate accommodate a small swivel which stood darkly arkly scowling near the middle of or the floor From Front one of ot these apertures Alice could see lee the straggling roofs roots and fences of ot the dreary little town toO while from the other a long Ions reach of oC watery waters wate prairie almost a lake lay Jay Ja under view Jew vIe with the rolling muddy Wabash gleaming beyond There seemed to be beno beno no 10 activity of ot garrison or townspeople Few ew sounds broke the silence ence of ot which the he cheerless prison room seemed to be bebe bethe bethe the be center Alice felt feJt all her courage and cheer cheerfulness ulness leaving her She was alone in Inthe inthe the he midst of enemies No father lather or mother no friend frienda a young girl at the mercy of ot soldiers who could not be expected to regard her with any sym gym sympathy pathy beyond that which Is accompanied with repulsive leers Jeers and hints Day after ater day her loneliness and help became more agonizing Farnsworth it is true tru did all he could to o relieve the strain of ot her situation but ut Hamilton had an eye ee upon what passed and soon Interfered He ad administered administered administered ministered a hitter bitter reprimand under which his big subordinate writhed In speechless anger and resentment Finally Fin all Captain Farnsworth he said In conclusion you will distinctly understand that t this girl is my ny prison prisoner er not yours that I not you 3 ou will di direct direct direct how she is ha to be held and treated and that hereafter I will suffer no interference on oil your part I hope you fully tUlly understand me sir and will gov govern ern eln em yourself accordingly or rather smothering un under under der tier the outrageous Insult of oC these re remarks remarks remarks marks Farnsworth at first deter determined determined mined to fling his resignation at the governors feet and then do whatever desperate thing seemed most to his mood But a soldiers training Is 15 apt to 0 call can a halt haJt before the th worst befalls In n such a case Moreover In the pres present present ent eat temptation Farnsworth had a special specIal special cial check and hindrance He had bad had bad hada bada a conference with Father Beret In which the good priest had played the part of at wisdom In slippers and of oC gen gentleness I leness more than the doves A very ery subtle impression Illuminated with the hope that withers hope had come of ot that interview and now Farnsworth felt its restraint He therefore saluted Hamilton formally and walked away awa Father Berets paternal love for Alice lice we e cannot characterize it more nicely than to call it paternal was his jus justification justification justification for a certain mild mUd sort of cor corruption corruption corruption insinuated by him Into the heart of ot He was a crafty t priest but his craft was always used for tor a good end Unquestionably Jes was his mode of or circumventing the young mans military scruples by offering him hims a puff putt of or fair weather with which to sail toward what ap appeared appeared appeared to be the shore of ot delight He saw at a glance that love loe for tor Alice was a consuming passion in ina ina a 0 very ery ardent yet et decidedly weak heart icart Here was Vas the worldly lever with which Father Fath r Beret hoped to raze Alices AUces prison and free her h r from the terrible doom with which she was threatened The first Interview w Was was vas at Father Berets cabin to which as s will be re remembered re no remembered the priest and Farnsworth went alter after their meeting in the street It tt actually came to nothing save an Indirect understanding but half sug suggested glutted by Father Beret and never openly sanctioned by Captain Farns Farnsworth Farnsworth worth The talk was insinuating on the part of the former while the latter slipped sUpped evasively from every proposition proposition tion thin as if it not able to consider it on account of a curious obtuseness of perception Still when they separated they shook hands and exchanged a searching look perfectly satisfactory to both The he memory of that Interview with the priest was in mind when boiling bolling with rage he left Jert Ham Hamiltons HamIltons presence and aPA went forth into the chill chilI February air He passed out through the postern pastern and along the sudden and edge of the prairie involuntarily making his way to Fa Pa Father ther Berets cabin His indignation was so great that he trembled from head to foot at every step The door of the tile place was wag open and Father Beret Was eating a frugal meal of ot scones and sour wine of ot his own make he said which he h hospitably begged to share with his visitor A fire on the hearth and a flat fiat stone showed by the grease smoking over Its hot surface where the cakes had been baked Come in my son said MId the priest and try the fare arC of oC a poor old man manIt manIt manIt It Is 18 plain very plain but good He smacked his lips Ups sincerely and fingered another scone Take some take some Farnsworth was aas not tempted The acid bouquet of the wine filled the room with a smack of vinegar r and the smoke from rank scorching fat and wheat meal me l did not suggest an agree agreeable agreeable agreeable able feast Well WeH well if it you are not hungry my m son sit down on n the stool there and tell teU me the news Farnsworth Farnsw th took the low lo seat with without without without out a word letting his eyes es wander over the walls Alices AUces rapier th mate to that now worn by Hamilton hung in its curiously engraved scab scabbard scabbard scabbard bard near one corner The sight of it inflamed Farnsworth Its an outrage be he broke forth Governor Goern r Hamilton sent a man to Roussillon place with orders to bring him the scabbard of or Miss sword and be ice now wears the beautiful weapon as If he had come pome me by It hon honestly estly estl Damn Banns him My dear dear son uon 1 you must not soil your lips Ups with such language Father Beret let fall the half of oC a awell awell well bitten cake and held up both hands I 1 beg be your pardon father I know I 1 ought to tp be he more careful c reful In your presence but but the beastly hell hellish hellIsh ish lab scoundrel Bah Bahl mon fils Ills douce ment The old man shook his head bead and his finger while speaking Easy my son easy you Tou would be a fine for bullets were your words to reach Hamiltons ears You are not permitted to revile your our commander Yes I know but how can a man man alan restrain himself under such abominable abominable ble conditions Father Beret shrewdly guessed d that Hamilton had been giving the captain fresh reason for bitter resentment Moreover he was sure that the moving cause had bad been Alice So in order to draw out what he hA h wished to 10 hear he be said very ry gently How is the little prisoner getting along Farnsworth ground his and swore sore but Father Fath r Beret appeared not notto notto notto to hear he be bit deep into a scone took tooka a 0 liberal sip of o the muddy red wine and added Has she a comfortable place 2 Do o you think Governor Hamilton would let me visit her herIt herIt herIt It is horrible Farnsworth blurted penned up as If I I she were a dangerous beast the poor girL girt And that damned scoundrel Son son jOn sonOh Oh its no use uge to try I cant Kelp it father The Ti Th whelp We can c n converge con more safely and If we avoid profanity and undue emotion my m son Ion Now ow if it you ou will quit swearing I will and und if it you ou will wUl be calm so ISO will I Farnsworth felt the sly sl irony of ot this absurdly vicarious proposition Father Beret smiled with a kindly twinkle In his eyes e es Well if It you dont use profane language father ather theres no ito telling bow boa bo much you OU think in expletives What is Js your opinion of a man who tumbles a poor defenseless girl sirl Into prison and then refuses to let her be decently cared for tor How do you ex cx express press yourself about him My Jy son n men often olten do things ot of I which they the ought to be ashamed ahamed a I heard of or a young oun once nce who mat mal maltreated S treated a 0 little girl that he net met at night In the street What hat evil eU he would have ha malI e edone done had bad not a passing using p kindhearted man reminded him of ot his honor by a friendly punch in the ribs rib I 1 dare not surmise True end nd your sarcasm goes home borne as bard hard as your list fist did father ather I know knO that Ive been a sad dog all my life Ufe Miss Roussillon saved you by shooting me mc and I love Jove her for tor it Lay on father I deserve more than you ou can give Surely you do my son surely you do but my love for you will not let me inc give you ou pain Ah An b we w priests have to carry arry all mens loads Our backs are broad however very ery broad my m son And your fists devilish heavy father devilish heavy hea The gentle smile again flickered Icke d over oer the priests priest face tace as he glanced sidewise at Farnsworth and said Sometimes sometimes my son a carnal weapon must break the way for fora a spiritual one But we priests rarely have hae much physical strength our de Ac dependence dependence is upon To be sure sate certainly certain Farnsworth interrupted rubbing his side your de dependence depend pend is upon the first thing that of ot offers offers fers Ive had many a blow but yours was the th that eyer jarred lamed my m mortal frame Father Beret The twain began bean to laugh There Is nothing like a reminiscence to stir up fresh mutual sympathy If J your were somewhat sore for a time on account of oC a con contact contact contact tact with priestly knuckles nuckles doubtless there soon set in a corresponding un uneasiness uneasiness uneasiness easiness In the region of your 3 our con eon conscience conscience science Such shocks are often vigor vigorously alterative and tonic eh my myson m myson son S You jolted me sober father and then I was as ashamed of myself But where does all aU your tremendous strength lie You dont look took strong While speaking Farnsworth leaned near Father Beret and grasped his arm The young man started for hit fingers instead of closing around a flabby shrunken old mans limb spread them themselves themselves selves upon a huge knotted mass of iron muscles With a quick movement Father Beret shook off hand band and said saidI I am no Samson my son Non Xon sum qualis cram eram Then as if dismissing a alight alight light subject for a graver one he sighed and added I suppose there is nothing that can be done for little Alice He called the tall strong girl little Alice and so she seemed to him He could not without direct effort think of her as a magnificently maturing woman She had always been his spoiled pet child perversely set against the holy church but dear to him nev nevertheless nevertheless I came to ask you that very ques question question tion father said Farnsworth And what do I know Surely my myson myson son you see how utterly helpless an anold anold old priest is lit against all you British And besides Father Beret Farnsworth huskily Interrupted is there a place that you pou know of anywhere In which Miss Rous Roussillon sillon could be hidden if it My dear son But father I mean it Mean ilean what Pardon Paeden an old mav ni slow understanding What ar are talking about my nty soar Father Beret glanced furtively ahU then quickly th the I way walked entirely around the tho h and came In again before could respond Once niece more seat his stool he add added a Did you think you beard hea moving outsider No You were saying something hf went out Pardon my l terr r Farnsworth gave the priest a s r H lag Ing and not wholly confiding IOK ls You did not mf me F th Beret 1 I was not speaking Sr you so watchful Are you jou r d iia eavesdroppers or o You were speaking u v y words were irene incendiary verb My son sea you were suggesting a thing Your life s ar satisfy the law Jaw were you lS vf insinuating s seek ch tream What Wh if it n Of your our prowling guards had you Your neck and mine n might ight f j i the halter Quod domi He crossed himself and in a t soi voice added in English May the Lord Ah my SOB we priests protect th those ee we l And I who am not nt fit to t ti priests shoe de do likewise Father a r love Alice Roussillon Love is a holy thing my s son n Anure est et Father Beret can you help heli n Spiritually speaking my I mean can you yos hW hide Mad in some safe place pla e if i take j her out of the prison yonder That 53 a just what I wean mean Can you i n Your question fe Is a remarkable jn ne Have you thought upon pen it from all al directions my son Think of or yo p c your duty as an A shrewd polemical beamed from Father Berets rye eYes ani a very expert might ha suspected duplicity frees certain lines about the old mans mouth I simply know that I cannot SLant suni by and see Alice Mademoiselle forced too suffer treatment t x beastly for an Indian chief the th only direction there is for me to look at it from and you can understand icy ay feelings If you will you know that very ery well Father Beret When a wan man loves a girl he loves her the whole thing The quiet inscrutable half flickered once more on Father Berets Beret 3 face but he sat silent some time with witha a sinewy forefinger lying alongside h nose When at last he spoke it was m ma i ia a tone of voice indicative of small amail in interest interest terest in what he was saying HH jj words rambled to their goal with the th effect of happy accident There are places in this neighbor neighborhood hood in which a human being would b bas be beas as hard to find as the nag flag that yiu u and Governor Hamilton have so dili diligently gently and unsuccessfully been In quest of for or the past month or two my son this Is a mysterious little town eyes widened sad and a flush rose in his swarthy cheeks Damn the flag he exclaimed Let it lie hidden forever what do I carp care carpI I tell you Father Beret that Alice Roussillon Is in extreme danger G r remor emor Hamilton means to put some terrible punishment on her He has hasa a devils vindictiveness He Be showed it to me rue clearly awhile ago You showed something of the same sort to me once upon a time my son Yes I did Father Beret and I s t ta ta a load of slugs in my shoulder for or it from that brave girls pistol Sh She saved your life Now I ask you yon to help ale save hers or if not her Hf life what Is Infinitely more her honor Her honor cried Father Beret leaping to his feet so suddenly and ani with such energy that the cabin shook from base to roof What do you say Captain Farnsworth What do you jou mean meant To be Continued Tomorrow |