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Show I ' ' tkTiXt'JJLf 'JUL? UJJJ IV Ull tillUAUJAll ' ' UHfl ALICE of OLD VINCENNES By MAURICE THOMPSON : Copjrhfhl. 1300. bjr Ih. UOWENMERRIU. COHPANr IE ! CHAl'TKU XII. A It.UMI II T1IIUST. BEVEUI.EY'.S absence was not noticed by Hamilton until late on the followUiK day. and oven then he scouted Helm's suggestion sug-gestion that the young man was possibly possi-bly carrying out his threat to disregard disre-gard his parole. "He would be quite- Justified In doing do-ing It. You know that very well." said Hulin, with a laugh. "And lie's just the man to undertake what Is Impossible. Of course he'll get scalped for his trouble, and that will cost you some, thing, I'm happy to Bay." "It Is a matter of small Importance." Hamilton replied, "but I'll wager yon the next toddy that he's not at th-present th-present moment a half mile from this ppot. He may bo u fool I readily grant that be Is but even a fool Is not going to set out alone In this kind of weather lo go to whero your rebel friends are probably (ousting their shins by the lire of green logs and half starving over yonder on the Mississippi." Missis-sippi." "Joking nslrle, you are doubtless right. Heverley Is hot headed, and If ho could he'il get even with you quick enough, but ho hasn't left Vlncennes, I think. Miss Koiisslllnti would keep him here If tho place wens on fire." Hamilton laughed dryly. He had thought Just what Helm was saying. Heverley's nttentlon to Alice had not escaped his notice. "Speaking of that girl," bo remarked nfter a moment's silence, "what am I to do with her? There's no place to keep her, and Fnnisworth Insists thnt she wasn't to bliimc." He chuckled again nnd added: "It's true as gospel. He's in love with her too. Seems to bo glad she shot him. Says he's nshnmed of himself him-self for ever suspecting lier of anything any-thing but being a genuine angel. Why, he's got as flabby as a rabbit and mumbles mum-bles like a fool." "Sumo as you or 1 at his age," said Helm, taking a chew of tobacco. "She Is a pretty thing. Heverley doesn't know his foot from his shoulder blade when she's anywhere near him. Hoys are boys. I'm a sort of boy myself." "If she'd give up that Hug I'd let her go," said Hamilton. "I hate to confine her. It looks brutal and makes nie feel like a tyrant." "Have you ever happened to notice tho obvious fact, Coventor Hamilton, that Alice Itoiisslllou and Father Uerct are not all the French In VlncvnnesV" "Whnt do you meanV" "I mean that 1 don't for n moment believe that either the girl or the priest knows n thing about where that Hag K They are both as truthful anil honorable honor-able as people ever get to be. I know them. Somebody else got that Hug from under the priest's floor. You may depend upon that. If Miss HouskIIIoii knew where it is she'd say so and then dare you to make her tell where It's hidden." "Oh, the whole town Is rotten with treason! That's very clear. There's not a loyal soul In It outside of my forces." "Thank you for not Including mo among the loyalists." "Humph! I spoke of thvse French people. They pretend to be true, but I believe they are all traitors." "You can manage them if you try. A llttlo Jolly kindness goes a long way with 'em. I had no trouble while I held the town." Hamilton bit ills lip and was silent. Helm was exasperatingly good tempered, tem-pered, and his Jocularity was irresistible. irresist-ible. While ho was yet speaking a guard came up, followed by Jean, the hunchback, and, saluting, said to Hamilton: Ham-ilton: "The lad wants to see the young lady, sir." Hamilton ga7.ed quizzically at Jean, who planted himself In his hnbltual nttltudo before him nnd Btared up Into his face witli tho grotosquo expression which seems to be characteristic of hunchbacks and unfledged blrds-the look of an embodied and hideous Joke. "Well, sir, what will you have?" tho governor demanded. "I want to see Alice, if you please." "What for?" "I want to glvo her a book to read." "Ah, Indeed. Where Is It? Let mo see It." Jean took from the breast of his looso Jerkin a small volume, dog eared and mildewed, and handed It to Hamilton. Meantime he stood ilrst on ono foot, then on tho other, gnawing his thumb nail and blinking rapidly. "Well, Helm, Just look hero!" "What?" "Haven't you ever read It?" "Head what?" This novel." "Nover read a novel In my life; never expect to." Hamilton laughed freely at Ilelm'B expense, then turned to Jean and gave him back tho book. It would have been qulto military had ho taken the precaution to oxamlno between the pKen for something hid-dot' hid-dot' there, but ho did not. "do glvo it to her," ho said, "and tell lior I send by compliments, with great admiration of her toBto In literature.',' He motioned tho soldier to show Jean to Alice. "U'h n French story," ho added, mid paging. Holm, "ejioUBh. (q hi iiiiiTiiTTn-i-r'i"i"H":'j'r'rl-l"f:' make a pirate blush. That's the sort of girl Mile. Itousslllim Is!" "I don't care what kind of a book she reads." blurted Helm. "She's u fine, pure, good girl. Everybody likes her. She's the good angel of this miserable mis-erable frog bole of a town. You'd like her yourself If you'd, straighten up and quit burning tow In your brain all the time. You're always so furious about something that you never havo a chance to bo Just to yourself or pleasant to anybody else." "IT I bud got furious at you every time there was overwhelming provocation provoca-tion for It," Hamilton said, "you'd havo been long since bunged or shot. I fancy that I have shown angelic forbearance. for-bearance. I've given you somewhat more than a prisoner's freedom." "So you have, so you have," assented Helm. "I've often been surprised at your generous partiality in my easo. Let's have some hot water with something some-thing else In It. What do you say? I won't give you any more advice for live minutes by your watch." "Hut I want some advice nt once." "What about?" "That girl." "Turn her looso. That's easy nnd reputable." "I'll have fo, I presume, but sho ought to bo punished." "If you'll think less about punishment, punish-ment, revenge nnd getting even with everybody and everything you'll soon begin to prosper." Hamilton winced, but smiled ns ono quite sure of himself. .lean followed the soldier to a rickety log pen on the further side of tho stockade, whero ho found the prisoner restlessly moving about like a bird In a rustle cage. It had no comforts, that gloomy llttlo room. There was no fireplace, fire-place, the roof leaked, and the only furniture consisted of a bench to sit on and a pile of skins for a bed. Alice looked charmingly forlorn peeping out Of the wraps in which sho was bundled against the cold, her hair Huffed and rlmpled In shining disorder around her' face. The gunrd let Jean In nnd closed tho door, himself stnylng putslde. Alice was as glad to see the poor Ind as If they bad been parted for a year. She bugged him nnd kissed bis drawn little face. "You dear, good Jean!" she murmured. mur-mured. "You did not forget me." "I brought you something," he whispered, whis-pered, producing the book. Alice snntched it, looked at It and then at Jean. "Why, what did you bring this for, rou silly Jean? I didn't want this. I don't like this book at all. It's hateful. I despise it. Take It buck." "There's something In it for you, a paper with writing on It. Lieutenant Heverley wrote It on there. It's shut up between tho leaves about the middle." mid-dle." "Sh-s-shl Not bo loud. The guard Ml boar you," Alice breathlessly whispered, her whole manner changing Inntiintly. Sho was trembling, and the color had been whisked from her face as tho flame from n candle In a sudden draft. She found thu note and read it a dozen times without a pause, her eyes leaping along the lines back and forth with pathetic eagerness and concentration. concentra-tion. Presently sho sat down on tho bench and covered her face with her hnnds. A tremor first, then a convulsive convul-sive sobbing shook her collapsed form. Jean regarded her with a drolly sympathetic sym-pathetic grimace, elevating his Ion,; chin and letting his head settle back between his shoulders. "Oh, Jean, Jean!" Bins cried nt last, looking up and reaching out her arms. "Oh, Jean, he Is gone, gone, gone!" Jean stepped closer to her while she sobbed again like a little child. Sho pulled him to her mid held him tightly against her breast while, she onco moro read the note through blinding blind-ing tears. Tho words were few, but to her they lmro tho messago of desolation desola-tion and despair. A great haunting, hollow voice In her heart repeated them until they echoed from vngue distance dis-tance to distance. It was written with a bit of lead on tho half of a mildewed fly leaf torn from the book: Dear Alice I nm KOlng away. When you rend this think of me ns hurrying through the wIlderncBH to reach our army and bring It hero. Bo brave, us you always al-ways havo bean; be good, as you cannot help being; wult and watch for me; love me, an I love you. I will como, Do not doubt It. I will come, and I will crush Hamilton nnd hla command. Courage, Alice dear; courage and wait for me. Faithfully ever, HEVERLEY. Sho kissed tho paper with passlonato fervor, pouring her tears upon It In April showers between which the light af her eyes played almost fiercely, so poignant wns her sense of a despair which bordered upon desperation. "Gone, gone! It was nil sho could think or say. "Gone, gono!" Jenu took the offending novel back homo with him, hidden under his Jerkin, Jer-kin, but Heverley's note lay upon Alice's heart, a sweet comfort and u crushing weight, when nn hour later Hiuiillton vnt for her nnd Blio was taken before him. Her face was stained with tears and sho looked pitifully distressed dis-tressed and disheveled, yet despite all this her beauty asserted Itself with tubtle force. Hamiltoa felt ashamed, looking, jit her, but put on sternness and" spoke without apparent sympathy: "Miss Itoiisslllou. you came near committing com-mitting a great crime. As it Is, you have done badly enough, but I wish not to be uiireusonnbly severe. I hope you are sorry for your act and feel like doing belter hereafter." She was trembling, but her eyes looked steadily straight Into his. They were eyes of baby Innocence, yet they Irradiated a strong woiminly spirit Just touched with the old perverse, nils EflfH "HWI ll LheN She found tltc note tintl mul It tlozcn times. chlevoiH light Which she could neither banish nor control. When she did not make reply Hamilton continued: "You may go home now, ami I shall expect to have no more trouble on your account." He made a gesture Indicative Indica-tive of dismissal; then, as she turned from him, he added, somewhat raising his voire: "And, further, Miss ltousslllon, that flag you took from here must positively bo returned. See that It Is done." She lifted her head high and walked away, not deigning to give htm u word. "Humph! What do you think now of your Hue young liuly?" he demanded, turning to Helm with a sneering curl of his mouth. "She gives thanks copiously co-piously for a kindness, don't you think V" "Poor girl! She wns scared nearly out of her life," said Helm. "She got away from you like a wounded bird from a snarv. I never saw a face more pitiful than hers." "Much pity she needs, and greatly like a wounded bird she nets, I must Fay, but good riddance If she'll keep her place hereafter. I despise myself when I have lo be hard with a woman, especially a pretty one. That girl's a saucy nnd fascinating minx and ns dangerous ns twenty men. I'll keep a watch on her movement from this on, nd If she gets Into mischief again I'll transport her to Detroit or give her away to the Indians. Sho must stop her high handed foolishness." Helm saw that Hamilton was talking mere wind, vox et pnrtorea nihil, and he furthermore felt that his babbling signified no hnrm to Alice, but Hamilton Hamil-ton surprised him presently by saying: "I have just learned (hat Lieutenant Heverley Is actually gono. Did you know of his departure?" "What are you saying, sir?" Helm jumped to his feet, not nngry, but excited. "Keep cool. You need not answer If you prefer silence or evasion. You may want to go yourself soon." Helm burst out laughing, but quickly quick-ly crowing serious snld: "Has Hoverley been such a driveling fool ns that? Are you in earnest?" "He killed two of my scouts, wgjind-ed wgjind-ed another and crossed the Wabash In their eniHMi He Is going straight toward Kuskuskla." "The Idiot! Hurrah for him! If you catch your hanTyoii may roast him. but catch him first, governor!" "You'll Joke out of the other corner of your mouth, Captain Helm, If I find out that you gave htm aid or countenance counte-nance lu breaking ids parole." "Aid or countenance! I never saw him after ho walked out of this room. You gave him a mighty sight more aid nnd countenance thnn I did. Whnt are you talking about! Hroko his parole! pa-role! Hu did no such thing. He returned re-turned It to you fairly, us you well know. He' told you he wnH going." "Well, I've sent twenty of my swiftest swift-est Indians after him to bring htm bnck. I'll lot you see him shot. That ought to please you." "They'll never get him, governor. I'll bet high on him against your twenty scalp lifters any day. l'ltzbugh Hover-ley Hover-ley Is the best Indian fighter, Daniel Hoono nud Simon Kenton excepted. In the American colonies." On her way homo Allco met Father Herot, who turned and walked beside her, lie wns so overjoyed at her release re-lease that ho could scarcely speak, but held her hand and stroked It gently while sho told him her story. It was beginning to rain, a steady, cold shower, show-er, when they reached the house, and for many days and nights thereafter the downfall continued almost incessantly. inces-santly. "Dear child," said Father Horot, stopping at the gate and looking beseechingly be-seechingly Into Alice's face, "you must stay at home now stay lu tho house. It will bo horribly dangerous for you to pass about in tho village after your-aftor your-aftor whnt has happenod." "Do not fear, father; I will be careful. Aren't you coming In? I'll find you a cako and a glass of wine." "No, child - not now." "Then goodby, goodby," she said, turning from him to run Into tho house. "Come soon I shall bo so loncsomo." On tho vernndu Bho suddenly stopped, running her fingers about her neck and Into her bosom. "Oil, futher Father Hcret, I'vo lost my lockol!" sho cried, "Seo If I dropped It thoro." . Continued on 0thpage Alice of Old Vincennes. She went buck to Hie Rate, BcareliUiB I the ground with her eyes. Of course slie did not find her locket. It was ' miles nml iiiIIom nwny, close to tlio heart of Iht lover. If slie could but Imvc known HiIh it would Imve eonifortcil ' her. Ituverley lind Itttcmleil to leave II ' with Joiin, but In Ills haste and excite- I nietit ho forKot. WrlthiK Hit" note ills- trncted Ills- iittentloii, mid no he bore Allee'H plettue on his breast mill In his lienrt while ptirstiini; Ills ltiiu; nud perilous Journey. Four of Iliimlllon's scouts cnnie up on Ilnverley twenty miles south of Vincennes, Vin-cennes, but liuvhiK the iidviiiitiit,'o of thorn lie killed two almost limueillntely and, lifter a rumiliiK lllit , tlio other two iillcinpteil oseape hi n canoo on Hie WiibiiHli. Heiv, HrhiK from a lilulT, ho wotuidoil it third. Kotli thou plmiKod heiultoreuioMl into tlio water, mid by koophiK below tlio Kiufitco not nway. Tlio iiilvonturo kiio Hoverloy new spirit and soil' rolliiiioo. Ho felt that ho could itci'oinplMi iiiiytlihiK lures Bury to his iiiiilorlnUliiK. In the enp-tured enp-tured ilroKtio ho crossed tlio river, nml, to uinko his t lull haul to lind, sent the little eruft adrift down the current. Then ulouc, hi the dead of winter, ho took his bomliiKS ii ml struck iiiTots the dreary, houseless plain toward Ht I.Ollll. As soon ns Hamilton's iliscoinlltcil scouts reported to him hi1 sent Look Hair, with twenty picked huvukcs iirmed iind supplied for continuous and rapid ninreliliiK. In pursuit of Hoverloy. There wns n lnrii; rewurd for britiKlm; him In iilhe, n smaller one for his scalp When Allu heard of all this her buoyant mid happy nature wooined entirely en-tirely to desert her for a time. Khe was proud to Unit out that Hoverloy lind shown himself brave and capable It touched her love of hotolsiu- but she knew too much about Indian warfare to hope Hint ho could hold Ills own iicahist Lout; I lit lr, the wiliest anil boldest of Ncnlp hunters, ami twenty of tlio most experienced braves In Hamilton's forces, lie would almost certainly ho killed ami scalped or captured cap-tured hihI brought back to bo shot or hauled In Vhicomtes. The thought ihllled anil curdled her blood. Holh Helm and l'ntlier Ilerot tried to eneoiiriitfo Mn,i comfort her hy ropre-seuthii; ropre-seuthii; the probabilities In tho fairest llulit "It's like hunting for a needle in u haystack, coiiiK out to lltul a man In Hint xvllileriioss," wild Helm, with optimistic opti-mistic cheerfulness, "mid, besides, Hov erloy Is no easy dose for twenty red nlKKors to take. I've seen him tried nt woro odds than that, and he got out with a whole skin too Don't you fret about him. Miss HoiishIIIou." I.Ittlo help en mo to her from attempts of this sott. She inlKht IniKlitcn up for nxvhllo, hut the dark dread and the terrible KtiawhiK at her heart, the slnk-Im: slnk-Im: anil despairing hi her soul, could not ho cured. What ndded lmuioasmvahly to her distress wns the attention of Fnrns-worth. Fnrns-worth. whose wound troubled him but a short time. He seemed to have had n revolution and a cliatik'e of spirit sltico the unfortunate rencounter and the Hithsoipiont nursing at Alice's hands. Ho was ijnivo, earnest, kindly, evidently striving to play a sentle nud honorable part. She could feel that ho carried a load of rcwot, that lie wanted to pay a full price In itood for the evil that he had done. His xtiirily KiikIIsIi lumrt was liKhtlUK Itself nobly, yet she but half understood him until his notions no-tions mid words bopm to betray Ills love, and then she hnted him uuroiiMiu-ably. uuroiiMiu-ably. ItcallzliiK this, I'arnswon'h horu himself mote like a faithful doK t tin ti In the maun!' Itltlierto habitual to him. He simply shadowed Alice nud would not he rotiuffed. Noxor xvns a Kood soldier sol-dier for ho was that from head to foot more lovelorn and love doolie. Tho yinldou lind completely subdued the iiinti. About this time, deep In u rainy and pitch black tilKht, Cuspard ltousalllon came home, lie tapiH'd on the door iikuIu and iikhIu. Alice hoard, hut she hesltnted to speak or move. Was sho growim; cowardly? Her lienrt bout like a drum. There was hut one per son In all tlio world that she could think of; It xvns not M Itousslllou Ah, no; sho lind well iiIkIi foruotten her Rhmntlc foster fnther "It Is I, ma clierle; It Is (iaspard, my love. Open the door," emne In n boom Iiir luilf whisper from without "Alice Joan. It Is .xotir Pupa Itousslllou, my donrs. Lot mo In " , Alloc wns nt the door In n minute, unhariiui; It M. Itousslllou entered, nrmed to tho teeth, the water drlbhlhiK from his buckskin clothes. "Pouf!" he exclaimed. "My throat Is like dust." Ills thoughts xvere dlxlm; Into tho stores under the tloor "I am famished. Dear children, dear little ones! They nre Klad to see papa! Where Is your mamma?" He had Alice In his nrms and Joan cltlliK to his Ick's. Mine. Itousslllou, to bo sure of no mistake, lighted n lamp with n brand that smoldered on tho henrth nud held It up; then, sntlslled ns to her husband's Identity, set It on a shelf und Uuuk herself Into the affectionate affec-tionate group with clumsy abandon, making n great noise. "Oh, my dear (iaspard!" sho cried ns she lunged forxvard. "(Iaspard, (Ins-pard!" (Ins-pard!" Her voice fairly lifted tho roof, her grent weight, hurled with such force, overturned everybody, nud nil of them tumbled In a heap, the rotund and solid dnmo sitting on top. "Oufl Not so Impetuous, my dour," puffed M. Itousslllou, freeing himself from her unpleasant pressure nml scrambling to his feet, "ltenlly you must have fared well In my nbsonee, madamo; you nro much heavier." Ho laughed and lifted her up as If sho had bern n chllil, kissing her resonantly. His gun lind fallen with n great clnt-tcr. clnt-tcr. Ho took It from tho tloor nml ex-nmlned ex-nmlned it to seo If It had been Injured, then set ltj" a corner "I nm nfrnld xvo hnvo been mnk'ng too much noise," snld Alice, speaking very low. "There Is a patrol gunrd ev ery night now. If they should hear you" "Sh!" whispered M. Itouslon "We will ho very' still. Alice, is there something some-thing to eat and n drop of wine hiindy? I have come many miles. I nm tired, hungry, thirsty zlff!" Alice brought some cold roast venison, veni-son, a loaf and n bottle of claret These she sol before him on a little table. "Ah, this Is comfort," ho snld after he had gulped a full cup. "Have you nil been xvell?" Then ho began to tell where ho had been, xvhut ho had seen and the many things he had done. A Frenchman must babble while he eats nud drinks. A little lit-tle wine makes him eloquent. He talks with his hands, shoulders, eyes .Mine, ltojjsslllou, Alice and Jean, wrapped in furs, huddled around him to hear. Ho was very entertaining, and they forgot the patrol until a noise startled tli'mi. It xvas the low of a eoxv. They laughed and the master of the house softened his voice. M. Itousslllou had boon tho guest of a great Indian chieftain who xvns called the Gale of the Wabash because ho controlled the liver. The chief was an old ncipiaintance and treated him well. "Hut I xvanted to see you all," (iaspard (ias-pard said. "I was afraid something might have happened to you, so I came hack Just to peep In. 1 can't stay, of course. Hamilton would kill mo as If I xvere a xvolf. I can remain hut an hour nud then slip out of town again before daylight comes. The rain nud darkness nre my friends." He had seen Simon Kenton, xvlio said he lind 1hoii In the neighborhood of Vincennes acting as a scout and spy for Chirk. Presently and quite casually casual-ly he added: "And I saw Lieutenant Reveiiey too. 1 suppose you know that he has escaped es-caped from Hamilton, and" Hero a big mouthful of venison Interfered. Alice leaned toward him xxiilte nud breathless, her lienrt standing still. Then the door, which had Ihvii left unbarred, was Hung open, and along with a grent rush of wind nml rain the patrol guard, live In number, sprang In. M. Itousslllou reached his gun with one hand, xvlth the other sxvung a tremendous tre-mendous blow us ho leaped against the Intruders. .Mine. Itousslllou blow out tho light. No cave In the depth of eurth was ever darker than that worn. The patrolmen could not see one another an-other or knoxv xvhat to do, but M. Itousslllou Itous-slllou laid about him xvlth the strength of a giant. His blows sounded as If they smashed hones. Men fell heavily thumping on the tloor where lie rushed along. Some ouo II red a pistol, and hy Its Mash they all saw him, hut Instantlj j the darkness closed again, nud before they could get their hearings he xvas out and gone, his grout hulking form making Its xvay easily over familiar ground where Ids would he captors could have proceeded but slowly even xvlth a light to guide them. There xvas furious cursing among the patrolmen as they tumbled about In the room, the unhurt ones trampling their prostrate companions and striking strik-ing wildly at each other In their blindness blind-ness und confusion. At lust one of them bethought him to open a dark lantern with which the night guards xvere furnished. fur-nished. Its llame xvns Muttering nml gave forth u pale nsl light that danced weirdly on the Moors and walls. Alice lind snatched down one of her ropier when the guards llrst entered. They now saxv her fining them xxilh I her slender blade leveled, her back to the xx'nll, her eyes shining d igvrotisly limp, Itousslllou hud llcil V the ml Joining room Joan hud also ill sap peared The oHIcer, a subaltern In charge of the guard, seeing Alice and not quickly able to make out that It xx'as n woman thus defying him, crossed cross-ed swords xvlth her. There xvas small spnee for action. Moreover, tho otllccr, being not In the least a swordsman, played axvkxvardly, and quick as a flush his point xvas doxvn. The rnpler entertsl Just beloxv his throat with a dull, chucking stub. He leaped hack - -t'tBBBI A jwfr ot arms clocjiul his leys. , xvtird, feeling ut tho same time n pair of nrms clasp his legs, It xvas Jean, and tho lloutenant, thus unexpectedly tangled, fell to the tloor, breaking, but not extinguishing, the gunrd'H Inntcrn as he xvent doxvn. The Uttlo rcmnlnlng oil spread nud llnmed up brilliantly, ns If engor for contlagrntlon, sputtering along tho uneven boards. "Kill that impl" cried the lieutenant In a strangling x'olco while trying to regain re-gain his feet. "Shoot! Ilnyonetl" In his pnln, rngo nnd hnsto ho inadvertently inad-vertently set his hand In tho midst of tho blazing oil, which clung to tho Mesh with a seething grip. "Thunder!" ho screamed. 'Tirol Fire!" Txvo or threo bayonets were leveled ujvon Alice. Some one kicked Jean . ' r clean ncross tho room, nnd ho lay there, curled up In his hairy night xvrap, looking look-ing like an enormous porcupine. At this point n new performer como upon the stage, n dark robed thing so active that Its outlines changed elu stvcly, giving It no recognlznble features. fea-tures. It might have been Satan himself or some terrible unknown wild nnhnal clad somewhat to resemble a man, so far as the startled guards could mnko out. It clawed right nnd left, hurled one of them ngaltist tlio wall, dnshed another through the door Into Mine, ltousslllon's room, xvhere the good xvomnii was xvalllng nt the top of her voice, nnd felled a third xvlth a stroke like that of a bear's paxv. Consternation xvns nt high tide xvhen Farnsxx'orth. xvho nlxvays slept with an ear open, reached Itousslllou place and quickly quieted things. He xvns troubled trou-bled beyond expression xvhen he found out the Into state of the affair, for there was nothing that he could do but arrest Alice and take her to Hamilton. It mnde his lienrt sink. He xvotild have thought little of ordering a tlio of sol dlers to shoot it mnn under the samo conditions, but to subject her again to tho gox-ernor's stern cruelty- hoxv could ho do It? This time there xx-ould be no hope for her. Alice stood before him Mushed, disheveled, di-sheveled, delimit, sxvord In hand, beau-' Hful nnd terrible as an angel. The black llgtue. man or devil, hud disappeared disap-peared as strangely us It had come. The sublieutenant xvas having his slight xvoiind bandaged. Men xx'ero rug-lug rug-lug und cursing under their breath, rubbing their bruised heads and limbs. "Alice Mile. Itousslllou, I nm so sorry sor-ry for this," snld Captain Fnrnsworth. "It Is painful, terrible" IIo could not go on, hut stood before her unmiinned. In the feehlo light his fnce wns xvnn, nnd Ids hurt shoulder, still In bandages, drooped perceptibly. "I surrender to you," she presently snld In French, extending the hilt of her ropier to 1dm. "1 hud to defend myself xvhen nttneked by your lleuten-nut lleuten-nut then1. If nn olllcer finds It necessary neces-sary to set upon n girl xvlth his sxx'ord, mny not the girl guurd her llfo if she can?" She xvas short of breath, so thut her X'olce pulpltnted xvlth n touching plan-geney plan-geney that shook the man's heart. Fnrnsworth accepted the sxvord. He could do nothing less. Ills duty admitted admit-ted of no doubtful consideration, yet ho hesitated, feeling nround In his mind for u phrase xvlth which to evade tho inevitable. "It will bo snfer for you nt the fort, lnndomolselle. Let me tnko you there." Continued Next Issue. |