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THE SUNDAY CALL. ehe enswered, unconsciously, *1 involuntarily, and almost I have to take it n’t,” he quavered, the veranda as she quick- rly spun him along. t let "em have at al m was working with light- n took strong riefly and e ptain Farn: 1 formed it I am go f quickl g to the na Roussillon a thing. gone before Jean could sa She meant to face Hamilton be & 4. what nger menaced fia if b too great he ran directly teo the stockade gate and breathlessly inform s st see ( into w resence i, Cap- t arnswortt her but a minute or two &r ent when entered the miserable d ToOm ere the commander was having an- The meeting was Rou u which wou'd r the pressure =, Hamilten. stern wning updh M. he gro his »und, a colossal Roussi thetic dear- rd him with reach around e did her best she chir- that she show- en face. regarded the ised inter- an_ &F <nchman, his toBgu He could ehr im so 12 petite s deep bass voic sunrise to-morrow " he pa- a fiend ard brute illon!” eve yom are the young ady th Hamilton remarked, sm a swift fi hese Wor( ould not ped to after You sh of steal make me. I under- your father's n. h a pathetically d he, w € eff ke a fine gesture, “don’t éo Ia brave enough die. You would not have me act the coward. No onlooker would have even remotely suspected the fact t sillon bad chanced to overhea rsation be- tween Hamilton -a in which Ham v did not intend t urt M. Roussillon in any event: he vy purposed to humiliate the “big w 2" “Ab t me die bravely i for honor’s n dishonor! le one, but spirit.”” He ot _me. my 1 reak my proud his breast over heart. d be just as well to said Hamilton gruffiy jifference. “I don’t fanc ue to the commu- make a good target d we need an example.” it ugly English him?” ~ she murder get that flag between now Otherwise I shall certain- m shot. It is all in your hands, can me where the » smiled again with ex- stood by gazing upon Alice on. ' Her presence had which he was very sus- low, dishonorable, said to Hamilton, f flag, how shall I know that you will keep your promise and let Papa Roussillon go free?” “] am sorry to say that you will have to trust me, unless youw'll take Captain Farnsworth for sec The capt. a gentleman, 1 ou. Will stand g0od for my Captain Farpsworth The ¥ Alice the irony frank nature ferred to than distrust the sincerity of others. Jooked at Farnsworth, who smiled aging!ly “The flag is under Father Beret’s floor,” and sincerity, g man smiled and bowed and her perfectly trust rather She r the church floor?” “No;-under the floor of his house.” «Where i his house?” She gave full directions how to reach it. “Un the prisoner,” Hamilton ordered, and was quickly done. *Monsieur Roussillon, 1 congratulate you upon your narrow escape. Go to the priest’s house monsieur, and bring me that flag. It Would be weil, 1 assure you. not to be very long about it. Captain Farnsworth, wvou will send a guard with Monsieur Roussillon. a guard of honor fitting his official dignity, a corporal and two men. Mayor of this important lone upon o impor- must have his at- The honorable city should not g« ant errand tendants. an He “Permit me to go said Alice. “I c e, monsieur Why, certain.y, mademoiselle, certain- Captaip Farnsworth, you will escort the young lady myself and get it.” do it quickly. May I, “It is not necessary, monsieur.” . ¥es, it 1s necessary, my dear young very necessary; so let's not have further words. I'll try to entertain his Honor the Mayor while you go and get the flag. I feel sure, mademo.selie, that you'll return with it in a few minutes. But you must not go alone.’ Alice set forth immediately, and Farns worth, try as hard as he would, cou.d ever reach her side, so swift. was her t. When they arrived at Father Beret cabin, she turned and rious severity: “Don’t come in; get it in a minute. “arnsworth obeyed her command. The door was wide open, but Father Beret was not ins.de. He had gone to see a sick child in the outskirts of the village. Alice looked about and hesitated. She knew the very puncheon that cov- ered the flag, but she shrank from lift- said with impe you stay out here. I'll ing it. There seemed nothing else to do, however: £o0, after some troubie with herself, she knelt upon the floor and turned ‘the heavy slab over with a great thump. The flag did nct appear. She peeped under the other puncheons. It was not ‘there. The only thing visible was a little ball of paper fragments not larger than an egg. Farnsworth heard her utter a low cry of surprise or dismay, and was on the point of going in, when Father Beret, coming around the corner of the cabin, confronted him. The meeting was so sud- den and unexpected that both men re- coiled slightly and then, with a mutual stare, saluted. I came with a young lady to get the flag,” said Farnsworth. *She is inside. I hope there is no serious intrusion. She u the flag is hidden under your floor. Father Beret said nothing, but frown- ‘ng as if much annoyed, stepped through the doorway to Alice’s side and stoop- ing where she knelt, laid a hand on her shoulder as she glanced up and recognized h What are you doing, my child?"’ ““Oh, father, where is the flag?” all that she could say. “Where is the flag”” “Why, fsn't it there?” you see it isn't there! Where is it?” The priest stood as if dumfounded, gaz- ing into the vacant space uncovered by “e puncheon. “ALICE — MADENOISELLE _ROUSSILLON — 1AM SORRY FOR THIS— 1T IS PAINFUL it “Is it gone? Has some one taken turned up all the floor to no avail. La banniere d’Alice Foussillon had dis- appeared, and Captain karnsworth went forthwith to report the fact to his com- mander. When he reached the shed at thie angle of the fort he found Governor Hamiilon sittiLg stupid and dazed un the ground, One jaw was .nflamed and swol- len and an eye was half c.osed and biood- shot. He turned his head with a pain- fui, irregular motion and nis chin sagged. Farnsworth spraug to him and lifted him to his feet, but he could scarcey stand. He licked his lips clumsily. “What is the matter? What hurt you The Governor rubbed his forehead, ‘try- ing to recolle “‘He struck me,” he pre He hit me ‘with here is he?” ntly said with his fist. di W hat big French idiot—that Roussil- lon—go after him, take him, shoot him— quick! I have been stunned. 1 don't know how long he's been gone. Give the aiasm —do something! Hamilton, as he gathered his wits to- gether, began to foam with rage, aud his passion gave his bruised and swollen face a terrible look The Story w: ort and may be quick- 1y told.” M. Roussillon hud taken advan- tage of the first moment when he and Hamiiton were left ne. One herculean buffet, a swinging smash of his enormous fist on the point of the Governor's jaw, and then-he walked out of the fort un- challenged, doubtless on._ac¢ount of his lordly and ‘masterful air. “Ziff!” he exclaimed, shaking himself and lifting his shoulders when he had passed beyond hearing of the sentinel at the gate; “ziff! 1 can punch a good stiff stroke yet, Monsieur le Gouverneur. Ah, ziff!” and he blew like a porpoise. Every effort was promptly made to re- capture M. Roussillon, but his disappear- ance was absolute; even the reward of- fered for his scalp by Hamilton only gave the Indians great trouble—they could not find the man, Such a beginning of his administration of affairs at Vincennes did not put Ham- ilton into a good humor. He was over- bearing andeirascible at best, and under the irritation of small but exceedingly unpleasant experiences he made life well nigh unendurable to those upon whom his dislike chanced to fall. Beverley quickly felt that it was going to be very difficu t for him and Hamilton to get along agreé- ably. With Helm it was quite different; smoking, drinking, playing cards; telling good stories—in a word, rude and not un- frequently boisterous conviviality _drew him and . the commandant together. [ GENERAL HAMILTGSN TREATED BEVERLY WITH EXTREME COURTESY. TERRIBLE Under Captaln Farnsworth’'s immediate® his scalp, she ran to the Roussillon place superv: the fort was s on in exceilent well nigh crazed with excitement. She repalr and a large blockhouse and com- had always depended upon Alice for ad- fortable quarters for the men were bullt. zzce,b en(u\;rig?m%\t and corlnlorl lnmh: " ey ren . roubies; but in the present case the very day added (o the strength of the s nct much thai her friend could do ¢ 1A Ay ERE PR an g kg to cheer her. With M. Roussillon and s a strategic postion for the advance Rene both fugitives, tracked by wily sav- 11d ot the sritish army. ages, a price on their héads, while every Hamiiton was aiicitous to prove him- day added new dangers to the French if consp.cuously vaiuable to his coun- {nhabitants of Vincennes, no rosy view He was dreaming vast dreams and could possibly be taken of the situation. ing laige plans. The Indians were A jce did her best, however, to strengthen jous to gain his favor; and 10 her little friend’s falth in a happy out- come. She quoted what she considered tr; Ty soun an bind them securely to him he offered lib- eral pay in rum and firearms, blankets, unimpeachable authority to support her trinKets, and wmmunition for the scaips optimistic argument, of rebels. He kept this as secret as po "‘Lieutenant.Bevefley says that the sible from lis prisoners; but Beverley Americans will be sure to drive Hamil- soon suspected that a “trafic in hair,” as the terrible business had been named, was going on. Savages came in from far away with scalps yet scarcely dry dang- ling at théir belts. It made the youig Virgirian’s b'ood chill in his heart and ton out of Vincennes, or capture him. Probably they are not so very far away now, and Rene may join them and come back to help punish these brutal English- men. Don't you wish he would, Adriene? Wouldn't it be romantic?” he regretted that he had given Hamilton “He's armed, I know that,” said Ad- his paroie of honor not to attempt to es- rienne, brightening a little, = “and he's cape. brave, Alice, brave as he can be. He Among the Indians occasionally report- ing to Hamlton 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 tme given hima 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 Ron- ville .would have soon been relieved of his servile and exasperating employment under che 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 in a wood some miles from town, where he was loading logs upon a sled. There chanced to be no third person present when the dzed 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 inhabi- tants of Vincennes as all like M. Rous- sillon and Rene, but waiting for an op- portunity to strike him unawares. 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 provi- sions. When little Adrienne Bourcler heard of came right back into town the other night and got his gun and pistol He was at our house, too, and, oh!—- She burst out crying again. “O Alice! It breaks my heart to_think that the In- dians will kill him. Do you think they will kill him, Alice?"” ““He'll come nearer killing them,” said 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 Rous- sillon 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. T'll do it, girl as I am, I they annoy me, see if T don’t!” She was thinking of Captain Farns- worth, who had been from the first un- tiring 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 action, Her mind was single, impulsive, narrow and direct in all its movements. She loved, hated, desired, caressed, repulsed, not for any assignable reason more solid or more lu- Rene's terrible act, followed by his suc- minous than ‘“because.” She adored Rene cessful escape to the woods, and of the and wanted him near her. He was a tempting reward offered by Hamilton for hero in her imagination, no matter what he d1d. Little difference was it to her whether he hauled logs for the English or smoked his pipe in idleness by the win- ter fire—what could it matter which flag he served under, so that he was true to her? Or whom he served If she could aiways have him toming 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 hand and say, “My sweet little one.” “Why couldn’t he be quiet and do as your man, Lieutenant Beverley, did?” she cried in a sudden change of mood, the tears streaming down her cheeks. “Lieutenant Beveriey surrendered and took the consequences. He didn't kill and run off to be hunted like & bear. No wonder you're happy, Alice. I'd be happy, too, if Rene were here and came to spend half of every day with me. I—" “Why, what a silly girl you are!” Alice exclaimed, her Jface reddening prettily. “How foolishly’ you prattle. I'm sure I don't> trouble myself about Lieutenant Beverley; what put such absurd nonsense into your head. Adrienne?” “Because, that's what, and T know it's 0, too. You love him just as much as 1 love Rene, and that's just all the love in the world, and you needn't deny it, Alice Roussilion!” Alice laughed and hugged the wee, brown-faced mite of a girl until she al- most smothered her. 1t was growing dusk when Adrienne left the Roussillon place to go home. The wind cut lcily across the commons and moaned as it whirled around the cabins and cattle sheds. She ran briskly, muf- fled 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 screamed sharply, and Father Beret, who was coming out of a cabin not far away, heard and knew the volice. ‘“Ho-ho, my little lady!"” cried Adrienne’s captor in a breezy, jocund tone; ‘yo wouldn’t run over a fellow, would you The words were French, but the voice was 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!” I';\?rienne screamed and struggled reck- s “Now don't rouse up the town,” coaxed the captain. He was just drunk enotigh to be quite a fool, yet sufficiently sober to imagine himself the most proper per- son in the world. “I don't mean you any harm, mademoiselle; I'll just see you safe home, you know; 'scort you to your resi- 2ierric‘g. Come on, now—that's a good Father Beret hurried to the spot, and when in the deepenihg gloom he saw somebody [ Adrienna flinging herself violently this way and that, helplessaly trymfi to escape from the clasp of a man, he did to per- fection what a priest is supposed to be the least fitted to do. Indeed, consider: ing his age and leaving his vocation od of the reckoning, his performance wa amazing. It is not certain that the blow dealt upon Govermor Hamilton’s jaw by M. Roussillon was a stiffer one than that sent straight from the priest's shoulder right into the short ribs of Captain Farnsworth, ‘who thereupon released a mighty grunt and doubled himself up. Adrienne recognized her a .ant the first and used his name freely at dur- ing the struggle. When Father Beret ap- peared she cried out to him: “Oh, father—Father Beret! Help mel Help me!” When Farnsworth recovered from the breath-expelling shock of the jab in his side and got himself once more in a ver- tical position, both girl and priest wers gone. He looked this way and that, rap- idly becoming sober, and beginning to wonder how the thing could have hap- pened go easily. His ribs felt as if they had been hit with a heavy hammer. ‘By Jove!" he muttered all to himself, “the old prayer singing heathen! BY Jover” And with this very brilliant and relevant observation he rubbed his sore side and went his way to the fort. CHAPTER XIL A SWORD AND A HORSE PISTOL. We hear much ubout the “days that tried men's souls”; but what about the souls of women in those same days? Sit- ting In the liberal geniality of the nine- teenth century’s sunset glow, we inaist upon having our grumble at the times and manners of our generation; but if we had to exchange places, periods and experiences with the people who lived in America through the last quarter of the eighteenth century thers would be good ground for despairing ululations. And if our men could not bwar it, if it wo try their souls too poignantly, let us im- agine the effect upon our women. No, Jet us not imagine it; but rather let us give full credit to the heroic souls of the mothers and the maidens who did actually bear up in the center of that terrible struggle and unflinchingly help win for us not only fresdom, but the vast empire which at this momant is at the master of the world and the mo: toward which all the nations of the sarth are slowly but surely tending. It Alice was an exmrflmsfl, ke was not aware of it; nor o over understood that her life was being shaped by extraordinary conditions. Of course, it could not but be plain to her that sh knew more and felt more than the gir of her narrow acquaintance; that her complishments were greater; that she nursed splendid dreams of which they could have no proper comprehension, but until now she had never even dl; real- ized that she was probably capable of being something more than & mers creols lass, the foster daughter of Gau Roussilion, trader ia peits and furs. her most romantic visions had Dnever taken the form of personal or ambition in its most nebulous stage; they had simply pieased her fresh and nat- ural fancy and served to gild the hard- ness and crudeness of har life—thati was n all. Her experiences had been almost too terrible for belief, viewed at our distance from them. She had passed through scenes of incredible horror and suffering, but her nature had not been chilled, stunted or hardened. In body and in temper her development had been sound and beautifui. It was even thus that our great-grandmothers triumphed over ad- versity, hardship, Indescribable danger. We cannet say that the strong, lithe, happy hearted Alice of old Vincennes was thé only one of her kind: Few of us who have inherited the faded portraits of our revolutionary forbears can doubt that beauty, *wit and great lovableness flourished in the cabins of pioneers the way from the Edisto to the Lic from the Connecticut to the Wabash. A Beverley's advent could not fail to mean a great deal in the life of a girl like Alice. A new era, as it were, would naturally begin for her the moment that his per- sonal influence tonched her imagination; but it is well not strictly by the s to measure her too ndard of our present taste and the specialized forms of our so- cial and moral cod She was a trye child of the wilderness, a girl who grew, as the wild prairie ros® grew, not on aceount of innumerable exigenc acci- dents and hardships, but in spite of them. She had blushed” unseen and had w divine sweets upon a more than air. But when Beverley came at first carelessly droning his ma monotonies, as the wandering bee lonely and lovely rose, and presently striking her soul as with the wings of love, there fell a change into her hearts of hearts, and lo! her haunting and elu- sive dreams began to condense and take on forms that startled .her with their wonderful splendor and beauty. These she saw all the time, sleeping or waking; they made bright summer of the frozen stream and snapping gale, the snowdrifts and the sleet. In her brave young heart swelled the Ineffable song—the music never yet caught by syrinx or flute or violin, the words no tongue can speak. Ah, here may be the secret of that vig- desert ear her, orous, brave, sweet life of our ploneer maids, wives and mothers. It was love that gave those tender hearts the Iron strength and heroic persistence at which the world must forever wonder. And do we appreciate those women? Let the Old ‘World boast i crowned kings, its mailed Kknights, its ladies of the court and castle; but we of the New World, we of the powerful West, let us brim our cups with the wine of undying devotion and dednk to the meémory of the women of the Rev- olution—to the humble but good and mar- velously brave and faithful women Iike those of old Vincennes. But if Alice was being radically Influ-