Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-12-30
"Under the church ioor?'
mo, under the floor of his house."
NGYEIho,,n ie. III OIL

4$OS OANCA Iue Ills house.,
where is his house|
She gave full directions how to reach
II.
Unite the prisoner" Hamilton or
dered, and 1t was quickly DONE IN.
Roussillon, congratulate you upon
your narrow escape. Go to the priests
house. monsieur, and bring me that
flag. 1t would be well, assure you,
not to be very long about it. Captain
FarnsWorth, you will send a guard
With NJ. Roussillon, a guard Of honor,
fitting his official dignity, a corporal
and two men. The honorable mayor
Of this important city should not go
alone upon so important an errand. He
must have his attendants"
Permit me to 60 myself and get
It," said Alice. Il can do 1t quickly.
May l, please, monsieur?"
Hamilton looked sharply at her.
why. certainly. mademoiselle, Ger
talnly. Captain Farnsworth, you will
escort the young lady"
1T Is not necessary, monsieur"
"Oh, yes, it is necessary, my dear
young lady, very necessary; so let's
not have further words. I'll try to
entertain bis honor, the mayor, while
you go and get the flag. l feel sure,
mademoiselle, that you'll return with
1t In few minutes. But you must
not 60 alone"
Alice set forth Immediately. and
Farnsworth, try as hard as he would,
could never reach her side, so swift
was her gait.
When they arrived at Father Beret's
cabin, she turned and said with i'm
perious severity:
Don't you come in. You stay out
here. ''I'll get it in a minute"
Farnsworth obeyed her command.
The door was wide open, but Father
Beret was not inside: he had gone to
zee sick child in the outskirts of the
village. Alice looked about and hest
tated. She knew the very puncheon
that covered the flag, but she shrank
from lifting it. There seemed nothing
else to do. however; so, after some
trouble with herself, she knelt upon the
door and turned the heavy slab over
with great thump. The flag did not
appear. She peeped under the other
puncheons. 1t 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 sudden and unexpected that
both men recoiled slightly, and then,
with mutual start, saluted.
Il came with young lady to get the
flag" said Farnsworth. She is in.
side. l hope there is no serious in
trusion. She says the flag is hidden
under your floor"
Father Beret said nothing, but frown-
Ing as If much annoyed, stepped
through the doorway to Alice's side,
and STOPPING where she knelt, laid
hand on her shoulder as she glanced
up and recognized him.
LAT are you uOluS, NY Cullu
"Oh, father, where is the fag?' 1t
was all that she could say. Where is
the fag?"
"Why, isn't it there?'
mo, you see it isn't there. Where
10 it?'
The priest stood as if dumfounded,
gazing into the vacant space uncovered
by the puncheon.
us it gone? Has some one taken it
away"
They turned up all the floor to no
avail. La banniere dAlice Roussillop
had disappeared and Captain Farms
worth went forthwith to report the
fact to his commander. When he
reached the shed at the angle Of the
fort he found Governor Hamilton sit
ting stupid and dazed on the ground.
One jaw was infamed and swollen
and an eye was half closed and blood
shot. He turned his head with a pain
full, irregular motion and his chin
sagged.