Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-12-22
ALICE Of OLD
! VINCENNES
Copyright 1900. BY III. BowENMERRILL COMPANY
By MAURICE THOMPSON

"AlI the nonors of war" Helm firmly
replied. ITS that or fight. and don't
are which.
Hamilton half turned away, as If
lone>with the Farley, then facing the
| tort again he said:
Very well, sir. Haul down your
Gag"
Helm was dumfounded at this
prompt acceptance of his terms. In
deed the incident is unique In history.
As Hamil IN spoke he very naturally
glanced up to where Ia banniere d'Al-
Ice Roussllon waved brilliantly. Some
one stood beside 1t on the dilapidated
roof of the old blOckhouse and was al
ready taking it from its place. His aid.
Captain FarnswOrth, saw this, and the
vision made his heart draw in strong
hot flood. 1t was girl In short skirts
and moccasins, with fur hood on her
head, her face, thrillingly beautiful, set
around with fuffs of wind blown
brown gold hair. Farnsworth was too
young to be critical and too old to let
his eyes deceive him. Every detail Of
the fine sketch, with its steel blue back
ground of sky. flashed into his mind,
sharp cut as a cameo. Involuntarily he
took off his hat
Alice had come in by way Of the
postern. She. mounted to the roof un-
observed and made her way to the
flag just at the moment when Helm,
glad at heart to accept the easiest way
out of tight place, asked Oncle Jazon
to lower it.
Beverley was thinking Of Alice, and
when he looked up he could scarcely
realize that lie saw her. But the whole
situation was plain the instant she
snatched the staff from its place, for
he, too, recOllected what she had said
at the river house. The memory and
the present scene blended perfectly
during the feeting instant that she
was visible. He saw that Alice was
smiling somewhat as In her most mis-
chievous moods, and when she jerked
the staff from Its fastening she lifted
it high and waved 1t once, twice, thrice
deiiantly toward the British lines, then
fed down the ragged roof slope with
it and disappeared. The vision re-
mained in Beverley's eyes forever aft
erward. The English troops, thinking
that the flag was taken down in token
of surrender, broke into wild tumult
of shouting.
Oncle Jazon intuitlvely understood
Just what Alice was doing, for lie
knew her nature and could READ her
face. His blood effervesced in an in
stant.
"Vive ZhorZh Vasinton! Vive la ban
Mere d'Alice ROussillon" he screamed,
waving his disreputable cap round his
scalplcss head. "Hurrah for George
Washington. Hurrah for Alice Rous-
Sillon's Eagr'
1t was all over soon. Helm sur
rendered himself and Beverley with
full honors. AS for Oncle JazOn, he
disappeared at the critical moment. 1t
was not just to his mind to be Il pris-
oncr of war, especially under existing
conditions, for HamiltOn's Indian allies
had some old warpath scores to settle
with him dating back to the days
when he and Simon Kenton were COM
rades in Kentucky.
When Alice snatched the banner and
descended with ii to the ground she
ran swiftly out through the postern, as
she had once before done, and sped
along under cover of the low bluff or
swell which. terracelike, bounded I'll"
fiat "bottom" lands southward Of the
stockade She kept on until she reach