Oxford Democrat., 1904-02-02

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ALICE Of OLD !
VINCENNES !
By MAURICE THOMPSON ]:
copyrisht 1900 by the BOwEN.MERRILL COMPANY +
oOyish. 1900, by IN. BowEN.mERRILL COMPANY
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By MAURICE THOMPSON


What are YOU here for. sir?'' she
demanded. What do you want?'
Il am neither a burglar nor 4 muir
derer. E,adcmoiselle,' he responded.
lifting his hat and bowling, with a
| smile not in the least reassuring.
You look like both. Stop where
you are!'
Not so loud, my dear Miss Roussil-
lon. am not deaf, and, besides, the
garrison needs to Sleep
stop. sir; not another STEP
She poised herself, leaning slightly
| backward and held the iron ball In her
right hand ready to throw it at him.
He halted. still smiling villainously.
"Madcmoiselle, assure you that
your excitement is quite unnecessary.
am not here to harm you
You cannot harm me, you cowardly
wretch"
"Iiumph. Pride goes before fall,
| wench." he retorted, taking half step
backward Then thought arose In
his mind which added new shade to
the repellent darkness of his counte-
nance
"Aiiss Roussillon," he said in Eng
lish and with changed voice, which
seemed to grow harder, each word de-
liberately emphasized, II have come to
break some bad news to you
You would scarcely bring me good
news. sir. and l am not curious to hear
| the bad
He was silent for little while, gaz-
ing at her with the sort Of admiration
from which true woman draws away
appalled, He saw how she loathed
him, saw how impossible 1t was for
him to get line nearer to her by any
turn of force or fortune. Brave, high
headed, strong as a young leopard,
pure and sweet as a rose, she stood be-
fore him fearless, even aggressive,
showing him by every line Of her face
and form that she felt her infinite su-
periOrity and meant to maintain it.
Her whole personal expression told
him he was defeated, therefore he
quickly seized upon suggestion
caught from transaction with Long
Hair. who had returned few hours
before from his pursuit Of Beverley.
at pains me, assure you, Miss
RoussillOn, to tell you what will prob
ably grieve you deeply" he presently
added: "but | have not been unaware
Of your tender interest in Lieutenant
Beverley. and when l had bad news
from him l thought it my duty to in
form you"
He paused, feeling with devils sat
isfaction the point Of his statement go
home to the girls heart.
"The Indian, Long Hair, whom sent
upon Lieutenant Beverleys trail, re-
ported to me this afternoon that his
pursuit had been quite successful. He
caught his game"
Aice's voice came to her now. She
drew in quivering breath Of relief.
Then he is here-he is You have
him Il prisoner again?"
"a part of him. Miss Roussillon.
Enough to be quite sure that there is
one traitor who will trouble his king
no more. Mr.. Long Hair brought in
the licutenant's scalp"
Alice received this horrible statement
in silence but her face blanched and
she stood as if frozen by the shock.
The shifty moon glimmer and the yell
low glow of the lamp showed Hamil-
ton to what an extent his devilish cru
city hurt her. and somehow 1t chilled
him as If by reflection, but he could
not forego another thrust.
HE deserved hanging. and would
have got it had he been brought to me
alive. So, after all, you should be set
isfed. He escaped my vengeance and
Long Hair got his pay. You see. l am
the chief sufferer"
These words, however fell without
effect upon the girls ears, In which
was booming the awful, stormlike roar
of her excitement. She did not see
her prosecutor standing there. Her
vision, unhindered by walls and dis
tance. went straight away to place
in the wilderness where, all inangled
and disfigured. Beverley lay dead. a
low cry broke from her lips. She
dropped the heavy swivel bals, ond
then, like bird, tw;ftly, with rus
Ting swocb, she went past Hamilton
and down The stair.
For perhaps u full minute the man
stood there motiOnless, stupefied,
amazed and fen at length he recov-
cred himself ii was with difficulty that
he followed her. Everything seemed
to hinder him. When he reached the
open air. however, he quickly rcSained
his activity of both mind and body
and looked in all directions. The
/ clouds were breaking into parallel
masses with stIeaks of sky between.
The moon hanging aslant against the
blue pceped forth just in time to show
him flying figure which, even while
he looked. reached the postern, opened
1t and slipped through.
With but breath of hesitation be-
tween giving the alarm and following
Alice silently and alone he chose the
latter. He was a swift runner and light
footed. With q few bounds he reached
the little gate, which was still oscillat-
ing on its hinges, darted through and
away. straining every muscle in des-
perate pursuit. gaining rapidly in the
race Which bore eastward along the
course twice before chosen by Alice III
leaving the stockade.
rJI JpTEp NVJI