Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-01-20

the time. You're always so furious
about something that you never have
chance to be just to yourself or
pleasant to anybody else.''
IF had got furious at you every
time there was overwhelming provoca-
tton for it, Hamilton said. ''you'd have
been long since hanged or shot.
fancy that have shown angelic for
oearance. I've given you somewhat
more than prisoners freedom"
$50 you have, so you have" assented
Helm. eve often been surprised at
your generous Partially In my case.
Let's have some hot water with some
thing else in it. What do you say? l
won't give you any more advice for
i've minutes by your watch"
but l want some advice at once"
"What about?'
'"That girl"
"Turn her loose That's easy and
reputable"
I'm have to, l presume, but she
ought to be punished"
If you'll think less about punish
ment. revenge and getting even with
everybody and everything you'll soon
begin to prosper"
Hamilton WINGED. but smiled as one
quite sure Of himself.
Jean followed the soldier to a rickety
log pen on the farther side of the
Stockade, where he found the prisoner
restlessly moving about like a bird in
q + ho1 <>n
gloomy little room. There was no fire.
place. the roof leaked. and the only
furniture consisted of a bench to sit
on and pile of skins for bed Alice
looked charmingly forlorn peeping out
Of the wraps in which she was bundled
against the cold, her hair fluffed and
rimpled in shining disorder around her
face.
The guard let Jean in and closed the
door. himself staying outside
Alice was as glad to see the poor lad
as If they had been parted for year.
She Rugged him and kissed his drawn
little face.
You dear, good Jean:' she muir
INJURED. You did not forget me-"
II brought you something" he whis-
pered, producing the book.
Alice snatched it. looked at it and
then at Jean
why. what did you bring this for,
you silly Jean? didn't want this. I
don't like this book at all. It's hateful.
despise it. Take it back
There's something in it for you, a
paper with writing on it. Lieutenant
Beverley wrote it on there. It's shut
up between the leaves about the mid
die"
"Sh-s-sh! Not 50 loud. The guard II
hear you," Alice breath.ess.y whispered
her whole manner changing instantly
She was trembling, and the color had
been whisked from her face as the
flame from a candle in a sudden draft
She found the note and read it a
dozen times without pause, her eyes
leaping along the lines back and forth
with pathetic eagerness and concentra-
ton. Presently she sat down on the
bench and covered her face with her
hands. A tremor first, then a convul-
sivc sobbing shook her collapsed form
Jean regarded her with a drolly SYM
pathetic grimace. elevating his long
chin and letting his head settle back
between his shoulders.
"Oh, Jean, Jean!" she cried at 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 little child.
She pulled him to her and held him
tightly against her breast while she
once more reud the note through blind
Ing tears. The words were few, but
to her they bore the message of desola-
ton and despair. A great haunting,
hollow voice in her heart repeated
them until they echoed from vague dis
lance to distance.
It was written with q bit of lead on
the half of a widowed fly leaf torn
from the book:
Dear Alice-1 am going away When
you read this think Of me as hurrying
through the wilderness to reach our army
and bring it here. Be brave, as you al
ways have been; be good. as you cannot
help being; wait and watch for me; love
me. as I love you. I viii come. Do not
doubt it. will come, and will crush
Hamilton and his command. Courage
Alice dear: courage and wait for me-
Faithfully ever. BEVERLEY.
She kissed the paper with passionate
fervor, pouring her tears upon it in
April showers between which the light
Of her eyes played almost fiercely, so
poignant was her sense of despair
which bordered upon desperation.
"Gone, gone!" 1t was all she could
think or say. Gone, gomez
Jean took the offending novel back
home with him, hidden under his ier-
kin, but Beverley's note lay upon
Auce's heart, a sweet comfort and q
crushing weight, when an hour later
taken before him. Her face was stained
with tears and she looked pitifully dis
uessed and disheveled, yet despite all
this her beauty asserted itself with
subtle force.
Hamilton felt ashamed looking at
her, but put on sternness and spoke
without apparent sympathy:
miss Roussillon, you came near CON-
uniting a great crime. AS it Is, you
have done badly enough, but I wish
not to be unreasonably severe. I hope
you are sorry for your act and feel like
doing better hereafter"
She was trembling, but her eyes
looked steadily straight into his. They
were eyes Of baby innocence, yet they
irradiated strong womanly spirit just
touched with the old perverse, mis-.
chievous light which she could neither
Danish nor control. VI hen she did not
make reply Hamilton continued:
'You may go home now, and shall