Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-10-20
DAILY SHORT STORY
TWO MIssIVES.
IOriginall

Mohawk valley a pionfser who made
his living by trapping wild animals
ands selling their furs- He lived in his
frontier cabin with oIily daughter,
girl of seventeen. of q fsunny DISPOSE
ton, two merry, brigh eyes and a pair
| OF rosy cheeks. Very tnaturally. Daniel
Brinsley ;sdored hist daughter Alice
and feared that sOIne young fellow
would take sher,awayf fromthim. When
the expected trouble tcametit came all
Of d sudden. Walters Greer, 4 young
man engaged lin buying skins for
DutchInan in Albany, phen still from
tier settlement. madek some purchases
IF Brinsley. saw Alicekand fell desper-
ately in love with her, Before leaving.
he proposed to take iher away with
| him as his wife.
Alice was as much struck with the
handsome fur trader as ne was with
her. but she would not leave her IA
ther. Greer used 4seVery argument TO
induce her to alter her decision, but
when he found' Interchangeable went
back to Albany with heavy heart. 1t
was not long. low ever. before he came
again, pleading. hislsuit. Alice still de
clincd To leave ihrr father TO a life of
loneliness. but iii was tplain that she
was weakening. Greer left her encour-
aged to hope til at she would at last
consent and went northward in search
Of furS. That night he bivouacked in
the forest aboutE hree miles from the
Brinsley cabin. hGathering wood, he
made Il fire. cooked his supper and,
having eaten it. lighted his red clay
Powhatar pipe With his back resting
against the trunk of 4 tree he smoked
and thought OF Alice The freight on
the leaves above itlickered ,merrily. re-
minding him OF her eyes. The smoke
wreathS brought to his recollection the
thick coils of ,her hair Indeed. in ev-
crything Observation-Disclosures visiblein
the freight Turk ed 'the features Of the
girl he loved.
Suddenly heAheard. something strike
the tree above his head. then the
sound of Il distant rife. while against
his cheek flutterad a bit of paper. Seiz-
ing it, he found rhat it hung3hy 4 string
to a bullet holeiin'the tree. Unfasten-
ing the paper, B,' took it. to the fire
light To examinc'it. On Onctsjde was
written:
If YOU OVERCOME near my cabin again
to decoy myS daughter away l will give
You bullet! of the same ca1iber as the
one 70 whichtthis is attached.
DANIEL BRINSLEY.
This was akbitter,interrption II the
lovers dreams He knew that Brins
ley could SeciInm blythe freight. him
self unseen. Therefore. without show
Ing any especial emotion. he folded the
note and put it i'll his pocket.
-Four years passed without the /BrinS-
lcys seeing anything of Walter. Greer
He never returned TO Albany. and no
trappcr or fur dealer reported having
met him after lie left the BrinSleyS
There WIS secret between Briusley
and his daughter. FOR the father al
mitted to her that lH had seen Greer
once after lie left the, cabin. He would
not explain when or where, and Nice
could not help SuSpecting that herIfa
tier had been instrumental in her low
cr'S disappearance. RrinSlcy not only
endured this suspicion from his dauEh
ter but saw That she was pining
for her lover and approached himself
for sending Walter Greer from her
Indeed, whenever a stranger stopped
at the house the father would hope
that Alice might fancy him and be con
soIcd. But love cannot'be 50 easily re
placed. and Alice took 10 interest in
any of their visitors.
When the Indian troubles which oc-
Cured in that region in 1850 came on,
the BrIuSleyS were in Il very. exposed
position. Brinsley had dealt. with the
Indians for years and had Il great
many friends among them. Relying
upon this fact. lie neglected: TO go for
safety to the settlements ca to put his
cabin into ii condition for sdefensc, de
Claring that if he was to Sbe attacked
some of his friends amonSi the redskins |
would give him warning.
one evening after supper he was sit !
ting in his cabin while Alice was put |
ting away the dishes. Suddenly q win |
dow pane was shatteredSand an arrow |
buried in the woodwork opposite.
a warming" said the trapper. 81 |
told YOU that i'll case of danger / |
would be advised"
1t may be an ATTACK" said Alice |
with whitened cheeks. Going to the |
arrow. she examined it A thong of !
deerskin hung from 1t, TO which was |
tied a bit OF paper. The girl seized it
ana read.
II you ever come near my cabin.again /
to dtCOy nay daughter away I will give |
you a bullet Of the same calber as the !
one 10 which this is attached
Father
Brinsley drew near and ,read the
identical note lie had shot to Greer.
Alice, turning the paper, saw writing on 1
the other side. either in red ink or
blood:
Indians viii attack as soon as your Il
lights are out. WALTER GREER Ii
One glance into each other'si eyes, II
and without n word they sank on the II
floor. crawled out into the darkness
and fed TO safety.
Soon after, band of Indians was