Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-01-30

! seemed to her, she had invited public
derlsion. The terrible noises all around
her were, she now fancied, but the
jeering and hooting of rude men who
had seen her unmaidenly forwardness.
With a blruing face she flew to the
postcrn and slipped out, once more tax
ing the course which had become SO ia
mlliar to her feet She did not slacken
her speed until she reached the Bour-
cler cabin, where she had made her
home since the night when Hamilton's
pistol ball struck her. The little domi-
cile was quite empty of its household.
but Alice entered and flung herself into
chair, where she sat qulvering and
breathless when Adrlenne, also much
excited came In, preceded by a stream
Of patois that sparkled continuously
"The fort is blown upl" she cried,
gesticuating i'm every direction at once,
her petite figure comically dilated with
the importance of her statement. "a
hundred men are killed and the pow
der Is on firep
She pounced into Alice's arms, still
talking as fast as her tongue could vi
brate, changing from subject to sub
jcct without rhyme or reason, her prat.
tie making its way by skips and SHES
until what was really uppermost in her
sweet little heart disclosed itself
"And, o Alice, Rene has not come
yet"
She plunged her dusky face between
Allce's cheek and shoulder Alice hug
ged her sympathetically and said
"But Rene will come, know he will,
dear"
"Oh, but do you know It? Is it true7
Who told your When will he comeY
Where is he? Tell me about himw
Her head popped up from her friends
neck and she smiled brilliantly through
the tears that were still sparkling on
her long black lashes.
II didn't mean that had heard from
him, and / don't know where he il.
But-but they always come back"
"You say that because your man-be-
cause Lieutenant Beverley has return
ed. It is always so. You have every
thing to make you happy, while II
Again her eyes spilled their shower,
and she hid her face in her hands
which Alice tried in vain to remove.
Don't cry, Adrienne. You didn't see
me crying
mo, Of course not you didn't have q
thing to cry about Lieutenant Bev-
erley told you just where he was going
and just what
"But think. Adrlenne, only think OF
the awful story they told-that he was
killed, that Governor Hamilton had
paid Long Hair for killing him and
bringing back his scalp! Oh, dear, just
think! And 1 thought 1t was true"
"Well, I'd be willing to think and be-
lieve anything in the world if Rene
would come back" said Adrienne, her
face, now uncovered, showing pitiful
lines of suffering "Oh, Alice Alice,
and he never, never viii comew
Alice exhausted every device TO cheer,
encourage and comfort Her. Adrienne
had been so good to her when she lay
recovering from the shock of Hamil-
toms pistol bullet, which, although It
came near killing her. made no serious
wound-only a bruise, in fact. 1t was
OAAN Vi AAlOaG AOAAhAAAAN hNNAhNhAn VI
providentially ordered interferences
which once I'm awhile save life. The
stone disk worn by Alice CHANGED to lie
exactly In the missiles way, and.
while 1t was not broken, the ball, al
ready somewhat checked by passing
through several folds Of Father Beret's
garments, iiattened itself upon II with
a shock which somehow struck Alice
senseless.
Here, again, history In the form OF
an ancient family document Ia letter
written In 1921 by Alice HERSELF gives
us the curious brace OF lncidents-to
wit, the breaking OF the miniature or
Beverley's breast by a British musbN'
ball and the stopping of Hamllton't
bullet over Alice's heart by the Indian
charm stone.
"Which shows the goodness OF Cod"
the letter goes on, "and also seems 70
sustain the Indian legend concerning
the stone that whoever might wear II
could not be killed UnquestiOnable
(sic) Mr.. Hamilton's shot, which was
aimed at poor, dear old Father Beret,
would have pierced my heart but for
that charm stone AS for my locket IL
did not, as some have reported, save
Bitzhugh's life when the musket ban
was stopped. The ball was so spent
that the blow was only hard enough tC
spoil temporary (sic) the face Of the
miniature. which was afterward re-
stored fairly well by an artist in Paris.
When it did actually save Fitzhugh's
life was out on the Illinois plain. The
savage Long Hair, peace to his mem
Ory. worked the miracle OF restoring 10
me- Here "A fold In the paper has de.
stroyed a line of the writing
The letter IL a sacred family paper,
and there is nor Justification for going
farther into IFS faded and. in some
parts, almost obllterated writing. But
30 much may pass into these pages as
-