Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-12-28
A Successful Rival
[Original.1

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IOriginaLl
1t is not unusual for either man or
a woman to come between an engaged
couple, but it is unusual for the course
OF true love to be turned awry by a
horse The story begins back IN the
days when the Indians in the west
were constantly breaking away from
their reservations and slaughtering all
pa!efaces who came in their way. 1t
was then that Florence Brooks was
visiting an older sister at Fort R., the
wife of an officer in the United States
army. And then it was that, the gar
rison having marched away. leaving
the women and children to the protec-
ton Of half company under the COM
mand of a lieutenant. another tribe
consisting of several hundred warriors
came down to take possession Of the
fort.
When a friendly redskin rode into
the inclosure and announced the COM
ing of his fellows, every man being
needed for defense. Florence Brooks
volunteered to ride to the nearest post,
fifty miles distant, for succor. Lieu
tenant Howard Whiting, in command,
placed her on his own Kentucky bred
horse, Comanche, and sent her flying
cut of the fort. shouting after her.
'"Their lives depend upon you" How
the horse enabled her to cross the.
path of the coming Indians an hour
before they reached the point Of inter-
section, how ten miles farther on she
met a squadron of cavalry, how when
the Indians reached the fort they
found a force ample to protect it, need
only be referred to here. From that
day Comanche was beloved by the
whole garrison, and especially by Miss
Brooks. AS for Miss Brooks, she was
beloved by the whole garrison, especial
ly Lieutenant Whiting.
And now the view of alkai plains
surrounding Fort r. has changed to
vacant lots on the outskirts of city.
Miss Brooks rides in a trolley car in
stead of on horseback, and Lieutenant
Whiting spends the greater part of the
day in a recruiting Office in one of the
dingiest streets of the city. But early
in the afternoon he leaves his sergeant
in charge and, mounted on CoInanche,
rides past Miss Brooks abode. She is
watching for him from an upper win
dow. He raises his hat. and from be-
hind the curtain she throws him kiss
But for one thing the lover would be
sCcremely happy. He is jealous of
Conanche.
why" he asked on joining his
fancee after one of his rides, "do you
always feast your eyes on my horse
and pay no attention to me? This aft
ernoon when 1 rode by you didn't even
see when I raised my hat. You waved
your hand long after had done So"
II love Comanche," she replied
Miss Brooks left the city for a month,
and when she returned her lover in
formed her that he had sold Comanche
The reason he gave for doing so was
that he had been ordered to rejoin his
regiment in the west, and, Comanche
having become old, besides gone lame,
the lieutenant would not feel warrant
ed in transporting him so far, especial
ly as he would need serviceable ami
NAL. Miss Brooks looked astonished
when the news was impaired to her
and argued long and well against the
necessity for the sale. But Whiting
had nothing but his pay, which was
not sufficient to keep so expensive q
pet, and she was obliged to admit,
which she did reluctantly, that he
could hardly have done otherwise.
They parted with an embrace, warm
enough Oh the part of the man, but not
the girl.
However, it gradually came over
Miss Brooks-planning as she was for
the coming wedding-that Comanche
could not have been included in the
calculations. Indeed, it was very dif-
ficult for her to figure out the problem
OF living on Writings pay, even with
out what Comanche would have cost.
She had an income of $500, which she
must relinquish upon her marriage
This left only a second lieutenant's
pay, with Communication for fuel and
quarters, on which the couple must
live. After all, Whiting was right.
There is no doubt that all would have
gone we'll had it not been for certain
fnopportune meeting. One morning
while Miss Brooks was out buying her
with an enormous load on it,. The
horse was unable to get it up an in
cline, and the driver was belaboring
him unmercifully. Miss Brooks, natu-
rally fond Of horses, approached to pro-
test. The horse turned his head, look
ed at her out of pair of melancholy
eyes and whinnied. He Was Comanche
Miss Brooks embraced him and wept.
The next mail carried to Lieutenant
Whiting breaking Of the engagement
from Miss Brooks. No satisfactory
reason was given. The real reason was
that she loved Comanche better than
Whiting. On her income, which, If not
married, she would retain till death,
the could live and take care of Co.
nanche. She bought him for $50 and
hept him in royal equine style.
Comanche lived five years after be-
ing rescued from the melancholy posi-
tion into which his master had sold
him. Then Miss Brooks after q do