The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1907-08-22
A Successful Rival
[Original.1

days when the Indians In the west
were constantly breaking away from
their reservations and slaughtering all
palefaces 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 friendly redskin rode into
the Enclosure 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
out of the fort. shouting after her,
INV uCpCuu upoA Sou' AAO"
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 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
~ Lieutenant Whiting.
And now the view of alkali plains
surrounding Fort r. has changed to
vacant lots on the outskirts Of city.
Miss Brooks rides in trolley car in
stead of on horseback, and Lieutenant
Whiting spends the greater part Of the
day in 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 Comanche,
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 a kiss.
But for one thing the lover would be
supremacy happy He is jealous Of
Comanche
why" he asked on joining his
flnncee after one of his rides, do you
always feast your eyes ON my horse
and pay no attention to me? This aft
ernoon when I rode by you didn't even
see when raised my hat. You waved
your hand long after had done so.''
Il 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 reioin 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
~ as he would need Il serviceable ami
NAL. Miss Brooks looked astonished
when the news was impaired to her
and argued long and we'll against the
necessity for the sale. But Whiting
had nothing but his pay, which was
not suficient to keep SO expensive a
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 on 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 diff
ncult 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 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
inopportune meeting. One morning
while Miss Brooks was out buying her
rousseau she saw man driving a cart
with an enormous load on It. The
horse was unable to get it up an in
cline, and the driver was belaboring
him numerically. Miss Brooks, natu-
raily fond OF horses, approached to pro-
test. The horse turned his head, look
Ell 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,
she could live and take care of Co.
manche. She bought him for $50 and
kept him in royal equine style.
Comanche lived five years after be-
Ing rescued from the melancholy posi-
tlon into which his master had sold
him. Then Miss Brooks, after a de-
cent period of widowhood, began to
thihK OF her lover of other days He.
nearing that his rival was dead, sought
ner. They were married and went to
live ut the post where he was stationed.
Whiting said his colonel banter
ingly one day, II hear your wife kept
you waiting five years while she lavish
ed her affections on horse. / didn't
know had an officer under my COM
mand with SO little capacity for pleas
ing the fair sex"
Colonel" replied Whiting, Il would
much rather have been kept waiting
Tor the woman l love by horse than