The daily Alaskan., 1907-05-22
A Successful Rival
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.LOrlsLnaLl

1 horse. The story begins back in the
 days when the Indians ln the west
 were constantly breaking away from l thelr reservations and slaughtering all l pQIefaces who came h their way, Lt l 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 1t was that, the gar risou having marched away, leaving ] the women and children to the prOtec- tlOu Of half company under the com maud of a lieutenant, another tribe consisting ot several hundred warriors came down to take possession of the l fort.
 When a friendly redskiu rode into ! the iucIosure and announced the com l Ing of his fellows, every man being needed for defense. Florence Brooks volunteered to ride to the nearest post ! dfty miles distant, for succor. Lieu ! tenant Howard Whiting, In command, placed her on his own Kentucky bred horse. COmauche, and sent her flying out of the fort, shouting after her, |. Their hves depend upon you" How the horse enabled her to cross the 1 path of the coming Indians an hour 1 before they reached the point of Inter 1 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 CDmauChe was beloved by the whole garrison. and especially by Mss Brooks. As for Miss Brooks, she was beloved by he whole garrison, especial Iy Lieutenant Whiting.
 AuI now the view of alkalI plains surrounding Fort F. has changed to vacant lots on the outskirts of a city. Mss Brooks rides iD a trolley car in. stead ot ou horseback. Uud-Tleuteuaut Whiting spends jhe greater part of the duy In a recruiting office In one ot the dugiest streets Of the city. But early ln the afternoon he leaves his sergeant ln charge and. mounted on Comanche, rides past Mss Brooks abode She ls watching for him from an upper win dow He raises bis hat and from be hind the curtain she throws him a kiss. But for one thing tbe lover would be supremely happy. He Is Jealous Of C0maugAe.
 "Why." he asked on joining his d0ucec after one of his rides. do you always feast your eyes on my horse and pay no attention to me: This aft ernoou when l rode by you didn't even See when l raised my hat. You waved your hand long gsfyer had done so."
 'I love Comauche,' she replied.
 Mss Brooks left the city for 8 month, and when she returned her lover h. formed her that he had sold Comauche The reason he gave for doing SO was that he had been ordered to reJoIn hls regiment In rhe west. and. Comancho having become old. besides gone lame the lieutenant would not feel warrant ed in transporting him so far, especial ly as he would need 8 scrvlceable anI- nal Mss Brooks looked astonlshed
 
 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 a pet and she was obliged to admit which she l.l reluctantly, that be could hardly have done otherwise. They parted with an embrace. warm enough on the part of the man, but not the girl.
 However lr gradually came over Hiss Brooks planning as she was for the coming weda.ng-that Comanche could not have been Included In the calculations. Indeed, ir was very diff | fcult for her to figure out the problem of living on Writings pay, even with out what Comauehe would have cost. She had Gu income of SS00, which she must reI.nIutsh upon her marriage. This left only second Ieutenants 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 -"HE 10 #.. aHaa-A lt ta#L NNH-a lta 70 NtL l-LAL uopporuue meeting. One morning while Miss Brooks was out buying her trousseau she saw a man driving a cart with lu enormous load on 1t. The horse was unable to get It up an ln- cline. and the driver was belaborlng him unmercIfUlIy. Miss Brooks, natu- rally fond Of horses, approached to pro test The horse turned his head, look ed at her out of a pair of melancholy eyes and whlunIed. He was Comanche.
 Mss Brooks embraced him and wept.
 The next mail carried to Lieutenant Whiting a 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., mauche. She bought him for $50 and kept him in royal equine style.
 COmanche lived five years after be- ] Ing rescued from the melancholy posi- ton Into which hIs master had sold him. Then Miss Brooks. after a de- rsD+ r.arf.F gF ,uf7DyvFDnH Hauan f1