The daily Alaskan., 1907-04-24
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A Successful Rival
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COrElpnLI

L q a woman to come between an engaged couple, but 1t is unusual for the course of true love to be turned awry by
 horse. The story begins back In the days when the Indians in the west were constantly breaking away from their reservations and slaUghterlug all palefaces who came In their way. It was then that Florence Brooks was visiting an older sister at Fort R,, the wife of an officer ln the United States army. And then 1t was that the gar rlson having marched away, leaving the women and children to the protec- ton of half a company under the com mend Of a lieutenant, another tribe consisting of several hundred wSrrIors came down to take possession Of the fort.
 When a friendly redskIn rode Into the lucIosure 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 sucC0r, Leu 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 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 1t, need only be referred to here, From that day Comdnche was beloved by the whole garrison, and especially by Miss Brooks. AS for Miss Brooks, she was beloved by the whole garrison, especial iy Lieutenant Whiting
 And now the view Of alkaI plains surrounding Fort R. has changed to vacant lots on the outskirts Of Q city. Miss Brooks rides In a trolley ear in stead of on horseback, and Lieutenant Whiting spends the greater part Of the day In a recruiting office in one Of tue dlnglest streets Of the city. But early ln the afternoon be 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 bg supremely happy. He Is jealous oi ComanChe.
 why" he asked on Joining his aancee after one Of his rides, do you always feast your eyes on my Aorsg and pay no attention to me? This aft eruoon when I rode by you didn't eveu see when I raised my hat. You waved your hand long after l had done so."
 q love C0manchc, she replied.
 Miss Brooks left the city for a month, and when she returned her lover iu. formed her that be had sold Comauchc The reason he gave for doing so was that he had been ordered to rejoin hls regiment in the west, and. Comanch2 having become old, besides gone lame. the lieutenant would not feel warrant ed in transporting him so far~ especial. ly as be would need Q serviceable anI nal. Miss Brooks looked astOnlshed when the news was imparted 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 c pet, and she was obliged to admit, which she did reluctantly, that be could hardly have done otherwise. They parted with au embrace, warm enough on the part Of the man, but not the girl
 However. 1t gradually came over Miss BrOOks-plannlug as she was for the coming weddIng-th8t COmanche could not have been included In the calculations. Indeed, 1t was very diff fcult 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 relinqulsh upon her marriage, This left only a second lIeutenanFs 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 well had It not been for a certain inoppOrtme meeting. One morning while Miss Brooks was out buying her trousseau she saw a man driving a cart with an enormous load on lt The horse was unable to get lt up an in- cline, and the driver was belaborlnE him unmerclfully. Mss 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 whInnled. He was Comanche.
 Miss Brooks embraced him and wept.
 Tn next mail carried to Lieutenant Whith a breaking of the engagement from Mss 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., maucbe. She bought him for $50 and kept him in royal equine style.