The daily Alaskan., 1907-01-16
A Successful Rival

.Ortginall

couple. but it k unusual for the course of true love tU he 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 Slaughterlng all palcfaces who came in their way. It 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 rlSOn having marched away, leaving the women aud children to the prOtec- ton of half company under the com maud of lieutenant. another tribe consisting of several hundred warriors came down to take possession of the fort.
 When Friendly rCdSkin rode into the inclosurc and announced the com Ing of his fellows, every man being needed for defense Florence Brooks volunteered tO ride tO tho nearest post, fifty miles distant. for SucCor. Lieu -s placed her on his own Kentucky bred horse. COmanchc. 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 force ample 10 protect 1t, need only be referred 10 here. From that day COmauche 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 alkali plains surrounding Fort k. has changed 10 vacant lots on the outskirts of a city. Miss Brooks rides in trolley car in stead Of on horseback. and Lieutenant Whiting spends the greater part of the day in d recruiting office In one of the dlnglest streets of the city But early In the afternoon he leaves his sergeant 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 supremely happy He Is jealous of Comanche
 Why" he asked on joining his tiancer after one of hls rides, do you always feast your eyes on my horse and pay uo attention to me: This aft. eruoon when I rode by you didn't even se,. when l raised my hat You waved your hund long after had done so"
 Il love Comanche.' she replied.
 Miss Brooks left the city for month. aud when she returned her lover h. 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, COmanchc having become old. besides gone lame, the lieutenant would not feel warrant ed in transporting him So far, especial ly as he would need Scrviceablc ani- mal Miss Brooks looked aStoniShGd when the news was mparted to her and argued long and well against the necessity for the sale But Whiting had nothing hut hls pay, which was not sufficient to keep so expensive pet, and she was obliged to admit, which she did reluoAantly, 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 weddng-that Comanche could not have been included In the calculations Indeed, 1t was very diff ficult for ihcr to figure out the problem of living on Writings pay. even with out what COmanchc would have cost. She had an Income of $500, which she must rellnQuiSh upon her marriage. This left only a second lieutenants 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 1t not been for a certain inUppOrtunr meeting. One morning while Miss H"ookS was out buying her rousseau she saw man driving cart with an euormOuS load on It. The horse was unable to get 1t up an in- cline, and the driver was belabOring him unmerclfully 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
 Mss Brooks embraced him and wept
 The next mall 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 hls master had sold | him. Then Miss Brooks, after a de- | cent period of wldowhOOd, began to