The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-04-04

sudden and imperious thirst
seize his throat The liquor
flooded his veins before his
lips touched the cup. He had been
abstaining lately; now his besett1ng
appetite rushed upon him. At one
gulp he took in the fiery yet smooth
and captivating draught. Nor did he
notice that Father Beret, instead of
joining him in the potation. merely
lifted his cup and set 1t down again.
smacl1ing his lips with gusto.
There followed a silence, during
which the aromatic breath Of the bot
tie increased its dangerous fascina-
ton Then Father Beret again filed
Farnsworth's cup and said:
"Ah, the blessed monks, little
thought they that their matohless
brew would ever be slipped in a poor
nnissionary's hut on the Wabash But,
after all, my son. why not here as
well as In sunny FTanoe7 Our object
justif1es any improperly OF time and
place"
You are right, Father. I drink TO
our object. Yes, I say, to our object"
In fact, the drinking preceded his
speech, and his tongue already had a
loop In it. The liquor stole through
him, q midst of bewildering and en-
chanting influence. The third cup
broke his sentences into unintelIig1ble
fragments; the fourth made his under
law sag loosely, the fifth and sixth,
taken in close succession, tumblei
him limp on the floor, where he slept
blissfully all night long, snugIy Gov
cred with some Of Father Bert's bed
clothes.
Per casum obuquun, ct per indirec-
tum," muttered the priest, when he
had returned the bottle and cup to
their hiding-place. THE end justi-
hes the means. ~ Sleep we'll, my son.
All, little Alice, little Aloe, your old
Father will try-wiu tryT'
He fumbled along the wall in the
dark until he found the rapier. which
he took down; then he went out and
sat for some time motionless beside
the door, while the clouds thickened
overhead. It was late when he arose
and glided away shadow-Hke toward
the fort, over which the night hung
black, chill and drearily silent. The
moon was still some hours high, but
smothered by the clouds; a fog slow
ly drifted from the river.
Meantime Hamilton and Helm had
spent a part Of the afternoon and eve
ming, as usual. at cards. Helm broke
of the game and went to his quarters
rather early for him, leaving the Gov
ornor alone and IN a bad temper, be
cause Farnsworth, when he had sent
for him, could not be found. Three
times his orderly returned IN as many
hours with the same report; the cap
tain had not been seen or heard OF
Naturally this sudden and complete
disappearance. Immediately after the
reprimand. suggested TO Hamilton an
unpleasant possibility. What II Farms
worth had deserted him? Down deep
In his heart he was conscious that the
young man had good cause for almost
Eny desperate action. To lose Captain
Farnsworth however. would be just
now a calamity. The Indians were
drifting over rapidly to the side Of
the Americans, and every day showed
that the French could not long be
kept quiet.
Hamilton sat for some time after
Helms departure. thinking over what
be now feared was a foolish mistake.
Presently he bucIled on Aice's rapier,
which he had lately been wearing as
his own, and went out into the main
area Of the stockade. A sentinel was
tramping to and fro at the gate, where
q hazy lantern shone. The night was
breathless and silent. Hamilton ap-
preached the soldier on duty and
asked him If he had seen Captain
Farnsworth, and receiving a negative
repIy, turned about puzzled and
thoughtful to walk back and forth in
the chill. foggy air
Presently a faint yellow light at
Gracted his attention. It shone through
q porthode in an upper room Of the
hlockhouse at the farther angle Of the
stockade. In fact, Alice was reading
by a sputtering lamp q book Farms
worth had sent her. a volume Of Ron
sard that he had picked up IN Can
ada. Hamilton made his way in that
direction, at first merely curious to
know who was bnrning oil so late;
but after a few PAGES he recognized
where the light came from. and In
stantIy suspected that Captain Farms
worth was there. Indeed he felt sure
Of it. Somehow he could not regard
Alice as other than a saucy hOyden,
incapable Of wOmanly virtue. His ex-
perfence with the worst element OF
Canadian French life and his pecu-
liar cast of mind and character col
ored his impression of her. He meas
ured her by the women with whom
the coureurs de bois and half-hreed
trappers consorted in Detroit and at
the posts eastward to Quebec.
Alice, unable to sleep, had sought
forgetfulness Of her bitter captivity
in the old poets charming lyrics. She
H--1 ~WzaAH