The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-03-23


"Oh, Jean. Jean she cried at last.
looking up and reaching out her
arms; 20 Jean, he is gone, gone,
gone"
Jean stepped closer to her while she
sobbed again like a little child.
She pulled him to her and held him
tightly against her breast while she
once more read the note through
binding tears. The words were few,
but to her they bore the message of
desolauon and despair. A great,
haunting, hollow voice in her heart
repeated them until they echoed from
vague distance to distance.
It was written with a bit of lead on
the half of a widowed fiy-leaf torn
from the book:
Dear Alice:
'I am going away When YOU read
this. think Of me as hurrying through
the wilderness to reach our army and
bring it here. Be brave. as you al
ways have been; he good, as You can
not help being; wait and watch for
me: love me, as I love you. I viii
come. Do not doubt 1t, I viii come
and I viii crush Hamilton and his
command. Courage. Alice dear; cour-
age, and wait for me.
Faithfully ever,
'BEVERLEY."
She kissed the paper with passion
ate fervOr. pouring her tears upon 1t
in April showers between which the
light of her eyes played almost fierce
". so poignant was her sense Of a
despair which bordered upon desper-
alton. Gone, gone" It was all she
could think or say. Gone, gone
Jean took the offending novel back
home with him. hidden under his jer-
kin; but Beverley's note lay upon
Alce's heart, a sweet comfort and
crushing weight, when an hour later
Hamilton sent for her and she was
taken before him. Her face was
stained with tears and she looked pitt
fully distressed and disheveled; Yet de
spite all this her beauty asserted it.
self with subtle force.
Hamilton felt ashamed looking at
her, but put on sternness and spoke
without apparent sympathy:
Miss RoussillOn you came near
committing a great crime. AS It is.
you have done badly enough. but I
wish not to be unreasonabIy severe.
[ hope YOU are sorry for Your act.
and feel Ike doing better hereafter.
She was trembling. but her eyes
looked steadily straight into his. They
were eyes Of baby innocence, yet they
irradiated a strong womanly spirit
just touched with the old perverse,
mischievous light which She could
neither Danish nor control. When she
did not make reply, Hamilton con
tinued:
You may go home now. and I shall
expect TO have no moro trouble on
your account" He made a gesture
Indicative Of dismissal; then. as she
turned from him. he added, somewhat
raising his voice.
And further, Miss Roussillor. that
flag you took from here must posi-
lively be returned. See that It IS
done"
She lifted her head high and walked
away, not deigning TO give him word.
"Humph. what do you think now Of
your fine young lady?" he demanded.
turning to Helm with a sreernE curl
OF his mouth. "She gives thanks
. copiously for a kindness, don't you
/ Think"
Poor girl, she was scared nearly
/ ont Of her life" said Helm. she got
away from you. Ike a wounded bird
from a snare. I never saw q face
more pitiful than hers"
Much pity she needs. and greatly
like a wounded bird she acts. I must
say; but good radiance II she'll keep
! her place hereafter. I despise myself
I when have to be hard with a woman.
/ especially a pretty one. That girls
a saucy and fascinating mink, and rs
dangerous as twenty men. III keep
a watch on her movements from this
I on, and if she gets into mischief again
III transport her to Detroit or give
her away to the Indians. She must
stop her hlgh-handed foolishness."
Helm saw that Hamilton was talk
/ ing mere wind. vox ct praeterea nIhu,
and he furthermore felt that his
babbung signihed no harm to Alice;
| but Hamilton surprised him present
I ~ by saying:
Il have Just learned that Lieuten-
ent Beverley IS actually gone. Did
1 you know of his departure?"
What are you saying. sir7"
Helm jumped 70 his feet, not angry.
but excited
/ Keep cool. you need not answer n
I YOU prefer silence or evasion. You
may want 10 go yourself soon"
Helm burst out laughing, but quick
/ " growing serious said:
Has Beverley been such a driveling
fool as that? Are you in ealnest?"
He killed two of my scouts,
wounded another, and crossed the
Wabash in their canoe. He is going
straight towards Kaskaslda."
The idiot, Iurrah for himl II
you catch your hare you may roast
him. but catch him first. Governor
''YouH joke out Of the other corner
Of your mouth, Captain Helm. If
find ont that you gave him aid or
countenance in breaking his parole"
Aid or c0untenance. never saw
him after he walked out Of this room.
You gave him o devil Of a sight more
aid and countenance than did. What
are you talking about, Broke his pa
role! He did no such thing. He re-
/ turned # TO you fairly, as you well
know. He told you he was going"
Wen, I've sent twenty Of my swift
est Indians after him to bring him
back. I'll let you see him shot That
ought to please you"
They'll never get him. Governor.