The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-03-13

~ EVERLEY'S sympathy was
K deeply moved. He sat for
some minutes looking at her
without speaking. She. too,
was pensive and silent, while the
fire sputtered and sang, the great logs
slowly melting, the flames tossing
wisps of smoke into the chimney still
looming to the wind.
Il know, too. that I am French, "
she presently resumed, but I don't
know just how 1 know 1t. My first
words must have been English, for
7 have always dreamed Of talking in
that language. and my dimmest half
recoIlectons of the old days are of a
large, white house. and a soft black
woman, who sang to me in that
language the very sweetest songs in
the world"
It must be borne in mind that all
this was told by Alice in her creole
French, half bOokish. half patois. Of
which no translation can give any
fair impression.
Beverley listened. as one who hears
clever reader intoning a strange
and captivating poem. He was
charmed. His imagination welcomed
the story and furnished it with all
that ait lacked Of picturesque COM
pleteness. In those days it was no
uncommon thing for a white child to
be found among the Indians with not
q trace left by which to restore it
to its people. He had often heard of
such a case. But here was Alice right
before him, the most beautiful girl
that he had ever seen, telling him
the strangest story of all. To his
mind il was clear that she belonged
to the Tarleton family of Virginia.
Youth always concludes a matter at
orce. He knew some of the Tarletons;
but II was a widely scattered family,
its members living in almost every
colony in America The crest he
recognized at a glance by the dragon
on the helmet with three stars. 1t
was not for a woman to bear; but
doubtless it had been enameled on
the locl1et merely as a family mark,
as was often done in America.
1.-THE black woman was your nurse.
your nanny" he said. 4 know by
that and by your prayer in English,
as we'll as by your locket. that you
are of a good old family"
Like most Southerners, he had
strong faith in Fenealogy,. and he
held at his tongues tip the names Of
al the old families. The Carriers, the
BARS, the FItzhughs. the HansOns,
the RandOlphs, the Lees. the Lud-
wells, the Joneses, the Beverleys. the
Tarletons-a whole catalogue Of them
stretched back in his memory. He
knew the coat Of arms displayed by
each house. He could repeat their
legends.
Il wish you could tell me more, 80
he went on. Cant you recollect any
thing further about your early child
hood, your first impressions-the
house. the woman who taught you to
pray. the old black nanny? Any
little thing might be of priceless value
as evidence"
Alice shrugged her shoulders after
the creole fashion with something Of
her habitual levity OF manner. and
prOportioned to the subject, as she
fancied he must view it, although to
her it had always been something to
dream over. It was impossible for her
to realize, as he did, the importance OF
details in solving a problem like that
involved in her past history. Nor
could she feel the pathos and almost
tragic fascination with which her story
had touched him.
There is absolutely nothing more
to tell" she said. "All my life I have
tried to remember more, but it's i'm
possible; I can't get any farther back
or call up another thing. There's no
use trying. It's all like a dream
probably it is one. I do have such
dreams. In my sleep I can lift myself
into the air, just as easy, and fly back
to the same big white house that
seem to remember. When you told
me about your home it was ike some
thing that I had often seen before.
shall be dreaming about it nextr
Beverley cross-qUestiOned her from