The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1908-07-31

was a memory that never left me, AS,
hard working, poorly. clad and some
times hungry, ! grew to manhood.
My mother went, as did thousands Of
other widows made by war, to an
early grave, prematurely worn out by
work and grief"
The foodgates were down at last.
His repression was going, and he
rose to his feet behind his desk trem-
bling in every fiber, and with white,
quivering lips. In the stiffness Of the
room he stood thus for an instant;
then his teeth suddenly came together
with a click and his fist came down
upon the table in one quick, hard
blow Of emphasis.
do you wonder" he said, "that I
swore to give my life to peace? Is 1t
strange that I who have suffered have
taken unusual means to keep others
from suffering as I. and mine have?
I have invited you here not as the
president Of a nation, but as man
to men to help me put-an-end-to
-war!"
Every word Of his final declaration
was bitten off with sharp emphasis
and accentuated by a fist which beat
time. The king was suddenly con-
scious that he had leaned forward IN
his chair so far that nothing but The
tense grip Of his hands upon the arms
t,oJ 1o1J I;-o do b.. Tn oil h1c vpQrS
he had witnessed no such scene OF
emotion as this, nor heard a more
earnest appeal.
The president, as If regretting his
lack of control, settled YEARLY into
his seat. He had said things in a way
that in any other nan would have
been undigniied; but he, inspired by
the grandeur of his purpose, failed to
realize that an angel with a flaming
sword could scarcely have been more
impressive. He had, been addressing
no ordinary audience. Before him
was an august ruler, but more than
that, a great man. And in the hush
which followed, the sovereign rose
from his seat, stepped across to the
desk, and for one of the few times
in his life gave untrammeled vent to
his feelings as a man. He put his
hand out across the polished mahog-
any top as the tall form of the prest-
dent Strengthened up. Their hands
met in one strong grip Of understand
ing, and they looked squarely into
each others eyes, reading, compre-
hending, and binding themselves to-
gether in a common purpose for hui
manity.
1t was not the etiquette which de-
mands that all men shall stand when
a king is on his feet that brought the
others from their chairs, erect,
breathless and motionless. It was
rather the impulsive respect and
generation due to two great minds
which before their very eyes were
entering an unwritten compact for a
high and noble cause.
Once more they took their seats;
but now by the subtle alchemy of hu:
mainly they drew their chairs to
gether. They were no longer rulers
and subjects, Englishmen and Amer
leans, but men inspired with mag
nanimity toward all their fellow be
ings. They were on a Godlike plane
reasoning out momentous plans in
volving the nations Of the world. and
all mankind. From their combined
fund of knowledge they evolved meth
DDS which were to strengthen the
weak and put in leash the strong
All reckoning Of time was lost in this
review of what had been accomplished
and what was to be done.
The night paled, the sun crept up;
the lights of the darkness were extin
guished, and the day advanced with
out their needing it. The last tenta
tive clause was signed, and eacf
knew the part which his country
must play. Again they were all upor
their feet, looking into M another
faces and abruptly conscious Of weari
ness and relaxation. Too overcome tt
resume their homeward journey, the
visitors accepted the hospitality o.
the White House for a few hours rest
and staggered to their rooms
Once, than a hundred years
before, an unwise king had caused
war between brothers which had sem
them on diverse paths. Each had
prospered but held aloof. And now
after all this time a wiser king hat
profered his hand, and the brothers
were to be friends again in truth, anc
were to travel side by side unto the
end.
CHAPTER XXI.
Lights In the Night.
That night for the first time a radio
plane few through the air from Wash
ington to New York, where it came