The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-06-16

| early grave, prematurely worn out by
work and grief"
The floodgates 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 click and his fist came down
upon the table in one quick, hard
blow of emphasis.
do you wonder" he said, that ]
swore to give my life to peace? Is it
strange that I who have suffered have
| taken unusual means to keep others
| from suffering as l and mine have?
l have invited you here not as the
president of 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 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
had held him down. In all his years
| 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 way
| that in any other man would have
been undignified; but he. inspired by
the grandeur of his purpose, failed to
realize that an angel with 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. 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 man. He put his
hand out across the polished mahog-
! any top as the tall form of the presi-
dent Strengthened up. Their hands
met in one strong grip of understand
ing. and they looked squarely into
each others eyes. reading. compre-
bending, and binding themselves to-
| gether in a common purpose for hui
mainly.
1t was not the etiquette which de-
mands that all men shall stand when
king is on his feet that brought the
| others from their chairs, erect,
breathless and motionless. 1t was
rather the impulsive respect and
veneration due to two great minds
which before their very eyes were
entering an unwritten compact for q
| high and noble cause.
Once more they took their seats;
but now by the subtle alchemy of hui
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 1t. The last tenta-
tive clause was signed, and each
knew the part which his country
must play. Again they were all upon
their feet. looking into one auother's
faces and abruptly conscious of weari-