The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-06-25
CHAPTER XIII.
In the Beginning.

It was January of that momentous
wear when the worlds unrest reached
a climax, and the president of the
United States, his official day done,
sat alone in his study, perusing a re-
port from an agent Of the state de-
partment and mentally comparing 1t
with preceding ones. The shaded
light threw into relief against the
darker shadows behind the long, lean
Jaw, the grimly determined mouth and
the somber eyes, but lent a touch of
softness to the queer little lines which
told that on occasion the man could
show infinite kindness and humanity.
Thrust forward from the ranks Of
the people into the most important
office of the land, driven reluctantly
into the arena of action from seclu-
sion which had for him the charms of
peace. he was still a man in peculiar
isolation. In this, the third year of
his term, he was yet unknown and
under constant discussion. Half of his
countrymen hailed him as the Lincoln
of his time, and the other half declared
him a tyrant in embryo. He had
fought so doggedly for his principles
that he had estranged those who had
been his most ardent supporters. His
disregard for party projects had cost
him the friendship of politicians; his
advocacy Of certain reforms had SUBJ
| jected him to caustic comments; his
very dignity and sensitiveness had
been mistaken for austerity; and only
his most intimate friends understood
that in him beat a great heart filled to
overlooking for his country and fell
low men. These comprehending
friends were few; but among them,
perhaps the most intimate, was the
friend of his boyhood, "Old Bill" Rob-
erts, the inventor.
Between these two there existed
that singular affection found rarely
among master minds where each ad.
mires qualities in the other which he
himself lacks. To Roberts the presi
dent was the greatest statesman of the
century, and to the president Roberts
was the most accomplished scientist
and inventor who had ever lived; but
on this night laden with fate in which
each was to play his part, the mind
Of neither was on the other. The in
ventor was absorbed in the last of 6
series of experiments that had en-
meShed him in dream whereby he
hoped to eradicate friction, and the
president was perturbed by reports
for which he had waited many weeks
These latter were exhaustive In de
tall, and in recapitulation tersely pre-
dicted that it would be almost an i'm
possibility to avert war with Japar
as soon as she reached a state O
preparation. They summed up hel
naval strength. which they declared
almost equal at the time of writing tt
that Of the United States, and tolc
how every navy yard in Japan wal
rushing construction with all available
speed both night and day, so that he
augmented squadrons when bull
would be superior to those of tn,
great republic. They reviewed tn.
land preparations by showing that
greater number of men were being
drilled than ever before in the coun
ty's history, and that the redoubtablt
army sent against Russia would b.
small in comparison with that which
could be modified for another in
vasion, The reports expressed the be
lief that Japanese capitalists were
anxious to seize the Philippines, ane