Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-04-26
CHAPTER 1.
The Makers of Mans.

"0'S0 INC d HSuClHS crest as ne
made answer:
Not the sort of hope you ASK" A
moment later he added: John, I am
ashamed OF you"
The cynical smile of the man
called my chief still remained upon
his lips, the same drawn look of suf-
fering still remained upon his gaunt
features; but in his blue eye 1 saw a
CLINT which proved that the answer of
his old friend had struck out some
unused spark of vitality from the
deep, cold flint of his beart.
1 never knew you for a coward,
Calhoun went on Dr. Ward; nor
any OF your family. 1 give you now
The benefit of my personal acQuain-
lance with this generation of the Cal
houns. l ask something more of you
than faint-heartedness"
The keen eyes turned upon him
again with the old fame of flint which
a generation had known-a genera
ton, for the most part, of enemies.
Did not Saul fall upon his own
5wOTd?" asked John Calhoun Have
not devoted leaders from the start of
the world till now sometimes rid the
scene of the responsible figures in
lost fights, the men on whom blame
rested for failures?"
"COwards!" rejoined DR.. Ward.
towards, every one of them! Were
there not other swords upon which
hey might have fallen-those of their
e1emies?"
1t is not my own hand-my own
sword. SAM" said Calhoun Not that.
You know as we'll as l that I am
already marked and doomed, even as
4 sit at my table tonight A walk of
a wet night here in Westinghouse
urn along the Heights out there when
he winter wind is keen-yes, Sam, 1
see my grave before me, close enough;
.1ut how can rest easy in that grave?
Man, we have not yet dreamed how
great a country this may be. We
nus have Texas. We must have also
Oregon. We must have"
Free" The old doctor shrugged
his shoulders and smiled at the arch
.p:o-.ecvcTy exponent.
Then, since you mention it. yes"
rctcrted Calhoun fretfully. But l
shah not go into the old argument Of
hose who say that black is white,
hat south is north. 1t is only for my
own race that plan wider America.
But then" Calhoun raised a long,
thin hand. why" he went on slow
~. y have just told you that l have
failed And yet you, my old friend,
whom I ought to trust, condemn me
% live on,'
Yes" he said, at length, 81 condemn
you to fight on, john" and he smiled
.grimly.
why. look at you, mani" he broke
out fercely, after moment. "The
type and picture of combat! Good
bone, fine bone and hard; hard head
and bony; little eye, set deep; strong,
,wiry muscles, not too big-fghting
muscles, not dough; clean limbs;
stro2g fingers: good arms, legs, neck;
vide chest"
Then you give me hope?" Calhoun
dashed a smile at him.
NC, sir! If you do your duty, there
Is no hope for you to live. If you do
not do your duty, there is no hope for
YOU to die, John Calhoun, for more
than two years to come-perhaps five
years-six Keep up this work-as
you must, my friend-and you die as
surely as though 1 shot you through
as you sit there. Now, is this any
comfort to your"
A gray pallor overspread my mas
hot truth 10
no man, morbid or sane, sound or Ill;
but brave men meet it as this one did.
Time to do much!" he murmured
to himself. Time to mend many
broken vessels, in those two years.
One more fight-yes, let us have 1t!
But Calhoun the man was lost once
more in Calhoun the visionary, the
fanatic statesman. He summed up, as
though to himself. something OF the
situation which then existed at Wash
Ington.
Yes, the coast is clearer, now that
Webster is out of the cabinet, but Mr.
Upshur's death last month brings in
new complications. Had he remained
our secretary of state, much might
have been done 1t was only last Oc-
tober he proposed to Texas treaty
of annexation"
Yes, and found Texas none SO
eager" frowned DR.. Ward.
No; and why not? You and know
we'll enough. Sir Richard Pakenham,
the English plenipotentiary here. could
tell if he liked England is busy in
Teyas TEXAS owes large funds to
England. England want Texas as a
colony There is fire under this smoke
talk of Texas dividing into two gov
ernments, one, at least, under Eng
lands gentle and unselfish care!
And now, look you" Calhoun con-
tinued, rising. and pacing up and
down, "leek what is the evidence.
Van zandt, charge d'afaires in Wash