The Harrison times., 1911-09-16

Mdudlu, Sdlu MI. SdAHOuHJ "o
can not spare you yet"
She flashed upon him keen look.
TT is young country" said she, but
it raises statesmen. You foolish, dear
Americansl One could have loved you
ALL
"Eh, what?" said DR.. Ward, turn
ing to her my dear LADY, two OF us
are too old for that; and as for the
other"
He did not know how hard this
chance remark might smite, but as
usual Helena Won Ritz was brave and
smiling.
"You are men," she said, such as
we do not have in our courts OF Eu-
rope. Men and women-that is what
this country produces"
Madam" said Calhoun, "T myself
am a very poor sort of man. l am
old, and fail from month to month
l cannot live long, at best. What you
see in me is simply a purpose-a pur-
pose to accomplish something for my
country-a purpose which my country
itself does not desire to see fulfilled
Republics do not reward us. What
you say shall be our chief reward. |
have asked you here also to accept
the thanks Of all Of us who know the
intricacies Of the events which have
gone forward. Madam, we owe you
Texas! Twas not yonder lady, but
yourself, who first advised Of the dan
ger that threatened us. Hers was,
after all, a simpler task than yours,
because she only matched faiths with
Van Zandt, representative Of Texas,
who had faith in neither men, women
nor nations. Had all gone well, we
might perhaps have owed you yet
more, for Oregon"
would you like Oregon?" she
asked, looking at him with full
glance Of her dark eyes.
More than my life! More than
all my fortune!" His voice rang
clear and keen as that of youth.
"All of Oregon?" she asked.
"All? We do not own all! Perhaps
we do not deserve it. Surely we could
not expect it. Why If we got one
half of what that fellow Polk is claim
ing, we should do well enough-that
is more than we deserve or could ex-
pect. With our army already at war
on the southwest, England, as we all
know, is planning to take advantage
of our helplessness in Oregon"
without further answer, she held
out to him document whose appear
ance l. at least, recognized.
81 am but woman" she said, "but
II chances that have been able to do
this country perhaps something Of q
favor. Your assistant, Mr.. Trist, has
done me in turn favor. This much
will ask permission to do for him."
Calhoun's long and trembling fin
gers were nervousy opening the doc
ument. He turned to her with eyes
blazing with eagerness. ut Is Ore.
gon!" He dropped back into his chair.
"Yes," said Helena Won Ritz, slowly
1T is Oregon, 1t is bought and paid
for. 1t is yours!"
So now they all went over that doc
ument, signed by none less than
Pakenham himself, minister plenipo-
tentiary for Great Britain. That docu-
ment exists to-day somewhere in our
archives, but do not feel empowered
to make known its full text. | would
| had never need to set down, as |
have, the cost Of 1t. These others
never knew that cost, and now they
never can know, for long years since
both Calhoun and DR.. Ward have been
dead and gone. | turned aside as
they examined the document which
within the next few weeks was to be.
come public property. The red waters
which meuded it-and which she
smilingly explained at Calhouns de.
mand-were, as | knew, not less than
red drops of blood
In brief, may say that this paper
stated that, in case the United States
felt disposed to reopen discussions
which Mr. Polk peremptorily had
closed, Great Britain might be able to
listen to compromise on the line Of
the forty.ninth parallel. This compro.
mise had three times been offered her
by diplomacy of United States under
earlier administrations. Great Brit.
ain stated that in view Of her deep
and abiding love for peace and her
deep and abiding admiration for
America, she would resign her claim
of all Of Oregon down to the Coii@s..a.i.
bia; and more she would accept the
forty-ninth parallel; provided she
might have free navigation rights
upon the Columbia, In fact this was
precisely the memorandum OF agree