Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1917-09-20

LII young officer as there was in
iii the Legion Of the West" as
. the western division Of our
army was then called. When Aaron
Burr made his first dashing expedition
down to New Orleans in 1906 at Fort
Massac or somewhere above on the
river he met. as the devil would have
It. this gay. dashing. bright young fell
low ut some dinner party. think
Burr marked him. talked to him. walk
ed with him. took him day or two's
voyage In his natboat and. in short.
him. For the next year
barrack life was very tame to poor
Nolan. He occasionally availed Of the
permission the great man had given
him to write to him. The other boys
In the garrison sneered at him because
be sacrificed in this unreQuited affec-
ton for politician the time which
they devoted to monongahela. sledge
and high-Iow-j Jack. Bourbon. euchre
and poker were still unknown But
one day Nolan had his revenge. This
t1uuC kbOII NauO uOWu lnC tIVCl uOk uS
an attorney seeking a place for his Of
Gee. but as disguised c0nqueror. 1t
was rumOred that he had IN army be-
hind him and M empire before him.
1t was great day his arrival-to poor
Nolan. Burr had not been ut the fort
mn hour before he sent for him. That
evening be asked Nolan to take him
out In his skill to show him cane
brake or cottonwood tree. as he said
really to seduce hlm-and by the time
the sail was over Nolan was enlisted
body and soul. From that time.
though he did not yet know 1t, he lived
IA IA man without a country
What Burr meant to do I know no
more than you. dear reader. 1t IL none
Of our business just now. Only when
the grand catastrophe came some Of
the lesser fry in that distant Missis-
sippi valley to while away the mono
tony OF the summer ut Fort Adams
got up for spectacles string OF court
on the officers there. One
md another of the cOIonels and majors
were tried. and. to all out the list. little
Nolan. against whom. heaven knows.
there was evidence enough Tint he
WIS sick Of the service, had been will
Ing to be false to It and would have
pbeyed any order to march ahywhither
with any one who would follow him
had the order only been signed. by
Of His Exc. A, Burr" The
courts dragged 0n..s The big tlies es-
raped rightly for all | know. Nolan
was proved guilty enough as say. yet
you and would never have heard OF
him. reader, but that. when the presi
dent OF the court asked him ut the
close whether he wished to say any
Thing to show that he bud always been
faithful to the United States he cried
cut In Ut OF frenzy:
I'd the United States. wish
may never hear Of the United States
again.
| suppose he did not know how the
words shocked old Colonel Morgan.
who was holding the court. Nolan
had grown up In the west Ut those
lays In the midst OF Spanish plot"
Orleans plot" and all the rest. He
lad been educated on plantation
where the finest company was Il Spun
sh officer or French merchant from
Orleans His education. such IA 1t
was. had been perfected In commercial
expeditions to Vera Cruz and ! think
he told ME his father once hired an
to be private tutor for a
winter on the plantation. He had spent
half bis youth with an older brother
horses In Texas. and, In word,
to him United States" was scarce
~ Il reality. Yet he had been fed by
States" for all the years since
he had been in the army. He had
sworn on his faith as IA Christian to be
true to United States" 1t was Unit.
ri States" which gave him the uniform
he wore and the sword by his side.
do not excuse Nolan. only explain to
the reader why he damned his country
anu wished he might never hear her
name again.
He never did hear her name but
once again. From that moment. Sept
%. 1907. till the day he died. May II.
1913. be never heard her name again
For that half century and more he was
a man without country.
Old Morgan. as | said. was terribly
He called the court into his
private room apd returned IN fifteen
minutes with face like sheet. to
say;
prisoner. hear the sentence OF the
court. The court decides. subject to
the approval of the president. that you
never hear the name VI the United
States again.
Nolan laughed. Rnt nohsxiy else
laughed Old MOrynn wne roo xnlemn