The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1917-06-14

shat l may not count upon your FRIEND
ship"
THAT is hard speech. Colonel Burr
was your friend"
''AIore than your chief ever was.
fancy Mr.. Jefferson would like to Sc
me pllloried. drawn and Quartered, aft
er the old way"
You are unjust 70 him. You strucl
at the greatest ambition OF his life
struck at his heart and the heart Of hi
eountry-when you undertook to sen
arate the west from this republic"
Il am a plain man and a busy man,
said Aaron Burr coldly. Il must EN-
ploy my time now TO the bettermeni
OF my situation. / have failed, and
you have won. But let me throw the
cloak aside since l know you can be
of no service to me- care not what
punishment you may have-what suf.
fering-because recognize In you the
one great cause OF my failure. 1t was
you, sir. with your cursed expedition,
that defeated Aaron Burrl'
He turned, proud and defiant even in
his failure. and when Meriwether
Lewis looked up he was gone.
Even as Burr passed Meriwether
Lewis heard light step in the long
corridor Under guard Of the turnkey
some one stood at the door, Il was
the figure OF woman. figure which
caused him to halt. caused his heart
to leap.
She came toward him now. all In
mourning black-hat. gown and gloves.
Her face was pale. her eyes deep. her
mouth dropping. Theodosia Aston
was always thus ON her daily visit to
her fathers cell.
Herself the picture OF failure and
despair, she was used to avoiding the
eyes Of all. but she saw Meriwether
Lewis standing before her. strong. tall.
splendid in his manhood and vigor.
in the full tide OF his success. She
was almost In touch Of his hand when
she raised her eyes to his.
These two had met at last after
what far wanderings apart. They had
met as II each came from the Valley
OF the Shadows. Out of the vastness
Of the unknown, over all those long
and devious trails. into what now
seemed to him a world stilI more vast,
more fraught with desperate peril. he
had come back to her. And she-what
had been her perils7 What were her
thoughts2
What he saw In her grave face. her
mournful eyCs uplifted to his own
this was the SolutiOn OF the riddle Of
his life. the reason for his moods OF
melancholy. the answer to a thousand
unspOken prayers He felt his heart
thrill strong and full. felt his blood
spring In strong current through his
veins until they strained, until he
felt his nerves Jingle as he stood, 81
lent endeavoring to stin the tumult
within him.
To her he was-what? A tall and
handsome gentleman. Immediately
clad, governor OF the newest Of our
territories, the largest and richest
realm ever laid under the rule OF any
viceroy. A bystander might have pom
dered on such things, but Meriwether
Lewis had no thought Of them. nor had !
the woman who looked up at him. No;
to her eyes there stood only the man
who made her blood leap, her soul cry /
out:
Yea, zeal Now known
To her also, from the divine compass
sion, was given answer for her ques-
tiOnings. She knew that life for her,
even though 1t ended now, had been no
blind puzzle, after all, but was a glori-
Gus and perfect thing. She had called
to him across the deep, and he had
heard and come From the grave he
had arisen and come again to her.
Even here under the shadow Of the
If, as both knew in their
supreme reconciliation. they must part
and never meet again-for them both
here could be peaceful calm, with all
lies questions answered, beautifully
md surely answered, never again to
Use for conquering-
Sir-captain-that is to say, Gov
.rnor Lewis" she corrected herself
I was not expecting you"
Her tone seemed icy, though her soul
vas In her eyes. She was all upon the
Iefense, as Lewis instantly under
TODD He took her hand in both Of
IFS own and looked into her face.
She gazed up at him, and swiftly,
nercifuIly, the tears came. Gently, as
( she had been a child, he dried them
or her, as once when a boy be had
romised to do. They were alone now.
he cold silence Of the prison was
bout them, but their own long silence
eemed a golden, glowing thing. Thus
My in their silence could they speak.
hey did not know that they stood
and In hand.
my husband Is not here" said she
! length, gently disengaging her hand
-om his. mo one knows me now.
very one avoids me. You must not
3 seen with me-a pariah, an out
lst. am my fathers only friend.
lready they condemn him. yet he is
) innocent as any man ever was"
Il shall say no word to change that
slIef," said Meriwether Lewis. "But
,ur husband is not here7 It Is he
hom / must see at once"
why must you see himl"