The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-05-18
(Continued.l.
right, 1916, by Frank A. Munsey Co,

~SpJssSHk9 sobVI "
 (Continued.l American now, not British or Spanish or French Our men are passing across the river in thousands. They will never loose their hold on the west It was treason to the future that you planned, but it was hopeless from the first"
 'Tt would seem, sir" said Aaron Burr, a cynical smile twisting his thin lip, "that may not count upon your friend ship"
 'That is a hard speech, Colonel Burr. I was your friend"
 More than your chief ever was. fancy MT. Jefferson would like to see me pilloried, drawn and quartered, aft CT the old way"
 "You are unjust to him. You struck at the greatest ambition of bis life struck at his heart and the heart of his country-when you undertook to sep arate the west from this republic"
 q am plain man and busy man." said Aaron Burr coldly. "I must em- ploy my time now to the betterment of my situation. I have failed, and you nave WOu. ouI ASL 1le L44lVW LAO cloak aside since I know you can be of no service to me. I care not what punishment you may have-what suf- fering-because recognize in you the one great cause of my failure. It was you, sir, with your cursed expedition, that defeated Aaron Burr!"
 He turned, proud and defiant even in his failure, and when Meriwether Lewis looked up be was gone.
 Even as Burr passed Meiwether Lewis heard a light step in the long corridor. Under guard of the turnkey some one stood at the door. It was the figure of a 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 Theodesia 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 if 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 world still more vast, more fraught with desperate peril, he had come back to her. And she-what had been her perils? What were her thoughts?
 What he saw in her grave face, her mournful eyes uplifted to his own this was the solution of the riddle of his life, the reason for his moods of melancholy, the answer to thousand unspeken 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, si- 1 lent, endeavoring to still the tumult within him.
 I To her he was-what? A tall and handsome gentleman, immediately clad, governor of the newest of our l territories, the largest and richest l realm ever laid under the rule of any vtceroy. 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, yea! Now I known
 To her also, from the divine compas- sion, was given answer for her ques- tionings. She knew that life for her, even though it ended now, had been no blind puzzle, after all, but was glori- ous 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 gallows-even if, as both knew in their supreme renunciation, they must part and never meet again-for them both there could be peaceful calm, with all life's questions answered, beautifully and surely answered, never again to rise for conquering.
 "S1rcapta1n-tnat IS CO say, GoV- ernor Lewis," she corrected herself tI was not expecting you"
 Her tone seemed icy, though her soul was in her eyes. She was all upon the defense, as Lewis instantly under stood. He took her hand in both of his own and looked into her face.
 She gazed up at him, and swiftly, mercifr1Ily the tears came. Gently, as if she had been child, he dried them for her, as once when a boy he had promised to do. They were alone now. The cold silence of the prison was about them, but their own long silence seemed a golden, glowing thing. Thus only in their silence could they speak. They did not know that they stood hand in hand.
 My husband is not here," said she at 1anofh Oontlv diSen pa ping her hand