The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-27


 journey, camped at St.. Charles and waiting for me to overtake them. Dr. Saugrain, MT. Chouteau, MT. Labadie, one or two others of the gentlemen in convoy of honor so far as St. Charles. We are quite fattered. So now we start. They are waiting for me at the wharf now, and I must go. All bridges are burned behind mey'
 "All bridges burned?"
 The deep voice of Aaron Burr almost irembled. His keen eye searched the face of the young man before him.
 "Every one," replied the young Vir- ginian. "I do not know how or when I may return. Perhaps MT. Clark or myself may come back by sea should we ever reach the sea. We can only trust to Providence"
 He was lowing and extending his own hand in farewell, with polite ex- cuses as to his haste, relieved that his last ordeal had been spared him. He turned as he felt rather than heard the approach of another, whose, coming caused his heart almost to stop beat ing, the woman dreaded and demanded by every fiber of his being.
 "Oh, not so fast, not so fast" laugh ed Theodosia Aston as she came into the room, offering her hand. "I heard you talking and have been hurrying to pretty myself up for Captain Lewis. What? Were you trying to run away without ever saying goodby to me? And how you are prettied up!'
 '.I was just going, yes," stammered Meriwether Lewis. q had hoped But what he had hoped he did not say. ,'Why might we not walk down with you to the wharf if you are so soon to go?" she demanded, her own self con trol concealing any disappointment she may have felt at her cavalier reception.
 "An excellent idea !'' said Aaron Burr, backing his daughters hand and trust ing to her to have some plan. "A war rior must spend his last word with some woman, captain. Go you on ahead. I surrender my daughter to you, and I shall follow presently to bid you a last godspeed. You said those other gentlemen were to join you there?"
 Meriwether Lewis found himself walking down the narrow street of the frontier settlement, between the lines of hollyhocks and budding roses which fronted many of the little residences It was spring. The air was soft. He was young. The, woman at his side was very beautiful. So far as he could see, they were alone.
 They passed along the street, turned, made their way down the rock faced bluff to the water front but still they were alone. All St. Louis was at the farther end of the wharf waiting for last look at the idol of the town.
 Theodosia sighed.
 "And so Captain Lewis is going to have his way, as usual? And he was going-in spite of all-even without saying goodby to me-"
 "Yes, would have preferred that"
 "Captain Lewis is mad. Look at that river! They say that when the boat started last week it took them an hour to make quarter of mile when they struck into the Missouri. How many thousands of hours will it take to as- cend to the mountains? How will you get your boats across the mountains? What cascades and rapids lie on ahead? Your men will mutiny and destroy you. You cannot succeed. You will fail !'
 
 "1 thank you, madam"
 "Oh, you must start now, presume. In fact, you have started, but I want you to come back before your obstinacy has driven you too far'
 "Just what do you mean?"
 Listen. You have given me no time, unkind as you are-not a moment-at an hour like this! In these unsettled times who knows what may happen? In that very unsettlement lies the prob able success of the plan which my fa- ther and have put before you so of ten. We need you to help us. When are you going to come back to us, Mernew
 He did not make any immediate sign that he had heard her speech.
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