The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1918-02-22

SEVEN
70 say ne must leave Mr.. Nolan TO- her, \
and led him of to the place where the
dance was forming. Is VI \. "
Nolan thought he lad got his chance, r.
He had known her at Philadelphia,
and at other places had met her, and
this was q godsend. You could not n
talk IN contredances, as you do u
cotillions, or even In the pauses OF
waHzing; but there were chances for
tongues and sounds. as well al for y
eyes and bushes. He began with her
travels, and Europe, and Yesuvius, and
the French; and then, when they had
worked down. and had that long talk
Ing time at the bottom OF the ret. he
said boldly. . little pale. she said, as
she told me the story, years after: 4;
y 'And what do you hear from home,
Mrs. Graf? r. ss!3
n And that splendid creature looked
through him. Jovel how she must
have looked through him Home II Il
Mr.. Nolanlll ] thought You were the
man who never wanted to hear Of
home againl" and she walked directly
up the deck to her husband, and left
poor Nolan alone, 40 he always was.
He did not dance again.
I cannot give any history Of him In
order; nobody can now; and. indeed.
! am not trying to. These are the tra-
dltions, which sort out, az. ] believe
them, from the myths which have been
told about this man for forty years.
Tho fellows used TO say he was the
"Iron Mask !" and poor George Pons
went to his grave In the belief that
this was the author Of "Junius," who
was being punished for bis celebrated
libel on Thomas Jefrer1on. Pons was
not very strong In the historical line.
A happier story than either Of these ]
have told 10 Of the war. That came
along soon after. I have heard this
affair told In three or four ways, and.
indeed, It may have happened more
than once. But which ship It was on
I cannot tell. However, in one. Of
least, Of the great frigate duels with
the English, in which tho navy was
really baptized, it happened that .
round shot from the enemy entered
one Of our ports square. and took right
down the officer Of the gun himself,
and almost every man OF the guns
crew. Now you may say what you
choose about courage. but that 10 not
nice thing to see. But az the men
who were not killed picked themselves
up, and the surgeons people were car
rying OF the bodies, there appeared
Nolan, in his shirt sleeves, with the
rammer in his hand, and. just as u he
had been the officer, told them on with
authority, who should 60 to the cock
pit with the wounded men, who should
stay with him, perfectly CHEEKY, and
with that way which makes men feel
sure all Is right and is going to be
right. And he finished loading tho
gun with his own hands, aimed 1t, and
babe the men fire. And there he
stayed, captain of that gun, keeping
those fellows in spirits, tin the enemy
struck, sitting on the carriage while
the gun was cooling, though he was
exposed all the time, showing u.@!3
easier ways to handle heavy shot, max
ing the raw hands laugh at their own
Eblunders and when the gun cooled
again, getting It loaded and fred twice
as often as any other gun on the ship.
The captain walked forward. By way
Of encouraging the men, and Nolan
touched his hat and said: J.
81 am showing them how We do this
In the artillery, sir" +
And this Is part Of the story where
all the legends agree that the commo.
dore said: -: a. &c - re- &
II see you d. and I thank you, DIR:
and shall never forget this day. slE,
and you never shall, sir" .t~
And after the whole thing was over,
and he had the Embellishments sword.
in the midst of the state and ceremony
Of the quarterback. he said: ,
"Where is Mr.. Nolan? Ask Mr.. No.
Ian to come here"
And when Nolan came, the captain
said: 49,
"Mr. Nolan, we are all very grateful
to you today; you are one Of US today;
you will be named In the dispatches"
And then the old man took of his
own sword of ceremony, and gave 1t to
Nolan, and made him put 1t on. The
man told me this who saw It. Nolan
cried like a baby, and well he might.
He had not worn a sword since that
internal day at Fort Adams. But al
ways afterward, on occasions of cere-
mony, he wore that quaint old French
sword Of the commodore's.
The captain did mention him in the
dispatches. It was always said he
asked that he might be pardoned. he
wrote a special letter to the secretary,
Of war. But nothing ever came Of IL
As said, that was about the time
when they began to ignore the whole
transaction at Washington, and when
Nolan's imprisonment began to carry