Evening star., 1924-02-13
CONTINUED from Yesterdays Starr

| Continued from Yesterdays Starr
He was bowling and extending his
| own hand in farewell, with polite
excuses as to his haste-relieved that
| his last ordeal had been spared him.
He turned as he felt rather than
(, coming caused his heart almost to
lstop beating-the woman dreaded and
demanded by every fiber of his
being.
/; 'Oh, not SO fast. not 50 fast
! laughed Theodosia Alston as she
came into the room, Offering her
hand. Il heard you talking, and
have been hurrying to pretty myself
up for Capt. Lewis. What? Were
you trying to run away without ever
tsaying goodbye to me? And how you
are prettied up"
| Her gaze. following her light speech,
resolved itself into one of admiration
| Theodosia Aston, as she looked
found him a goodly picture as he
stood ready for the trail.
Meriwether Lewis. II had hoped
But what he had hoped he did not
say.
| why might we not walk down
! with you to the wharf. IL you are SO
! soon TO go?" she demanded-her own
self f-control concealing any disappoint
1 ment she may have felt at her cava-
| lier reception.
| IAN excellent idea said Aaron
Burr. backing his daughters hand,
and trusting her to have some plan;
"a warrior must spend his last word
| with some woman, captain. 90 you
! on ahead--I surrender my daughter
| to you, and J shall follow presently
to bid you last Godspeed. You said
j 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 holIyhocks and budding roses
licences. 1T 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, turn
| ed, made their way down the rock :
faced biuff 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.
! And so Capt. Lewis is going to
have his way as usual? And he was
| going--in spite of all--even without
/, saying goodbye to me-
Yes. 1 would have preferred that.
/; Capt. Lewis is mad. Look at that
! river. They say that when the boat
| started last week II took them an
thour to make a quarer of a mile when
they struck into the Missouri How
many thousands of hours will it take
you get your boats across the noun
! tains? What cascades and rapids lie
on ahead? Your men will mutiny and
destroy you; You cannot succeed
you will fall
| II thank you. madam
| OF 7
lin fact, you have started but /
want you to come back before your
j obstinacy has driven you too far"
| Just what do you mean?
| Listen. You have given me no
| time. unkind as you are-not a mo-
mental an hour like this. In these
/ unsettled times. who knows what may
! happen? In that very unsettlement
| lies the probable success of the plan
!; which my father and / have put
before you SO often. We need you to
help us. When are you going to come
! back to us, Merne2"
raacbnS as Shs bs spoke lone they wbsys Tsre aons
/ that time--iatboats. keelboats. pi-
I rogues. canoes-and, far off at
the extremity Of the line. the boat
which Lewis and his friends were to
take. a party of idlers and observers
stood about 1t even now. The gaze
| of the young leader was fixed in that
direction. He did not make any i'm
! mediate sign that he had heard her
!; speech.
Il told shannon, my aide, to meet
| me here he said at last. He was
|; to fetch my long spyglass. There
are certain little articles of my equip
|; ment over yonder In the wharf shed
Would you excuse me for just
/ He Iooped at the low door and en-
tered But she followed him-fol-
lowed after him unconsciously. with
out plan. feeling only that he must
not go. that she could not let him
away from her.
| She saw the light floating through
the door fall on his dense hair. long
loosely bagged in its cue. She saw
! the quality OF his strong figure. in
all the fittings of a frontiersman
saw his stern face. his troubled eye
, saw the unconscious strength which
! marked his every movement as he
strode about, eager, as 1t seemed to
| her, only to be done with his last er-
! rands. and away on that trail which
SO long had beckoned to him.
The strength of the man, the
strength of his purposeAthe sudden
+! and full realization of both-this
| caught her like tangible thing. and
left her no more than the old, blind
uniformed protest. He must not go
She could not let him go!
But the words she had spoken had
| caught him, after all. He had beer
pondering-had been trying to Sc,
them aside as IL unheard.
! Coming back? 2" he began, and stop
ped short once more. They were now
both within the shelter of the old
building.
Yes, Mcrne" she broke out sud
denly. When are you coming back
to me, Merne?"
] Ha OF ell
just moment. 1t seemed to her as
If he was made of stone. Then he
spoke very slowly. deliberately
Coming back to you? And you
call me by that name? Only my
ooh. stif,-necked man. 1t is Sc
hard to be kind with you! And all ]
have ever done-every time I have
followed you In this way, each time
ways was only in kindness for you!
He made no reply.
Fate ran against us, Merne." she
went on tremblingly. We have both
accepted fate. But in a woman's
heart are many mansions. Is there
Can't ask place in a good mans
heart-an innocent. clean place? Oh
think not you have had all the un-
happiness in your own heart! Is al
the worlds misery yours? / don,
want you to go away. Merne, but II
you do--if you must-Won't yol
, come back? Oh. won't you, Merne?'
Her voice was trembling. her hant
half raised. her eyes sought after him
She stood partly in shadow, the fare
Of light from the open door falling owe,
her face. She might have been som'
| saint OF old In pictured guise; bu
she was q woman, alive, beautiful
delectable. alluring-especially now
with this tone in her voice. thi'