Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-12
BY EMERSON HOUGH.
A Stirring Story of the Northwest.
Copyright. lsss. BY D. Appleton Z Co.,

no arts of the toilet that can over.
come the story of your megrims?
Shall I get you some sort OF bltter
herbs? You need your brightest face:
your best apparel now. These folk or
/ St. Louis must see us at our best, my
dear, our very best. Besides-"
He needed not to complete the sem
tence. Theodosia Aston knew well
enough. what was in her fathers
they We're both here. 1t was
| because she would not have
| come alone. And she knew that the
burden of the work they had at heart
must once more lie upon her Shout
ders. She once more must see Capt.
Meriwether LewiS-and it must be
soon. if ever. He was reported as be-
ng ready to leave town at once upon
his return from the Usage Indians.
But courtesy did not fail the young
Virginian, and at last--although with
dread in his own heart-within an
| hour of his actual departure, he call
ed to pay his compliments to guests
! SO distinguished as these, to man
I so high in rank under the government
which he himself served. He found it
necessary to apologize for his Earb,
suited rather to the trail than to the
drawing room. He stood In the hall
| of the Chouteau home. picture of
the soldier of the frontier ratherthan
! the courtier of the capital.
| His three-cornered military hat, his
| blue uniform coat-these made the
/ sole formality of his attire, for his
feet were moccasined' his limbs were
! clad in tight-fitting buckskins, and
! his shirt was of rough linsey, suitable
| for the work ahead
.I ask you pardon, Col. Burr" said
! he, for coming to you as l am. but
| the moment for my start is now di-
| without coming to present my duties
! to you and Mrs. Aston. Indeed. l
! have done SO at once upon my return
l to town. / pray you carry back to
! Mr. jefferson my sincerest compli-
/ ments. Say to him. If YOU viii. 'h"f
I'VE are setting forth with high hopes
| of success"
Formal, cold. polite-it was the one
wish of Capt Lewis to end this in
! terview as soon as he might. and to
leave all sleeping dogs lying as they
| We're.
| But Aaron Burr planned otherwise.
| His low, deep voice was never more
persuasive, his dark eye never more
! comprehension was his bold heart
lever more in trepidation than now. as
he made excuse for Observation-Disclosures
lay.
! us presently" he said. so you are
ready, Capt. Lewis?"
I'VE are quite prepared, Col. Burr.
| My men are on ahead two days
journey, camped at st. Charles. and
i waiting for me to overtake them. DR..
Saugrain. Mr.. Chouteau, Mr.. Labadie
| one or two oth"rs az
men in the city-are so kind as to
offer me convoy o. huuo. -. o.
St. Charles. We are quite tiattereu
$50 now we start-they are waiting
for me at the wharf now. and l must
go. All bridges are burned behind
me"
"All bridges burned?"
The deep voice of Aaron Burr al
I, most trembled. His keen eye search
ed the face of the young man before
him.
EVERY one" replied the young Vir-
Sinian. 81 do not know how or when
| may return. Perhaps Mr.. Clark or
|myself may came back by sea-should
we ever reach the sea. We can only
trust to Providence
| Continued in Tomorrow's StarO