Evening star., 1924-02-29
CHAPTER WI.
The Quality of Mercy.

In Richmond Jail lay Aaron Burr.
the great consrirator. the ruins of
his ambition fallen about him. He
had found Il prison instead of a pal
ace. lie was eager no longer to gain
n sccptcr. but only 10 escape a moose.
The great conspiracy was at an end
The only question was of the punish
m"nt the accused should have-for in
the general b"iicf. Ii" was certain of
conviction. That Il" never was con-
Nictod has always been one of the
most mysterious facts Of it mystvli-
Gus chapter in our national develop
mtn:.
SO crowded r,"r" the hostciries of
Richm"rd that = stranger would hav.
had difficulty in fading lodging there
du'tn" thc .iN months OF til" Burr
trial. Not So with Meriwether Lewis,
now one of tn" coInirN'S f1mnuS men.
= score Of homes opened their doors
7" him. Tn" town hi2zed over his APP
Ncar"nc". II" had Once. hecn tho
sricnd "f Eu:r. always the friend of
;;i"ti"l sou. 7" which side now would
h" Loan"
Lath"r Martin. chief Of Eurr's coun-
sci. was "aErr above all fp have a
w"rd with Msrir"thcr Lewis. So close
70 affairs, in Washington. possibly so
useful I" hiInSt IT,
Washington Irving. too. assistant to
Martin in tn" great trial would gladly
nave rad talk with him. MI asked
what his GRAND might b" What was
the leaning "f the governor o: the
new territory, a man closer tn the adj
ministrat!on at Washington than any
other?
Meriwcthcr Lewis kept his own
counsel. II" arranged first to see
Eurr himself. The meageriy fur
nlSh"d antcroom Of the federal prison
in Richmond was the discredited ad-
Eenturer's reception han in those
days.
Burr advanced to meet his visitor
with something Of his old haughti-
ness of mien. a little of the former
hrlllIancc of his eye.
Governor, | am delighted to see
you back safe and sound from your
journey. Ny CONGRATULATIONS, sir"
Meriwcther Lewis made no reply.
but gazed IT him steadily, We'll aware
Of the stinging sarcasm Of Eis words
Il have few friends now" said
AARON Burr. "You hav" many You
are on the flood tii.-it rbbs for me
When one loses. what mercy is shown
10 him.. That sCoundrcl Mcrry-hc
promised everything and CAV. moth
ing. frujo--hc is worse yet in his
treachery. Even tn. French minis
Ter, Turreau-who surely might listen
to the wishes of the gre at French
pays no attention to their petitions
whatever. and none to mine. These
We're my former friends: 7 promised
them a country"
You promised them Il country, Col.
Burr-from what?'
From that great ownerless land
yonder. the west. But they waited
and waited, until your success was
sure. Why that scoundrel Merry is
here this very day-the effrontery Of
hiy,,' Ia IN la
with me. No, he is here TO undertake
TO recoup himself in his own losses
by reasons of moneys he advanced to
me some time ago. He is Emporium
ing my son-in-law. Mr.. Aston, to pay
him back those frInds--which once
lie was so ready to furnish to us. But
Mr.. Alston is ruined-I am ruined
we are all ruined. No. they waited
too long.
"They waited until it was too late.
ives" Lewis returned. "1'hat country
Is American now, not British or Span
ash or French. Our men are passing
hcross the river in thousands. They
will never lose their hold on the west.
1T was treason to the future that YOU
alanned--but it was hopeless from The
first"
1T would seem. sir said Aaron
Burr, cynical smile twisting MS
thin lips, that l may not count upon
your friendship"
That is a hard speech, Col. Burr. I
was your friend. ,
More than your chief ever was. !
fancy Mr.. Jefferson would like to see
me pillorled, drawn and duartered
after the old way.
You are unjust to him. You struck
at the greatest ambition or MS llic-
struck at his heart and the heart OF
Ais country-when you underto1Ih,, -
separate the west from this republic.
Il am plain man. and Il ousH
1nan." said Aaron Burr, coidly. II
must employ my time now to the
l,etterment Of my situation. ! nave
failed, and YOU have won. But let
! me throw the cloak aside, since
know YOU can be of no service TO me.
T care not what punishment you may
haye-what suffering-because ! rec
ognize in you the one great cause "I
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 MerlWether
Al,ewis looked up he Eras gone:
n Even as Burr passed, MerlWethef
NJ evils heard light step IN the long
corridor. J-nder guard of the turnkey,
some enc stood at the door. IL was
4ac figure OF a woman-a hgure Wnlcn
aus ed him to halt, caused MS hetart 10
leap. :,
shc came toward him now. all in
r-eul n.ng' blaok--hat, gown anu
;lcvs. He" face was pale. her eyes
acep.. her mouth droopin". Tlieelqsia a
.llston was always thus cH Ae~ dali!
! visit to her fathers otll
Herself the picture Of failure and
G.s,jairs ne was used to avoiding ihS
.yes OF all: but she saw MeriWether
ksYis staAuiUv bstoIe ReTs StronSt