Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-28
The Magnificent Adventure
A Stirring Story of the Northwest.
BY EMERSON HOUGF.
Copyright. by D Av,s.sn Z cs3
BY EMERSON HOUCH.
A Stirring Story of the Northwest.
Copyright. 1ses, By D. Ay,is.sr L c.,

| pleased. Mr. Jefferson" said Lewis
! simply.
PLEASED, Pleased. Say rather tina
/ am saved. Say rather that this
. country is saved! Had you proved
! dtsloyal TO fnc-had you for any cause.
/ turned back" he went ON, "thinL
what had been the result! What
! load, although you knew il not, H-aS
/ placed on your shoulders. Suppose
that you had turned back on the trail
last year, or the summer before-sup-
! pose you had not gotten beyond the.
| Mand4ns--can you measure the diff
! ference for this republic, Can you
| begin TO see what responsibility rest
ed on yop? Had you failed, YOU
would have dragged the flag Of your
| country IN the dust. Had you com.
back any time before you did, thoIi.'
4, you might have called yourself the
| man who ruined his President. hi
friend, his country
And I neariy did. Mr. jefferson.
broke out 2Ieriwether Lewis. do not
! praise me too much. was tempt
Cd
The old man turned toward hin,
i his face grave.
| You are honest: value thai
above all in YOU you are punctiiious
70 have no praise not honestly WOE.
Listen, now" He leaned toward the
young man who sat beside him. ~
/ Know know all along-how 80
Were tempted. She came here-Thco-
dosia--the Tery day you left"
| Lewis nodded. mute.
| In some way, I knew. the conspir
ators Fought against your success and
| irrine.- | knew what agencies they
, intended to use against you-ir vas
this woman! Had you failed, should
have known why. know InanE
things. whether or not you do.
I we'll enough. He has been crazed Z
carried away ly his own ambitions.
| God alone knows where be would
| have stopped. He has been a MAJ
/ not surpassed in duplicity. He would
stop at nothing Moreover. he could
| make biack look white. He did SO for
! his daughter. She believed In him alb
| solutely. And. knowing somewhat OF
his plans. ] imagined that he would
use the attraction "f that young
lady for you-the power which. ali
| things considered. she might be sup
posed to possess With you. ! knew
| the depth Of Jour ressrd for her. tn !
/ more than all. knew the intentness
and resolution Of sour character. i
was one motive against the other;
! d young Ia;til-tlle not blood OF youtI,
! vas yours. and j know It's powsr.
! Fad the ron.a,. not been married. l
should have lost! You 1rouid hu~e.
saved you-y our personal horor-tila:
| was what brought Us success. "
country Is bigEe-. than the persona. =.
! honor OF its geEteipen."
| The bowed head OF Meriwethc;-
Lewis was his only answer. III
| keen-faceG old man went on:
| Il knew that before you had 7eTt
the mouth Of the Ohio river he would
before you iisd left fiarpe-s Ferry
but placed tilc tssut IN the lap Q:
the. gods. applied 10 you all the :
tests-the screrest tests-:hat on
man can to another. I let you alone
For year. two years, three years, =
, did not know. But now I do know:
F., and the answer IS youder flag which
you have carried from one ocean to
all these hides scrawied II cofll-ali.s
! those new thousands % miles of lana
| our land. God keep X safe for uS
always! And may the people one da.
know who really secured Il for then.
It was not SO much Thomas Jefferso.
as II was NGrtwetlier. Lewis
Each time I dreamed that my sub
tie enemies we're tempting you, 7.
! would be strong: that you would e
on: that YOU would be loyal to you
duty, no matter what the cost. Col
| answered these prayers. ny bo5!
" I'D ItNcE DIS uttG,
price you paid. you did what I prayed.
you would do. When the months.
passed and you did not come back. \
J knew that not even the woman you&
loved could have called you back. [
knew that you had learned the price
less lesson % renl-ciation, of sacr!
flee. through which alone the greac
deeds of the world always have bee&
! done -
Mertwetn~r Lewis stood before hi
! chief, cold and pale. ua4ble to con-
! rlete much speech. Thomas Jefferso:.
looked II hin! For = moment before
he went or.
My boy, you ere 50 simple ths5
| understand how we'll I understand :
you! These things are not done with
out cost. If there was punishment for
you, you took that puuishment-or
| officer and your unwritten oath as II
! gentleman. It il q great thing for Il
man to have his honor altogether un-
4 sullied.' :,
before him lifted hand. His face
was gha pale; DO not said he,
"wha, is Il. aIerne?' exclaimed the :
| old man. What have ! done?"
! You speak Of my honor. Do not.
! Indeed, you touch me deep"
/ Thomas Jefferson. wise old man
| raised a hand.
"I shall never listen. my SON. said
! he. 81 will accord to you the right
! Of hot blood to run hot-you would
| not be man worth Knowing were it
/ not SO. All know or Will know IS
/ that. thate-er tho price. you have
paid it-or will pay It! But tell me
! Merne, can you not tear her from
your soul? It viii ruin you, this
! hopeless attachment which you cher
fish. Is it always to. remain with
! woman. The best in the land are
waiting for you
Mr.. Jefferson. 7 shall never
| marry
! The two sat looking into each
( others eyes for just 4 moment: Said
| Thomas Jefferson at length, slowly :,
80. You have come bacI, with air
| others-but not for yourself. Such
proving as you have had has fallen
| to the lot of but few men. I know !,
now how great has been the cost
see il in your face. The fifteen NIL.
lions I paid for yonder lands was
| the happiness Of q human soul! The
| transient gratitude OF this republic
the honor Of that little paper-ball.
they are nothing: But perhaps j.
may be something for you to know.
! that at least one friend understands"
! Lewis did not speak.
What is lost is lost" the President
began again after = time. What Is
I broken Is broken. But sec hova.
clearly look Into your soul. You
are not thinking now OF what you
! can do for yourself! You are not :
| honors You are asking now, at this ,
! moment. what you can do for her:5r
The smile that came upon the,