Part 20 (2/2)
Constitution or no Constitution, the purchase of Louisiana had been completed, the transfer had been forh If ever he was to do anything for his own enterprise, it was now high time
Burr's was a mind to see to the core of any problem in statecraft He knehat this sudden access of interest in the West indicated, so far as his plans were concerned It must be stopped--else it would be too late for any dream of Aaron Burr for an e He needed funds for the ents in his employ--needed yet more funds for the purchase and support of his lands in the South And thethat unless this expedition up the Missouri could be stopped, no further aid need be expected from him
Little by little Burr saw hope slip away from hi the Osage Indians, a little way out from the city; but the main expedition had actually started
Williaet his party under way until five days after the for, and three days after Burr's arrival At last, however, on the 14th of May, the three boats had left St Louis wharf, with their full coreat voyage Captain Clark, ever light-hearted and careless of his spelling-book, if not of his rifle, says it was ”a jentle brease” which aided the oars and the square-sail as they started up the river
assuredly the bark of Aaron Burr was sailing under no propitious folloind Distracted, he paced up and down his apartuest, preoccupied, absorbed, alain he cast an esti woman who accompanied him
”You are ill, Theodosia!” he exclaihter, this will not do! Have you no arts of the toilet that can overcoet you sohtest face, your best apparel now
These folk of St Louis must see us at our best, my dear, our very best Besides----”
He needed not to coh as in her father's h why they both were here It 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 shoulders She once more must see Captain Meriwether Lewis--and itready to leave town at once upon his return fro Virginian, and at last--although with dread in his own heart--within an hour of his actual departure, he called to pay his coh in rank under the government which he hiize for his garb, suited rather to the trail than to the drawing-room He stood in the hall of the Chouteau home, a picture of the soldier of the frontier rather than 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 werebuckskins, and his shi+rt was of rough linsey, suitable for the work ahead
”I ask your pardon, Colonel Burr,” said he, ”for co to you as I am, but the moment for my start is now directly at hand I could not leave without co to present my duties to you and Mrs Alston
Indeed, I have done so at once upon my return to town I pray you carry back to Mr Jefferson my sincerest co forth with high hopes of success”
Formal, cold, polite--it was the one wish of Captain Lewis to end this interview as soon as heas they were
But Aaron Burr planned otherwise His low, deep voice was never --nor was his bold heart ever more in trepidation than now, as he hter, Mrs Alston, will join us presently,” he said ”So you are ready, Captain Lewis?”
”We are quite prepared, Colonel Burr My men are on ahead two days'
journey, ca for rain, Mr Chouteau, Mr Labadie--one or two others of the gentlemen in the city--are so kind as to offer me a convoy of honor so far as St Charles We are quite flattered So noe start--they are waiting for es are burned behind es burned?_”
The deep voice of Aaron Burr al inian ”I do not knohen I may return Perhaps Mr Clark or myself may come back by sea--should we ever reach the sea We can only trust to Providence”
He was bowing 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 heard the approach of another, whose co--the wo
”Oh, not so fast, not so fast!” laughed Theodosia Alston as she ca, and have been hurrying to prettyto run aithout ever saying good-by toher light speech, resolved itself into one of adoodly picture as he stood ready for the trail
”I was just going, yes,” stammered Meriwether Lewis ”I had hoped----”
But what he had hoped he did not say
”Why ht we not walk doith you to the wharf, if you are so soon to go?” she de any disappointment she may have felt at her cavalier reception
”An excellent idea!” said Aaron Burr, backing his daughter's hand, and trusting to her to have some plan ”A warrior must spend his last ith sohter to you, and I shall follow presently to bid you a last Godspeed You said those other gentlemen were to join you there?”