Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-01-27

real Joy in the world. Surely God has
been kind 10 the poor little orphan,
your chum. who was so lonely at
school. He has sent me treasure |
do not deserve, though | love him
so much? George and | are to be
married IN November. | am happy. hap
py, happy II seems almost like dream
and that ! will wake up-it's too good
TO be true"
Old Oscar Powers and his wife made
arrangements to give their girl as
elaborate wedding as they could pro-
vide Invitations were sent out and
all was in readiness for the happy
event, Joyously George Travers kissed
his prospective bride, vaulted into the
saddle, and set out for the county sea.
TO procure n marriage license, Mary
awaited his return, singing happily as
she performed her household duties.
The wedding was set for the third day
after that.
The following night Travers returned,
There was no JOY in the greeting he
gave his betrothed. Slowly, awkwardly,
fearfully he told her the result OF his
errand. An obstacle TO the wedding hal
arisen that neither had dreamed Of.
INDIAN BLOOD BAR TO MARRIAGE
The Indian blood the faint trace OF
the redmen--this was the bar. The law
Of the white man forbade a marriage
between the races. In vain the sturdy
miner had stormed, protested coaXed;
the officers would not issue a permit for
the wedding. They had been told that
Mary had Indian blood In her veins
and no matter how little OF this there
might be- II was sufficient TO act as an
Insurmountable obstacle to her mar
rage with a white man.
They bore the blow bravely, MS best
they could Travers declared that he
would yet find way. He went to Car
son city and there found that no rene
dy awaited him, The law was specific,
lrreconcilable.
Some one told George Trayers that In
Mexico there was no legal obstacle to
marriage between q white man and n
maid of Indian blood This he grasped
at as the one means Of honorIng the
woman he loved and who worshiped
him. He told Mary Of his discovery;
he declared he would take her to Mex
leo and there make her his Wife, and
no left her while he set out to arrange
his affairs for the prospective bridal
trip. Mary watched him gallop away
a smile on her lips, but tears in her
eyes. She was silent all that day, The
old folks forbore to tresspass upon her
grIef-they knew of what she was
thinking,
GAVE LIFE AS SACRIFICE.
She retired carly, kissing her foster
parents tcndery when she left them for
the night. Hiding her head In Mrs.
Powers lap she burst into tears, sob
bling
20, mamma, | didn't know | didn't
know why didn't you tell me that
was different--that l was only an In
dIan-that was not nc to marry him
The old lady comforted the girl ms
best she could and led her to her ROOM
They found her there the next morning
A silk handkerchief that George TraV-
ers had worn was knotted tightly
around her slender throat and her heart
was still, Pinned TO her breast was
note
pear George" she had written, FOR.
give me for this, but II Is nelteI' cam
not live without you, ] know you
would marry mo, but / cannot let YOU
sacrifice yourself for me. All your life
men would throw II up TO you that
your wife was an Indian girl. | did
not realize that ] was so different from
other girls: please forgive me, but ]
didn't know"
And when the lover returned few
days later, prepared TO take his bride
TO Mexico, they showed him the note
and n little mound out on the prairie
And then George TraYers rode away,
alone, into the hills.
A few days ago a party Of prospeclors
came into Klernan, New. after trip
into the Meadow valley range, They
reported finding the decomposed body
Of man by spring where they had
stopped TO secure water, A bullet hole
In the forehead told the manner Of his
death, and pistol, with one empty
cartridge, lying beside the corpse in