The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-06-27

self out of it. He was a man of bus
mess, very successful, and he had meant
his money to help Georges career. And
George had not been willing to take the
nrst step toward a career. George had
been a complete failure.
Bewildered. he looked for the first
time at the girl on the other side Of the
bed.
She stood with her hands ciasped on
her breast. her head bent and her large
eyes looking up at him rather wildly.
She was very young, slight and eX-
tremely pretty. Her brown hair, roll
ing in soft disorder back from narrow
forehead, her short oval face, sweetly
curved lips and deep. dark eyes-all, in
spite of her pallOr, of her evident suf-
fering, had the fresh and exquisite
charm of youth.
Richard Travis barely saw her, but
her presence there somehow hurt him
He turned away abruptly and went out
Of the room. In the hall Mrs. Sprague
was awaiting him. She showed him his
bedroom, and said that supper would
be ready in half an hour.
And 1 do hope, sir, that you can get
that poor young thing to take some food
and look after herself a little" she
added There she stays in that ice
cold room, and have been hardly able
TO get her out of it these three days,
and she hardly eats a mOuthful. And
she isn't strong, you knOw-she can't go
on 50. It's pitiful to see her"
Mrs. Sprague's eyes were full of tears.
Richard Travis said CURLY:
Yes, want to talk to her. viii you
ask her TO come down stairs?''
He was conscious of the wOman's
look of surprise, and a change in her
tone as she said:
Yes, I'll ask her. And, if you'll ex-
cuse me. MT. Travis, 1 really think she
ought to see the doctor. There's one at
the next station, but she wouldn't talk
to him or anybody, after her husband
died"
"A doctor2 Why, is she ill?" Travis
asked rather impatiently.
why, she-the shock and grief and
all-surely you know, Mr.. Travis, she
is going to have a child?"
OH Well send for the doctor, by
all means, if you think she needs atten-
ton. I shall be glad TO see her as soon
as she is able to come down. Thank
you"
With this dismissal, Travis closed his
door.
He was aware that his tone and man
ner had been cold and bTusque, and
that he had shown no more feeling
than was in him, which was none at all.
His feeling, all Of IT, was for the dead
boy lying in that bleak room. Besides
George, he had for years loved no living
being; and now he cared for nobody,
not even himself.
This girl whom George had married
was nothing to him. He could scarcely
see her. as Georges wife. That title had
always seemed to him a proud one, and
ne had pictured to himself some charm
ing woman, of whom he could be proud,
as bearing il. She was to have been a
girl of family, of position and breeding,
and Georges marriage an affair of state
and ceremony, BETTING it's Importance.
And then he, Richard Travis, would
have had a daughter, and she and her
children would have comforted his age
and made his stately house gay and
warm. So he had often fancied.
But-George had married by the way
side, picking up his wife apparently on
the impulse OF the moment, without
warning, even, to his father. He had
written, simply, that he was married;
that he had fallen very much in love,
but that he would not have married so
hastily except that Ysabel was very IN
happy at home; that he was going to
bring his wife east, and hoped his IA
Their would feel kindly toward her and
would come to love her.
Richard Travis had had no intention
of loving her. He did not like. the SPELL
ing Of her name, nor the fact that she
had a streak Of Spanish blood, nor any
thing else that he knew Of her, which
was little besides. He disliked her for
George. There was no tie
between her and himself, and it was
plain TO him that she must go back to
ha
that she was handsomely provided for
The thought occurred to him that she
might have married for this provision;
she must have known that George could
not live long. His face was set and not
pleasant to see as he went down to
await her in the parlor
He had some little time to wait Then
Mrs. Sprague came down, and said
Mrs. Travis will be here directly-and
supper is ready when you want it."
A faint color rose to the old mans
cheeks. Mrs. Travisl Yes, of course, it
was her name, She had a right to that
name; and she had her legal rights, too,
as Georges wife. All her claims should
be duly honored-generously honored-
he resolved, and his jaw set gFimly.
She did not look very intrusive as
she came in and took the chair he set
for her before the fire. She moved
and she looked absurdly
small and childish. Her blue dress had
been put In order, her hair neatly rolled
up. In her pale little face her eyes
looked deeper and blacker than before
They were soft, liquid, foreign eyes,
and beautiful even now, though they
were red with crying. She waited for
Travis to speak. sHe was rather at a
loss for a mOment-it was because he
was trying to remember her name. and
could not He sat down near her and
began, in a courteous and matter of
fact tone-fOr he was afraid that she
would cry again.
Have you he asked, sent word to
any one OF your family? Is any one
coming TO you here?"
No" she said family.
You mean you haven't telegTaphed-
or anything"
"No-I haven't"
rs there some one who could come
one of your parents, perhaps?"
"I-don't think so. Ny mother-isn't
well enough, and-and my stepfather-
no, he couldn't come
But have you any plan, then? Have
you thought what you want TO do. Ysa-
bel?"
He had just recoileCted the name. She
looked up at him with her wide eyes,
as though startled.