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


No, she said.
1t 81 j be just as you wish.
Il vi 60 back"
I shall see" said Travis. that you
are made as comfortable as possible
now and for the future"
She rose, with her indifferent look,
anxious only to get away.
Will you come and have something
10 eat-supper, I believe they call it
with me2" Travis asked
No, thank you; 7 think I will go to
my ROOM she said.
She made him a little bow and went
toward the door
Have you a warm room? Is there
anything I can get for you? You will
have something sent up. at least-yOu
must eat something Travis said. i'll at
ease in the midst Of his own trouble
because Of her. Now that he saw she
did not mean 10 trouble him, he felt
some shame at his cOldness toward her
and vet he could not pretend d
warmth he did not feel.
Yes, thank you. Mrs Sprague is
very good 10 me. ] don't need any
thing Ysabei said, looking down, and
she slipped out of the room with her
nOiseless tread.
Ira, is drew a breath of relief. That
Interview had been as hard for her as
Atl Hllllr ne saw Ctit udu Deeu dlIdlu
of breaking down. There were things
he wanted to ask her. She had been
with George when he died. But
jUst~now he could not ask those ques-
tons. He saw that she could not bear
them. He must see her again, when
perhaps she would be better able. But
the time was short. Tomorrow he would
90 his way, and she presumably would
go hers; and after that he might not
see her again. There were business
arrangements to be made, too-but that
might be done by letter Yes, better so,
for II was clearly impossible to talk
business with her now. However, he
did not resent this inconvenience that
she was put him tO-he had a vague
feeling that she had come out of the
interview rather well, better than he
eXpected-better, in fact, than he had.
He sat down to his meager meal
alone, Mrs. Sprague waiting upon him.
She kept complete silence, and Travis
might have guessed, If he had been in
terested, her opinion Of him. When he
had finished, he lighted a cigar and
walked to the window. The snow had
stopped falling but it lay thick, banked
against the house. and made the clear
ing white blur against the dark woods.
The moon was up; the sky looked pale
and frosty; a night Of intense cold was
setting in.
Mrs. Sprague took off the dishes as
quietly as possible The house was
quiet The men in the bar talked in
low tones. Overhead there were foot
steps. and Travis knew that his sons
body was being put into the coffin he
had brought. He clinched his teeth on
the cigar. Suddenly he turned and
asked abruptly:
Mrs. Sprague, were you with him?
Did he suffer at the end?"
She answered quietly:
When we knew he was dying I left
them alone together. But before that,
the last words I heard him speak, he
said, I'm-so-tired.' Just that way,
as though he was going to sleep. I
don't think he suffered"
After a few moments Travis said:
will you take something up to Mrs.
Travis? Is there anything l can order
for her, anything I can get here, or
to make her more comfort
able?"
I'll do all I can" Mrs. sprague an
swered. I've made her some chicken
soup and jelly, and tried to tempt her
appetite a little. But il isn't food nor
yet fire that she wants, Mr.. Travis"
Then she went out of the Foom-his
supper had been laid in the parlOr-
and left him to himself.
1t was partly uneasiness about her
that drove Richard Travis out of the
house. 1t seemed impossible to let her
go alone or. rather. 70 leave her here
the next day-for his train to the east
left before hers to the west-without
settling something. If she had had a
home to go back to, some one to take
care of her on the journey, it would
have been easier. He made up his mind
that he must see her in the morning
and find out just what the situation was
in her home All he knew was that it
had been unhappy. She seemed quite
resigned to going back. But just now
he saw she did not care where she went
nor what became of her. She was
crushed by her misfortune. Perhaps
she had really cared very much for
George. This somehow had not Oc-
CURED to him before. and he felt more
kindly toward her and more solicitous
about her. After all, in any case her
was a haEd one.
He was man who could not bear the
idea Of a just claim upon him resting
unsatished. But, strong as was his
sense Of responsibility, his emotions
were stronger. Both had rather a mar
row range. He cared for and felt re-
we're directly connected with himself,
who were extensions of his powerful
egOtism. But a claim upon him for
feeling which he could not satisfy was a
torment to him. He was more than
willing TO open his purse to any just
demand or appeal; TO give his time, his
personal help, when necessary. But he
could not give his affection on demand.
He could not pretend to Ysabel that he
cared about her personally. He had be
gun with a prejudice against her. and
prejudice died hard in him. Yet her for
lorn situation made him extremely I'M
comfortable. 1t irritated him to be dis
turbed I'm this way He wanted to be
alone with his dead. Now that all in
terest was gone out Of life for him, il
was hard to have practical cares for
an Indifferent person thrust upon him.
He could not feel that Ysabel was in
any connected with him. He could
hardly realize her connection with
George. George had written very little
about her, and this with the curious
constraint that had always marked his
relations with his father. It was as
though he counted in advance on his
fathers disapproval Of anything he did.
Thus Ysabel had not figured in the old
mans mind at all, except as an embod-
led disappointment. He had wanted to
get her out of his mind as speedily as