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


5,+aan hours, while the snow pillow
l1- nsfh for il; and now with two
els engines pulling and one pushing.
l-ss,b.red ND the steep slope TO the top
u ~ divide In the smoking car d
O- --bsr of philosophers had passed the
n. nj Imprisonment in perfect good
---c- Tt became necessary TO Wear
l---- .,rarroat. but the lardeT had with
se faf the demands made upon
s.r5 almost every one played cards
- WAS. i'm fact. but one marked eX-
----fop. one man whom no one had
~ asked TO take a hand at whist or
.tsr He stayed in the smoking car
= smoke slowly and constantly, one
vi cigar after another Now and then
exchanged a few words with one Of
N. fellow passengers, but they led no
-. and he evidently preferred to
", silent in his chair, wrapped in his
800 coat the dark fur collar of which
49, a frame for his striking head.
tfs mas a handsome man. of the type
&c harsh lines ard dark color are
Dts1od bv the blanching touch of age,
M .ri-u thick. silvery hair, his heavy
i-,~s and black eyes, the clear cut
l-5itv of his strong mouth, his
-+7sirht. staIWart shoulders, gave him
-rrsiu spIeud0r of aspect. His lOneli-
- too and silence, the fmmObility
~ lie look. added to this rather grim
4.tiDeff0H. He commanded notice, even
.Lougb he might wish TO avoid it. From
ne f.rst day of the journey the negro
-,-+sr had made him an object OF spe-
lisl care. and the poTter's attentions
were the only ones welcomed by the
solitary traveller
me- D0rter alone was informed of
This gentleman's destination. To the
s+rprise of the others he got off at
nv station nearly at the top OF the
n,ri5e. a mere little Clump Of frame
59iI5irrs. half buried in snow. His
targgga. too. was taken off, but with
5rf anv concern for this the tall man
-.s5a his way off the platform into
NE snow. and made his way to a low
b115iDg a few rods distant, which was
r9iutsd out 10 him as the hotel, and
,rbi.b had its name, Halfway House,
an a sign over the door. He was evil
IDENTIFY expected; and the interest OF
,bs inhabitants, who were gathered
an the platform OF at the windows,
was directed toward him rather than
toward the belated train.
The stranger walked into the hotel
and said 70 the man behind the bar;
NV name is Travis. You telegraphed
10 me from here
Yes. sir-yes, sir, one second" said
The proprietor hastily. He finished
pouring out the whisky for two GUS
toners who were staring at the new
conner. and then led the way into the
parlor, an alright room across the
narrow entry. where there was hot
coal fire IN q stove.
Il can have a room here for the
nirht. ] supposedly baggage is COM
ing over" said Mr. Travis.
Yes. siT-Wait one moment; III call
nv wife" said the hotel keeper ner-
vously. He seemed exceedingly re-
Heved when he had delivered the new
conner into the hands of the small
spare woman whom he called in from
the kitchen, and could return to the
bar, Mrs. Sprague assumed the charge
he gave her with quiet dignity.
You will want to go upstairs, Mr..
Travis she said. or perhaps you
would rather see the lady first down
here for there's no fire up there.
Let me go up, please" he said rath-
er husEily.
With his fur coat buttoned about him,
bis hat in his gloved hand, he followed
the little woman up the flimsy, creak-
Ing stairs into a narrow hallway, with
half a dozen pine doors on either side.
One Of these doors, at the end, she
opened and closed silently after him.
He found himself in d small room.
bitterly cold, lighted by a window Of
which the green shade was half drawn.
As his heavy step sounded on the floor
a girl started up from the bed where
she was lying. and a dark shawl that
had covered her slid off on the floor,
showing her light dress somewhat dis
ordered. Travis barely noticed her. He
came 10 the bedside and stood looking
down on the body of his son.
A white COverlet hid all except the
young face. thin from the ravages of
mortal disease. but with a light color
still touching the cheeks and lips. The
Ions curving Iashes, like a chlld's, gave
a pathetic look TO the handsome face,
but there was no look of suffering.
The face and the whole figure. slim and
rigid under the coyerlet, had the peace, /
me empowering majesty OF death.
Richard Travis stood motiOnless, ST /
lent. for long moments. In a sense, /
as he stood there, he was himself TAX
Ing leave of life No one knew, not
even George, this only child of his, had
known how much of life he had meant
ambition. of pride. had been bound up
10 him and persisted first or last, Rich
ara Travis had never said; for George
lad bitterly disappointed him. All along,
rom the beginning of his college days,
eeorge had been a disappointment #
me most irritating kind. For it was
pam every one said-that the boy had
TALENTS, unusual gifts, that he had
as share of the family inheritance Of
Drains. and he had wasted il all. In
-o.eEe-and since-he had been idle
ana dissipated. preferring to write poet
y ana talk philosophical jaTgOn rather
man use his energies to any purpose. /
ne mad shown not the least care for the
.aaly tradition, not the least ambition
To distinguish himself.
He would not even take care Of his
-5a.ta, which was inherited from his
.lo,ler and weak. At a desperate pass
-..a-y ne had been ordered to Califor-
-la 20 Try the open-air cure. And nov
az 70 he was dead. and he had left a
VIE a girl whom he had married out
W some country village i'm the wiIds, !
WIN perfect Indifference TO the opinion
W Wish OF any one else. He had been
married some six months: but il was
G.5llatent.y not tin he felt he was dying
-'t l- mad started hCmeWard. and here
lae Way death had overtaken him.
t- Richard Travis mind the old. old
--..5'aHee guawed with its familiar
49,. ana sharper, a more bitter, I
-s ol STiet was added now. For
-.. was all over: now. at last, hope
L-sl De Eiven up. And not till now had
II realized how he had really bora5 all