The Washington herald., 1909-06-27

Nlue. IN the smoking car number OF
philosophers had passed the time OF i'm
prisOnment in perfect good humor. II
became necessary 10 wear ores overcoat.
but the larder had withstood so FAR the
demands made upon il; there was plenty
10 eat. and almost every one played
cards There was, in fact. but one marked
exception. one man whom no one had
even asked to take hand at whist or
poker He stayed in the smoking car 10
smoke. slowly and constantly. one good
cigar after another Now and then he ex-
changed a few words with one or his
fellow-passengers. but they led nowhere.
and he evidently preferred 10 sit silent in
his chair, wrapped in his great coat, the
dark fur collar OF which made a frame
for HIS striking head
He was a handsome man Of the type
whose harsh lines and dark color are
softened by the blanching touch OF age.
HIS crisp. thick. silvery hair. his heavy
brows and black eyes the ciear-cut rigid
fly Of his strong mouth. his straight. stall
wsrt shoulders. gave him a certain splen-
dor OF aspect. His loneliness. too. and 81
lence the immobiity OF his look. added
20 this rather grim distinction He COM
manded notice even though he might
wish TO avoid il. From the first day Of
the journey the negro porter had made
him an object Of special care. and the
porter's attentions we're the only ones
welcomed by the solitary traveller
The porter alone was informed Of this /
gentleman's destination. To the surprise
of the others he got of at a way station /
nearly at the top OF the Divide mere
little clump OF frame buildings, half /
buried in snow. His baggage. too was
taken of. but without any concern for /
this the tall man strOde of the platform /
into the snow. and made his way 10 a
low building a few rods distant. which I
was pointed out to him as the hotel and 4
which had its name. Hallway House % /
on a sign over the door. He was evident |
~ expected and the interest of the IN /
habitants. who were gathered on the plat /
form or at the windows was directed i
toward him. rather than toward the be- 4
lated train
The stranger walked Into the hotel and /
said 10 the man behind the bar:
Ny name is Travis. You telegraphed 4
TO me from here.
yes, sir-yes, sir, one second" said 4
the proprietor hastily. He finished pour
ing out the whisky for two customers who 4
We're staring at the newcomer. and then I
leo the way into the parlor. an air-tight
room across the narrow entry, where /
there was a hot coal FIRE In a stove.
I can have a room here for the night.
! supposedly baggage is coming over,
said Mr. Travis
Yes, sir-wait one moment I'll call my
wife, said the hotel keeper nervously.
He seemed exceedingly relieved when he
had delivered the newcomer into the hands
OF the small. spare woman whom he
called in from the kitchen and could re-
turn to the bar. Mrs Sprague assumed
the charge he gave her with quiet dig
nifty.
You viii want 70 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 rather
huskily
With his fur coat battened about him,
his hat in his gloved hand, he followed
the little woman up the himsy. creaking
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 a small room bit
terly cold. lighted by window of which
the green shade was half-drawn down.
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 of on the floor, showing
her light dress somewhat disordered.
Travis barely noticed her He came to
the bedside and stood looking down on
the body OF his son.
A white coverlet hid all except the
young face, thin from the revages Of /
mortal disease. but with a light color still
touching the cheeks ana lips The long,
curving lashes. Ike a child's. gave a pa
thetic look 10 the handsome face. but
there was no look OF suffering. The face
and the whole figure. slim and rigid un-
der the cOverlet, had the peace. the over
Powering majesty. OF death.
Richard Travis stood mOtiOnless, silent
for long moments. In a sense. as he
stood there, he was himself taking leave
Of life. No one knew, not even George,
this only child OF his had known. how
much Of life he had meant to his father
How much Of hope. OF ambition. OF pride,
had been bound up in him and perished
first or last. Richard Travis had never
said: for George had bitterly disappointed
HIM All along. from the beginning of his
college days. George had been a disap-
pOintment OF the most irritating kind
For il was plain-every one said-that the
boy had talents. unusual gifts. that he
had his share Of the family inheritance
OF brains and he had wasted Il all In
c9llege-and since-he had been idle and
dissipated. preferring 10 write poetry and
talk philosophical jargon rather than use
his energies 70 any purpose. He had
shown not the slightest care for the
family tradition. not the least ambition to
distinguish himself
He would not even take care OF his
health, which was inherited from his
mother. and weak. AT a desperate pass
finally he had been ordered to California
10 Try the Open-air cure And now at
twenty-six he was dead. and he had left I
a wife. a girl whom he had married out
OF some country village In the wilds
with perfect indifference 10 the opinion
or wish OF any one else. He had been
married some six months; but Il was ap-
parently not until ne was dying that he
had started homeward and here on the
way death had overtaken him.
In Richard Travis mind the old. old
grievance gnawcd with its familiar pain:
and sharper. more bitter, sting OF /
grief was added now. For now il was all
over; now. at last, hope must be given ,
up And not TIN now had ne realized I
how he had really hoped, all along. for I
George; how he had built the future on
him. even though he knew ne was build I
ing on sand. For George was all he
had; the only person he had any love !
for. the only person who could serve {
his natural pride He would have been ,
glad of half a dozen sons; his instinct ,
desired to see a family gathered about l
him In patriarchal fashion. and launch I
ing out robustly over the earth. But /
when his wife. after giving him one child, I
had faded into invalidism, he had ac- {
QUiesced in this limitation. After all I
one does not expect too much OF women, {
IN bodily or mental strength Then sha =