Middletown transcript., 1920-12-23


| around the eyes was burned brown by
the sun, and the flesh was so lean that
the cheekbones showed plainly. The
mouth was straight; but yet it was
neither savage nor cruel. It was sim.
ply determined.
Lennox came up with q light. silent
tread and extended his hand. you're
Dan Failing's grandson. aren't you?''
he asked. I'm Silas Lennox, who
used to know him when he lived on
the Divide. You are coming to spend
the summer and fall on my ranch"
The immediate result of these
words, besides relief, was to set Dan
wondering how the. old mountaineer
had recognized him. He wondered If
he had any physical resemblance to
his grandfather. But this hope was
shot to earth at once. His telegram
had explained about his malady, and
of course the mountaineer had picked
him out simply because he had the
mark of the disease on his face. AS
he shook hands, he tried his best to
read the mountaineer's expression. It
was all too plain: an undeniable look
of disappointment.
The truth was that even in spite OF
all the Chamber of Commerce head had
told him, Lennox had still hoped to
find some image of the elder Dan
Failing in the face and body Of his
grandson. Because of the thick
glasses, Lennox could not see the
young mans eyes; but he didn't think
1t likely they were at all like the eyes
with which the elder Failing saw his
way through the wilderness at night.
Of course he was tall, just as the ia
nous frOntiersman had been. but
while the elder weighed one hundred
and ninety pounds, bone and muscle,
this man did not touch one hundred
and thirty. Evidently the years had
brought degeneracy to the Failing clan.
Lennox was desolated by the thought.
He helped Dan with his bag to lit
tie wiry automobile that waited be-
side the station. They got into the
two front seats, and a moment later
were starting up the long, curved
road that led to the Divide.
During the hour that they were
crossing over the foothills, on the way
to the big timber, Silas Lennox talked
a great deal about the frOntiersman
that had been Dams grandfather. A
mountain man does not use profuse
adjectives. He talks very simply and
very straight, and often there are long
silences between his sentences. Yet
he conveys his ideas with entire clear
ness.
Dan realized at once that if he
could be, in Lennox's eyes, one-fifth
Of the man his grandfather had been,
he would never have to fear again the
look Of disappointment with which his
host had greeted him at the station. |
But instead Of reaching that high |
place, he had only--death. He knew |
what his destiny was in these quiet |
hills. And 1t was true that he began
to have secret regrets that he had
come. But it wasn't that he was dis |
appointed in the land that was OPEN
ing up before him. It fulfilled every |
promise. His sole reason for regrets |
lay in the fact that now the whole |
world would know Of the |
decay that had come upon his people. !
Perhaps it would have been better to |
have left them to their traditions.
He had never dreamed that the
fame of his grandfather had spread
SO far. For the first ten miles Dan
listened to stOries-legends of q cold
nerve that simply could not be shaken:
Of a powerful. tireless physique; Of
moral and physical strength that was
without limit. Then. as
The foothills began to give way to the
higher ridges, and the shadow Of the
deeper forests fell upon the narrow,
brown road, there began to be long
gaps in the talk. And soon they rode
in utter silence, evidently both of
them absorbed in their own thoughts.
Dan did not feel oppressed at all.
He merely seemed to fall into the
spirit of the woods, and no words
came to his lips. Every mile was an
added delight to him. Not even wine
could have brought brighter sparkle
20 his eyes. He had begun to expert
ance vague sort Of excitement, an
emotion that was almost kin to ex-
lltation, over the constant stir and
Of the forest life. Once, as
hey stopped the car to refill the ra-
iiatOr from mountain stream, Len
1ox looked at him with sudden curl
,sity. "You are getting a thrill out
II this, aren't you?' he asked wonder
ngly.
It was a curious tone. Perhaps It
vas hopeful tone, too. He spoke
IS il he hardly understood.
"a thrill!" Dan echoed. He spoke
Is man speaks in the presence of
some great wonder. "Good Heavens,
never saw anything like it in my
ife."
"In this very stream," the mountain
,er told him joyously. you may Occa-
'ionally catch trout that weigh three
pounds"
But as he got back into the car the
ook of interest died out Of Lennox's
yes. OF course any man would be
somewhat excited by his first glimpse
# the wilderness. It was not that he
lad inherited any Of the traits bf his
It was absurd to hope
hat lie had. And he would soon get
ired Of the silences and want to 90
,ack to his cities. He told his thought
that it would all soon grow old to
lin; and Dan turned almost in anger.
''You don't know" he said. "IIs
,idn't know myself. how would feel