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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8c9a491 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #50312 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50312) diff --git a/old/50312-h.zip b/old/50312-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 780b56d..0000000 --- a/old/50312-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/50312-h/50312-h.htm b/old/50312-h/50312-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 2e0c5ca..0000000 --- a/old/50312-h/50312-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10035 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd"> -<html> -<head> - -<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> - -<title> -The Project Gutenberg E-text of John Stevens' Courtship, by Susa Young Gates -</title> -<link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg"> -<style TYPE="text/css"> -body { color: Black; background: White; margin-right: 10%; margin-left: 10%; - font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: justify } - -h1 { text-align: center } - -h2 { text-align: center; padding-top: 15%; } - -h3 { text-align: center; padding-top: 4%; } - -h4 { text-align: center } - -p.chapterHeading { text-align: center; margin-right: 20%; margin-left: 20%} - -p.caption { text-align:center; font-style: italic; margin-right: 20%; margin-left: 20%; padding-bottom: 4%} - -img {display: block; margin-left: auto; - margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 1%; margin-right: auto; } - -.pagenum { position: absolute; left: 1%; font-size: 95%; text-align: left; text-indent: 0; - font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-variant: normal; } - -.centered {text-align: center} - -.right {text-align: right} - -sup { font-size: 60%} - -.sidenote { right: 0%; font-size: 80%; text-align: right; text-indent: 0%; width: 17%; - float: right; clear: right; padding-right: 0%; padding-left: 1%; padding-top: 1%; - padding-bottom: 1%; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-variant: normal; } -</style> - -</head> - -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of John Stevens' Courtship, by Susa Young Gates - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: John Stevens' Courtship - A Story of the Echo Canyon War - -Author: Susa Young Gates - -Release Date: October 26, 2015 [EBook #50312] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOHN STEVENS' COURTSHIP *** - - - - -Produced by McKayla Hansen, Mormon Texts Project Intern -(http://mormontextsproject.org), with thanks to Renah -Holmes for proofreading - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<h1>John Stevens' Courtship.<br> - -<small><small>A STORY OF THE ECHO CANYON WAR.</small></small></h1> - -<p class="centered"> -By SUSA YOUNG GATES</p> - -<p class="centered"> -Salt Lake City. Utah. <br>1909.</p> - -<p class="centered"><br><br><br><br>TO THAT OTHER JOHN, TO DIAN HERSELF, <br> -AND TO WALTER, <br> -THE THREE FRIENDS -WHO HAVE MADE "JOHN STEVENS" POSSIBLE, <br> -THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY -DEDICATED</p> - - -<h2>PREFACE. </h2> - -<p>A story of love, in the rugged setting of pioneer days, is -the theme of this book. The characters of the story move among the -stirring incidents of the Echo Canyon War—an affair absolutely unique -in the history of the land. The scenes and events depict faithfully -the conditions that, according to the historians—Tullidge, Whitney -and Bancroft—prevailed in and about the Territory of Utah during the -period of the "War." Much information has also been gathered from Vol. -II of the Contributor and from numerous pioneers who recall vividly the -intensity of feeling that characterized the days of "Johnston's Army" -and "the Move." The characters of the story are, of course, mainly -fictitious and have had an existence only in the author's mind. John -Stevens is a composite; his outer appearance was faintly suggested -by an obscure character of pioneer days; many pioneers knew and will -recognize Aunt Clara; Diantha was modeled after a woman yet living in -the prime of her life.</p> - -<p>Young people often think that romance and thrilling episodes, for which -youth hungers, are not found within daily life; and frequently go to -perilous lengths in search for that which in fact is right at home. -An avowed purpose of this book is to show that there is plenty of -romance and color in every-day life—if the eye be not life-colorblind. -If, therefore, John Stevens, with his big, generous heart can awaken -the soul of one youth to a higher courage, a more manly outlook upon -the splendidly hard discipline of pioneer Western life; if Diantha's -suffering and sweet Ellen's sad death help just one vacillating girl -to a realization of the dangers with which the path of love and youth -are always strewn, then indeed will the author be satisfied. The last -two chapters were written at the solicitation of Diantha herself. She -begged that the "girls" might be made to see how sweet and enthralling -true, pure and sanctified married affection can be.</p> - -<p>It is fitting that acknowledgment be here made of the careful and -helpful service rendered by the many friends who have read, re-read, -suggested, corrected, approved, criticized and molded "John Stevens" -into a somewhat passable shape. To these friends, grateful thanks.</p> - -<p>The pioneer days were days of beauty and rich emotions. That their -memory should be perpetuated is the author's chief justification for -the writing of this book.</p> - -<p>SUSA YOUNG GATES. Salt Lake City, July 24, 1909.</p> - -<h2>CONTENTS</h2> - - -<p><a href="#CHAPTERI"> I. The Picnic in the Wasatch </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERII"> II. Diantha Forgets John </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERIII"> III. "Come and Kiss Yoo Papa" </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERIV"> IV. The Echo Down the Canyon </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERV"> V. "The Army is Upon Us" </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERVI"> VI. Who Shall Fear Man? </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERVII"> VII. Van Arden Enters the Valley </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERVIII"> VIII. The Winthrops Entertain </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERIX"> IX. John Opens His Mouth </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERX"> X. In Echo Canyon </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXI"> XI. "In the Valley or Hell" </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXII"> XII. The Friend of Brigham Young </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXIII"> XIII. Diantha Wears Charlie's Ring </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXIV"> XIV. "To Your Tents, O Israel!" </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXV"> XV. I'm a Mormon Dyed in the Wool </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXVI"> XVI. The Peace Commissioners </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXVII"> XVII. Brother Dunbar Sings Zion </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXVIII"> XVIII. The Army Enters the Valley </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXIX"> XIX. Tom Allen Dreams a Dream </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXX"> XX. A Soldier in Distress </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXI"> XXI. John Visits Ellen </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXII"> XXII. If You Love Me, John </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXIII"> XXIII. Down by the Riverside </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXIV"> XXIV. Ellie's Second Warning </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXV"> XXV. "Do You Care for John Stevens?" </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXVI"> XXVI. Col. Saxey Expostulates </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXVII"> XXVII. Christmas Eve, 1858 </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXVIII"> XXVIII. The Ball in the Social Hall </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXIX"> XXIX. Diantha's Sudden Awakening </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXX"> XXX. Dian is True to Her Resolve </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXXI"> XXXI. John also Resolves </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXXII"> XXXII. "Sour Grapes" </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXXIII"> XXXIII. Where is Ellen? </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXXIV"> XXXIV. Is She at the Chase Mill? </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXXV"> XXXV. On to Provo </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXXVI"> XXXVI. At Camp Floyd </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXXVII"> XXXVII. Dead or Disgraced? </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXXVIII"> XXXVIII. Sego-Lilies </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXXXIX"> XXXIX. The Wooing O't </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXL"> XL. John Builds a Home </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXLI"> XLI. Diantha Enters </a></p> -<p><a href="#CHAPTERXLII"> XLII. Home, Sweet Home </a></p> - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERI"></a>I.</h2> - -<p>THE PIC-NIC IN THE WASATCH -</p> - -<p>"Dianthy, how are you going up the canyon? Are you going with me and -your brother?"</p> - -<p>"No, I think not, Rachel. I promised to go with John Stevens. And the -very next day Henry Boyle asked me to go with him; wasn't that a shame?"</p> - -<p>"Wasn't what a shame? That Henry should have the impudence to ask you -to go with him? I should think he'd find out after awhile that you are -not in love with him and never will be."</p> - -<p>"I'm sure I can't tell how you know so much about me and my affairs, -Rachel. I haven't told any one I am or I am not in love with Henry -Boyle. And I can't see how it is that you have such a prejudice against -Henry. I'm sure you can't find any fault with him. He's a perfect -gentleman—far more civilized and polite than a whole town full of men -like—like—well—like many of our Utah boys. And he's ambitious, too; -wants to make something of himself; which is more than some of our boys -do. Just see how he came here from England two years ago; left his home -and all his relatives, and in less than a year worked up till he got -the position of clerk in Livingston and Kincaid's store."</p> - -<p>"Exactly! And now he is a gentleman in very deed, for he wears store -clothes every day in the week, and the finest worked ladies' buckskin -gloves on Sunday. What more does he require to be a gentleman?"</p> - -<p>"See here, Rachel, I want you to answer me one question. Do you, or -does my brother Appleton, know anything wrong about Henry Boyle? Isn't -he a 'Mormon,' in good standing and repute? Doesn't he pay his tithes -and donations, and attend his meetings regularly? What more can you -ask?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, Dian, you wear me out completely. Stick to your 'Enery, if -you want to; but he'll never amount to a row of pins. He's a real -namby-pamby man; and that is about all he is likely to be. I should -think you'd want a being with some life and spirit."</p> - -<p>"Like John Stevens, perhaps. Well, I've never seen any evidence of this -wonderful life and spirit you folks are always talking about, in John -Stevens. The only fiery thing about John, that I've ever discovered, is -his red beard."</p> - -<p>With a half sarcastic smile, the girl dusted the last speck of flour -from her cotton apron, went to the wash bench and calmly washed the -flour and tiny bits of dough from her hands; then, drawing a clean -cloth over her wooden bread trough, she set it on the kitchen table for -the night.</p> - -<p>Rachel Winthrop sighed as she watched these proceedings and hushed her -baby to sleep, in the small, yet comfortable rush-bottomed rocker, -which was such a luxury in early Utah days. She admired and loved her -husband's youngest sister, with all the strength of her affectionate -soul; and she yearned with the tenderness of a mother over that -indifferent, self-centered, yet handsome and sensible young person.</p> - -<p>"I don't wonder that men admire you, Dianthy," she said, at last. -"You're a fine looking girl."</p> - -<p>"You mean I've pretty good taste in fixing myself up. People wouldn't -admire me so much if they saw me 'off parade' a few times. It's my -clothes and the way I put them on that wakens admiration, Rachel. Just -look at my nose!"</p> - -<p>She stood a moment, with her arms akimbo, her face tilted as she tried -to squint with half-closed eyes down at the offending organ.</p> - -<p>"There's nothing the matter with your nose, Dianthy, only it's got a -patch of flour on the side of it just now. But come, I must put baby -to bed, so we can finish up, or we'll never be ready to start in the -morning."</p> - -<p>It was the evening of the 21st of July, 1857. All Salt Lake was astir -with preparations for the famous outing to Big Cottonwood Canyon, where -the Twenty-fourth—Pioneer day—was to be spent. Candles sputtered and -burned down, were snuffed and finally replaced with new ones, as the -women of the young city worked hard yet happily the night through, -baking great banks of pies and loaves upon loaves of tender, yellow -cakes; cooking beef, lamb and chickens; roasting young pigs before -the open fire, in the brick ovens, or in one of the few step-stoves. -Serviceberry preserves, and plenty of thick amber-colored molasses were -stored in all the pails and jars obtainable. Such creamy-brown loaves -of yeast or "salt-rising" bread; such pots of sweet, yellow butter; -such crisp doughnuts and delicate "dutch cheese," never before had been -seen in such profusion during the brief ten years' history of the Great -Salt Lake Valley.</p> - -<p>As Rachel Winthrop laid the child in its cradle and prepared to finish -her ironing of print dresses and blue chambrey sunbonnets, the young -girl, who had pulled down her sleeves and adjusted her collar, went -slowly out at the front door, as if watching for someone. Then, turning -back into the sitting-room, she seated herself at the small melodeon -in the corner, and began to play softly. Her touch upon the tiny ivory -keys was very sympathetic and musical. Waltzes and schottisches poured -out in mellow harmony upon the heated waves of the July evening. Then, -as if filled to the full with the spirit of music that she had invoked, -she lifted up her voice in song. "Shells of the Ocean" and "Rock Me to -Sleep, Mother," betrayed a quality of tenderness in the soul that the -somewhat proud exterior did not warrant.</p> - -<p>"Oh, Dian," called her sister-in-law, "why do you sing such mournful -songs? You give me the creeps."</p> - -<p>"Do I?" asked the girl. "I wasn't thinking; but someway, I feel sad -tonight, just as if something were going to happen."</p> - -<p>"Something is, Dian; we are all invited by President Young to spend the -Twenty-fourth in Big Cottonwood Canyon. And there's lots to do before -we go to bed."</p> - -<p>"Just one song then, to cheer us up, Rachel, for the evening's work" -and the gay voice trilled out the rollicking changes of "We All Wear -Cloaks," and ended with the evening hymn, "Come, Come, Ye Saints, No -Toil Nor Labor Fear." Before she had finished the first stanza of the -hymn, her brother, Bishop Winthrop, had added his musical bass, and the -sixteen year old Harvey was putting in a fair tenor and playing the air -as well on his concertina. Rachel herself sang the alto. Then, with a -quiet reverence, the Bishop said, "Let us have prayers."</p> - -<p>The quiet of the night closed in with starry radiance upon the little -family, the children asleep, while the women worked, conversing in -subdued voices. Few were the hours of sleep that memorable night in -Great Salt Lake City, for most of its citizens, to the number of three -thousand, had been invited to spend the day at the headwaters of the -Big Cottonwood stream, in the little dell far up in the tops of the -mountains. All the city was astir to assist in the unusual festivity.</p> - -<p>In the morning, the Winthrop household was boiling and bubbling in the -excitement and heat of preparation.</p> - -<p>"Dian," said the distracted Rachel, "you go out to the wagon and get -the Bishop to put in all those things that I have laid at the side of -the appletree."</p> - -<p>Out in the back yard could be heard the frequent small explosions that -preceded such scenes in the Winthrop household.</p> - -<p>"What's all this trash, Diantha? Does Rachel think we are going to -cross the plains again? She's got enough stuff here to feed an army -and to house a regiment," this as the Bishop selected various of the -bundles and bales sent for the wagon's supply. "Who on earth but Rachel -would ever think of carting a heavy wooden tub, flat irons and popcorn -up Big Cottonwood? Popcorn on a picnic! And she's actually got a -feather bed in this pile! Humph!" and the snort of disgust ended only -as he tossed the bed back into the crotch of the young apple tree.</p> - -<p>"Now, Appleton, that bed must go, so just do be good and let's not -waste time this way. Here; it can go right on top of the boxes and -we'll have it handy for the children to sit on," Dian worked as she -talked, for she knew how little value to attach to the warmth of her -brother on such occasions. "Here, Harvey, pack that shovel into the -crevice there, will you?"</p> - -<p>"Shovels on a picnic! Does she think we are going to locate mines? And -rakes! My soul, but we will never get up the canyon with this load. -You'll all have to walk, I'll tell you that."</p> - -<p>"All but the baby and Rachel, Appleton. I am going to ride in John -Stevens' wagon, with Aunt Clara and Ellie Tyler."</p> - -<p>"Is that so, Dian? Well, that's fine." And in the pleasure of this -announcement, the Bishop stowed away most of the things awaiting their -turn on the grass.</p> - -<p>"Salt! Why, Dian, there's twenty pounds of salt in this sack," and the -Bishop fairly shouted in astonishment. "Salt by the bushel! Does Rachel -imagine we are going out to pickle meat? There's salt enough for three -thousand people, to last them a week."</p> - -<p>"Exactly, Appleton; you know well enough that other people forget -things, and Rachel has to be general commissary for the crowd," calmly -replied her unmoved defender.</p> - -<p>"Upon my word! Do you mean that I am to be made a general pack-horse to -carry all the forgotten things for other people?"</p> - -<p>"Appleton," this was said skilfully, and by way of diversion, "are we -to have a dancing pavilion up there?"</p> - -<p>"Two of them, Dian. And I don't want you sky-larking off with all the -young men in the company, if you are to go with John Stevens. You -won't get another chance like John, let me tell you. A member of the -legislature, a man without fault or blemish, and as good as God ever -made a man."</p> - -<p>"There's the rub, brother. I'm not good enough for such a paragon. And -I don't like paragons."</p> - -<p>"You're an obstinate girl, Diantha."</p> - -<p>The girl laughed merrily, now that she had diverted the attention of -her irascible brother to herself, for he had packed away even the -despised salt, and was putting in the tent poles and tents on top of -the other bulky but light loading, while they were talking.</p> - -<p>"Come, Rachel, we're all done. What are you laughing about?" sang out -the Bishop. "Are you ready to start?"</p> - -<p>His wife emerged from the house, all smiles, and with a cup of cool -buttermilk to refresh the weary husband, who had dealt so generously -with her packing arrangements.</p> - -<p>"Thank you, Dian," she said softly, as the girl hurried into the house -to complete her own preparations.</p> - -<p>It was in the early afternoon of that day, when a double team—the -wagon fitted with bows, but the cover folded in the bottom of the wagon -box—drew up to the Winthrop house with great dash and clatter. Four -good spring seats rattled emptily as the driver threw on his brake and -gave a loud "Hello" to the people inside.</p> - -<p>The front door opened and Bishop Winthrop came out.</p> - -<p>"Dian will be ready in a moment, John. I am glad she is going with you, -for I know you'll take good care of her."</p> - -<p>"Just as good as she'll let me," the young man smiled down at his -friend.</p> - -<p>"Oh, Dianthy's all right, only she's a little high-spirited. Give her -plenty of time, John; you can afford to wait," said the elder man, in -confidential tones.</p> - -<p>At that moment Diantha herself came out with her two nieces, and -looking at the empty seats, she asked, "Where's Ellen Tyler going to -ride? I'll sit with her."</p> - -<p>"All right," answered the young man calmly "Only you'll have to sit -three in a seat, as Charlie Rose put that middle seat in for himself -and Ellen."</p> - -<p>John sat patiently waiting for the girl to make up her mind, and not -offering to assist her in. Perhaps his horses were fractious. At any -rate, he sat watching them, now and then flicking a fly from them, -apparently indifferent as to the result of the girl's decision.</p> - -<p>"I suppose I shall have to ride in front, then," Dian murmured, and -began climbing over the wheel, "although I like to be invited to sit by -young men."</p> - -<p>"You may sit on the back seat if you want to, and let either Aunt Clara -or Tom Allen or either of the two little girls, Lucy or Josephine, sit -here," said John, as he smiled down into her averted face, his gray -eyes flashing with suppressed amusement.</p> - -<p>"No, thank you. I've had trouble enough to get where I am, without any -help; I don't care to climb any more. Get in, girls," she added.</p> - -<p>"Where are you going now, John?" asked Diantha, as they drove off at -last.</p> - -<p>"For the rest of the folks," and away they clattered and rattled, the -horses requiring careful handling, they were so full of eager life.</p> - -<p>John drove rapidly to the home of Aunt Clara Tyler, where he was to -find the others of his party.</p> - -<p>A moment's wait, and then Ellen Tyler came out, followed by the others. -Her brown curls fell from under the white sunbonnet which surrounded -her face like a ruffled halo. The delicate cream of her skin but made -the glowing brown eyes and the scarlet lips the lovelier by contrast. -Her pretty teeth gleamed through the curved line of parted lips as -she bounded smilingly down the flower-bordered path. She had a great -bunch of spice pinks and blue bachelor buttons in her hand, and as she -reached the wagon she threw the blue blossoms into Dian's lap, saying -gleefully, "These belong to you, Dian."</p> - -<p>"Why?" cried out Charlie Rose, who stood waiting for his partner, at -the wheel, "do you think Dian is destined to be a blue-stocking or will -she marry an old bachelor?" and the young man sprang gracefully to -assist Ellen to her place.</p> - -<p>"Dian's never blue herself, and so she may have my bluest flowers," -said Ellen, as she leaned over the seat to give her friend a -good-morning kiss.</p> - -<p>Fat and jolly Tom Allen had thoughtfully brought out a chair on which -stout and kindly Aunt Clara could climb safely into the back seat -with him. Lucy Winthrop and Josephine Tyler, as inseparable childish -friends, occupied the other seat.</p> - -<p>Soon all were seated; the plethoric baskets were disposed of; and the -merry party dashed through the tree-bordered streets, John Stevens -managing his double team with the skill of long practice.</p> - -<p>Just at the edge of the town a young man galloped up on horse-back, and -raised his straw hat gracefully to the ladies, reined in his horse near -Diantha Winthrop, and sat on his trotting steed in true English style. -Diantha greeted the young man as Brother Boyle; and at once gayly -devoted her attention to him, ignoring her partner, John Stevens, with -girlish obliviousness.</p> - -<p>There was a great clattering of wheels and many gay jests, with gusts -of youthful laughter floating out from that wagon-load of happy -hilarity. The placid Aunt Clara Tyler looked on from her vantage -point in the back seat, with sympathetic companionship. They overtook -and passed scores and hundreds of teams, all traveling in the same -direction. And each party was given, as they passed, the greetings of -long friendships and mutual pleasures.</p> - -<p>When they reached the rendezvous at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon, -they found the narrow passageway between the hills looking like a -tented field. Out in the open square of the regulated camp, the strains -of "Uncle" Dimick Huntington's Martial Band saluted the ears with -tingling effect, as the fifes piped out shrilly the melody of "The Girl -I Left Behind Me."</p> - -<p>Charlie Rose assisted Aunt Clara and Ellen to alight, while he sang in -merry accompaniment the words of the song. Ellie's own dancing feet -were tripping, almost before she touched the greensward; and Charlie -seized her hands and together they flew and pirouetted and bowed and -danced to the strains of that inspiring sound.</p> - -<p>Henry Boyle, who was off his horse before the party halted, quickly -appropriated Dian's willing fingers, and together they tripped in all -the gay disorder of impromptu dancing over the open square, as the -music shrilled and floated out on the cool, canyon breeze.</p> - -<p>Even Aunt Clara's feet tingled with the sound; but she refused to -accept jolly Tom Allen's invitation to join the merry throng now -quickly gathering on the sward, for she was very stout; but she smiled -sympathetically into John's face as he glanced quizzically at his own -partner now whisking away merrily with another, and at his associate -youths who had left to him all the labor of unhitching and preparing -camp for the night. But John was not a dancing man. He cared little -that he was left alone. His animals were very dear to him; for his -lonely domestic life had brought him in close association with the dumb -beasts that carried him over trackless plains and mountain peaks.</p> - -<p>Soon the word went forth that President Young was approaching the -rendezvous, and all hastened to greet their friend and leader. As -his buggy, driven rapidly through the dusty road, came in sight, the -Nauvoo Band poured forth its brass blare of welcome; the boys pulled -off their hats; the girls waved sunbonnets; and the whole group stood -at attention, with affectionate greetings written upon their smiling -faces, and waving their hands, to welcome Brigham Young—Governor, -President, friend, and brother.</p> - -<p>Thereafter followed the peaceable family of Bishop Winthrop. Comforted -and rested by the soothing assurance that wife and children were well -and with him, and that his precious young sister, Diantha, was for -once in the care and company of the man he loved best on earth, Bishop -Winthrop had driven his light spring wagon joyfully, and withal as -rapidly as his farm horses would permit, in the wake of the President -and his immediate family, with Rachel and babe crooning happily beside -him, and the merry youngsters behind, who were too interested in the -gigantic picnic before them even to indulge in a childish squabble.</p> - -<p>At late sunset, the bugle sent forth its insistent call for silence. -Rapidly the company of over three thousand souls, encamped for the -night beside the brawling Big Cottonwood stream, gathered in one -glowing mass of color and motion. Then youth and age knelt reverently -on the sward, while devotions were offered to the kind Providence which -had permitted them to begin their long-planned festivity.</p> - -<p>An hour after the evening service was over, the pleasure seekers had -retired into wagons and tents, and the silence of the peaceful hills -brooded over the encampment.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERII"></a>II.</h2> - -<p>DIANTHA FORGETS JOHN -</p> - -<p>The next morning at daybreak, the party began the long steady climb -amidst crags and pine covered hills, up through the rocky windings of -"The Stairs," and still up. The party laughed, sang, walked, climbed, -or rested for a moment beside the churning, foaming mountain stream or -beneath the shadowing pine trees which bordered the newly made road. As -the long cavalcade wound in and out between the hills, the two girls -in the wagon drawn by John Stevens' spirited horses, sang and laughed -in gayest abandon. Aunt Clara's eyes were full of tender gratitude for -such happiness, for she had known the sorrows of many mobbings and -drivings. This haven of peace and joyous plenty was a foretaste of -heaven to the faithful heart which had braved more than the persecution -of strangers; for Aunt Clara had left home, parents, and all she -held dear for the sake of that Gospel which spelled Truth and Life -Everlasting to its faithful votaries.</p> - -<p>"Oh, John," cried Diantha at last, "You must let Ellie and me walk; -I just can't resist the pleading call of those gorgeous flowers. -Bluebells, and red-bells—and oh, the exquisite columbines! Look, -Ellie, look! Stop, John, stop! Ellie and I will walk."</p> - -<p>John himself was walking beside his team up the heavy, seemingly -never-ending grade of that twenty mile ascent, while Tom Allen and -Charlie Rose placed an occasional block under the wheels or stood upon -them, while the panting horses rested for a moment.</p> - -<p>"Here you are," called Charlie, as he heard Dian's plea, "'my waiting -arms will hold you,'" and he held out his arms in mock pleading.</p> - -<p>"Aunt Clara's lips will scold you," jeered Dian as she climbed safely -down on the other side. But Ellen jumped gayly into the grasp of the -waiting cavalier, whose modest action in placing her gently on the -hillside belied his bombastic appeal.</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"Spirit of the hills, descend and greet, <br> -The pressing of her eager feet,"</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>sang Charlie as he followed the flying girls, gayly improvising his -boyish madrigals to meet each incident of the day.</p> - -<p>The girls climbed from point to point, always going upward, but keeping -out of the way of passing teams. Their arms were soon filled with the -blooms of riotous colors and perfume which intoxicated them with the -blush and glory of the color song of peak and mountain vale.</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"Her spicy cheeks were red with bloom,<br> -Her colored breath was panting;<br> -As with a thousand flowers of June—"<br></p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>Charlie paused to block the wheel, and Diantha finished his doggerel -for him,</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"She mocked at Charlie's ranting."</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>and Aunt Clara who felt faint herself from the rarified air that they -were all conscious of, looked anxiously at the somewhat delicate frame -of her foster-daughter.</p> - -<p>"Tom, I believe you, too, are uncomfortable."</p> - -<p>Tom Allen was almost speechless, for his bulky form was nearly overcome -with the constant climbing; but he would not betray the fact to the -scorn of Charlie Rose: for Tom dreaded to be teased quite as much as he -loved to tease others. So he quieted his panting breath to say, "Aunt -Clara, I think I heard some one say you had some doughnuts in one of -those baskets; where could we find a better place to eat our frugal -meal than beside this purling stream."</p> - -<p>"Just a mile or so, more," interposed John Stevens. "We are almost -there; can't you exercise patience for another hour?"</p> - -<p>At that moment, however, word was passed down the line that all would -pause half an hour to rest animals and men.</p> - -<p>The cavalcade had passed the two lower sawmills, with the roomy cabins -decorated with waving flags. Now they halted beside the third and last -mill, nestled in the crevice of the canyon. Its buzzing industry was -stilled for this wondrous day, while the workmen and their families -gathered in the grassy space to meet and welcome the company. For their -pleasure they had not only made the last five miles of that difficult -road into the vale of the Silver Lake, just above, but had also -erected three spacious boweries with comfortable floors and seats to -accommodate the gay revelers.</p> - -<p>Everybody seemed moved with a common impulse for "doughnuts;" for the -President himself, as he halted at the "saw-mill," stepped up to Aunt -Clara Tyler and accepted courteously her offer of fried cakes.</p> - -<p>The impatient girls were glad, nevertheless, when the half-hour was -over, and they could once more resume their places in the wagon for -the final steep climb to the place of destination. When they mounted -the last summit of that low northern rim encircling the valley of -their desire, both girlish throats were at once filled with excited -exclamations of delight, as the fairy scene burst upon their view.</p> - -<p>An emerald-tinted valley with a silvery lake empearled on its western -rim lay before them, cupped in a circle of embracing hills and -snow-covered crags. The summits of the eastern and western hills were -crowned with pine, which here and there, like dusky sentinels, traced -their lines down, down to the water's edge. That gleaming, brilliant, -silent water! Every tree upon its brink was reproduced, and even the -clouds above floated again in soft, tremulous pictures beneath the -surface of this beautiful mountain mirror. Sheer above the lake on the -south towered white granite cliffs, holding here and there a whiter -bloom of snow in their pale embrace.</p> - -<p>Ellen jumped excitedly from her seat to lean over and hug her friend -Diantha, as the wagon rolled slowly down the smooth road to the spot -which John had selected for the Winthrop and Tyler tents, close to -the marquee of President Young. Dian put up a caressing hand to the -soft cheek of her enthusiastic friend, Ellen, and leaned her own cheek -tenderly against the one bending over her shoulder.</p> - -<p>"Oh, Dian," breathed the happy girl, "I never thought there was so much -beauty in all Utah."</p> - -<p>"Utah is the home of beauty and goodness," said Charlie Rose gallantly, -and even Dian could not answer this trite compliment saucily, for her -heart was melted with rapture at sight of so much grandeur.</p> - -<p>The camp was located on a fairy-like spot, overlooking the surrounding -meadows and lake. The boweries, President Young's marquee, and -President Heber C. Kimball's tent, occupied an open space amid the -small copses of pine on the north side of the lake. The tents, -carriages and wagons, were soon grouped about these central points. A -massive granite rock, fifty-four feet in circumference by fifty-four -feet high, stood at the entrance of this lovely, natural bower; from -the center of this spot, and apparently without earth to sustain them, -grew three pine trees, which were fringed round at the top of the rock -with a thick cluster of young pines, about two feet high. A large flag -was suspended from these trees, bearing the motto "Clear the Way," -with an all seeing eye in the oval of the upper margin, above two -clasped hands, under which, inscribed on a scroll, were the words, -"Blessings Follow Sacrifices." A representation of the Pioneer company -crossing the North Platte River, on rafts, occupied the central space -of this great flag. Below was another legend, "The Pioneers of 1847 -at the Upper Crossing of the Platte, in Pursuit of the Valleys of the -Mountains."</p> - -<p>A little farther to the right, and near the northwest corner of the -great, central, hundred foot bowery, was a stately pine, from which -floated the loveliest flag on earth—the Stars and Stripes—its silken -folds now whipping out wide and full now curling in graceful half -circles around the unique flagstaff.</p> - -<p>Another banner near by, bore the representation of a bundle of -sticks, bound together with strong cords, and the inscription, "The -Constitution of the United States. Equal Rights! Woe to the Violators!"</p> - -<p>From the front of the central bowery hung three great banners, the -first having painted thereon a rock in the midst of billowing waves; -from the summit of the rock floated the starry flag, and below was the -inscription, "The Constitution of the United States! The 'Mormons' -will Defend the Rock! Who can Prevail Against it?" The second banner -had the picture of a lion, with one paw upon a rock above which was -the inscription "Utah Courage," and underneath in golden letters, "The -Spirit of '76 is not Dead." The third banner had a lion standing beside -the docile figure of a recumbent lamb, with the inscription, "Peace -Reigns Here," painted across the silken surface beneath.</p> - -<p>On the tallest pines at the crowning point of both eastern and western -summits, there floated great flags, the red, white and blue of their -glory accentuated by the clear, brilliant blue of the sky, and the deep -green of the wooded slopes.</p> - -<p>Scattered here and there were massive swings for the youth, while the -little ones were well provided with low swings and wide seats.</p> - -<p>Major Robert T. Burton, of the Nauvoo and Utah Militia, with a -detachment of life-guards, had charge of the swings and the rafts on -the lakes, to guard against accidents. John Stevens was detailed to his -own full share of this guard duty, and was therefore soon absent from -the merry party he had brought so carefully to the camp.</p> - -<p>The labor of setting up tents and arranging camp filled the remaining -afternoon hours, and Dian was glad when her brother said, "You can go -now, my girl; Rachel and I will finish; take this feather bed over to -Aunt Clara's tent, for Rachel wants her to be comfortable."</p> - -<p>"What a kind thought, Appleton; Aunt Clara does so much sick nursing -that she needs to have a good bed. Tell Rachel I think she is pretty -good to give up her own bed."</p> - -<p>"That's all right. Rachel and I are young, and can sleep on the ground, -when we need to. She says Aunt Clara was so anxious to make you young -people happy that she gave up all the room she could for your spring -seats and yourselves."</p> - -<p>"Aunt Clara is good to us, and Rachel is good to her. Pretty good -religion that, brother, eh? Rachel is very thoughtful, Appleton."</p> - -<p>"Yes, she is the best woman on earth, Dolly. I appreciate her, if I am -cross at times. Hark! That's the bugle call for prayers. Run along with -your bed, Dian."</p> - -<p>"Allow me to assist in this operation," and merry Charlie Rose appeared -just in time to carry the bulky bed into Aunt Clara's tent.</p> - -<p>The camp gathered in the central bowery, at the cool sunset hour, and -the choir sang "Come, Come Ye Saints."</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p> Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear,<br> - But with joy wend your way;<br> - Though hard to you this journey may appear,<br> - Grace shall be as your day.<br> - 'Tis better far for us to strive,<br> - Our useless cares from us to drive.<br> - Do this, and joy your hearts will swell—<br> - All is well! all is well!</p> - -<p> Why should we mourn, or think our lot is hard?<br> - 'Tis not so; all is right!<br> - Why should we think to earn a great reward,<br> - If we now shun the fight?<br> - Gird up your loins, fresh courage take,<br> - Our God will never us forsake;<br> - And soon we'll have this tale to tell—<br> - All is well! all is well!</p> - -<p> We'll find the place which God for us prepared,<br> - Far away in the West;<br> - Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;<br> - There the Saints will be blessed.<br> - We'll make the air with music ring,<br> - Shout praises to our God and King;<br> - Above the rest these words we'll tell—<br> - All is well! all is well!</p> - -<p> And should we die before our journey's through,<br> - Happy day! all is well!<br> - We then are free from toil and sorrow too;<br> - With the just we shall dwell.<br> - But if our lives are spared again<br> - To see the Saints, their rest obtain,<br> - O, how we'll make this chorus swell—<br> - All is well! all is well!</p> - - </blockquote> - -<p>After the song, the attention of the assembly was riveted upon the -dignified form of Brigham Young as he advanced to the edge of the -raised platform and said:</p> - -<p>"We unite, my friends and brothers, and sisters, in gratitude to that -Father who has permitted us to enjoy this festal occasion. Tomorrow -morning, at seven o'clock, the bugle will call you here to morning -devotions, except those who are detained at their wagons. We wish those -who have children here to see that they are in the tents, and not have -the cry go forth that this, that and the other child is lost. I also -wish to give a word of caution to all who may visit this lake or the -ones in the hidden vales above us. I would rather have stayed at home -than to have it said that a child has been lost, or any person drowned -through visiting this place.</p> - -<p>"Suppose a child was lost in the woods and could not be found; suppose -you should lose a sister, a daughter, or a companion on this lake; you -would always think of your visit to Big Cottonwood Canyon with bitter -regret. A circumstance of this kind would mar the peace of everyone. -I wish the sisters and children to keep away from these rafts, unless -they have some person in their company capable of taking care of them; -if they know enough to do so as they should, they will listen to this -counsel.</p> - -<p>"Here are swings and boweries prepared for your enjoyment; here are -most beautiful groves, meandering streams, and lovely sheets of -water, amid the towering peaks of the Wasatch mountains. Here are the -stupendous works of the God of Nature, though all do not appreciate -His wisdom, manifested in His works, but are tempted to recklessness -through the buoyant feelings of youth and health, and without caution, -are liable to run into danger.</p> - -<p>"Some, if they had the power, would be on the other side of those -loftly peaks in ten minutes, instead of calmly meditating upon the -wonderful works of God, and His kind providence that has watched over -us and provided for us, more especially in the last fifteen years of -our history. I could sit here for a month and reflect on the mercies -of our God, and humble myself in thankfulness because of His favors to -myself as an individual, and to all this great people.</p> - -<p>"What do you think the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, the -Patriarch, would have given to have seen this day in the flesh, and to -have been here instead of being taken to Carthage, like lambs to their -slaughter, and butchered by their enemies? We are hid up in the Lord's -secret chambers, according to His promise, where none can molest us, or -make us afraid."</p> - -<p>Diantha's whole body shivered in an inner resistance as the President -uttered this joyful challenge to fate. But she listened attentively as -the further quiet words fell from his lips:</p> - -<p>"Here is a good floor which we have prepared expressly for your -enjoyment, there are two other boweries for the mothers and their -children, and here are three bands of musicians, together with -our Nauvoo Brass Band and Brother Huntington's Martial Band. The -Springville band and the Ogden band will both assist Professor Ballo -who has charge of the great orchestra provided for dancing. Before we -have our evening prayers, Professor Ballo will favor us with one of his -classical selections,—'what do you call it, Brother Ballo?'" asked -the President calmly, across the pavilion, and the musician flushed -slightly as he responded from the opposite platform:</p> - -<p>"It is the Overture to Tancreda," profusely bowing in his embarrassment.</p> - -<p>And with that the band struck up the exquisite strains of that tuneful -offering to youth and courage, while the people listened with well -placed musical sympathy, to this unusual burst of melody, in the virgin -solitudes of this sylvan vale. The very hills took up the theme of that -lovely opera by Rosinni, and echoed and re-echoed the fine harmony with -all the Silver Lake's famous echo.</p> - -<p>As the massive form of the President's Counselor, Heber C. Kimball, -stepped out to offer the evening prayer for that happy camp, sweet -Ellen's soul sang and sang the words of the prayer into the straining -melody of the Overture to Tancreda, but alas, Ellen's music was hidden -in her soul and had not been taught to find expression on her lips, or -from her finger-tips.</p> - -<p>After prayers, the people dispersed to their tents to finish -preparations for rest, or to join in dance and song around camp fires -or in the great boweries.</p> - -<p>At the Winthrop tent, Rachel was completing her camp arrangements.</p> - -<p>"Just see 'Enry B'yle 'ang 'round Di," muttered Dian's brother Harvey -to his chums as they carried bundles and boxes from the wagons to the -tents, "He is too fine to chop and dig; he leaves that to John and -father."</p> - -<p>"I'm going to tell mother to set him to work, said Lucy, who at once -ran to put her threat into execution.</p> - -<p>"Miss Diantha, what can I do to help you?" asked the gallant young -man, on receiving the hint from frank Rachel Willis. Thereupon he took -bundles and parcels from the girl, she laughing again and again at his -awkward attempts to be useful around a camp fire.</p> - -<p>The camp-fires, now began to shoot steady flames into the darkening -sky; the squeak, squeak of the fiddles was answered by the toot of the -brass horns, and martial and stringed bands united their forces in -loud, triumphant invitations to "dance."</p> - -<p>And how they danced! Old and young, short and tall, fat and slim—the -temporary floor groaning and shivering beneath the hundreds of merry, -flying, stamping feet.</p> - -<p>Huge camp fires, all over the valley, flung dancing flames and sparks -high into the fleecy evening clouds, while at each corner of the -pavilion, great pine trees, brought from the hills and set upright -for the purpose, burned a spicy, fragrant glowing radiance into every -crevice and corner of the bowered halls.</p> - -<p>"Are you going to dance with me?" drawled John Stevens, through his -long beard, as he suddenly appeared at Diantha's side. She stood in -the brilliant light of the burning pine tree, near the bowery, her -tall, graceful figure melting into divine curves under the simple, -white frock she wore, her arms uncovered to the elbow and her lovely -neck just bared to show the proud lines which dipped in smooth beauty -from ear-tips to shoulders. Her columned throat pulsated with bounding -life under the snowy skin, as she moved her pretty head from side to -side, while the crown of her yellow hair which was coronaded in heavy -braids around and around the shapely head, broke into tiny curls on her -temples and at the white nape of the neck, and was a glittering mass of -spun gold in the dancing flames which heightened both color and quality -of that mass of silken charm.</p> - -<p>"Why, of course, I am, if you ask me to," Dian replied frankly.</p> - -<p>She knew John was not much of a dancer, being very tall, and not -very fond of gyrating around as rapidly as the swift music demanded. -However, she took his arm and they walked out upon the floor; a waltz -was called, and then the girl looked up in her companion's face with a -dismayed glance, and he gazed at her with a quizzical response to her -misgiving. Of all dances, he was least at home in a waltz.</p> - -<p>Once,—twice,—they tried to turn around but without much success. They -stumbled over other couples on the floor. In spite of Dian's heroic -efforts to keep her giant upright and in time with the step, he stopped -suddenly and exclaimed: "I think we shall have to call that a failure."</p> - -<p>She looked up quickly to see if there was not a shade of disappointment -on his face, and she rejoiced with a wicked joy, when dapper young -Henry Boyle came up immediately and carried her off to dance, with all -the grace and rhythm that was so necessary a part of a perfect waltz.</p> - -<p>They passed John once or twice, as he stood under the blazing pine, -stroking his beard and watching the dancers with an inscrutable -expression.</p> - -<p>Diantha forgot him by and by, and did not again think of him, for her -time was so filled with calls for dances that she had no time to think -of anybody or anything but her own excited self.</p> - -<p>After a few hours of dancing, the girl accepted Henry Boyle's -invitation to walk out around camp awhile, and together they traversed -the small valley. As they passed their own camp-fire, where sat her -sister-in-law, Rachel Winthrop, chatting with Aunt Clara, she suddenly -wondered where John Stevens had been all the evening.</p> - -<p>"Have you seen John, this evening?" she asked Rachel.</p> - -<p>"Yes, he has been here, once or twice, getting some cakes and milk for -himself and partner, I guess, for he took two plates."</p> - -<p>"I thought I was his partner up here," said Diantha, in a somewhat -injured tone.</p> - -<p>"Haven't you seen him this evening?" queried Aunt Clara Tyler.</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, but I have been dancing so hard, I forgot all about him."</p> - -<p>"You may find some day, Dian, that two can play at the forgetting -game," said Aunt Clara, with a tenderness that robbed the speech of any -bitterness.</p> - -<p>"I wish they would," answered the girl indifferently.</p> - -<p>Nevertheless her vanity was touched, a few moments after, when she and -her companion passed a rustic bower of boughs, twined and twisted into -a lovely green retreat, where there was a small camp-fire smouldering -in front, and a low couch inside, covered with softest buffalo robes, -whereon sat her dearest friend, Ellen Tyler; and stretched out with -his long legs to the fire, his arm supporting his head, and his face -turned very intently to the young girl near him, was that recreant, -John Stevens, who ought just now to be suffering all the torments of a -discarded lover.</p> - -<p>It was annoying to say the least. Dian acted as if she did not see them -at all, and whispered with much animation to her companion, as they -passed the light of the fire.</p> - -<p>She hurried at once to the bowery and none were more sprightly and gay -until the ten o'clock bugle sounded throughout the valley, and then she -allowed Henry Boyle to accompany her to the tent where the elder ones -still sat chatting and enjoying themselves.</p> - -<p>Diantha Winthrop was pre-eminently sensible. She was sometimes annoyed -with the frequent compliments she received as to this trait of her -character. She was rarely angry with people; she never gossiped about -anybody, and if she had nothing good to say, she rarely said anything -at all. She was not impulsive, nor was she unduly swayed by her -emotions, deep as they sometimes were. She acted upon mature thought, -and only the few who were her intimate friends, really knew the value -of her sterling character.</p> - -<p>Henry begged his companion to stroll up the hill-side a little, just -fairly out of range of the jokers by the camp-fire, and the girl was -the more willing because of that other couple under the pines across -the tiny valley.</p> - -<p>"Here you are, Dian," cried out Rachel. "I was just wondering if you -would not like to get that pop-corn and pop some for the crowd."</p> - -<p>But Henry was still begging under his breath, for her to come up in the -shadow of the pines, and away from the crowd.</p> - -<p>"Can't Lucy and Josephine pop the corn, Rachel?" asked Dian, at last.</p> - -<p>Both children protested their utter weariness.</p> - -<p>"Ah, child," said young Boyle, patronizingly to little Lucy, "just pop -the corn, like the leddy you are."</p> - -<p>"I'm not a 'leddy'," flashed the child back, "and I don't think it's -fair, so there."</p> - -<p>"Don't cry," still teased the young fellow; "do be a good girl," then -joking in his rather clumsy fashion, he added, "Come and kiss yoo papa."</p> - -<p>"Never mind, youngsters," sang out Tom Allen, "I'll help you," while -Harvey and Josephine both flew to assist Lucy Winthrop.</p> - -<p>Lucy sprang into the tent in an angry flame, while her mother followed, -herself too annoyed at the liberty the young man had taken to answer at -all. But she soothed the two little girls, and they all came out and -finished the corn. Rachel herself carried some up to Henry and Dian, -who now sat cozily far up on the hill-side, under the dense shadow of -the trees.</p> - -<p>The younger ones slipped away from the fire, and the laughter and song -there died down; but the young couple still sat under the dark shadow, -far up on the hill-side.</p> - -<p>Henry was entertaining Dian with long tales about his former home in -the British Isles. He gave glowing pictures of the castle belonging to -a distant relative in Staffordshire. The girl listened with increasing -interest; for who could fail to sympathize with the neglected cousin, -even if a third one, of a real lord and earl. The narrator's allusions -to himself were a little broad and fulsome, but Dian was inexperienced, -if shrewd by nature. A feeling of deeper respect for this good -looking and highly connected youth was growing momentarily in her -breast—he certainly was such a fine dancer, and he always picked up -a handkerchief so gracefully! She could but feel flattered by these -confidential revelations of superior virtues and titled relations. The -sounds were hushed from tree to tree, and the canopy of silence was -unfolding in all the majesty of the mid-night hour.</p> - -<p>Suddenly there was a pounding crash and roar above them on the -hill-crest, and down through the brush and trees came bounding some -terrible wild animal.</p> - -<p>Dian screamed, and Henry jumped wildly in the air, yelling at the top -of his voice.</p> - -<p>"Run, run; it's a bear."</p> - -<p>He took his own advice so quickly that the girl was barely on her feet -before he was half-way down to the camp fire, still yelling, "Run, Run!"</p> - -<p>As the young man reached the full blaze of the fire, a quick chorus of -childish voices, above them on the hill-side from which he had fled, -high falsettos, trebels, and one deep bass voice, united in a blasting -sing-song:</p> - -<p>"Come and kiss yoo papa; come and kiss yoo papa."</p> - -<p>And the children, in one derisive row of merciless tormentors, stood -just in the upper shadow line, repeating the refrain with painful -insistence, until Boyle himself was glad to retreat into the silence of -his own tent for the night. There were sounds of laughter from every -near-by tent. What Dian thought of this absurd adventure could only -be conjectured from the scornful expression of her rosy lips, as she -gathered the two little girls in her arms and drove the still jeering -boy, Harvey, and Tom Allen in the darkened back-ground, away into the -far seclusion of their own tent.</p> - -<p>But even as she fled, she heard in the near distance another shrill -cat-call, "Come and kiss yoo papa." And she joined with one smothered -hysterical burst of laughter, the two girls, who were still in her -arms, in laughing at their discomfited enemy.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERIII"></a>III.</h2> - -<p>"COME AND KISS YOO PAPA" -</p> - -<p>It was barely five o'clock the next morning, and long before the lazy -sun would climb the high eastern hill, when Brother Duzett's drums -rattled and rolled their startling reveille, echoing from peak to peak. -In a moment, the quick bustle of camp life broke the stillness of dawn, -and the neigh of the tethered horses, and the low of the oxen in the -meadow, added a note of surprised domesticity to that wild scene. Then, -before these sounds were fairly through echoing and re-echoing across -the silver sheeted lake, two rounds from Uncle Dimick Huntington's -cannon ware answered by two others across the vale fired from Elisha -Everett's fieldpiece. The booming volleys were swept from crag to crag, -and went rolling and tumbling in wild confusion down the canyon's -winding glens, and were just losing themselves in silence, when the -three brass bands united in one great glowing tribute to liberty, in -the entrancing melody of the loved "Yankee Doodle." After this even the -children could sleep no longer, but dressed as best they could with -half-frozen fingers in the dim dawn of the snow-cooled air.</p> - -<p>Out from tent and wagon-box they poured at eight o'clock, these merry, -happy revellers, filled to the brim with joyous anticipations of all -that the day and the years would bring to them.</p> - -<p>As Dian and Ellen met each other, both with cheeks of rosy hue from -their hastened toilet, and ready to go to the bowery for morning -prayers, they heard that shrill call, now muffled by the busy morning -noises—</p> - -<p>"Come and kiss yoo papa," and Dian knew that the young avengers were -again hot on the Englishman's trail.</p> - -<p>"What's that?" asked Ellen.</p> - -<p>Dian explained her midnight adventure, but she asked no question of -Ellen as to her own whereabouts the night before, as she really was -indifferent on that subject. She had known and loved Ellen a good part -of her life, and she did not propose to let a silly thing like John -Steven's diverted attentions come between her and her friend. Dian was -much too sensible for jealousy as a pastime; it might do in real love; -but jealousy in the abstract had never been a part of her character. -Dian was surely sensible.</p> - -<p>The girls were that moment joined by Charlie Rose, fresh, dapper, and -full of morning "poesy."</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"The stars have left the morning skies<br> -To beam in Ellen's lovely eyes,"</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>he began, when Dian interrupted saucily, "Well, I'll declare!" then he -finished—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>The rose has left the dawn so meek,<br> -To bloom in Dian's beauteous cheek."</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>"Well, Charlie, you are at least impartial with your ridiculous -compliments," laughed Dian, "but I wish you wouldn't go on about my -blowzy cheek."</p> - -<p>"I said beauteous," corrected Charlie.</p> - -<p>"Where's Tom Allen?" asked Ellen.</p> - -<p>"Oh, he's fishing, as usual. Did you folks have plenty of fish this -morning?" and then Charlie told absurd Munchhausen fish stories till -the girls were convulsed with girlish laughter.</p> - -<p>"What became of Boyle, the elegant?" asked Charlie. "Me thinks I see -not his fringed pantaloons, nor his gay, red shirt. Hast seen his -ludship this bright morning?"</p> - -<p>There was a wicked echo in the back regions of the Winthrop tent as -Charlie asked this, and a chorus of childish voices piped up, "Come -and kiss yoo papa," and Dian and Ellen were again too overcome with -successive peals of cruel, heartless merriment even to reply to Charlie.</p> - -<p>"Dian," called Rachel, from the tent door, "come here a moment. I want -you to find that flat-iron you laid away somewhere."</p> - -<p>"Why, Rachel, the bugle has sounded for us to gather for morning -exercises in the bowery. What do you want of the flat-iron?"</p> - -<p>"I want the tub, too; Harvey, you carry that tub right down to -the creek this minute, and if I catch you up to any more of your -monkeyshines, I will have your father punish you. Do you hear, sir?"</p> - -<p>"Why, Rachel, Rachel," protested Dian, "don't get angry with Harvey up -here. Surely he is not up to mischief in this lovely place?"</p> - -<p>"Do you know what he did?" exclaimed his mother, more inclined to laugh -after all than to scold, "he took Henry Boyle's new red shirt out of -his tent and then soused it in the creek and left it soaking there all -night. He dragged it this morning through the black mud of this horrid -valley until you can't tell what it is. Brother Boyle can't get up, I -tell you, till I wash and iron his shirt. I am almost inclined to whip -Harvey myself."</p> - -<p>But she refrained; and the two women dragged the shirt out amid -smothered peals of laughter, and sent Harvey to his duty in the crack -juvenile regiment of Rifles, while Dian herself was not unwilling to be -urged by Rachel to go on with Ellen to the exercises, permitting her -kind-hearted sister-in-law to prepare the shirt for future service.</p> - -<p>And still there floated at mysterious intervals that jeering cry about -the tent of the fallen hero, as he lay ruminating within the inner -sanctuary of his own tent on the mischances of fickle fortune.</p> - -<p>"Come and kiss yoo papa," wailed the children, as they, too, departed -for the exercises in the bowery.</p> - -<p>The scene in the central pavilion was impressive! After prayers had -been offered by Apostle Amasa Lyman, the great silken flag, taken -down through the dewy shades of night, was unfurled from the tallest -tree in the vicinity, by the youthful John Smith, son of the murdered -patriarch, and once more the bands broke into crashing melody, and -again the cannon roared across the affrighted silence, while the people -shouted as the emblem of Liberty was unfurled to the morning breeze.</p> - -<p>The regiments of the Utah militia which had been drawn up in rigid -lines before the central pavilion, now saluted the Governor of the -Territory, Brigham Young, and then began a series of brilliant -evolutions. The marching and counter-marching of this tried and trusty -band of mountaineer soldiers made a gallant display which was eminently -fitting to time and scene, in its evidence of loyal devotion to -freedom's rights.</p> - -<p>"Dian," whispered Ellen, as the two sat watching the maneuvers, "don't -you just love a soldier? The sight of those brass buttons is just -thrilling to me."</p> - -<p>Dian's answer was more moderate, but she would have been less than -human if she had not been thrilled by the sight of the so-called "Hope -of Israel," the Juvenile Rifle Company which was now led out by the -handsome young son of the President himself, John W. Young; for all -those youngsters were less than sixteen years old. Her nephew, Harvey -Winthrop, was in that gay company, as she noted triumphantly. And their -marching and counter-marching, their saluting and drilling was a sight -to touch the most sluggish heart into warmth of admiration.</p> - -<p>"Oh, Dian, isn't that the cutest thing you ever saw in your life?" -again asked happy Ellen, as they watched the youthful soldiers finally -trot off to the silence of the trees beyond.</p> - -<p>"Let us go, Dian, now that the military exercises are over. I have just -been longing to climb those peaks, and see the lakes above us. Come -quick; let us go now," and the restless girl pulled at her friend's -sleeve.</p> - -<p>"Why, dear, you must be one of the reckless spirits the President -was talking about last night. We ought to stay and listen to all the -program in the Bowery. Let us go with the crowd and not sneak off -alone."</p> - -<p>But Ellen could not wait, so eager were her feet to press the forbidden -slopes of the hills above. She longed to fly, so vital were her pulses. -The girls compromised as usual and finally walked over to the swings -on the north side of the lake, and both swung themselves into happy -weariness in half an hour's time.</p> - -<p>"Where are the boys?" asked Willie Howe, as the two girls strolled -about.</p> - -<p>"John is doing guard duty; Charlie is down the canyon with the horses; -Tom declares he will bring us a whole wheelbarrow of fish for dinner, -so I suppose he is somewhere on the lakes fishing."</p> - -<p>"And where is Henry Boyle?"</p> - -<p>At that Dian remembered his plight and her ready laughter bubbled up to -eyes and lips. She told the shirt story midst peals of wicked laughter. -Youth is so cruel!</p> - -<p></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERIV"></a>IV.</h2> - -<p>THE ECHO DOWN THE CANYON -</p> - -<p>The two girls now strolled outward toward Solitude. On and on they -went, drawn by the beauty of the scene about them. As the upward -path brought them into the over-arched seclusion of the eternal -quaking-aspens, towering in highest majesty above them, their very -tones were hushed to reverence by the surrounding loveliness.</p> - -<p>"Oh, this is indeed Solitude! Such solitude as only God can make -possible," exclaimed Diantha as the two emerged from the long path -among the tall trees, and saw the tiny gorge below them, ending in the -frowning, locked fortress above.</p> - -<p>They lingered on the upward climb to Lake Solitude to gather bluebells -and columbines, and when they at last emerged on the rim of the rock -which stretched from peak to peak, enclosing that hidden, silent sheet -of glassy water, both felt that they had no words left to express their -pent-up feelings. It was gloriously beautiful! And so they sat down -upon the brink, and cast stones into the surface of the pool. They -were all alone in that retired spot. Their merry companions, and the -thousands of revellers had evidently taken other paths among the many, -each one of which led to other and more entrancing scenes than the last.</p> - -<p>And in that silence and seclusion, the two girls, for the last time -in this life, opened to each other the heart's secret recesses, for -each to gaze upon. The sweetness of that confidence hallowed, for all -time, the place and the day. The tragedy of life hovered close to both -innocent souls, and above and about them hung the curtains of the -uncertain future. Ellen was never before so lovable and dear to Dian, -while Ellen, dear, affectionate Ellen, fairly revelled in this rare and -unreserved confidence shown to her by her adored friend.</p> - -<p>A distant "Hello" reminded them that they had promised to be back -at camp in time to take the long trip up to an upper lake, and they -answered with another cry of "Hello," which was caught and repeated -a thousand times in the mysterious echo nestling forever under the -shelter of the chalk-white peaks. And back they sped, under the giant -quaking-aspens, to the edge of Lover's Lane. Just as they reached the -forest, Henry Boyle met them, his handsome young face glowing with the -exertions he had put forth to locate these wanderers.</p> - -<p>"Hurry, the crowd are all waiting for you two. Aunt Clara has put up -our luncheon; John Stevens has got off guard duty for two hours, and -Charlie and Tom have both arranged to make the trip up to the upper -lake."</p> - -<p>The girls ran down the slope with him and found the young people all -ready at the edge of the bowery.</p> - -<p>"Are you children going?" asked Dian, not too well pleased to find a -group of noisy, half-grown children as part of their equipment.</p> - -<p>"Ah, let them go, Dian," begged Ellen; "I will look after them, and I -know Harvey will be good, and the girls will stay right with me. Won't -you, girls?"</p> - -<p>And with this promise, the whole party started up the steep ascent -towards the upper lake.</p> - -<p>"In all my life," said Ellen, as the children swarmed around her, and -she found that John Stevens was to be her escort, for that portion of -the trip at least, "I was never so happy. I could sing if I only had -Diantha's voice; or I could dance, if I had Lucy's hornpipe steps; but -as it is, I must just shout aloud and cry 'Hello.'" And suiting the -action to the word, she put her pretty hands to the side of her lips -and cried down the valley:</p> - -<p>"Hello! Hello!"</p> - -<p>Ellen stood some time at this viewpoint on the southern peak, and the -children gathered around her and John to admire the exquisite beauty of -the scene spread out in the fairy dell below them.</p> - -<p>"Was there ever anything more beautiful on this earth, Dian?" she -asked, in triumphant tones. "There is nothing to hurt or make one -afraid in all this holy mountain, is there, John?"</p> - -<p>"Hush, Ellie," answered John. "I don't like people to fling the -gauntlet in the face of fate with such careless words."</p> - -<p>"But, John, did you hear what the President said this morning?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I did. And it chilled my blood to hear him speak so; I have heard -him do such a thing only once before. Do you recall how he said, the -first year we came here, that he wanted just ten years of quiet and -peace and he would ask no odds of anybody."</p> - -<p>"I don't remember it, John. I was only eight years old then, you know."</p> - -<p>"True, child, I forgot. It is just ten years this very day since the -pioneers entered this valley."</p> - -<p>"Oh, John, don't be superstitious. I must not listen to you if you are -going to prophesy evil. Come, the children are all going, and we will -lose our dinner. But listen once more while I cry 'Hello'," and she -cried again "Hello!"</p> - -<p>Was it John's fancy, or did he hear afar off a long shuddering echo -which clung with sinister repetitions to every distant crag and peak?</p> - -<p>"Why, John, what are you listening for? You scare me! I thought you -were the bravest of men."</p> - -<p>"The bravest men take no chances with fate or men," answered John, -resuming his long upward stride beside his companion.</p> - -<p>They found the whole party already gathered on the little island which -lay in the center of the second lake.</p> - -<p>As John and Ellen reached the great rock on the south side of the lake, -they heard the sound of music floating in enchanted waves through the -vale of glory around them. John paused to listen.</p> - -<p>It was Dian singing as she spread the homely viands on the smooth, -white rock which was to be their table on the Island in the center of -the lake. The sheen of her hair was caught by the sunbeams as they -danced across the still water, for she had thrown her sunbonnet down -upon the rock, as she plied her homely tasks. The boys had caught some -fish, and she was stooping over the camp fire to brown them for the -coming meal. Her stately beauty was never more apparent than when some -task of seeming ugliness brought the color ripe and rich to cheek and -neck, and thus she bent above her tasks, every detail visible in that -clear atmosphere to the watchers across the little lake.</p> - -<p>Dian sang to the accompaniment of her brother Harvey's concertina, -all unconscious of the picture she made across those magic waters, so -near and yet so far away from those who loved her best. The soul of -her was still wrapped in dreams, and only half awakened to response -by her friends or family. And as she stirred about or bent above the -blazing fire, her voice swept poignantly over the distance as she sang -"Kathleen Mavorneen" in the reckless abandonment of tone taught her by -the little Italian music professor who loved to put his own fervid soul -into the unconscious voices of these youthful, sylvan artists, whom he -had so unexpectedly found in this strange country.</p> - -<p>"The Day Dawn is Breaking," sang Dian, the concertina wailing and -mildly snorting in its brave efforts at complete harmony with Dian's -sweet voice, and Ellen listened, her own heart beating in her throat -with an admiration that was too generous to be envy. But oh, why could -she not sing?</p> - -<p>"You people would better come over here if you want your dinner," -called Charlie Rose. And as he spoke the odor of the frying trout made -invitation almost needless.</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"Beside the lake their tryst they kept,<br> -And rested not, nor ate, nor slept,"</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>sang Charlie.</p> - -<p>But Diantha caught his words and added,</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"The fish was gone, the lovers wept;<br> -And wished their promise they had kept!</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>"If you folks don't hurry, we'll have every scrap of the fish eaten up."</p> - -<p>The prosaic appeal reminded Ellen that she had left her friend alone -with the work of preparation of the dinner, and so they hastened down -to the other raft and soon paddled across to the island.</p> - -<p>The picnic dinner was scarcely over before Tom Allen was down on the -narrow beach and calling for all hands to embark. The children followed -him quickly, and he managed to secure both Charlie Rose and Diantha as -his other passengers; just as Henry Boyle came running down the rocks, -Tom called: "Get the pole and give us a push from shore."</p> - -<p>"Wait," called the young Englishman.</p> - -<p>Boyle seized the pole, and sprang for the raft, but in an instant he -was waist deep in the icy water, and the raft was floating off beyond -his reach.</p> - -<p>"Come and kiss yoo papa," yelled out the piping chorus of children's -voices, while Charlie recited dramatically, "The boy stood on the -burning deck," with his own absurd modifications of the original text.</p> - -<p>Dian was angry with the children, thus to taunt their helpless and now -uncomfortable friend, but the children only cried out the refrain, -again and again, and that piping treble swept over the waters, as the -poor youth left behind waded up on to the shore of the island and -turned his back resentfully upon his jeering tormentors.</p> - -<p>At that moment, John himself rounded the island with his own raft -and picked up the discomfited youth, whose once brilliant red shirt, -freshly ironed that morning by Rachel's kind hands, was once more faded -and streaked, and added to that humiliation was the awful discomfiture -of those dripping, wet, and heavy leathern pantaloons, bordered with -dripping fringe. Surely his punishment was very heavy.</p> - -<p>"Hurry home," said John, kindly, as they landed, "and get on some dry -clothing."</p> - -<p>As poor Boyle plunged and swashed on his hurried homeward way, the -cluck of those swishing breeches and the sluice of his brand new but -water-filled shoes made it difficult for even Ellen to keep herself -from joining the children in their peals of naughty merriment.</p> - -<p>Yet, with all the sundry small mishaps, surely there had never been so -happy and so blissful a day vouchsafed to the "Mormon" refugees in all -their tempestuous short existence.</p> - -<p>But the echo calls and calls from peak to peak and cries the challenge -out to happiness and freedom. And who shall answer, O spirit of a -nameless past, so long pent up in these hoary mountain vales!</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERV"></a>V.</h2> - -<p>"THE ARMY IS UPON US" -</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>Oyez!!</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>It is a long and a difficult climb into the tops of the Wasatch -mountains; and it takes hours and hours to climb; and the knees grow -weak, and the breath comes hard, and the body bends to the grass.</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>Oyez! Oyez!</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>And the news of the evil day may travel so fast or travel so slow, -good sir, but it travels apace, and reaches the hills by a steep and a -difficult road. And long are the miles and dusty the path which stretch -between the rolling river Platte and the tops of the Wasatch hills. But -men must ride, good sirs, when they bear the message of evil report, -for evil finds wings of wind, while good goes only by post, good sirs. -And the men must ride fast, and the men must ride far, for the miles -are many and the road is long that stretch between the Platte and the -Wasatch hills.</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>The people in the hills are happy today, for they see not, neither do -they hear, the echo which flies in sinister message from peak to peak -as the men ride fast and spare not, climbing and climbing still, to -reach the tops of the Wasatch hills. And the echo is caught and stilled -in its upward peal by the curling folds of that star-lit flag which -flutters and flies at full-masted pride on the top of the highest tree -on the top of the Wasatch hills.</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>Oyez! Good Sirs, Oyez!</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>The young people ran and danced and sang on their way down the road -from the upper lake, but run as they would Ellen was ahead of them -all, and she reached the spot where she and John had lingered on their -upward way, at the jutting promontory, and the whole party stood -breathless and silent in speechless admiration.</p> - -<p>But it was more than the beauty of the scene which caught and riveted -John's attention. He stood on the very edge of the precipice and shaded -his eye with his hand, then quickly took out his field glass.</p> - -<p>"What is it, John?" asked Charlie Rose, sober in an instant at the look -upon his friend's face.</p> - -<p>"Show me; let me help to make things attractive," said Tom, with a -teasing note in his voice.</p> - -<p>"What do you see, John? I can see three horsemen coming up the Valley -trail. They are just now turning the point," said Charley.</p> - -<p>"Oh, I see them," shouted Harvey, in a boy's excitement and with a -mountaineers clear vision, he added, "And they are not our folks. They -look too tired and rough for any of our folks. Say John, isn't that -Porter Rockwell, with his hair braided round under his hat? Look! I -thought he was out on the Platte River."</p> - -<p>But John had caught the profile of the man afar off and he turned down -the dangerous short cut and was galloping down the path with the speed -of a panther. The remainder of the young men followed helter-shelter -and the two older girls were left to go down the safer and slower path -with the little girls, with what speed they could muster.</p> - -<p>"I think we are silly people to run for nothing," said Dian as they -flew down the path, but she was ahead of Ellen even as she spoke, and -for some unknown reason, her own blood was a tingle with the electrical -disturbance in the spiritual atmosphere about her.</p> - -<p>"The United States is sending an army to destroy us."</p> - -<p>Almost before they had left the dense woods this message had flashed -into their ears.</p> - -<p>"The United States is sending an army against the Saints."</p> - -<p>The people whispered it, spoke it, shouted it, and hissed it as they -passed group after group. The children cried it; the women moaned it; -and even the trees caught the sinister echo as it drifted from peak to -peak and lost itself among the chalk-white cliffs as they gazed down in -silence at the sudden excitement, spreading like a pall over that happy -group. But as swift as the rumor spread it was followed as swiftly by -a whisper of "Peace" and again "Peace, the Lord is on the side of the -innocent," and the men drove off the frown of gloom, the women smiled -again in trusting hope, and even the children forgot to cry as the -influence of the leader, Brigham Young, spread out like a bright cloud, -and the spoken word of quiet peace was passed from camp to camp.</p> - -<p>The men might ride, and evil tidings come, but into the very woof and -web of Mormonism was woven a trust in Providence which no careless hand -might sever.</p> - -<p>"Can Aunt Clara feed these hungry travelers?" asked John Stevens, half -an hour later, as he raised the flap of her tent, and introduced the -three dusty travel-stained men, accompanied by Judge Elias Smith, who -had been their companion from Great Salt Lake City. Abram O. Smoot, -tall and eagle-visaged, his splendid limbs stiff and worn with the long -ride between the Platte and these peaceful glens in the Wasatch; Porter -Rockwell, his hawkeyed glance narrowed into one glittering line as he -swept off his worn and ragged hat, was crowned by a wreath of burnished -braids that many a woman might envy, but which no woman's hand might -ever clip, for death would find him still crowned with those dark and -burnished tresses. And last, Judson Stoddard, alert, resourceful and -intrepid rider, soldier and friend. Aunt Clara ministered to them all, -giving milk and food to refresh, while she brought ice-cool water to -lave the tired hands and brows of her friends and brethren.</p> - -<p>"The President wishes you to meet him in the council tent in one hour," -said John, to the three men, as he left his mountaineer friends in Aunt -Clara's tent, and strode away to join his youthful companions and to -dissipate, as best he could, all the thoughts of gloom and care; for -now his own troubled fears had fled, surmounted by a certain knowledge -of what they had portended. He knew his leader's policy too well to -go about the camp with anything but a cool and quiet front. Fear had -passed; now came action.</p> - -<p>Bishop Winthrop, with a word whispered from John, strolled leisurely -away to the marquee, saying to his wife, Rachel, as he passed: "You had -better go on with dinner, Rachel; I may eat with the President, I wish -to speak with him a few minutes."</p> - -<p>There was no further excitement in the Winthrop camp, for even John -Stevens threw himself on the ground, and lay looking up into the bright -blue sky above him, calmly waiting for that important function in every -man's life, his supper.</p> - -<p>It was rumored quickly during the afternoon, that the three men, A. O. -Smoot, Porter Rockwell, and Judson Stoddard had brought other details -of this startling news, but after the first shock was over the people -leaned upon the sagacity and inspiration of their president, as if he -were a very part of the rocky bulwarks surrounding them.</p> - -<p>That night, the bugle called the whole camp, as usual, together for -prayers, and it was then that the formal news was communicated to them: -"Buchanan is sending an army to exterminate the 'Mormons.'" It was all -true then.</p> - -<p>The two girls, Diantha, and Ellen Tyler, sat together in the bowery, -when this announcement was made, and they looked at each other -with wide open eyes. They were both children when brought to these -valleys, and the thought that the terrible scenes at Nauvoo were to be -re-enacted in this far distant Territory, caused both of them to pale -with fear and dread.</p> - -<p>With a common instinct both looked around for John Stevens. Henry Boyle -stood near them, and he answered their questioning look with a little -pallid smile. Dian felt that the young man was as frightened as she, -and again, in spite of herself, she felt contempt for him.</p> - -<p>Away off in the lower corner of the bowery, stood placid John Stevens, -stroking his long silken beard, with as much composure as if the -announcement was a party to be given in the Social Hall. He did not -look at Diantha, but seemed to be thinking of something very intently, -which was not unpleasant, and she wondered what it was.</p> - -<p>"Why doesn't John come over here?" asked Ellen, as she, too, discovered -the tall figure of their friend.</p> - -<p>"Little goose, do you fear that the soldiers are within a half-mile of -this place?" asked Diantha, laughingly. "Hark, President Young is going -to speak," and then both sat with silent, spell-bound hearts, listening -to that clarion voice, which uttered the sentiments of a people, -harrassed, driven and mobbed.</p> - -<p>His reassuring words, and the strong, calm spirit of inspiration -which spoke through the brief sermon, filled every heart with renewed -confidence and hope. What the future held in store for them as a people -or as individuals, no one could say; but one thought buoyed up every -heart; God was with them and they could not feel dismayed.</p> - -<p>The rejoicing and merry-making was not interrupted for long; for -after supper the bands tuned up, the pine-trees were lighted anew, -and the merry hearts and the dancing feet filled the pretty vale with -rollicking pleasure.</p> - -<p>"Where is John Stevens?" asked Dian of Henry Boyle, who came up to -claim her for the first dance.</p> - -<p>"Oh, he had to go home on some business for the President," answered -Ellen Tyler, who sat near.</p> - -<p>"Without saying one word to me?" indignantly protested Diantha.</p> - -<p>"He asked me for my horse," said young Boyle, "and told me I might -drive you home in his place."</p> - -<p>"Well, of all odd fellows, surely John Stevens is the oddest," answered -Dian, none too well pleased with this summary disposal of her valuable -person. She would certainly have to take the trouble to teach that -young man a lesson some day, when she had time; perhaps when all this -army business was over, she would seriously take him in hand. Not that -she cared a rap about him, but it was not a good thing for a young man -to have such careless ways of treating her sex, fastened upon him by -long continued habit. Diantha was pre-eminently given to setting people -right, and she did not intend that her gentlemen friends should escape -her molding hand.</p> - -<p>There were many wakeful hours spent in that gay little tented village -and long before the peep of day the next morning, men were hitching -up and packing wagons. Ere long the whole cavalcade had taken up the -line of march, and soon the silence of the mountain peaks chained the -whispers of pine and quaking-aspens within the long vale, leaving the -circling memories alone to sweep forever over the lake like shadowy -wraiths of summer mist.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERVI"></a>VI.</h2> - -<p>WHO SHALL FEAR MAN? -</p> - -<p>At the time of this story (in 1857-8) there stood in Salt Lake City, -in the Thirteenth Ward, a small adobe house of four rooms, with the -tiny square-framed windows, set at regular intervals from a central -brilliantly green door which gayly faced the street. Not only was the -green door rare because of its extremely unconventional color; it was -also unusual in its quick response of welcome to black or white, bond -or free, in a place where welcome grew more lavishly than did the grass -in the streets. There was something so aggressively bright about that -loudly painted door that even the Indians grew to love its restful -color and the atmosphere that it betokened for all who pushed ever so -lightly at its ready portals. The green was such a happy blending of -the dark shades of the cool pine with the yellowed masses of creeping -mosses that one's eyes were rested just to glance at it. None who -passed within could fail to recognize that some one out of the ordinary -lived behind those gaudy yet pleasing door-panels. The poor, the sick, -the halt, the lame and the blind, all learned the ease with which that -bright door opened, and the wealth of gentle welcome which spoke in -the brighter eyes of dear old widowed Aunt Clara Tyler. The Indians, -too, knew where they would receive plenty of "shutcup," and if one had -a bruise or a wound, only Aunt Clara's hand could soothe and dress, to -the complete satisfaction, the injured member.</p> - -<p>Dear Aunt Clara! The mind traces in golden light her lovely picture. -Bright and black were her eyes, but never sharp and cruel; she had a -sweet mouth and the blackest of hair. She was short and very stout; but -who ever saw aught but the lovely spirit which was enshrined within her -active body. People used to wonder why Aunt Clara had no enemies, and -why everything animate looked to her for succor and protection. The -secret could all be told in two words—womanly sympathy, such sympathy -as the noblest of women and the purest of angels can bestow; a sympathy -which never encouraged evil because it made a sharp distinction -between sin and sinner, but which drew the whole sting from the wound -before dropping in the needed tonic of wise counsel, and covering all -softly with the vial of loving tenderness. That was the secret of her -popularity with young and old in the whole neighborhood.</p> - -<p>She had no children of her own, which enabled her to be mother to the -whole town. But her dead sister's child, Ellen, was as dear to her as -an own child, while she had a deep and abiding love and confidence -in the other motherless girl, Diantha Winthrop. She had no money of -her own, and being a widow, she had few old clothes or supplies to -dispose of; yet, someway, she was a veritable Relief Society. These -organizations were not then in working order; and dozens of mothers -with big broods of children could have told how Aunt Clara's winning -voice and manner drew from them all the half-worn clothes they could -possibly spare; and how such a mother would laugh as she saw some -podgy Lamanite squaw going down the street with her own jean skirt on, -patched by Aunt Clara's thrifty fingers and clean for the last time in -all its final mournful existence. It was quite natural for the Bishop -to send ragged children or newly arrived emigrants to knock at Aunt -Clara's friendly green door, for help, spiritual or temporal.</p> - -<p>No wonder, then, that the night after the return from the celebration -in Cottonwood Canyon, a dozen young people sat in the comfortable -rush-bottomed chairs within the opened portals; and while Aunt Clara -moved quietly among them, putting the finishing touches to her evening -work, they talked with excited voices of the impending danger.</p> - -<p>Aunt Clara saw that something was necessary to drive away the alarm. -Going into her bedroom, she drew out six large skeins of woolen yarn.</p> - -<p>"Here, girls, I have a chore for you to do. I want this yarn wound off -for it is to be knitted up at once. Boys, you can help by holding the -yarn nicely and properly, and the one who is done the soonest shall -have one of the dough-nuts left over from my pic-nic."</p> - -<p>"What's this for; to knit stockings for our soldiers?" asked Diantha, -who was, as usual, the center of the group.</p> - -<p>"It's to knit socks for the Bishop and the boys; I am sure I don't -know, nor do I care, whether they go out to fight as the defenders of -our country or not. It will be all right whatever they do. Didn't you -hear President Young say that God would fight our battles for us? Let -that be sufficient."</p> - -<p>"Don't you think we are going to have a war, Aunt Clara?" ventured -timid Millie Howe, who was one of the group.</p> - -<p>"No, I don't. Of course I don't know all the facts of the case, but I -have heard President Young say many times since we entered the Valley -that we should not have to fight any more battles, for God would fight -them for us. I have perfect faith in his word."</p> - -<p>"Nevertheless, Aunt Clara," said a voice at the open window, "I want to -borrow your father's old Revolutionary musket, which you keep hanging -up over your bed."</p> - -<p>Two or three girls screamed at the suddenness of the sound, and the -young men started in their seats.</p> - -<p>"Oh, John Stevens, why do you frighten us like that?" called Ellen. -"Come here and give an account of yourself. Where have you been since -you left us in the canyon, and what did you leave us so unceremoniously -for?"</p> - -<p>"Business, business," answered the young man, entering the room as he -spoke. "What are you all doing here, winding yarn as peacefully and -calmly as if there were nothing of more importance on earth."</p> - -<p>"Well, is there anything of more importance, John?" asked Tom Allen. -"Think of it, man, holding yarn for the prettiest girl in Salt Lake. -I know what ails you, you have no yarn to hold. Here, Aunt Clara, -give him some yarn to hold, and there is Ellen. She can wind up that -slow-moving tongue of his at the same time."</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"The yarn around and round she slung<br> -To make him loose his sluggish tongue,"</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>cried Charlie Rose, tauntingly.</p> - -<p>"Oh, John, do tell us the news. Don't bother with Tom and Charlie; tell -us the news," Ellen persisted.</p> - -<p>"If Aunt Clara will give me one of her dough-nuts, I will tell all the -news I have to tell."</p> - -<p>"Why don't you say that you will tell all there is to tell, John; you -are so non-committal?" chimed in Diantha, who understood how much and -how little might be expected in the way of telling or talking from John -Stevens.</p> - -<p>Aunt Clara went out and brought in a pan of dough-nuts and a pitcher of -milk, which kept the young people too busy for a few minutes to talk -anything but nonsense.</p> - -<p>"If I could find a girl that could make as good dough-nuts as you can, -Aunt Clara," said Tom Allen, with his mouth half-full of cake, "I would -marry her tomorrow."</p> - -<p>"Would you, indeed," cried Ellen Tyler. "Then you must learn that -catching comes before hanging. I made those dough-nuts myself, young -impudence, while Aunt Clara was fitting my dress to wear up in the -canyon."</p> - -<p>"Ellie, I shall certainly have to take you as my wife. You know that -I have already been engaged several times. But you shall have the -privilege of being my very last sweetheart. The last is best, you know, -of all the game. You are second to none in the matter of dough-nuts. -Please, Ellie, give me another fried cake."</p> - -<p>"Another plate-full, you mean. I certainly shall not accept your offer, -for if I did I should have nothing else to do the rest of my life but -fry dough-nuts for you."</p> - -<p>"Ellie, haven't you heard that the nearest way to a man's heart is—"</p> - -<p>"Oh, don't say such horrid things. We all know where your heart lies, -Tom, so don't bother to tell us," said Dian, with a disgusted air.</p> - -<p>"What on earth is the matter with me," began Tom, rising in mock -indignation from his chair, but the girls cried out in dismay, and John -Stevens, who sat nearest the offending youth, pulled him down into -his seat again, and growled at him in so low a voice that no one but -Tom could hear him, "There is nothing the matter with you, only you -make yourself a little too prominent." And John indicated his friend's -adipose with a slight blow. Tom was so tickled with the joke that he -determined to repeat it even if the girls should be more shocked than -ever, but Aunt Clara came in and asked John to tell them the news of -the army.</p> - -<p>"Yes, there is really an army en route for Utah, but they will forever -be en route, either to Utah," after a pause, he added under his breath, -"or to hell."</p> - -<p>"What are they coming here for?" asked Aunt Clara, again.</p> - -<p>"No one knows, unless it is to rob and murder us again, as mobs have -tried to do so often before."</p> - -<p>"And will they do it?" breathlessly asked Ellen.</p> - -<p>"Not this year," grimly answered John. "There is only one entrance into -this valley, through the canyon. And forty men could hold an army at -bay for a year in our canyons."</p> - -<p>"But, John, where are they? and how many are there of them? and when -will they get here? and who is going out to meet them and fight them, -and—"</p> - -<p>"Well, Ellie, we shall give you the credit of asking more questions in -a minute than even President Young could answer in a day. Say, boys, -where is Henry Boyle?"</p> - -<p>"Henry Boyle, did you say, Henry Boyle?" and Tom Allen, who had thus -repeated the question, began to laugh, and as he laughed he fairly -tumbled off his chair in his efforts to control his merriment. The -others smiled and some even laughed aloud to see fat Tom laugh, for his -merriment was always as contagious as a clown's.</p> - -<p>"Do tell us what is the matter with Henry Boyle?" snapped Diantha, at -last, worn out by his long continued, mysterious laughter.</p> - -<p>"Oh, dear, I forget all about it, this war talk drove it all out of -my head. But it is too ridiculous for anything," and he went off into -another peal of laughter and exhausted himself, before they could calm -him down to tell his story.</p> - -<p>"You see, early this morning, far too early, it could not have been -more than half an hour after sunrise, I was just taking my last beauty -sleep, when a little boy rapped at my door; and when I succeeded in -tearing myself from the arms of Morpheus sufficiently to find out what -he wanted, he said Brother Boyle wanted to see me. I got myself over -to Henry's and on entering the room," here another burst of laughter -rendered Tom speechless for a moment, "there lay Henry on his bed, his -legs stretched out and covered with his hard shrunken buckskin pants. -I don't know where he got those pants, but they were not half tanned, -and yesterday after that fall in the lake with them, fringes and all, -he slept in them, for he said he could not get them off; and he had to -let Charlie Rose drive the folks down in the wagon, while he coaxed -another family to let him travel down in the bottom of their wagon, for -he couldn't bend his knees. He got on to his bed someway, and there he -lies. He wanted me to help him out of his scrape, for he says he can -not afford to lose his precious pants; they cost him too much."</p> - -<p>"What did you tell him to do?" asked Ellen.</p> - -<p>"Oh, I ordered him to live on fresh air and cold water for three days, -so his legs would shrink, and then left him to time and fate."</p> - -<p>"I am ashamed of you, Tom Allen, for treating anybody so, especially -one who is a comparative stranger to these mountains and our customs."</p> - -<p>"Oh, Dian, if you are going to lecture me, I shall have to have another -of Aunt Clara's dough-nuts."</p> - -<p>"Come, my dears," said Aunt Clara, "sing me a hymn. Here is Harvey with -his concertina, and he will help you. Sing 'O, ye mountains high'," -and then, gradually quieting down, the young people joined in that -thrilling hymnal of Mormon independence. Strange people they were, with -strange notions of life and destiny.</p> - -<p>"Well, I am going home," announced Diantha, at last, and she arose at -once to get her hat.</p> - -<p>John Stevens took up his own hat quietly at her words, and she was -pleased that he did so, for she wanted to ask him more about the coming -trouble, and she knew that he would say nothing of importance in that -crowd.</p> - -<p>"You asked me to stay all night with you, Dian, do you want me to come -home with you now?" queried Ellen Tyler.</p> - -<p>Half annoyed that Ellen had thus rendered it impossible for her to -speak alone with John, Dian was yet too courteous to let her friend -know of her feelings. As soon as Ellen started out Tom Allen snatched -up his hat, and so Dian had to accept the double interruption of her -anticipated confidential talk.</p> - -<p>There was no such a thing as quiet or sensible talk with Tom Allen and -Ellie along; but just before they reached her gate, Dian managed to ask -John quietly to go down to Henry Boyle and release him from the effects -of Tom Allen's cruel fun.</p> - -<p>John parted with them all, and after a brief visit with Henry Boyle, -wended his way to President Young's office, where he was soon deep -in council with his leaders and the associated friends of the Nauvoo -Legion.</p> - -<p>The middle of August found John Stevens enlisted as one of a small, -trusty band of Utah mountaineers under Colonel Robert T. Burton, with -faces set to the east, where they were soon out of sight and sound of -civilization, riding toward the coming troops.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERVII"></a>VII.</h2> - -<p>VAN ARDEN ENTERS THE VALLEY -</p> - -<p>In the early morning of the sixth of September, 1857, a solitary -horseman was slowly making his way down Echo Canyon, thoughtfully -observing the features of the narrow and circuitous route of the -everlasting hills as he rode. The morning sun glinted and shimmered -upon the gaudy gilt buttons and epaulettes of his dark blue coat. His -cap bore upon its visor the arms of the U. S. He was clearly an army -officer.</p> - -<p>The bright fluttering leaves on the oak and maple brush that clothed -the mountain sides in their gaudy, early autumn dress, formed a -vivid contrast to the tiny groves of cedar which clung closely to -the mountain tops or hung in straggling beauty to the side of some -precipitous cliff. The bare, brown earth, dotted with bald white and -gray boulders, showed its plain face here and there, and far from the -eye, the dull brown shade was gradually melted into a pinkish purple -haze, too full of wild barbaric beauty to escape the attention of the -young rider who sat his fine horse with a proud military firmness.</p> - -<p>The officer was evidently upon the alert for any surprise, for his eye -glanced quickly ahead and around; his whole bearing suggested a sharp, -suspicious attention to every detail of road and overhanging rock. As -he turned a sudden curve in the road, he met a tall, silent horseman, -who sat his restless steed, in a manner no less firm and commanding -than that manifested by the gayly-clad officer of the great army of the -United States.</p> - -<p>"Good morning, sir; may I ask whither you are bound?" said the -mountaineer.</p> - -<p>"Certainly, I am traveling to Salt Lake City. Permit me to pass, if you -please."</p> - -<p>"Just one moment; do you come on an errand of peace or otherwise? You -must know something of the condition of affairs in this Territory, and -I assure you I have full right and authority to ask this question."</p> - -<p>The officer glanced shrewdly into the face of his opponent, and after -a few moments' careful scrutiny, which was apparently satisfactory, he -leaned easily over the horn of his saddle, and answered quietly:</p> - -<p>"I accept your declaration and as a civil answer to your somewhat -unusual question, I am quite willing to tell you that my name is Van -Arden, and that I am bound on an errand to Mr. Brigham Young."</p> - -<p>"I do not ask the nature of that errand, for I don't suppose you would -answer me if I did; but I shall take the liberty of accompanying you -from here to the City."</p> - -<p>"Very well, Mr—."</p> - -<p>"Stevens," laconically answered the other, slowly wheeling around his -horse and trotting along by the other's side.</p> - -<p>The remainder of the morning was spent in a somewhat desultory -conversation, the officer doing most of the talking, as he was -determined to retain a measure of friendly intercourse, no matter -whether it was pleasing to his companion or not. Towards noon, they -halted beside the mountain stream, and each produced a modicum of -luncheon, which was partaken of in semi-silence; a few questions from -the officer accompanied the meal, with exceedingly brief, although not -uncivil, answers from the mountaineer. As they arose to resume their -journey, a small party of horsemen appeared just in front of them, and -without a word of greeting or questioning they joined the two, and -silently followed closely upon the heels of the strangely associated -companions.</p> - -<p>Arriving in due time in Salt Lake City, the gallant captain was -escorted by his silent guard to excellent quarters in the hotel on Main -Street. As he was about to dismount, he turned to his late companion -and courteously asked:</p> - -<p>"Would you kindly convey, for me, a message to Brigham Young?"</p> - -<p>Stevens drew himself up in his saddle, and with his eyes sternly set -upon his horse's ears, he said coldly:</p> - -<p>"If you have any messages to send to his excellency, Governor Young, I -will deliver them."</p> - -<p>"Then be so good as to convey my compliments to His Excellency, -Governor Young, and inform him that Captain Van Arden is the bearer of -important messages for His Excellency which, from their nature, should -be delivered at once."</p> - -<p>Without a word of reply, Stevens wheeled his horse around, and, after -a brief parley with his men, who quietly accepted his orders, he -rode hastily up the street. He was admitted at once to the office of -the Governor, and gave a brief, yet vivid report of his three weeks' -sojourn in the mountains, and then stated the nature of his errand and -message.</p> - -<p>"I am under orders from Colonel Burton to keep a strict, but civil -watch over this officer, who left Fort Leavenworth, July 28th, with six -mule teams, to attend upon you with some demands or requests. We have -not yet been able to ascertain the nature of his mission, but feel sure -it is of a peaceful nature, as he left his teams and escort at Ham's -Fork, and proceeded from thence alone."</p> - -<p>"What was his object in leaving his teams?" asked Governor Young.</p> - -<p>"I think he feared his mission might be misunderstood, and he, perhaps -be barred from entering the valley at all, if he attempted to bring -them any further. He said as much to me today."</p> - -<p>"What is your opinion of the man?" asked the Governor.</p> - -<p>"I take him to be a gentleman. He met some of our apostates, who have, -as you know, hurried out of Utah to join the army, and they have, one -and all, tried to scare the life out of him, with blood and thunder -yarns about our people. But he has traveled straight along, and appears -to be a firm, yet a sensible and peaceable kind of man."</p> - -<p>The President-Governor sat a moment in silent meditation. Then, with an -upward glance of his piercing blue eyes, he asked:</p> - -<p>"Did you say that he wished to see me tonight?"</p> - -<p>"He did not mention any set time, only that his business was important -and he wished to have an interview as soon as possible."</p> - -<p>"Brother Wells, will you send a message to Brother Bernhisel, asking -him to be present to accompany us in half an hour to the hotel?" said -the President. Then turning to Stevens, he added:</p> - -<p>"You will hold yourself and a small escort with you in readiness to -accompany us upon this errand."</p> - -<p>In a short time the party arrived at the hotel, and the guard -were stationed at different points around the building, while the -gubernatorial party entered the parlor, and sent a courteous message to -Captain Van Arden.</p> - -<p>John Stevens lingered behind the rest of the party, but General Wells -came to the door and called quickly:</p> - -<p>"Brother Stevens, the President desires you to come in with us."</p> - -<p>John quietly accompanied his general, and as they entered the parlor, -they found the captain shaking hands cordially with the Governor. Who -could resist the magnetic courtesy and geniality of the "Mormon" leader -when he chose to exert it!</p> - -<p>In a very short time captain Van Arden discovered that instead of a -bold pirate and trickster, he had encountered a master spirit, and if -he would succeed in his appointed mission, he must treat his powerful -guest as all great men are treated—with the most elegant diplomacy and -subtlest deference.</p> - -<p>Without a word of anxious curiosity or vulgar assumption of power, -Governor Young allowed the captain to choose his own time for the -desired interview, and ten o'clock the next day was accordingly -appointed as the best hour.</p> - -<p>The captain accompanied the governor and the rest of the party to the -porch of the hotel, and as they moved off into the clear, pleasant -autumn darkness, he looked up into the blue vault above him and said to -his own soul:</p> - -<p>"What cowardly fool and lying trickster has persuaded the President of -the United States to send out here the flower of the American army to -subdue, or perhaps destroy, this innocent, loyal, and simple people? -Brigham Young is the peer of any statesman in the United States, or I -cannot read human nature."</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERVIII"></a>VIII.</h2> - -<p>THE WINTHROPS ENTERTAIN -</p> - -<p>The next morning, the 8th of September, when Captain Van Arden went -down to the breakfast table, his whilom companion, the silent Stevens, -was already enjoying himself at a table in the corner of the dining -room. The captain at once joined him, and found that the silent lips -could open, and the reserved manner melt, when the owner so willed it. -At ten o'clock the two wended their way in friendly chat to the Social -Hall, the place appointed for the proposed meeting.</p> - -<p>The captain found the room a well-lighted, large hall, with a raised -dais or stage, in the east end, surmounted by an arch which evidenced a -curtain, perhaps for the purpose of dramatic entertainments. As another -surprise, the captain caught sight of a plaster cast of the Bard of -Avon in the center of the proscenium arch, smiling down upon any -Thespian devotees who might be present. The floor was mostly covered -with a bright rag carpet, and the windows were tastefully draped with -dark red hangings.</p> - -<p>President Young came forward, and again the captain found himself under -that magnetic charm; but he was himself a man of the world, and he was -moreover exceedingly anxious to carry his point with these people, -however much he might sympathize with them after learning their true -character and position. He was in the employ of the United States army, -and had a most important duty to perform. Accordingly, as soon as the -preliminary greetings were over, he addressed himself to the "Mormon" -leader, and preferred his request.</p> - -<p>"Governor Young, I come with a letter from my superiors and with -orders to purchase stores and forage and lumber with which to make our -soldiers, who are on their way here, comfortable during their journey."</p> - -<p>"May I ask, Captain, what soldiers are on their way here and what -brings them out to these western wilds?"</p> - -<p>The captain was off his guard for the moment at the unexpected -questions. He was aware that everyone present knew beforehand the -answer required at his hands, and he hesitated at the choice of proper -terms with which to convey the unwelcome intelligence which all were -already in possession of; however, the questions must be answered.</p> - -<p>"Through some unhappy misunderstanding, Governor, the President of the -United States has been informed that the records of this Territory -have been burned, and that the people here are inimical to the ruling -government."</p> - -<p>"The records of the Territory are in the proper receptacle for such -documents, and this people, as you can testify, if you will use your -eyes and your ears, while you are with us, are as peaceful and as -law-abiding citizens of the great United States as any that dwell -beneath the shadow of the flag. I see no justification for thus sending -down an army upon us."</p> - -<p>"Permit me to observe, your Excellency, that the army is not sent out -here to do harm or to annoy the peaceable and law-abiding citizens of -this Territory, but to protect such from all out-laws and murderers, -whether Indians or whites."</p> - -<p>"We have a fully organized and properly acknowledged corps of -territorial officers, and are and have always been able to protect the -inhabitants of this Territory from insult or injury."</p> - -<p>The captain proceeded as delicately as he could to convey the -information that a new governor had been appointed for the Territory, -who was with the main body of the troops, and would enter the Territory -and assume his office as soon as circumstances would permit. He was a -wise and prudent man, this new governor, by name Cumming, and he would -be a friend to the people, and a support to all concerned—so the -captain endeavored to assure the assembled council.</p> - -<p>"I am the governor of this Territory," answered Brigham Young, "and as -such, shall take the proper measures to insure the life and liberty -of the patient, peaceful inhabitants of these valleys. You may tell -your commander that we, as a people, have been robbed and murdered, -our wives outraged, and our men massacred, being driven from state -to state, until we came out to this desert wild, and here, by the -blessings of God, we have made the desert to blossom like the rose and -the wilderness to gush forth. We have asked no help from the United -States save that given to any other distant territory. After we came -here, we planted the flag of our country upon our Ensign Peak within -twenty-four hours, thus taking formal possession of this country in -the name of the United States; and from that hour we have held out our -welcoming arms to the honest and peaceable of all nations and tongues. -We love our country and would take up arms in her defense, as our own -'Mormon' Battalion has so well shown, but we shall never submit to -being murdered and pillaged by a lot of cut-throats and out-laws, for -we will die, ourselves, before we submit to such indignities again."</p> - -<p>A low murmur of approval went round the assembled council, and it was -some moments before the officer could be heard, explaining that the -United States had no intention whatever of committing any depredations -or offering the least violence to any person or set of persons.</p> - -<p>"We do not want to fight the United States," said the Governor, "but if -they drive us to it, we shall do the best we can; and I tell you as the -Lord lives we shall come off conquerors. The United States are sending -their army here simply to hold us until some mob can come and butcher -us as has been done before. We are supporters of the government and -love the constitution and respect the laws of the United States; but -it is by the corrupt administration of those laws that we are made to -suffer. Most of the government officers who have been sent here have -taken no interest in us, but on the contrary have tried to destroy us. -What do you think of the patience of a people who have submitted to -seeing a pimp set up as our honorable judge, to seeing him bring his -strumpet with him and have her sit close beside him on the judicial -bench, while he delivered his unrighteous rulings? Others like him -complain that there is no civilization in Utah because, forsooth, there -are no gambling hells or houses of prostitution. The officers sent here -are often the vilest and most wicked of men."</p> - -<p>"Most of the men sent to the Territory," answered the diplomatic -captain, "have received their office as a political reward, or as -a stepping stone to some higher office; but too often, they have -no interest in common with the people. The greatest hold that the -government now has upon you is in the accusation that you have burned -the United States records."</p> - -<p>"I deny that any of the books of the United States have been burned. -You are at liberty to examine the books as proof of this statement," -said the Governor. "I have broken no law, and in the present state of -affairs, I will not suffer myself to be taken by any United States -officer to be killed, as they killed our own beloved Prophet Joseph -Smith."</p> - -<p>"I do not think it is the intention of the government to arrest you," -said the captain, "but to install a new governor in the Territory."</p> - -<p>"I believe that you tell the truth," returned the President, "that you -believe this—but you do not know their intentions as well as I do. If -they dare to force the issue, I will not hold the Indians by the wrist -as I do now, for white men to shoot at; they shall go ahead and do as -they please. If the issue comes, you may tell the government to stop -all emigration across the continent, for the Indians will kill all who -attempt it. And if any army succeeds in penetrating this valley, tell -the government to see that it has provisions and forage in store, for -they will find here only a charred and barren waste. We have plenty -here of what you want, but we will sell you nothing. Further than this, -your army shall not enter this valley until I say so."</p> - -<p>The captain was overwhelmed with surprise; he expected to find a few -fanatical fools, and found himself confronted with an assembly of -shrewd, determined men. Their talk was the talk of an equal power -measuring arms with the great body of the American people.</p> - -<p>He tried to show the President that it would be useless to thwart the -government in its plans to station troops in Great Salt Lake Valley. -If such was the determination of the central government, a handful of -mountaineers, albeit shrewd, hardy, and fired with religious zeal, -which was the bulwark of all lofty courage, would nevertheless sooner -or later be compelled to submit.</p> - -<p>"We have no fight with the United States," said Brigham Young, "but -when these troops, which you say must eventually quarter in this -Valley, arrive, they will find Utah a desert; every house will be -burned to the ground, every tree cut down, and every field made into a -barren waste. We have three years' provisions on hand, which we will -cache, and then take to the mountains; and we shall receive from them -the protection which we desire and which we have always deserved."</p> - -<p>The interview was thus terminated. The captain had come to impress -this set of fanatics with the might and majesty of the United States -government; he was, instead, impressed with the strange, unnatural -earnestness of this band of gallant men, whom he could but see were -honest, pure and intelligent.</p> - -<p>At the close of the council Captain Van Arden was invited by the -governor to share the hospitality of his home for the remainder of -the day. As they left the hall, the Captain found his old traveling -companion standing upon the steps, and the President invited John -Stevens home to dine with them, and to spend the afternoon.</p> - -<p>As the party walked up the short hill towards the President's house -they met a small group of young people, and John's eye, from under -the broad hat, recognized pretty Ellen Tyler and the elegant form and -handsome face of Diantha Winthrop. Some young men were with them, and -momentary greetings were passed between John and his friends.</p> - -<p>After the meeting was over, Ellie turned to Diantha and asked her -eagerly:</p> - -<p>"Did you ever see such a handsome man; oh, isn't he just superb?" And -she gave herself a tiny hug in evidence of the sincere admiration she -felt for the brilliant stranger they had just passed.</p> - -<p>"He had a very fine pair of side whiskers, if that is what you mean. -And his coat was very blue and his buttons were very bright also," -answered Diantha, laughingly. "You can always pick out handsome men, -Ellie, but we passed so quickly that I did not get a good look at his -face."</p> - -<p>"Who on earth were you looking at, then?" asked Ellen, "I can't see how -it is, Dian, that you are so slow to see people. I see everyone at a -glance."</p> - -<p>"I was looking at our President and thinking what a glorious leader we -have."</p> - -<p>"I guess you also saw John Stevens," said Tom Allen, who was walking -beside Ellen.</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, I saw John. Who could help seeing him? He is too big to -escape anyone's eyes," answered Dian, indifferently. "Here comes my -brother Appleton."</p> - -<p>The days following were filled with appointments for Captain Van Arden -to meet and share the hospitality of the leading men of the Valley. The -gravity of the situation seemed swallowed up for the time being by a -burst of genuine hospitality.</p> - -<p>The third day the captain promised to spend with Bishop Winthrop, who -proposed a ride to the Warm Springs in the afternoon, returning to the -house for an early dinner when the Captain was to meet the ladies of -the Bishop's household.</p> - -<p>The expected day came all too soon for the women folks, who had much -work to do to receive their guests in proper manner. The riding party -was to be home for dinner at four o'clock; and at that hour, Aunt Clara -Tyler, who had been invited, and the two girls, Diantha and Ellen, -stood in the front room, watching for the party.</p> - -<p>"Oh, isn't it perfectly lovely to think of seeing and talking to that -splendid captain, Dian; I am just trembling with excitement," and Ellen -Tyler fluttered restlessly about, going from window to window, in utter -inability to control her impatience.</p> - -<p>Aunt Clara stood looking down the street, and at the words of the -impulsive girl, she turned on her those gentle yet steady black eyes, -and chided:</p> - -<p>"My child, there is nothing remarkable about this captain. He is good -looking, to be sure, but that is a very small matter. He wears a -uniform, but that, too, is of little account. He comes to this people -in an official capacity, and as such, our brethren have thought proper -to show him all courtesy. But let me tell you, neither your father nor -President Young himself would permit this man, nor any other stranger, -to enter within the inner portals of his family life. You are a silly -girl to waste a thought upon him."</p> - -<p>Diantha sat rocking herself coolly in the big rush-bottomed rocker, and -with whimsical contrariness, she took up Ellen's argument.</p> - -<p>"I don't see, Aunt Clara, why one man isn't as good as another, if he -behaves as well. I don't know anything about this captain, but suppose -he or any other non-Mormon who is a good, honorable man, with not a -shadow of sin or vice in him, should happen to take a notion to me, I -can't see where the harm would be in taking a notion to him. Surely -you don't mean to imply that all the good men, and all the desirable -men are 'Mormons.' I think that is a very narrow view. What are your -reasons?"</p> - -<p>"There are two reasons, my dears. One is the solemn fact that a -marriage ceremony solemnized by any other than by one divinely -appointed and having authority from God to do so, ceases at death; a -separation from a loved one after death, to continue throughout all the -ages of eternity would be far more agonizing and intolerable than the -mere earthly separation which is for a few flying years."</p> - -<p>"Well," answered Ellen, flippantly, "that's not much of a reason. If -you are sure of being happy here, why not let hereafter take care of -itself? 'Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.'"</p> - -<p>"Ah, my child, you speak with the bitterness of the world-old -scepticism and unbelief on your lips. That vain philosophy has wrecked -more hearts than any other phrase ever uttered. There is also another -reason; a very present and most cogent reason; one that effects our -every day lives. It is this: Married people should be mated on the -three planes upon which human beings meet and mingle—the physical, the -mental and the spiritual. If they be mismated on either the mental or -physical planes, a harmonious adjustment may be possible through the -diligent exercise of the spiritual graces. But if the mismating is on -the spiritual plane, such a couple will surely find their happiness -shipwrecked, sooner or later. Try as you may, twist as you will, you -nor none other may ever escape the bondage and sorrow that comes -to those who are separated by a spiritual gulf. I have never seen -happiness as the result of such unequal yoking, and I never shall. -When, as sometimes happens there comes a measure of peace to such -mismated couples, it is simply and only because the one has sunk, or -has risen to the spiritual plane occupied by the other. Mark what I -say, Ellen, my girl."</p> - -<p>"Well, I shall marry for love, Auntie; and I shall never take a sorrow -on my heart which I cannot kick off from my heels."</p> - -<p>Aunt Clara did not turn around to face the speaker; she merely said:</p> - -<p>"I don't think God makes mistakes; and He has said, through his former -and latter-day prophets, that it is not right for the believer to mate -with the unbeliever."</p> - -<p>"Oh, here they are, Auntie; here they are!" cried Ellen.</p> - -<p>Ellen turned and ran impulsively out on the front porch; Aunt Clara and -Diantha followed her in a more leisurely manner, while Sister Rachel -Winthrop, the hostess of the occasion, joined them as soon as the word -reached her, and thus the four women stood waiting to receive their -guests under the shaded porch.</p> - -<p>President Young led the way up the steps with Captain Van Arden close -by him. The President introduced the captain to the ladies, since -Bishop Winthrop was still busy at the gate with others of the party.</p> - -<p>The captain looked with genuine yet well-guarded interest into the -faces of the two young "Mormon" girls, almost the first he had met. -His interest grew into admiration, as he noted the lovely brown eyes, -and the curling tresses of glossy brown hair floating around the head -of sweet, fascinating Ellen Tyler. Her lips were curved and rosy with -health and beauty, and her low brow and delicately-traced eyebrows were -like those of a Grecian goddess. Her sparkling charm was not alone in -the regular and beautiful features, nor in the well-molded yet dainty -form; but in and through every glance, every word, there sparkled an -indefinable attraction which no one could resist. Women loved her, -men adored her. And this stranger instantly felt the force of her -loveliness. He was a man of the world, too prudent to manifest much -interest in women of this peculiar and just now excited people, but he -shot a glance of daring admiration into the brown depths of Ellen's -eyes, which she, as daringly accepted.</p> - -<p>Diantha was a little behind the others, and as she came forward for -an introduction, the captain mentally exclaimed: "By Jove! where do -they get such beauty from?" For the elegant dignity of the girl's -carriage was fully warranted by the superb outlines of her face and -form. Her head was crowned with its soft weight of yellow hair, braid -over braid of its golden glory breaking into tiny waves on her brow; -the neck curved gradually into the loveliest shoulders and bust he had -ever beheld; and these lines melted into so round and pliant a waist -that he felt sure she could well pose in marble for a perfect Hebe. -Her face was not so beautiful as that of the brown-eyed maiden, but it -was so engaging in its details of coral lips, parting over teeth like -white shells, richest pink cheeks and a full, strong, pink chin, that -no one could withhold the meed of admiration which this magnificent -girl demanded. She had such a cool, superior way of looking at people, -with steady eyes and even eyelids, that even this worldly wise captain -wondered if the girl were a perfect woman of the world, supremely -conscious of her own charms, or was she simply utterly ignorant and -therefore unconscious of the impression she made upon every one who saw -her.</p> - -<p>Both girls were dressed in white; but Ellen's dress fluttered and -broke into endless intricacies of bows, ends, ribbons, flounces and -rosettes, while Dian's hung in long, simple, classic folds from the -short, baby waist to the toe of the tiny boots. Clearly, thought the -captain, as his artistic eye noted these details, some inherent art has -taught these two girls the secret of their own beauty and how best to -emphasize it.</p> - -<p>All these thoughts flashed through the captain's mind in an instant; -and yet, if he was shrewd enough to cease his earnest attention to -the girls before it became noticeable, his mind was busy all that -afternoon, in spite of the effort to control his words, with surmises -and a most natural desire to see more and hear something about these -beautiful girls.</p> - -<p>As the party came into the house, Diantha found herself close to tall, -quiet John Stevens. She looked at him in surprise; she did not remember -to have seen John look so handsome. He had on a new suit, and he looked -so clean and wholesome, so true and so brave that she instinctively -accorded him a rather more gracious smile than she altogether intended. -She did not notice this latter fact, however, until she saw how coolly -he accepted her unusual demonstration of welcome. Then, to be sure she -felt humiliated to think that she had been even a little glad to see -him.</p> - -<p>"Did you ever see Ellen Tyler look so sweet in her life?" asked John. -"Ellen is a fine girl."</p> - -<p>Now, Dian was and always had been a very generous girl, but this -unexpected and utterly uncalled for remark on the part of John Stevens -was not precisely to her liking. But as he looked so unconscious of her -pleasure or displeasure, she wisely refrained from offering any sharp -admonition or spicy council, as was so natural to practical Dian.</p> - -<p>"I am of the opinion that your gay captain has the same way of -thinking," she answered, and as she spoke, John looked in the captain's -direction, and he, too, could see the vain attempts of the officer to -keep his eyes away from Ellen's fascinating features. At once John -sauntered up to Ellen and never in her life had Ellen known this -reticent man to show so much animation and gay interest in her as he -did that afternoon.</p> - -<p>"Why, John," asked Ellen herself, banteringly, "what has come over you? -I have tried my best to go with you for two years past and you have -insisted on being only friendly and brotherly and all that; and just -now, unless I am mistaken, you are trying pretty hard to flirt with me. -What's it all about, anyway?"</p> - -<p>John answered her in his grave, quizzical way that his meaning was even -more earnest than apparent, and then begged her to go out in the garden -while the others were at supper.</p> - -<p>"I can't possibly, I must help wait on the table, you know. I am to -have special charge of the head of the table, so won't I have a fine -chance to catch the captain's eye?"</p> - -<p>Just then Diantha was invited to sing, and she sat down to the little -melodeon with modest assurance. After she had sung twice, Harvey joined -her with his concertina, and they both sang and played with charming -compliance to the repeated calls of "more, more."</p> - -<p>Finding that it was impossible to take Ellen away, John followed the -party into the dining room, and was delighted to find himself seated -next to Captain Van Arden. He felt all the current of mutual admiration -and silent understanding that passed between the lively girl and the -blue-coated stranger, and he ground his teeth in silent rage that he -was unable wholly to intercept the glances and occasional words that -passed between them.</p> - -<p>After dinner Bishop Winthrop led the way to the gardens, and the talk -turned upon the determination of the President and his people to -leave this whole city in ruins behind them after their flight to the -mountains, provided the army should obtain entrance to the valley.</p> - -<p>The captain was walking with Aunt Clara, whose gentle face and charming -manner had captured his heart completely. He felt that she was a good -and noble woman, and he wondered how all this sanguinary talk would -affect so womanly a creature.</p> - -<p>He looked down into the kindly black eyes and remarked:</p> - -<p>"I hope, madam, that with such gentle counsels as yours, these strong -men will not carry out such a dismal threat as the President has just -voiced. I could not imagine tender women and helpless children driven -from these peaceful homes and inviting surroundings."</p> - -<p>"Be assured that if our brothers and fathers feel that it is best for -us to give up our homes and once more be wanderers upon the earth, we -women will accompany them as cheerfully as if we were taking the safest -pleasure journey. I know of no cowards among our women."</p> - -<p>"What, madam, would you consent to see this beautiful home destroyed -and this fruitful orchard ruined?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, I would not only consent to it, but with my own hands set fire -to my house, and cut down every tree in the orchard and uproot every -plant."</p> - -<p>The captain stood in silent amazement. What was the moving force that -bound this singular people to such united action! Surely there was a -sociological puzzle here for some philosopher to fathom.</p> - -<p>The party soon dispersed, and other days of like pleasure made the -hours fly until the Captain had been in the valley nearly a week.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERIX"></a>IX.</h2> - -<p>JOHN OPENS HIS MOUTH -</p> - -<p>On the following Sabbath Captain Van Arden attended divine service, -and he was not as surprised as he would have been a week ago, to hear -and see the calm, mighty courage which animated every face and spoke -in every voice. Here was a handful of wronged and hunted religionists, -whose only crime was in desiring to serve God in a way peculiar to -themselves. He had walked the streets at darkest midnight, and not once -had he seen or heard one word of drunkenness, ribaldry or obscenity. -He had failed to find any traces of licentiousness, such as the ugly -rumors he had heard before coming here, had led him to expect. Instead, -he felt himself surrounded by an implacable circle of watchful care, -which prevented him from entering into any relations with women, even -the harmless one of mild flirtation with the pretty brown-haired girl -he had met at Bishop Winthrop's home. Certainly he had received some -enlarged ideas on the subject of religious persecution.</p> - -<p>He listened attentively to Apostle John Taylor, who, at the close of -his remarks, repeated the statement he had heard before, that the army -should not be allowed to enter the Valley; and then, in ringing tones, -the preacher asked all who would apply the torch to their dwellings, -cut down their trees and lay waste their farms, to raise their hands.</p> - -<p>The captain rose in his seat to see the effect of this powerful appeal. -Not one hand in that vast assembly of four thousand people, was left -to rest in cowardly silence in its owner's lap; but like a unit, the -clouds of hands arose. Some horny and worn with toil and poverty; -others, soft and white with youth and womanhood; and even little -children in their eager, unconscious zeal, elevated their hands high in -sympathy with their elders.</p> - -<p>The captain felt awed and overcome. Up in his throat rose a lump of -sympathy and admiration for this heroic people. He expected to find a -seditious and priest-ridden community, mouth-valiant and few in number, -whom the mere appearance of troops would tame into submission. He found -instead, a handful of enthusiasts rising against the might of a great -nation.</p> - -<p>When President Young arose to speak the Captain felt a genuine response -in his own breast to the vigorous and manly sentiments uttered by the -"Mormon" leader:</p> - -<p>"When the time comes to lay waste our dwellings and our improvements, -if any man undertakes to shield his, he will be treated as a traitor. -Now, the faint-hearted can go in peace, but should that time come, they -must not interfere. Before we will again suffer as we have in times -gone by, there shall not one building, nor one foot of lumber, nor a -fence, nor a tree, nor a particle of grass or hay that will burn, be -left in the reach of our enemies. I am sworn if driven to the last -extremities, utterly to lay waste this land in the name of Israel's -God, and our enemies shall find it as barren as when we came here."</p> - -<p>At the close of the services the Captain sought President Young, -surrounded by his friends and associate pioneers; the officer grasped -and held the hand of the maligned leader, and with a voice shaken with -emotion, declared his sympathy and fellowship with this band of earnest -enthusiasts.</p> - -<p>"President Young, my whole heart goes out to you in this cause. I am -sure no one in the central government understands the real condition -of affairs here. I shall hasten to President Buchanan and when he -understands the true situation, be assured there will be a cessation of -this war-like movement."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps," said the President, "he will not accept your version of the -affair."</p> - -<p>"He must listen; he shall be convinced. By the eternal heavens, if our -government pushes this matter to the extent of making war upon you, I -will withdraw from the army, for I will not have a hand in the shedding -of the blood of American citizens."</p> - -<p>"We shall trust in God, Captain. He will open our way before us. -Congress has promptly sent investigating committees to Kansas and other -places as occasion has required; but upon the merest rumor, it has sent -two thousand armed soldiers to destroy the people of Utah, without -investigating the matter at all."</p> - -<p>"The government may yet send an investigating committee to Utah, and -consider it good policy to do so, before they get through."</p> - -<p>"I believe that God has sent you here, Captain Van Arden, and that good -will grow out of it. I was glad when I heard you had come."</p> - -<p>"I am anxious to get back to Washington as soon as I can. I have heard -officially that General Harney has been removed to Kansas. I shall stop -the trains at Ham's Fork on my own responsibility."</p> - -<p>"If we can keep peace for this winter, I think that something will -transpire that will stop the shedding of blood. God bless you, captain, -in all your labors and efforts to bring about so desirable a condition."</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding the gallant captain's generosity and nobility, John -Stevens, who had heard every word uttered between him and his own -beloved leader, was greatly pleased and relieved to receive orders -to accompany the Captain early the next morning on his homeward -destination.</p> - -<p>John felt no shadow of fear or doubt about the coming issue between the -picked army of the United States and the struggling guerillas of his -own Territory; but it filled his soul with a vague dread and alarm to -look forward to a possible contact between the youth of his people and -the alluring sins and vices of the world at large.</p> - -<p>He was surprised, therefore, as the two men rode along in the cool, -September morning, up through the rough canyon gorges, to have the -captain turn to him with a question upon the very subject which was -occupying his own thoughts.</p> - -<p>"Stevens, was I wrong in supposing that although your people greeted me -with such noble welcomes, yet there was a barrier raised between any -especial friendliness between me and any of your women?"</p> - -<p>"Did you make any effort to be especially familiar with our women?" -asked John, cautiously.</p> - -<p>"Ah, Stevens, you are a genuine Yankee. You answer my question by -asking another; and I may not care to commit myself. You have some very -fascinating and really intelligent women among your people. I saw some -lovely faces in your bowery yesterday."</p> - -<p>"Well, yes, our girls are tolerably good-looking."</p> - -<p>"Oh, Stevens, no wonder your girls long for a breath of worldly -freedom, if all your young men are as cautious and unenthusiastic about -them as you seem to be," laughed the captain.</p> - -<p>"Do our girls long for worldly pleasures?"</p> - -<p>"Another question; I see, my taciturn friend, that the only way to open -your oyster of a mouth is to turn confidential myself and open my own -heart to you. I confess to some curiosity as to the inner condition -of your social affairs. Now, I am quite willing to further confess -that I was never more impressed with the grace and magnificence of -womanhood than I was when I saw it embodied in those two young girls I -met at your Bishop Winthrop's. Such unconscious charm and beauty, I had -never seen before. And the brown-haired one was evidently not unkindly -disposed to me; however, of course I had not time, even if I had been -given the opportunity to go deeper than a profound admiration for the -lovely and winsome sprite. She was not forward, although perfectly free -and familiar, if I may so express it."</p> - -<p>"Did Ellen, for that is her name, express to you any such feelings as -you infer our girls possess?"</p> - -<p>"Well, yes; she casually mentioned her desire to see and know something -of the great, beautiful, unknown world stretching out behind these -rugged mountains."</p> - -<p>"And you?"</p> - -<p>"I was a guest and a stranger, and, I hope, also a gentleman. I could -not but admire and be impressed by her innocence, but I also respected -and guarded it."</p> - -<p>"I believe you are a good man, Captain Van Arden; but you are not of -our faith. And if you read the old Scriptures, you will find that God -sets a curse on those of His chosen people who marry with unbelievers. -God surely knows why this should be so."</p> - -<p>"I can't see for the life of me, why one good man is not as good as -another; if you believe in the Bible, you must acknowledge that we are -all one family, and all children of one Father. Why should you presume -to be better than I?"</p> - -<p>"It is not an assumption, or an impudence. There is an eternal law -which underlies this principle. Perhaps I cannot make it plain to you, -but it exists, else God would not have announced it. God is a Master -gardener. He does not mix His blooms and fruits, but sets each to -multiply with each; nor does He ever mix the birds and animals; else -sterility would result. But to His children He has given their agency -as their dearest possession; and they use that agency like the reckless -spend-thrifts and bunglers that they are. Only man may mix his seed -and still retain a measure of fertility. We are eternal. Our spirits -sang together when this earth was created, and to each is allotted a -time and a destiny; but always our free agency comes in to disturb -and confuse that destiny. Yet, only by using that free agency, can we -work out our exaltation in the world to come. If we would be prudent, -we would let the great Gardener train and trim our lives to His own -matchless design. It is the ancient Hebrews, who have preserved to -the world the best that we know of home, brotherhood, love, and life -eternal; and in their national individuality and history we have the -most perfect example of the fruits of careful breeding. Where they have -observed the traditions of the fathers, they are strong, domestic, -clean, faithful, loving and true. This fact, with all the Israelite's -faults, is the lamp which has lighted Christianity for the rest of -mankind to see by. If the Jews had mixed with all creation, where would -their autonomy be today? Why shall the true Christian hesitate to abide -by an eternal truth because of ridicule? The religious emotions are -the deepest founts of the human soul. Make them muddy, confuse their -source, and you have lost their purity and their worth. All men may -believe in Christ, but all do not follow Him; for He came to fulfil, -not to abrogate the laws of Moses. Love is too often the result of -propinquity, or passion. More: I am convinced that God has mated His -children in spirit before they ever dwelt upon this earth. There is a -divine belongingness in marriage; and if we will follow the guidance -of that unerring spirit, we will not mix our lives nor confuse our -destiny; there will be no bungling confusion or muddled strains in -races or religions. I do not think all people will be converted to the -Gospel in this life; nor that they could be. Nor that all men and women -are rightly mated. But all will have a chance behind the veil, for we -hold the doctrine of salvation for the dead to be as true as Peter and -Paul held it. <sup>[A]</sup></p> - -<p>[Footnote A: Read I Peter, 3rd chap. verses 18 to 20; also I Peter, -chap. 4, verse 6, and I Corinthians, chap. 15, verse 29.]</p> - -<p>"Our religion, like our politics, is much a matter of temperament. But -the day will come in the great hereafter, when gradually all men will -learn and accept the perfect Gospel of peace and right. Meanwhile, let -not those who have been so greatly blessed as to see the Truth, confuse -themselves and weaken their powers for good by joining themselves for -life with those who know not and love not the Truth. As is the husband, -so is the wife. As is the wife, alas, so becomes the husband, sooner or -later."</p> - -<p>"Stevens," said the captain, "you can expound and exhort like the rest -of your elders, even if you do not waste time in general conversation," -then with a twinkle in his eye, the captain added, "You recall to -my mind a scathing assertion I heard uttered by an apostate in your -Valley. He said that you 'Mormons' believed that no woman could be -exalted in the Kingdom of Heaven without a man. Is that so?" and the -soldier looked shrewdly at his companion.</p> - -<p>"Yes, captain; that is correct."</p> - -<p>Astonished by this frank admission, the captain rode on in silence for -some moments. Then, as if to add point to his rejoinder, John Stevens -drew in his horse, and turned in his saddle to look his companion full -in the eye:</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir, that is our belief. But we also hold that no man can be -exalted in the Kingdom of Heaven without a woman. Don't you recollect -that Paul says the woman is not without the man, nor the man without -the woman in Christ Jesus?"</p> - -<p>And long before John had finished, the captain was laughing so heartily -that he lost his reins.</p> - -<p>"Well, Stevens, I give up. You are a better scriptorian than I am; even -if you may be inclined to appropriate quotations a bit for your own -advantage. That's no more than we all do."</p> - -<p>John shrewdly put another question.</p> - -<p>"Would you be willing to see your sister marry a Mormon elder?"</p> - -<p>The captain looked amused, then amazed.</p> - -<p>"Do you mean to imply that 'Mormons' are orthodox Christians?"</p> - -<p>"I imply nothing. I only wondered if you would be willing to have your -sister marry any virtuous man, no matter what his other condition might -be, spiritual or physical."</p> - -<p>"Well, Stevens, I fear I could not convince you, and you only further -puzzle me. One thing, though, I do maintain, and that is, that every -American citizen, woman as well as man, should have the right to choose -his own path and companion in life. It is our birthright."</p> - -<p>"It is, when we are old enough to know our own mind; but you would not -throw your half-grown son and daughter in the midst of temptation and -leave them there unprotected, to carry out that argument."</p> - -<p>"Perhaps not, perhaps not. You have given me new food for thought, and -I already have much new and valuable material for reflection and study. -Let us hasten now or we may not reach our evening camp before dark."</p> - -<p>As he lay in camp that night, the conversation repeated itself over -and over in the troubled mind of John Stevens. Oh, what was the right? -How he trembled at the thought of strange and scornful men being -brought into this peaceful valley, and left to corrupt and estrange our -thoughtless youths and beautiful girls.</p> - -<p>He knew something of the moral conditions of men in the world and -he also knew much of men in general. He felt that nothing but the -keenest religious conscience could protect men from immorality of -life. He raised his hand in silent agony to heaven, and swore that -his whole strength and life should be devoted to protecting and -shielding the youth from this terrible fate—that of too many youths -in the outside world. And yet, as he himself had said, there was -the divine right of self-choice, or man's agency. He groaned as the -consequences of thrusting upon innocent and helpless women, as would -be done, opportunities to seek their companions among camp-followers, -miners, and other transients of that day. Human agency was an agency -fraught with dire consequences. Would we have to meet its terrible -responsibility, he asked himself?</p> - -<p>What did the future hold in store for this hunted and persecuted -people? God alone knew! It was so difficult for a man of John's -temperament to say God's will be done, when it involved the life, or -worse, perhaps, the virtue of men and women. For he feared for the -virtue of the youths among his people quite as much as he dreaded the -temptations to be offered to the maidens. To John Stevens virtue, of -both man and woman, was far dearer than life.</p> - -<p>He felt as if he must arise, and with mighty power, seize and flee with -his loved ones to the safe fastnesses of the mountains.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERX"></a>X.</h2> - -<p>IN ECHO CANYON -</p> - -<p>It was a lovely day in the last of September, a few days after the -occurrences related in our last chapter. The air was cool, crisp, and -full of the odor of pine and sagebrush. In a mountain retreat, around a -gleaming fire, sat a group of men with serious, eager faces, and their -talk was carried on in guarded tones.</p> - -<p>The country was wild and barren, except that here and there along the -course of a stream the willows and brush gave a little protection to -man and beast. On a low hill-side to the right of the camp-fire, were -tethered horses, picking a scant supper from the fall-dried plain. Not -very far away yawned a huge black opening in the side of the mountain, -which gave the name of Cache Cave to the spot.</p> - -<p>The leader of the party, General Daniel H. Wells, sat in the center of -the council, his fine large head and prominent features giving him a -massive appearance well calculated to inspire respect and confidence. -He was listening to some recital of a recent expedition from the lips -of a tall, red-bearded, slow-spoken man.</p> - -<p>"What did General Harney say when Captain Van Arden had explained to -him the condition in our Territory?" asked the General.</p> - -<p>"The General replied with an oath, 'I am ordered to Salt Lake City, and -I will winter there or in hell.'"</p> - -<p>The men around the camp-fire uttered various exclamations of -determination that the violent general should be well supplied with -opportunities to join his friends in the latter warm retreat.</p> - -<p>On the right of General Wells sat an immense, broad-shouldered fellow, -bearded and with eyes like an eagle. He said little, and kept his face -in his hands while listening to the report of his fellow-soldier, -Stevens.</p> - -<p>"Major Smith," remarked General Wells, turning to this silent, -keen-eyed giant-like officer, "you will at once proceed to the enemy's -camp, and deliver these documents which have been entrusted to my care -by Governor Young. Wait for a reply, see all you can, hear all you -can, and make yourself, if possible, more familiar with the country -surrounding us than you are at the present. There is much for you to -do in the near future, if we would prevent this army from entering the -Valley this winter. Do you wish any one to accompany you?"</p> - -<p>"No, sir, I am foot-loose, and when alone, can ride as fast as I -please."</p> - -<p>Accordingly, that night, while the others were fitfully sleeping, Major -Lot Smith proceeded silently out of the camp to go on his mission to -the United States army, now pressing forward to Fort Winfield. Not -a detail of the lonely road, not a bush nor rock; not the slightest -undulation in the silent hills escaped the keen eyes of this traveler.</p> - -<p>Arrived at the army's headquarters, Major Lot Smith was conducted to -the United States General's tent, where he was received with great -dignity. His papers delivered, he waited in stern silence, the reply of -a tall, heavy-set, dark-complexioned man, whose prolonged silence gave -him an opportunity to observe underneath the apparent coldness, a shade -of anxiety and care on the officer's face, which the eagle eyes under -the heavy red brows read as plainly as he did the rock-strewn roadway -along which he had traveled.</p> - -<p>"Major-General Harney has been ordered back to Kansas," remarked Col. -Alexander, after reading the despatches, "and Colonel Johnston, who -succeeds him, will be here in a few days. Meanwhile, I will myself -undertake to reply to these remarkable documents, and shall send the -answer by you, if you can wait for a few hours."</p> - -<p>"I am here under orders to await the answers to these papers, sir," -answered Smith.</p> - -<p>"Very well, my men will attend to your needs, and while you are eating -dinner, your horse shall receive attention."</p> - -<p>Lot Smith made no reply, but bowed himself out of the presence of the -officer. Instead of accepting any hospitality for himself, he eagerly, -yet quietly, spent the few hours of his stay, in mastering every detail -of the camp, and fixing upon his mind every word he chanced to overhear -from the soldiers.</p> - -<p>He soon ascertained that the present commanding officer was Colonel -Alexander, and that the colonel was in some anxiety as to what move -to make next. Smith discovered this from the remarks of a young, -dark-mustached officer, who sat chatting with his companion outside of -a tent door, utterly oblivious that "Mormon" ears were taking note of -his extravagances.</p> - -<p>"I have told the Colonel repeatedly," announced this young braggart, -"that the only honorable and manly course to pursue, is to follow -the plan laid out by Harney. Harney is a trump, by—, and I wish we -had him here again instead of this wavering, chicken-hearted present -administration. All we have to do is to secure most of our troops and -supplies in Fort Winfield; then a few hundred of us with our knap-sacks -on our back could make the valley in a few days, surprise the fanatics -and poltroons down there, take possession of old Brigham's harem for -our own comfort and pleasure, quarter our men in their church, and the -thing is done."</p> - -<p>"Old Brigham himself might have something to say about that," remarked -one of the loungers at the tent door. "Van Arden says he is a fighter -of no mean ability."</p> - -<p>"Bah! Van Arden is easily frightened. The very first thing to be done -is, of course, to string up such rabble as Young, Kimball and Wells, -with others of their ilk, to the nearest tree. I have no patience with -men who play into the hands of heathens and tricksters. What were we -sent out here for, anyway?"</p> - -<p>The young man looked around the circle with a sneer upon his handsome -mouth, and as he met the eyes of one or another, they gave him varying -replies either by word or by glance.</p> - -<p>"I don't think any one knows just exactly what we were sent out here -for," at last answered the tall, gray-eyed man who had spoken before. -"I don't know that Harney, Alexander or even Buchanan himself knows -exactly what we were sent here for. Presumably to install Cumming in -the office to which the President has appointed him."</p> - -<p>"And do you think that it will take the flower of the American army, -and millions of dollars to do so simple a thing as that? Come, now, -Saxey, you are not so innocent as that. We have a whole Territory to -subdue and the seditious priests of this most villainous community are -to be tried and hanged, or hanged anyway. That's what I came out here -for."</p> - -<p>"Well, I am prepared to follow my orders, no matter what they may -be; but I have no desire to take part in street fights, or brawls -such as was witnessed in Illinois ten years ago, when the leaders of -this people were killed by the border ruffians of that State. I know -something of this people from my brief association with a part of the -"Mormon" Battalion, which answered our government's call for troops to -march into Lower California. I never saw a braver or more devoted body -of men. And I will not be a party to another outrage upon an innocent -people." So spake Col. Saxey, gentleman, soldier and man.</p> - -<p>"You and I do not indulge in street fights or brawls," replied the -braggart, "but we are determined to see order and decency maintained -in this government, no matter if it be at the cost of a few lives of -such lecherous scoundrels as old Brigham and his priests. Why, their -doings are a blotch on the escutcheon of our proud country. It is an -introduction into our midst of the rotten lives and practices of the -Turks and Orientals. The manhood of this nation will not endure it."</p> - -<p>"Let us see, Sherwood," interposed the grey-eyed man, withdrawing his -cigar to give emphasis to his words, "how many of Brigham's daughters -or concubines have you decided shall form part of your establishment -this winter?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, plague on your Quixotism; you make no distinction between the -amours of a gentleman and the vile practices of the heathens and -'Mormons.'"</p> - -<p>The silent listener at the other side of the tent found it impossible -to keep his teeth from grinding together at this moment, but he was -suddenly approached by a subaltern who requested him to wait at once -upon the commanding officer for his messages to Utah.</p> - -<p>Obtaining the despatches, Major Smith started upon the return journey. -It was high noon in the camp of the mountaineers, when dusty, -travel-stained Lot Smith rode into the small circle. He was ushered -into the tent occupied by General Wells and staff and there delivered -his messages. For the first time since leaving his own camp, the Major -sat down and proceeded to satisfy a soldier's appetite, and although -weary and worn for sleep, he was glad to satisfy his cravings for food -before resting or sleeping.</p> - -<p>The general saw the worn condition of his faithful officer, and ordered -him to his own tent until the next morning. Meanwhile a courier was -sent to the valley with the despatches from the army, and a full report -from General Wells and his scouts.</p> - -<p>All that night General Wells and his staff talked, planned, and -counseled. It was but little after seven o'clock when the council -assembled the next morning to hear the verbal report of Major Smith and -to decide upon future action.</p> - -<p>"I overheard much of their vaunting, blasphemous determination to enter -the Valley, kill or imprison our leaders, and to capture and ruin our -wives and daughters. There are a few cautious, sensible men among them, -such as Col. Saxey, whom you all know by reputation at least, but the -majority, especially the officers, who are mostly young men of hot -passions and romantic temperament, are determined to force Colonel -Alexander to proceed at once to the Valley with a light detachment, to -be followed by the masses of the troops, as fast as is convenient."</p> - -<p>"Colonel Alexander informs me in his letter," said General Wells, -"that he will submit our letters and despatches to General Johnston -immediately upon that officer's arrival in camp; and, that meanwhile -the troops are there by order of the President of the United States, -and their future movements will depend upon the orders issued by -competent military authority."</p> - -<p>"What shall we do under these circumstances?" asked one of the officers.</p> - -<p>"This is the plan adopted in our council before leaving Salt Lake City, -and there sanctioned by President Young. We were to ascertain the -location of the troops as soon as possible, which has now been done by -Major Smith. Then we were to proceed at once to annoy them in every way -possible. We are to use every exertion to stampede their animals, and -are to set fire to their supply trains whenever practicable. Burn the -whole country before them, and on their flanks. Keep them from sleeping -by night surprises, blockade the roads by felling trees or destroying -the river fords wherever we can. Watch for opportunities to set fire -to the grass on their windward, so as to set fire to their trains. -Leave no grass behind them that can be burned. We are to keep our men -concealed as much as possible, and of course we are to guard ourselves -against surprises continually."</p> - -<p>"What if we meet a detachment and are compelled to fight," asked one of -the men.</p> - -<p>"I anticipate no such catastrophe," answered General Wells. "Brother -Brigham has said that the Lord will fight our battles for us, and if -we follow his counsel to the letter, we shall also be able to comply -with his strictest injunctions, which are, to spare life always when -possible, and not to shed a drop of blood when it can be avoided. 'Say -your prayers and keep your powder dry,' was his parting admonition."</p> - -<p>The General sat some time as if in silent meditation, and the officers -present remained silent, unwilling to disturb his reflections.</p> - -<p>At length the chief raised his head, and looking straight into the eyes -of Major Smith, he asked:</p> - -<p>"Major, do you think that you can take our small force, about forty men -we have here now, and passing in the rear of the enemy, turn back and -burn the supply trains on the road?"</p> - -<p>The Major returned the intent gaze of the General, and while a dusky -gleam shot through the red-brown depths of his own eyes, he only -replied in words:</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir; I think I can."</p> - -<p>"Very well, sir, you can consider yourself under orders to carry out -the plan I have just now indicated. The council is adjourned."</p> - -<p>That these men could, at the close of their portentious council, kneel -down and ask God to bless them and assist them in their undertaking, -may seem strange, but they were banded together to protect the lives -of their fellow-men shut up in the narrow valleys of the lower -country, and they felt that if God did not interpose His power, the -soldiers, accompanied as they were by a horde of blasphemous, reckless, -licentious camp-followers and brawlers, would not only kill and -plunder, but they would also decoy and destroy their fair wives and -daughters.</p> - -<p>They were facing no imaginary terrors, for the pangs of Illinois and -Missouri were not yet blotted from the memory of even their babes. -No blood would be shed, except in self-defense, but every man there -was prepared to pour his life-current out like water upon the ground, -if necessary, to protect their beloved homes and families and their -honored leaders. God was their father and to Him they appealed.</p> - -<p>"Say your prayers and keep your powder dry," had been the counsel of -President Young, and they were united as one man to carry out his -instructions.</p> - -<p>One of the first men spoken to by Lot Smith was quiet John Stevens, a -man after Smith's own heart. No need of much talk between these two, as -they divined each other's wishes and purposes without need for words -and explanations.</p> - -<p>There was some delay, consequent upon breaking up camp, so that it -was early twilight when the small detachment rode out upon the open -prairie. The Major called John Stevens to his side, and to him in a few -words related as they rode along some of the conversation overheard in -the camp of the enemy.</p> - -<p>As John listened to the wicked threats of the dissolute officers -concerning the fair daughters of his people, he was seized with a -sudden, passionate anger, and for a few moments he could think of -nothing but to heap curses upon their wicked heads, and he longed with -murderous longing, to have one of them just now under his own clenched -hands that he might strangle the pride and the devil out of him.</p> - -<p>His curses were not uttered aloud, however, and when he recovered -himself, he heard his commanding officer ask:</p> - -<p>"What's the matter, Stevens, are you annoyed?"</p> - -<p>"Perhaps! I was not old enough to do any good in Illinois; but -now—well, I am glad, major, that you permitted me to accompany you on -this trip."</p> - -<p>"Stevens, we are of the same stripe; but we must both remember our -orders, and no matter what the provocation may be, we must shed no -blood, unless compelled to do so. We both understand this, and yet, it -is as hard for me as it is for you, my friend."</p> - -<p>The next morning, just before sunrise, Major Smith called John's -attention to a speck on the eastern horizon.</p> - -<p>"Let us go forward carefully, Stevens; we must be sure as to numbers -and conditions of this oncoming train."</p> - -<p>"There are only half a dozen teams as I make them out."</p> - -<p>An hour's ride verified Stevens' keen power of sight. Riding swiftly up -to the flurried teamsters, Lot Smith pre-emptorily ordered them to turn -back; and turn back they did. But our mountain soldiers had other work -to do, and so they rode forward for an hour.</p> - -<p>"Major, I have a feeling that it would be well to take a look again -at those teams we ordered to follow us. I can't see anything of their -dust," said John, as they rode along.</p> - -<p>The major turned on his horse and scanned the horizon behind them with -shaded eyes and thoughtful mind.</p> - -<p>"Stevens, take fifteen or twenty of the boys and go back there, and see -if our orders have been obeyed. Meanwhile I will ride forward slowly."</p> - -<p>Three hours after this, Stevens returned and reported that he had found -the train once more headed westward; whereupon he had unloaded the -freight, and set fire to the whole lot. The teamsters were preparing to -come eastward again on their animals.</p> - -<p>"Good, now let us ride eastward as fast as we can."</p> - -<p>Turning in the direction of the Green River bluffs, the men rode into -a small clump of willows by the stream, and decided to get some sleep -before proceeding further. It was sorely needed, and proved refreshing -to the band of weary men.</p> - -<p>The next morning before daybreak they were in the saddle; and before -riding an hour, the major discovered a cloud of dust coming from the -old "Mormon" trail.</p> - -<p>Riding fiercely into camp, Lot Smith demanded to see the captain.</p> - -<p>"Captain Simpson is out huntin' cattle; and I guess if you want him you -will have to hunt him," replied one of the teamsters.</p> - -<p>"I'll look after your captain," bluntly announced Lot, and then cocking -his own gun as a signal to his men to follow suit, he quietly added, -"but you fellows can just fork over your shooting irons; we are wanting -some implements of that kind just now."</p> - -<p>There was a flash in the red-brown eyes of Lot Smith, and every -teamster carefully gathered up his pistol or gun and delivered it over -to Stevens, who distributed them among the men.</p> - -<p>Leaving Stevens in charge of the camp, Lot Smith rode out to meet the -captain, whose name was Simpson. He was driving in some animals, and -Lot simply said: "Captain, I am here on urgent business."</p> - -<p>The man addressed was no coward, and his eyes flashed as he demanded -the nature of that business.</p> - -<p>"Just hand over your pistols, and I will let you know the nature of -it," answered Smith.</p> - -<p>Spurring his horse towards the train, Simpson replied: "No man ever -took my pistols yet; and if you think you can without first killing me, -try it."</p> - -<p>They were all the time riding full gallop towards the train.</p> - -<p>"I admire a brave man, captain, but I don't like blood. You insist on -me killing you, which would only take a minute, but I don't want to do -it. If you will take the trouble to look that way, captain, instead -of glaring into my eyes, you will see that your teamsters are in a -ticklish situation."</p> - -<p>They had ridden as close together as their panting, reeking horses -would allow, each looking fire and death into the blazing eyes of the -other; but when Simpson raised his eyes and saw his own teamsters -huddled together, unarmed and shivering, under the cocked guns of the -mountaineers, he turned to Smith and muttered: "You have me at a bitter -disadvantage."</p> - -<p>"We don't need that advantage, captain. What would you do if I should -give up your arms?"</p> - -<p>"I'll fight you," answered the captain, between his teeth.</p> - -<p>The two had now reached the camp.</p> - -<p>"Well, we know something about that, too, Take up your arms."</p> - -<p>The teamsters shrank back as one man.</p> - -<p>"Not by a d—d sight," one of them exclaimed. "We came out here to -whack bulls, and not to fight."</p> - -<p>"What do you say to that, captain?" asked Smith.</p> - -<p>With another violent oath, the captain ground his teeth and replied: -"If I had been here before, and they had refused to fight, I would have -killed every man of them."</p> - -<p>Major Smith was too brave a man not to be touched by this manly, yet -reckless spirit; and after some parley with Stevens, he ordered his men -to give Simpson two of the loaded guns, with two of the loaded wagons, -to keep his men from starvation until their return to the Eastern -States, and then ordering all out of the way, he called out for a big -burly Irishman, a non-"Mormon," who had followed Stevens from the -trains the day before, and had offered to join their forces: "Here, -Dawson, you can put the torch to these trains; it is very proper for -the Gentiles to spoil the Gentiles."</p> - -<p>The whole train of fifty-two wagons was burned; after which the -mountaineers rode away, telling the teamsters that they could take what -provisions they had secured for themselves to their comrades, a few -miles away, and then return; and if any attempt were made to extinguish -the flames, summary punishment would be administered to the offenders.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXI"></a>XI.</h2> - -<p>"IN THE VALLEY OR HELL" -</p> - -<p>The details of that peculiar and providential winter of 1857-8 are -written in lines of vivid interest and incident through the pages of -recorded history. The pen would fain linger to describe how Lot Smith -and his brave companions followed up their arranged course, burning -grass and trees, tearing up bridges, and demolishing houses or huts of -shelter everywhere along the road.</p> - -<p>Fort Bridger, the point to which the army of Utah had made its slow, -plainful way, was a mass of ruins when entered by Colonel Albert Sidney -Johnston and his half-frozen soldiers and the remnants of his trains -and stock. I cannot refrain from giving the words of the report of this -awful march, made to Congress by the two commanding officers, Colonel -Johnston and Colonel St. George Cooke.</p> - -<p>The condition of the main division is thus stated by Colonel Johnston:</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p> "The expedition was now ordered to Fort Bridger, and at every step - the difficulties increased. There were only thirty-five miles to be - traversed, but excepting on the margin of a few slender streams, - the country through which our route lay is the barest of desert - land. There is no shelter from the chilly blasts of this mountain - solitude, where even in November, the thermometer sometimes sinks - to 16 degrees below zero. There is no fuel but the wild sage and - willow; and there is little pasture for the half-frozen cattle. Our - march commenced on the sixth of November, and on the previous night - five hundred of our strongest cattle were taken by the 'Mormons.' - The trains extended over six miles, and all day long sleet and snow - fell on the retreating column. Some of the men were frost bitten, - and the exhausted animals were goaded by their drivers, until many - of them fell dead in their traces. At sunset the troops camped - wherever they could find a particle of shelter, some under bluffs, - and some in the willow copses. At daybreak the camp was surrounded - by the carcasses of frozen cattle, of which several hundred had - perished during the night. Still, as the trains arrived from the - rear, each one halted for a day or more, giving time for the cattle - to graze and rest on such scant herbage as they could find. To - press forward more rapidly was impossible, for it would have cost - the lives of most of the draft animals; to find shelter was equally - impossible, there was none. There was no alternative but to proceed - slowly and persistently, saving as many as possible of the horses, - mules and oxen. Fifteen days were required for this difficult - operation."</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>Arrived at Fort Bridger, though they found the whole place in ruins, -the camp was struck, and tents were erected. Here the army of the -United States wintered, calling the camp Fort Scott.</p> - -<p>A fine commentary on the foolish extravagance and thoughtless waste -of money involved in the fitting out of this disastrous campaign was -furnished by the opening of the few supply wagons left them by their -relentless pursuers. The wagons loaded with provisions had been burned; -the wagons that survived were filled with bedticks and camp kettles. -For two thousand six hundred men, wintering in a region seven thousand -feet above the sea level, where at night the thermometer always sank -below zero, there were three thousand one hundred and fifty bedticks, -and only seven hundred and twenty-three blankets; there were one -thousand five hundred pairs of epaulettes and metallic scales, but only -nine hundred coats and six hundred overcoats; there were three hundred -and seven cap-covers, and only one hundred and ninety caps; there were -one thousand and ninety military stocks; some of the men were already -barefooted and others had no covering for their feet but moccasins, -while there were only eight hundred and twenty-three pairs of boots and -six hundred pairs of stockings. One wagon was entirely freighted with -camp-kettles; with nothing to cook, and no salt with which to season -their nothingness.</p> - -<p>An extract from Colonel St. George Cooke's report gives quite a dismal -picture of his own division. He says:</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p> "The north wind and drifting snow became severe; the air seemed - turned to frozen fog, nothing could be seen; we were struggling in - a freezing cloud. The lofty wall of Three Crossings was a happy - relief; but the guide who had lately passed there was relentless in - pronouncing that there was no grass at that point. As he promised - grass and shelter two miles further, we marched on, crossing twice - more the rocky stream, half-choked with snow and ice; finally he - led us behind a great granite rock, but all too small for the - promised shelter. Only a part of the regiment could huddle there in - the deep snow; whilst the long night through the storm continued, - and fearful eddies, above, below and behind, drove the falling and - drifting snow. Meanwhile the animals were driven once more across - the stream, to the base of the granite ridge, which faced the - storm, but where there was grass. They refused to eat; the mules - huddled together, moaning piteously, while some of the horses broke - from the guard and went back to the ford. The next day, better - camping ground was reached ten miles farther on. On the morning of - the eighth, the thermometer marked 44 degrees below the freezing - point; but in this weather and through deep snow, the men made - eighteen miles, and the following day nineteen miles, to the next - camping ground on Bitter Creek, on the Sweetwater. On the 10th, - matters were still worse. Herders, left to bring up the rear, with - the stray mules, could not force them from the valley, and they - were left to perish. Nine horses were also abandoned. At night the - thermometer marked twenty-five degrees below zero; nearly all the - tent pins were broken, and nearly forty soldiers and teamsters were - on the sick list, most of them being frost-bitten. The earth has - no more lifeless, treeless, grassless desert; it contains scarcely - a wolf to glut itself on the hundreds of dead and frozen animals - which, for thirty miles, nearly blocked the road."</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>Such was the condition in which this flower of the American army found -itself when about ready, as they supposed, to enter the Valley of the -Great Salt Lake and subdue a handful of unoffending and simple-hearted -people. Something was certainly done by the small band of hardy men who -followed and surrounded the army with harassing circumstances; but they -did little compared with the forces which were brought to bear by the -God of nature, who undertook to fight this battle according to His own -good pleasure and plan.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXII"></a>XII.</h2> - -<p>THE FRIEND OF BRIGHAM YOUNG -</p> - -<p>The bright fire upon the wide hearthstone in Aunt Clara's sitting room -in Great Salt Lake City seemed all the brighter to the young man who -opened the cheerful green door late in the afternoon on the 24th day of -February, 1858. The slow moving figure of Aunt Clara swung around from -her busy loom in the corner, as she looked to see who her visitor was.</p> - -<p>"You, John? I thought you were in Echo Canyon or in San Bernardino, or -on the Southern Mexican route."</p> - -<p>"So I was till this morning; I have come to see if you will take a -stranger for a few days, who is sent to you by Governor Young."</p> - -<p>"Anyone sent from President Young is welcome, and John, anyone you -bring is welcome also."</p> - -<p>John Stevens thanked her and added that he would return shortly with -his guest, and then departed as silently and swiftly as he had come.</p> - -<p>"Ellen," called Aunt Clara to the girl whose spinning wheel whirred -from the kitchen, "bring some more wood for the fire-place, and put the -clean white blankets in the front bedroom. Have we enough white flour -to make some biscuits?"</p> - -<p>Ellen came into the sitting-room, followed by her friend Dian, who was -busily engaged in knitting at some large, coarse but warm socks. Dian -did not stop as she walked, but knitted away as if life depended upon -the "stunt" being accomplished before the dusk should come upon her.</p> - -<p>"Why do you want to make biscuits tonight, Aunt Clara?" asked Ellen.</p> - -<p>The answer produced much scurrying of the girl's quick feet, and in -less than half an hour, the table was set in the clean front sitting -room, shining with the few cherished china pieces brought from the -early colonial days into these bleak mountain valleys by this Puritan -daughter from New England's wave-washed shores. Ellen set some eggs -to wait their turn at the great open fire-place, and in the covered -bake skillet were browning the cream biscuits which only Aunt Clara -could compound from the various chemical resultants of lye made -from wood-ashes and the pleasant acid of soured cream. Serviceberry -preserves glowed darkly through the one precious glass dish, and soft -Dutch cheese was molded into oval richness on a china saucer. A pitcher -of foaming milk testified to its recent cold storage; and a plate of -doughnuts flanked the cheese. It was a hasty meal, but none the less -appetizing; and was ready none too soon.</p> - -<p>A strong yet quick rap at the front door introduced John Stevens, to be -followed by a dusty, travel-stained man, of small stature, and of an -exceedingly dignified mien, yet looking very feeble and ill.</p> - -<p>"Mrs. Tyler, let me introduce Dr. Osborne," said John gravely, and the -gentleman bowed courteously over the extended hand of his hostess. The -lady looked at the traveler with a curious half remembrance in her -black eyes, but the "doctor" responded with only a grave salute, as -he followed his hostess into the low-ceiled bedchamber, just off the -sitting-room.</p> - -<p>"John," said Aunt Clara, when she returned, "I have surely seen that -gentleman somewhere, but I can't tell where for the life of me. He is -very tired and looks sick;" and she gazed thoughtfully and inquiringly -at dusty John Stevens, who only stroked his long beard and gazed kindly -at her without reply.</p> - -<p>"Hurry, John," called Ellen from the inner kitchen door; "supper is all -ready, and if you are going to eat with this gentleman, you will need -to hurry and wash. Come out here to the porch; I have water and a clean -towel for you."</p> - -<p>Dian was still knitting away for dear life, near the small-framed west -window; John halted a moment at her side.</p> - -<p>"What's the hurry?" he asked, laconically, as he touched the dark grey -ribbed stocking swinging from the shining needles in her deft fingers.</p> - -<p>"Oh, it's for the Utah militia boys. Aunt Clara has kept us girls -knitting and spinning, sewing and weaving, night and day, for the -soldiers. We don't mind, for it's all we can do to help along."</p> - -<p>"Any particular soldier?" he queried, indifferently. Dian glanced up -to discover a latent meaning, but John's cool gaze gave her no clue. -However, a girl flings many chance shots, and some are sure to hit. So -she replied with a supercilious accent: "Oh, I promised Charlie Rose to -knit all the socks he needed for the expedition. Will you take these to -him?"</p> - -<p>"Certainly," answered John, gravely. He turned and left her, saying: -"Charlie will be real grateful for your kindness."</p> - -<p>"How provoking men can be," thought Dian.</p> - -<p>Left with Dian, Aunt Clara stood in the center of the floor, her dark -eyes fixed in an absent-minded stare, so common to her when she was -trying to puzzle out some mental problem that eluded her. Where had -she seen her visitor? Dian hurried away to her home across the way, -ignorant both of Aunt Clara's problem or its possible solution.</p> - -<p>As soon as the supper was despatched, Aunt Clara followed her two -guests out of the front door, and said softly to John, "Come back after -your interview with the President, John; I have something to tell you."</p> - -<p>John nodded assent, and he and the traveler melted away into the -freezing gloom of the winter's darkness.</p> - -<p>But John did not return with his visitor till after midnight, and -then, finding the front door on the latch, as was usual in that safe -and honest pioneer town, he guided his guest by the light of the fire -into the front chamber, now somewhat warmed by the open door from the -sitting room, and, lighting the tallow candle left on the light-stand -by the bedside for his guest, he softly made all as comfortable as he -could and then left the traveler to seek a much-needed repose.</p> - -<p>Who was the traveler and what was his business with President Young? -This was the thought that flashed and wandered in and out of the -sleepless brain of Aunt Clara, hour after hour, in that still and cold -night. She knew much of her people's inner, unwritten history, for hers -was the silent tongue and quick sympathy which drew all men, as well as -women, to her tender heart and warm hearthstone for help and counsel. -She had been the trusted friend of the great Prophet Joseph Smith, and -to him she had given more than a human devotion; she had accorded him -his place beside the greatest martyrs in Biblical history. She was -likewise the confidential friend of his successor, Brigham Young; to -Aunt Clara the great Pioneer often looked when he had a delicate task -which needed the quickness and subtlety of a woman's help. And now she -could not sleep till she had puzzled out her puzzle, and had answered -the challenge of her unerring memory.</p> - -<p>Daylight had brought the answer. Aunt Clara was up early, and, by the -light of her candle, was kneading the loaves for the day's baking. -To her soon came Ellen, intent on finishing her spinning and reeling -before daylight should bring breakfast and interruption.</p> - -<p>"Do you suppose that this is another of those splendid United States -soldiers?" asked Ellen, her feet stepping off the regular rhythm of the -whizzing yarn, as it whirled and spun from the steel point into fine -threads under the flying fingers of the industrious girl. Her wheel -paused in its onward circling flight to catch Aunt Clara's answer:</p> - -<p>"No, dear; if he were, John would have taken him down to the Salt Lake -House. And how could John bring in a soldier? They are all out east. -John has been down to San Bernardino."</p> - -<p>Evidently Aunt Clara herself had been busy with the same question, -which still did not possess so vital an interest for youth as for -experienced age. Youth leaned upon the wisdom of Brigham Young, and -the proved Providence which drew them safely from most difficulties; -maturity grasped the dangers and difficulties with surer fear, and -sought to find answers to every problem.</p> - -<p>"Well, one thing is certain, Aunt Clara. President Young has kept the -soldiers out of the Valley, and the winter is half over."</p> - -<p>"True, dear; but no one but God knows what is ahead of us just now. One -thing just now, however, is to get this yarn all spun, reeled and woven -into good coats for our soldiers;" and Aunt Clara slid into her seat -before the huge loom, as if to shut off further discussion.</p> - -<p>When the traveler came into the room two hours later, he found the -wintry sun well started on his morning pilgrimage and his hostess -placing his modest breakfast on the table in the sitting room; he -noted every point of the innate refinement and peace which filled the -small place with more than human sweetness. The delicately crocheted -white window-curtains, the cushioned rush-bottomed chairs, all of them -garnished neatly with antimacassars, tied with green ribbons; the -windows filled with geraniums and blooming petunias; and the great -hand-loom in the corner of the roomy sitting-room only added to its -homelike air.</p> - -<p>He walked up to the fire-place and as he stretched out his hands to the -blaze, he said cordially:</p> - -<p>"Well, Aunt Clara, have you found me out yet?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, Colonel Haines, I discovered you not more than three hours ago."</p> - -<p>"What was your clue?"</p> - -<p>"You spoke of our people last night as your friends; there is but one -man in the United States who thus refers to this hunted people."</p> - -<p>"I had no idea that I could remain so long incognito to those keen eyes -and ears of yours, Aunt Clara. You see I've not forgotten the quaint -Yankee term by which all of your friends designated you in Nauvoo?"</p> - -<p>"Have you had your interview with the President?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, and I must say again, what I have said before: if the government -of this country knew Brigham Young as I know him, they would honor -themselves by honoring him with every trust and responsibility they -could bestow."</p> - -<p>"Ah, Colonel, how few men ever get human perspective. Only a true man -himself may discover truth and honor in another."</p> - -<p>"I find your people very sore, and naturally so; but President Young -has wisely agreed to welcome Governor Cumming into the Territory, and -I think he will permit the army to be quartered somewhere, not too -near your settlements; I can appreciate his dislike to bringing the -turbulent elements of army life into too close a juxtaposition with -your innocent and sylvan communities. Yet the great government of which -we are all proud factors has sent an army here—right or wrong—to -be quartered within the confines of this Territory; and I was sure -that President Young only needed the assurance that Governor Cumming -comes here as an element of peace, and not as a casus belli, to accept -wisely and quietly the unfortunate situation. Captain Van Arden has -been a good friend to your people, my dear lady. We are to hold another -council meeting this morning, and then I shall take myself from under -your hospitable roof and go on my way."</p> - -<p>"Surely, Colonel, you will not think of taking up another journey in -this terrible winter season, and you in the delicate state of health -which is evidenced in the lines of pain just now showing upon your -face?"</p> - -<p>"Fear not, friend Clara. Your president promised me last night that my -life should be spared to complete this and other good works; and you -know that I look upon Brigham Young as a prophet."</p> - -<p>Aunt Clara moved quietly about the room for a few moments; then, -coming up to the table once more, she said reverently, with the deep -tenderness that only a devout woman may express in voice and eyes:</p> - -<p>"Friend Thomas, I feel that God has sent you here to put a stop to this -terrible misunderstanding and tragedy."</p> - -<p>"Dear old friend, you are just repeating the words of our mutual friend -and President, Brigham Young, last night, as he gave me his goodnight -hand-clasp. And now tell me who is that exceedingly pretty girl who was -in here last night?"</p> - -<p>"That is the daughter of my dead sister; she lives with me and assists -me as my own daughter would have done, if she had lived."</p> - -<p>"She is certainly good to look upon. May I charge you to look well -after her? The future advent of many strange men into this primitive -society of yours will call for the closest watching and the most loving -care on the part of you older ones."</p> - -<p>"Ellen is the light of our eyes; she is a good girl, Colonel Haines; -very loving and sincere; she is easy to lead and asks only for love in -return."</p> - -<p>"Ah, Aunt Clara, it is the paradox of human nature that man, who should -be the protector of woman, is too often her assailant; and that the -kindly virtues of a woman which make her the best of wives and mothers, -too often renders her the easiest prey to a wicked man."</p> - -<p>"Have you noted anything wrong with my Ellen, sir?" asked Aunt Clara, -in mournful surprise.</p> - -<p>"Not so. She is just a little too endowed with natural loveliness for -her complete safety in this unhappy world."</p> - -<p>Then, saying a few words of gratitude, the Colonel, or "Doctor -Osborne," arose and put on his heavy army cloak.</p> - -<p>"May I ask you one question, Colonel?"</p> - -<p>"A dozen, if you will."</p> - -<p>"Why do you come here to us under an assumed name?"</p> - -<p>"Ah, that is easy to answer; for you yourself have riddled me my -riddle. I had received such generous and courteous treatment in your -old unhappy city of Nauvoo, and had made so many warm friends there, -that I wondered if it could be that you had changed into the creatures -that your enemies in Washington tried to convince me you were; so I -chose to come under a borrowed name, and thus test all round your -quality of hospitality. And my good friend Aunt Clara Tyler has proved -for me all that I sought to discover."</p> - -<p>The interview at the President's office that day was so satisfactory -that within twenty-four hours, John Stevens was once more at the head -of an escort which was to convey Colonel Haines, the mediator, the -friend, and the great heart, on his mission of mercy and peace into the -lines of Federal armies quartered at Fort Scott, on Black's Fork.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXIII"></a>XIII.</h2> - -<p>DIANTHA WEARS CHARLIE'S RING -</p> - -<p>The mission of Colonel Haines was of immediate effect. The fear of -desperate warfare was over. But there yet remained much for the people -of Utah to do and suffer.</p> - -<p>John Stevens was constantly in the saddle during the few months of the -Spring of 1858, though this did not prevent him from keeping a pretty -close watch on Miss Diantha Winthrop. He was quite familiar with the -tenor of her recent encouragement to Charlie Rose. He was also aware of -the quiet yet effective snubs she had administered to that resplendent -young Englishman, Henry Boyle. In a way known only to himself, John -Stevens contrived to be aware of most things in which he himself was -interested.</p> - -<p>It was early in the evening of the first week of April that he rode -down from the northern camps into the valley; as he passed the first -farm-houses outside the city, he caught sight of a wagon-load of young -people, evidently just returning from some merry-making, and he was -conscious of the glory of Dian's hair and the flash of her bright -eyes, even before he heard the silvery peal of laughter with which -she was adding to the stings of a taunt administered to some luckless -wight of the party. The music of her laughter was at once the charm -and the despair of all Dian's lovers. The notes of that peal always -reminded John of a chime of Swiss silver bells, with which a strolling -musician had once delighted the city. They rippled and trilled along -the waves of ether with enchanting melody. Her friends will remember -many youthful graces of this well-known Dian, but none which were more -charming than her ready, irresistible, musical laughter. It was never -forced nor insincere, but was always the expression of the truth-loving -and buoyant soul within. It did not add to John's own merriment to -see the girl enjoying herself so heartily while under the gallant -protection of Charlie Rose; as his horse lingered some distance behind -the wagon, he could pick out the "crowd" even in the cool dusk of the -early evening, and locate all the incipient flirtations. It may be that -the tired man felt the incongruousness of laughter when his own heart -was hot and sore because of the events just now transpiring; but he was -too just not to recognize the further fact that youth is a time for joy -and forgetful laughter; and, furthermore, all possible excitement and -fear had been wisely suppressed by Brigham Young. As soon as he reached -a side street, John turned away, and cantered into the city to deliver -his messages.</p> - -<p>The next evening, as he was striding down the State Road he met the -"crowd" face to face. They were returning from singing practice.</p> - -<p>"Oh, John," called Ellen, "do tell us all the news. Here's Tom Allen -trying to make us believe that the President is for deserting our good -homes and leading us into the wilderness. It isn't true, is it?"</p> - -<p>"Would you rather stay here under the rule of an army, or follow your -leaders into another place of safety and peace?" asked John, gently and -seriously.</p> - -<p>"John," said Charlie Rose, now sober and earnest, "I am trying to get -these girls to understand that they are about to have a chance to be -brave and womanly. It's stiff work trying to make a girl see that there -is anything but fun ahead."</p> - -<p>"Some girls," corrected Diantha, with lofty emphasis.</p> - -<p>"Come into Aunt Clara's sitting-room and let me get a word with her; -then, maybe, you shall get another," said John, quietly.</p> - -<p>Sobered and awed, the little group of young people filed, almost -silently, into the familiar gathering place. Dian refused to sit down; -her quick thought had followed the serious mood of John Stevens and -instantly her whole attention was fixed on one idea; what could she do -in this crisis—a girl—and yet so full of devotion to that cause her -friends were defending?</p> - -<p>"Aunt Clara, you can tell the crowd how very serious our condition is -at present. They seem to have forgotten Nauvoo," said John, possibly -glad to sober these young people. Charlie Rose, whose face was quite -flushed with the news he had just heard on the streets, walked over to -the loom in the corner and waited impatiently for Aunt Clara to finish -tearing off her last thread.</p> - -<p>It was impossible for John Stevens to be unconscious of the fact that -Charlie Rose was standing very near to Dian, as she leaned against the -loom, so near that almost the loose flying tendrils of her yellow hair -were against his shoulder. But with stern grip on his own nerves, he -sat carelessly on the bench and bent his head slightly as he examined -the pattern of his braided buckskin pantaloons.</p> - -<p>Aunt Clara felt the tense atmosphere surrounding her, and she waited in -silence for John to speak, for she was sure he had something serious to -tell them. That he had something to say was sufficient for others to -remain quiet.</p> - -<p>"Boys, how many of you can be ready to start at midnight for the army -of the United States camped now at Fort Scott?" There was a breathless -silence for an instant, and then:</p> - -<p>"All of us," quietly answered Charlie Rose.</p> - -<p>"We shall leave the Eagle Gate, then, at twelve o'clock, boys; I shall -expect you to be there. Bring your usual outfit."</p> - -<p>"John," said Aunt Clara, with a note of anxiety in her voice, "what is -it now?"</p> - -<p>"We are to meet and escort Governor Cumming into the Territory."</p> - -<p>"Governor Cumming? Is Brigham Young no longer Governor of Utah then?" -asked Charlie.</p> - -<p>"I have this day delivered the official information that the President -of the United States has appointed a new Governor for our unhappy -Territory. It is for this reason, ostensibly, that the flower of the -American army has come out into the wilderness of the West. Thousands -of trained soldiers have been sent to install one man in a Territory -of a few hundred pioneers." John spoke bitterly, but it was not his to -question. He was but to obey.</p> - -<p>"What is the name of this new Governor?" asked Dian with quick sarcasm -in her tones.</p> - -<p>"His name is Cumming, and so far as I am able to judge, he is not to -blame for this blunder of Buchanan's. But, boys, meet me at the Eagle -Gate at midnight."</p> - -<p>"Oh, John, will the soldiers kill us all, or drive us from our homes?" -asked Ellen, tearfully.</p> - -<p>"Only God can answer that," replied John, solemnly.</p> - -<p>The heart of every girl was thrilled with the sense of personal and -communal danger. Yet, there mingled with it all a paradoxical and -feminine joy in the intrepid character of the men who would protect -them and their homes in life or in death.</p> - -<p>Ellen ran up to Dian, and with her arms around her neck, begged her -friend to "stay all night." Ellen felt suddenly a sense of coming -disaster; her very heart was choking in her throat, and she felt that -she must have many people near her. Dian was glad to stay; although -her own thoughts were not busy with herself, but dwelt upon the larger -interests of the starving army beyond the mountains, who were all human -beings, even if enemies. Her soul bowed in prayer for Brigham Young -and the other leaders of her people, whose judgment and wisdom must be -supreme in this the people's most trying hour.</p> - -<p>The days that followed were filled with vague rumors of coming -disaster. Women clung to their little children; men gazed upon their -innocent daughters and wondered what the future held in store for all. -They had seen their dear ones mobbed, driven and plundered, time and -again in the past; what would this new disaster bring forth?</p> - -<p>Fear and suspense—are they not man's most dreaded foes? Anything -which comes is better than the undefinable things which are so feared -but which rarely happen. And thus the days and weeks of that month -of suspense which followed John Stevens' expedition into the eastern -mountains were far more unendurable to Diantha and her girl-friends -than the simple events which followed. For, after all, when the day -came for the entrance of Governor Cumming into the Territory, the sun -shone, the meadow-larks piped out their usual notes of musical inquiry -into the state of the worm and bug market, the crickets hopped nimbly -out of the way of the oncoming posse of mountaineer soldiers who acted -as the gubernatorial escort, and the whole party drew up to the Salt -Lake House, clattered under the broad eaves of its western porches, and -debouched quietly within. The first great act of the expected sensation -was over, while the second act was quite small and inadequate to the -tremendous overture of dread which had been pounding at the ears of -the small inland city for so long. Governor Cumming proved to be a -very generous, whole-souled man, and in the historic interview which -followed between the new and the old Governors of the then distracted -Territory of Utah, both men discovered the elements of candor, truth -and sincerity in the other, and the bond of mutual understanding was -not long in forming. The days of adjustment and readjustment which -followed were not days of unmixed confusion and disturbance, for time -was taken in which to dispel fears and to form new ties.</p> - -<p>Diantha Winthrop was conscious, in those uncertain and troublous days, -of a certain dissatisfaction regarding the outcome of the dramatic -beginnings which her quick intelligence had discovered in this -appalling incident. Like most noble if youthful minds, her thoughts -had been busy with the high purpose and exalted ideals of the people. -Unlike her volatile friend Ellen, Dian's gloomy fears at this period -settled around the leaders of her people; while to little laughing -Ellie the one important feature of it all was little Ellie's own -connection with each and every happening. It was therefore somewhat of -a disappointment to both girls that there was such a tame ending to -so tragic a beginning. Governor Cumming was in the city, he had been -properly received by Governor Young, and the whole incident was closed, -apparently, without even the hoisting of the flag. The girls mentioned -the matter to Aunt Clara, and that good lady only answered:</p> - -<p>"None but poets and prophets know the difference between tragedy and -comedy. What you feel is going to be tragedy turns out to be comedy, -and what starts as comedy too often turns into tragedy."</p> - -<p>And thus life poured its turbulent stream down into the channels -of Utah's history and the evening and the morning made up the -scintillating days of that trying season.</p> - -<p>Suffice it to say, Governor Cumming was duly escorted into the city, -and he and his gentle lady-wife were suitably quartered. To him Brigham -Young turned over all the Territorial records, the great seal and all -insignia of his exalted office; all were delivered over safely and -formally by the maligned "Mormon" leader. But our friend John, with his -companions Charlie Rose and Tom Allen, was kept long weeks in active -service out in Echo Canyon. The city seemed very lonely to Ellen and -Dian during those long spring weeks.</p> - -<p>One day in the early spring, some weeks after Governor Cumming's -entrance into the Valley, Dian sought a quiet interview with Aunt -Clara, hoping to ascertain something definite as to the real nature of -all the rumors and forebodings again quivering in the very air of Great -Salt Lake City.</p> - -<p>"Dear Aunt Clara," said Dian, when they were seated and busily -knitting—oh, those active, flying hands of women which never rested, -scarce night or day, during those trying months—"I am so troubled; -my nights are full of unhappy dreams and my days are so restless that -I cannot accomplish anything worth while. What is all this about? -Please confide in Ellie and me, dear Aunt Clara. I know you enjoy -the confidence of the leading brethren, and I long to know if it is -true that the soldiers are going to be allowed to enter our beloved -Territory? And is Governor Cumming really our friend?"</p> - -<p>"Governor Cumming is a very liberal and humane man, my dear. But it is -apparently true that we shall have to bow to the will of the government -of this great nation which we all love so well, and allow these -soldiers, this terrible army, to come into the Territory and quarter -themselves here, for how long no one can tell. Ostensibly the army came -to install Governor Cumming; but as you know, Governor Cumming has been -peaceably installed, yet General Johnston insists on coming into the -Valley. President Young has turned over the records and great seal of -our Territory which our wicked enemies swore to President Buchanan we -had destroyed, and now Governor Cumming has notified Brother Brigham -that a Peace Commission may be sent out to this Territory to hand us -out a Proclamation of Amnesty. And there is the full story."</p> - -<p>"What's a Peace Commission and what is amnesty?" asked Ellen.</p> - -<p>"Surely, my dear! What is amnesty? It is forgiveness. And why the -United States should deem it necessary to send an army out here to -crush us into submission, when we had never revolted, and then think -it necessary to send us a proclamation of amnesty, when we have done -nothing to be forgiven for, is more than a poor woman can understand. -However, the plain English of it is that someone wanted the army -out of the way in Washington, others wanted the money that comes to -contractors, and still others don't know anything about it, except -someone has raised another cry of 'Down with the Mormons.' Governor -Cumming hopes to clear everything up with the aid of this Peace -Commission. But, girls, I have something very serious to confide to -you; next Monday we are to pack up everything that can be loaded into -wagons, leaving the rest piled up with kindlings ready to burn, and -then we are to start for the South."</p> - -<p>"For the South? Where?" asked the two girls in one breath.</p> - -<p>"I cannot tell. Some have already gone quietly ahead. We shall pack -up everything that we can pile in our wagons, and with sufficient -provisions to last us a year, we shall once more go out into the -wilderness. This time we shall take to the mountains."</p> - -<p>"Oh, Aunt Clara, surely you are not in earnest?"</p> - -<p>"Girls, this is no time for any of us to be in jest. We know not what a -day may bring forth. Do you get to work at once. And then, when all is -ready, we shall fill this house with sufficient kindling to burn every -stick and log within twenty-four hours of the time when the word is -given."</p> - -<p>"Aunt Clara! Burn this house which you love so well? With this dear -green door? It's the only green door in the city. And all this comfort -which you have worked so hard to secure? Oh, I can't bear the thought. -And the lettuce and radishes which you sowed on the snow and which -are just now ready to eat? What about everybody else?" asked Ellen, -incoherently.</p> - -<p>But no amount of grief on the part of the girls could change the -condition of things, and after awhile the prudent counsels of their -good friend calmed undue excitement, and they resigned themselves to -the common fate, willing to share in the general affliction as they -had shared in the common good. Here was tragedy, surely! When least -expected, here it was! Nightfall found them all tired out with the -day's labor and excitement.</p> - -<p>Evening brought Charlie Rose to the door of the quiet sitting-room, and -even if they were tired, they were glad to see his welcome face.</p> - -<p>"Oh, Charlie, will we all have to go South?" asked Ellen, unable to -restrain her excitement.</p> - -<p>"Yes, Ellie, I bring word to Aunt Clara that she and you must be -ready to start tomorrow morning for the South. Dian, your folks are -to go tomorrow also. We didn't expect to go for another week, but -the government is going to send some peace commissioners out to -the Territory, and they may be as dangerous to our welfare as the -peacemakers at Carthage. So we shall get away tomorrow, as many as can, -and as fast as we can. 'Boil and bubble; toil and trouble,'" quoted -Charlie, mournfully.</p> - -<p>"Aunt Clara, if that is the case, I must hurry home and help Rachel; -she may need me; and you and Ellen can get along without me," said -Diantha.</p> - -<p>"Oh, I shall be frightened, Dian. Just Aunt Clara and me here all this -dreadful night," cried out Ellen.</p> - -<p>"Hush, child! Why should we be frightened? No one wants anything of us. -Go right on, Dian; you are needed at home. No doubt my sister will be -here before long," expostulated Aunt Clara.</p> - -<p>Ellen was fain to be comforted; her heart yearned for the presence of -her dear friend Dian in this hour of common peril and distress. Yet she -had Aunt Clara, and she must be content.</p> - -<p>As Dian left the door, Charlie stood beside her and she whispered:</p> - -<p>"Go back, Charlie, and stay with Aunt Clara awhile. I am not a bit -afraid to run over home alone."</p> - -<p>"Dian, let me come with you. I will come back to Aunt Clara; but I -can't bear to see you or any of our girls out alone on the streets."</p> - -<p>"Why, we always go out on the streets alone, when we have any occasion -to; why should we be afraid now?"</p> - -<p>But the young man was walking by her side even as she protested. As -they reached Dian's gate he put a detaining hand upon her arm and said, -earnestly:</p> - -<p>"I have to go back to camp in Echo Canyon tomorrow; Dian, will you miss -me?"</p> - -<p>The dim darkened new moon was shining down upon the young people with -the tender radiance of spring folly; they were young; Dian's heart -was very sore with the quivering emotions wrought up in the last -twenty-four hours. She liked Charlie Rose, for he was as wholesome and -pure as he was honest, and he was always bright and gay. The night was -very lonely.</p> - -<p>"Of course, we shall miss you, Charlie. All the boys, even to Tom -Allen, are out in the canyons. It is very lonely."</p> - -<p>"You have Henry Boyle left," said her companion, somewhat maliciously.</p> - -<p>"Pooh!" contemptuously. "He is almost ready to apostatize; he is scared -to death over this army business. He has asked Governor Cumming to let -him go out of the Territory under the protection of the soldiers."</p> - -<p>"Can that be true, Dian? I would not have thought him a traitor as well -as a coward."</p> - -<p>"Are not all cowards traitors?"</p> - -<p>"Hardly, Dian. That's too sweeping. But I am surprised about Henry. He -cut quite a shine here for months."</p> - -<p>The girl began to open her gate; she knew that her brother did not -approve of young people standing at the gate in the late evenings.</p> - -<p>"Dian, listen just one moment; here, wear this ring for me while I am -gone; won't you?" As he spoke he drew a pretty ring from his finger, -evidently an heirloom in his family. Rings were rare in those days, and -Dian's eyes sparkled. She knew that she was not in love with Charlie; -but neither was she with anyone else. Why should she not wear a ring?</p> - -<p>"I will wear it awhile, Charlie, but I won't keep it. You must give it -to the girl you are going to marry."</p> - -<p>"That's what I'm doing, Dian."</p> - -<p>The tone of his voice startled her with its intensity; she drew away -from him, half frightened.</p> - -<p>"Here, Charlie, take your ring; I do not want to wear it."</p> - -<p>But with instant comprehension of his rashness, the young man said with -a light laugh:</p> - -<p>"Oh, pshaw, Dian! Oblige me by wearing my ring until I find the girl I -am to marry. Then I will come to you for it."</p> - -<p>Pacified, the girl pushed the ring back on her finger, and then at once -turned into the gate, saying as she did so:</p> - -<p>"I shall not forget you nor any of the boys in my prayers, Charlie. -Goodnight and goodby."</p> - -<p>And the young man was fain to be content with this general parting wish.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXIV"></a>XIV.</h2> - -<p>"TO YOUR TENTS, O ISRAEL." -</p> - -<p>"To your tents, O Israel!"</p> - -<p>What a picture of quiet despair melting into calm resignation those -spring months presented! In April there had begun that wondrous move -into the unknown which had been the inspiration and yet the dread of -President Brigham Young. Only a patriot such as he could appreciate -the love of home and country which had forced this people ten years -before into a trackless wilderness; no one but a patriot could guess -what these new sacrifices must mean to the hunted and driven people. -Ten years of peace! Ten years of hardest labor ever performed by -any people, at any period; and now to start out into the wilderness -again! Who could tell the suffering, the anguish of a people whose -hearthstones were their altars, and whose religion was a home!</p> - -<p>As the wagon driven by Aunt Clara's own delicate hands turned into the -State Road on the morning of the 12th of May, 1858, she saw a long, -straggling trail of wagons ahead of her; old and weather-worn most of -them were, having crossed the plains many times in the last twelve -years. There were crowds of little children packed in many of the -wagons, and in some there groaned and writhed the sick and helpless. -But all faces wore the expression of exalted determination borne only -by a people whose devotion could help them to bid adieu to comfort and -ease when duty or inspiration gave the ringing cry:</p> - -<p>"To your tents, O Israel!"</p> - -<p>Ah, how often in their broken and turbulent history as a people had -that clarion cry sounded in their ears!</p> - -<p>And now, once again, Israel was on the march!</p> - -<p>The usual chatter of women, the laugh of children, the merry exchange -of field and farm gossip from the men, these common features of their -communal life were almost hushed in the common sorrow which gripped the -vitals of every wanderer in that straggling train which was conveying -twenty thousand souls from Great Salt Lake City alone, and thousands -more from the northern towns, to the mountains! From the Eagle Gate -clear to the "Point of the Mountain"—that longest straight street in -all the world—the whole length of that twenty miles of road, straight -as engineering skill could plant—was one moving mass of wagons, with -and without covers; some with quilts over the wagon boxes, and some -without boxes or covers; driven by men, by women, and by little boys. -Great oxen on some of them lumbered heavily along; horses, mules, -and even patient cows were harnessed in the procession. The dust was -blinding; the day began to be hot. Out in the western horizon shone the -silvered edge of the Great Salt Lake, glistening, diamond-bright, under -the ardent sun.</p> - -<p>At Dr. Dunyon's place at the Point of the Mountain the wagons of the -Winthrop family drew alongside the slower mule team driven by Aunt -Clara's slender but capable hands; and the voice of Ellen Tyler called -out from under the dusty wagon cover:</p> - -<p>"Rachel, where's Dian? I have been looking for her all the morning."</p> - -<p>"She is just behind in the last wagon. She thought she could help -grandmother if she stayed in that wagon. You get out and ride with her; -there's plenty of room in there;" and Rachel halted to chat awhile with -Aunt Clara.</p> - -<p>Ellen quickly accepted this welcome invitation, and hurried back to her -friend.</p> - -<p>She found Diantha sitting uncomfortably on a high box, leaving the -spring seat to be occupied by the old lady who was showing signs of -great weariness.</p> - -<p>"Oh, Ellie, I am so glad you have come. Help me to unroll this bedding -and get a place fixed for grandma to lie down. I was sure she could not -ride on the spring seat, but she wanted to try it to save trouble."</p> - -<p>The girls quickly unfastened the huge roll of bedding, and with the aid -of the lad who was driving the team, they made a fairly comfortable bed -on the boxes inside the wagon.</p> - -<p>"Now, grandma, you try to sleep a little; you have not slept a wink all -night."</p> - -<p>"Who could sleep, dearie?" answered the plaintive voice of the old lady.</p> - -<p>The girls covered her feet with her shawl, and then both of them -crowded into the spring seat with the driver.</p> - -<p>"Say, Dian, whose ring are you wearing? It looks like Charlie's," said -the quick voice of Ellen.</p> - -<p>"Whose ring but my own, silly? Should I be wearing other people's -rings?"</p> - -<p>Ellen was abashed with the little rebuff. She was too proud to ask for -confidence not willingly shared, yet she was sure the ring belonged to -her friend Charlie; she hastily turned the talk into safe, impersonal -channels.</p> - -<p>"Don't you wonder where we are going, Dian?"</p> - -<p>"My brother Appleton says we are to stop in Provo for awhile, until we -know what the army is going to do."</p> - -<p>"And where do you think we will go after that?"</p> - -<p>"No one seems to know. I guess President Young knows; he knows -everything. But he is too wise to tell anybody what he thinks, till the -time comes for action."</p> - -<p>"I have heard Aunt Clara speak as if we were bound for a place in -Mexico, called Sonora."</p> - -<p>"Well, I am sure I don't care where we go. We have had to pick up and -leave our beloved homes again, driven by those who hate us for our -religion. Aunt Clara says that not all of these men in Washington are -so cruel; Col. Haines told her that Captain Van Arden was our true -friend. And there are doubtless others."</p> - -<p>"Did he say that of Captain Van Arden?" asked Ellie, her eyes aflame -with some pleasant recollection of the gallant captain's visit.</p> - -<p>"Indeed he did. And he, together with Colonel Haines has persuaded -President Buchanan to send some peace commissioners out here to try and -fix up this awful blunder made by Buchanan himself. I wonder how it is -that men are so easily prejudiced against our people?"</p> - -<p>Ellen was not given to general reflections; to her, life was an -extremely personal affair. So she began a running chatter about the -news they had received of John Stevens.</p> - -<p>"Did you know that John is now one of the chief officers in the Utah -militia?"</p> - -<p>Dian turned the ring round and round on her finger and said nothing in -reply to Ellen's chatter. She was not a bit interested in John Stevens, -nor was she prepared to open her own thoughts for the keen eyes of her -loving friend. There are some things that are too hazy in a girl's mind -for analysis; and Dian was content to listen while she idly dreamed -of Charlie Rose and what he would do about the ring, when he really -fell in love with a girl. And what would John Stevens think about her -wearing Charlie's ring? But the hours dragged along, night came, and -the weary travelers camped wherever water and wood could be found. Next -morning's sun found most of the mighty host once more on the dusty -highway, faces to the South, and with uplifted hearts to a Providence -that had never forgotten Zion.</p> - -<p>"To your tents, O Israel!"</p> - -<p>Israel was on the march! The high road of Destiny might be dusty with -blinding prejudice, and hot with men's hate and scorn. But Israel was -just a band of loyal men and women who trusted God and feared no man. -And so they went forth, this modern Israel, singing hymns while the -issues of life and death wove themselves into intricate patterns on the -web and woof of the mysterious future!</p> - -<p>The evening shades of the second day found our friends halted on the -Provo river bottoms, a part of that temporary encampment which made the -small city a veritable summer pioneer metropolis.</p> - -<p>The long, tiresome journey was at last completed, and the Winthrops -and Tylers could find no better place in all Provo than a low adobe -hut, which was then used as a bear den by the family who had built -themselves a new house further up the street. Mr. Bruin was taken -summarily out of his quarters, the boys and children spent several -hours cleaning out the hut, while the women cooked their frugal supper -over the campfire, and then all retired at a late hour, weary with the -long two days' travel.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXV"></a>XV.</h2> - -<p>I'M A MORMON DYED IN THE WOOL. -</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, the men on the frontier in Weber Canyon were uneasy and as -full of vague forebodings of the future as were the women and children -left in the safer shelter of the lower valleys. To be sure, the army -had been kept out of the Valley for the whole winter; and spring had -come, and they were still outside the confines of the Territory.</p> - -<p>On the morning of May 28th, Colonel Lot Smith was ordered to the -headquarters of the Utah militia. He was closeted with the General for -an hour. When he emerged, he went at once to the tent of John Stevens.</p> - -<p>"Captain Stevens, get Corporal Rose and a squad of six men and meet me -outside of the lines in half an hour; you have an important duty ahead."</p> - -<p>The order was instantly obeyed, and soon the little squad was riding -out towards Camp Scott.</p> - -<p>Arrived there, after hours of hard riding, they showed their passports -to the pickets, and were at last allowed to enter the lines. As the -little squad rode rapidly up towards the camp of the army, in the near -distance, the mountaineers noted with interest the picture of tented -life, now grown so familiar to Stevens, but so novel to the eyes of -the other young Utahns. The white Sibley tents, now brown and rusty -with the winter's use, were planted about the log and wooden structures -in regular form in the center of the encampment, while blue-coated -soldiers could be seen through the outer motley fringe of the camp's -usual followers, pacing in sentry duty, or moving to and fro on other -duty. The great white city rested on the brown and pale green landscape -of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains like pinioned birdwings, -brooding over the nest of mighty enterprises.</p> - -<p>John turned to his companions and said:</p> - -<p>"Corporal Rose, I shall leave you and the men here to rest quietly -until my return. Remain in your saddles and prepare for quick action."</p> - -<p>"Do you anticipate any trouble, Captain Stevens?"</p> - -<p>"Soldiers do not anticipate. They prepare. I may not go armed into the -presence of civil and military authorities on a message of peace. Hold -my weapons and my horse until my return."</p> - -<p>Handing his musket to his companion, and striding steadily forward, -Captain Stevens was soon within the outskirts of the great camp at Fort -Scott. In the rough camp life of the hordes of camp followers were -mingled shouts of drunken laughter, oaths of anger, and the shrill -cries of ribald women. He entered the narrow streets of rude houses in -the edge of the camp, which consisted of half shacks, half wigwams, -and all of them altogether abandoned in their reckless atmosphere of -rude frontier conviviality. The look on the face of the mountaineer as -he walked hastily through this outer fringe of corruption to reach the -inner city of white orderliness was grim and foreboding.</p> - -<p>Passing one of the larger tents in the motley village, a drunken man -suddenly emerged therefrom with his pistol swinging in his reckless -grasp.</p> - -<p>"Who are you?" he demanded of John, reeling up and cocking the pistol -directly in the face of the mountaineer. The drunken eyes of the -soldier noted the rude garb of the stranger and with drunken quickness -of malicious wit, he shouted noisily:</p> - -<p>"Are you a damned Mormon?"</p> - -<p>With a terrible look in the flashing eyes which passed along the gun -barrel and pierced the very marrow of his assailant, John Stevens -answered, through his clenched teeth:</p> - -<p>"Yes siree! I am a 'Mormon!' Dyed in the wool!"</p> - -<p>With a shaking hand the pistol was lowered, and the soldier said -unsteadily:</p> - -<p>"Well, you're a damned good feller."</p> - -<p>John Stevens turned away in disgust and yet with a quick gratitude for -the speedy deliverance.</p> - -<p>And now he reached the entrance to the real Camp Scott.</p> - -<p>He showed his passports to the sentry, and passed quickly into the -tented enclosure, where he was soon ushered into the presence of -Governor Cumming and a group of officers, among whom were the Peace -Commissioners, no doubt, whom John Stevens had come to seek.</p> - -<p>Governor Cumming's countenance lighted as he met the flashing gaze of -John Stevens.</p> - -<p>"So, Captain Stevens, you are to be my escort into Great Salt Lake City -this second time also?"</p> - -<p>"If that is my duty, I shall perform it even more cheerfully than I did -before, Governor Cumming."</p> - -<p>"Spoken like a soldier. But, friend Stevens, I want you to enlighten -these gentlemen. Excuse me, gentlemen, I desire Captain Stevens, who -has so recently come from the Valley, to tell you officers how cordial -and friendly his President is."</p> - -<p>Stevens' smile was very grim as he answered:</p> - -<p>"President Brigham Young is always cordial to his friends."</p> - -<p>"And always generous, even to his enemies, hey, Stevens?"</p> - -<p>"He is just to every one."</p> - -<p>The Governor hastened to cover the slight confusion he felt at his -failure to draw happy assurances of peace from the mountaineer. At that -moment a slim, dark, handsome young officer, whom Stevens recognized -with a flash of his keen eye and quick memory, stepped jauntily out of -the group beside the Governor and said lightly:</p> - -<p>"My good man, why does your rebel leader court death and extinction in -this defiant fashion?"</p> - -<p>John strode towards the insulting speaker, and at that moment the -Governor of the new Territory realized that he had more than a war of -two belligerent forces; he had a religious as well as a sociological -problem on his hands. He felt his own powerlessness, even to prevent -sudden conflict between these two rash youths.</p> - -<p>Suddenly an orderly entered and after saluting he announced:</p> - -<p>"Governor Powell and Major McCulloch."</p> - -<p>The entrance of these two men made a diversion. But neither the soldier -nor the mountaineer forgot his personal grievance.</p> - -<p>"Major McCulloch, here is the leader of the escort which Governor Young -has sent to convey the Peace Commissioners into the Valley. I trust you -will be mutually benefited by your acquaintance. Stevens is a fearless -soldier and a just man. Captain Stevens, Major McCulloch and Governor -Powell of Kentucky are the two Peace Commissioners sent out here by our -gracious executive, President Buchanan."</p> - -<p>"Captain Stevens, were you one of that gallant band of boys who went to -San Bernardino in the 'Mormon' Battalion?" asked Major McCulloch.</p> - -<p>John signified that he was, and the bluff old soldier grasped his hand -and shook it heartily.</p> - -<p>"Well, sir, I may think your leaders a damned set of hypocrites, but -you men, and the women too, as to that, sir, who undertook that most -damnable and difficult march in the way you did, and carried it through -so gloriously, sir, you have all my hearty admiration. I am glad to see -you, sir."</p> - -<p>John responded to this genuine outburst with mingled feelings; he could -but acknowledge the genuineness of the man, but the strictures upon -the leaders of his people stung John almost to the quick reply. Again -Governor Cumming was to the rescue.</p> - -<p>"Gentlemen, we have no time for reminiscence. We must to business! -There is no time to lose."</p> - -<p>"Damn me, sir, I am not wasting time when I tell a man he is one -of a body of heroes. Damn it, man, do you know anything about that -tremendous march of half-clad, half-starved troops through a howling -barren waste, over deserts and mountains, burying their dead, and -nursing their sick, without one day's rest or pause? Damn it, man, you -seem to be pretty ignorant of the greatest march undertaken by American -or other soldiers. Do you know, sir, that that company of rough, -untrained soldiers planted the first American flag on the soil of Lower -California? Stevens, I am proud to take your hand. I saw your name on -the muster roll and am glad to meet you."</p> - -<p>Governor Cumming was nervously aware of the stare of contempt indulged -in by more than one of the officers in the tent at this outburst of the -peppery but generous major; but he was fain to wait till the soldier's -tongue was tired, and then he hastily proceeded to outline the plan of -action.</p> - -<p>As the council proceeded, John Stevens perceived that, inadvertently -perhaps, the Governor held out as a sort of peace-sop the picture of -the comfortable homes down in the Valley below: the smiling farms, -the young orchards and the fruitful gardens; these he hinted to the -assembled officers would make life very endurable to all who might find -shelter beneath the snowy peaks of the mountains towering above the -lakes and valleys of that inhabited desert.</p> - -<p>John was forced to listen in silence to the seeming bait which was held -out to the weary soldiers who had wintered almost where Gen. Harney -said they would—in "hell"—and "hell" it had been to those restless -men in the frozen passes of the desert mountains.</p> - -<p>"How can all this be true, Governor?" asked ex-Governor and -Senator-elect Powell, the other member of the Peace Commission, "when -it is hardly ten years since these people came into these barren -wastes?"</p> - -<p>"My dear sir, these 'Mormons' have done more marvelous things than ever -did Moses. And they have even put the Pilgrim Fathers to the blush with -their gigantic toil and its marvelous results. They call it the special -providence of God; hey, Stevens?" to the young man whom he was anxious -to placate and who was listening savagely to this somewhat indiscreet -parley; "but the blossoming desert below may be called, in all reason, -the result of energy and grit. Yankee grit! Why, sir, you will find -that those people down there are mostly of pure New England descent. A -very few English, and fewer Europeans. Yankees they are, most of them. -And a very courageous lot of Yankees they all are. They are the peers -of any in the matter of sobriety, courage and industry."</p> - -<p>John could but feel that Governor Cumming was trying to be fair in his -explanation, and that helped him the better to bear the insolent airs -of some of the blue-coated officers, who gazed at him loftily. His -manhood could hardly be insulted by such personalities.</p> - -<p>As he waited without, after the conference had been broken up, and the -Governor and Commissioners had withdrawn, he noted one of the officers, -whom he had heard called Col. Saxey, trying to still the wild boasts -of some of the younger men, who could not quite rid themselves of the -prospective triumph over the "damned Mormons."</p> - -<p>"This whole business," asserted Saxey, "is nothing but a scheme on -the part of King Buchanan to get the flower of the Union troops out -here just to further his own wily political ends. He is the king of -blunderers, say I!"</p> - -<p>John moved hastily away; he was aware of the few wise heads in that -vast army of ten thousand, but he also knew that time and time again, -the demons of mobocracy had broken over all civil and military control -and had plundered and driven his poor and unhappy people. And now, -behold, he was to escort the Peace Commissioners into the Valley! Well, -he would do his full duty.</p> - -<p>"I have sent a message to General Albert Sidney Johnston," said -the Governor, after they rode out of camp under the protection of -the "Mormon" squad, "charging him to remain here quietly until you -gentlemen of the Peace Commission have done your work, and until it is -quite safe and proper to debouch our army into the valleys below."</p> - -<p>"And do you expect General Johnston to obey your orders?" asked Major -McCulloch. "If he remains in camp one day after we leave it, it will be -because he wishes to do so, not because you command it."</p> - -<p>"What do you mean Major. Am I not the head of the government in this -Territory? Who shall command, if not the representative of the United -States government?" and the gentleman proudly swept his glance over the -generous form of his companion.</p> - -<p>"My dear fellow, that is a question that lies too deep for a soldier to -answer. Which shall rule in this Territory? The civil or the military? -Can you unriddle me the riddle, Governor Powell?"</p> - -<p>That gentleman merely raised his eyebrows, as he sought to keep a -steady seat on his fiercely trotting cayuse pony and said:</p> - -<p>"Quien sabe?"</p> - -<p>"There must be no mistake," said Governor Cumming, anxiously; "if there -is any measure of peace to come into this unhappy Territory—and you -gentlemen have been commissioned for that purpose and no other—I must -be allowed full control as the civil head of this part of our Nation. -There has been no rebellion, gentlemen; I beg you to remember that;" -and John, who had heard all, loved the kindly, determined gentleman who -maintained that fact in the face of all opponents. "You may patch up -a peace as best you may. But it will never, can never, be done at the -point of the sword."</p> - -<p>"Quien sabe?" again asked the political Powell, who was open to -conviction on either side.</p> - -<p>And so the cavalcade rode swiftly on its way. They reached the entrance -to the canyon at dusk; after a brief rest Capt. Stevens insisted that -they should continue on their line of travel, because of the possible -danger of attack from Indians or other stragglers in the mountains. -And so it was that the party traversed the whole of the canyon -fortifications under cover of darkness. And whatever John's motive in -so doing might be, it was not communicated to the others. But when they -passed peak after peak, all brilliantly illuminated by camp fires, -around which men stood silent and grim, Governor Cumming felt some -doubt as to whether this glowing tribute was a token of respect for -themselves, or a skilful multiplication of resources on the part of the -mountaineers.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXVI"></a>XVI.</h2> - -<p>THE PEACE COMMISSIONERS -</p> - -<p>As the small and weary party of travelers went into camp that night a -messenger rode quietly up, and gave a small packet into the hands of -Stevens. John did not unfasten the packet at once; he had much to do in -making camp and preparing things for the night. But when the stillness -of late evening brooded over them, John drew out from the wrapping a -half dozen letters, among them being two of instructions to himself -from General Wells; among the letters from friends and relatives to the -Utah squad, there was a small missive, written in a delicate, familiar -hand, addressed to Charlie Rose. John immediately went over to the -far side of the camp fire where Charlie lay at ease, and delivered -the small letter. He was quick to note the sudden excitement which -quivered along every nerve of the young fellow, as his fingers grasped -the expected note from Diantha Winthrop. Both knew who had written the -letter. Both were mountaineers; ready of action, but slow to confide.</p> - -<p>John took careful notice of all his own instructions, read by the -light of his heaped-up fire. But in and through it all his thoughts -were centered on that missive lying on the heart of Charlie Rose. The -remembrance of that letter lay in his own breast for many days, like a -coal of fire.</p> - -<p>As the party emerged, two mornings later, June 7th, 1858, from the -last of the canyon defiles, they were at once struck with the wild -beauty before them. It was a barren valley, through which flowed a -few green-fringed streams, a silvery line of shimmering water on its -western horizon betokening the presence of the blue salt sea, and near -the northern mountains the prosperous beginning of that inland empire, -now dotted here and there, over the checker-board regularity of its -wide-streeted design, with the green of planted fruit and shade trees. -The geometrical fields around and beyond this incipient city amazed the -party with their regularity.</p> - -<p>"They plant their whole civilization in accordance with the line and -plummet of order. Irrigation makes the system and regularity a vital -necessity," explained the Governor.</p> - -<p>"How distinctly you can see in this wonderful atmosphere," exclaimed -Governor Powell. "I should think that town but a few miles away, and -that lake shimmering in the distance is, how far away? A dozen or so -miles?"</p> - -<p>The Governor smiled as he explained distances and details with the -growing enthusiasm which ever belonged to even temporary ownership in -Utah scenery.</p> - -<p>"This is the most wonderful place in the world. The eye is not weary, -the brain is not taxed, nor the body aged, by life in this salubrious -climate. And you can see objects many miles away. Indeed the clearness -of the air makes distance a very deceptive matter."</p> - -<p>"Make it all a little more civilized," growled the weary Major.</p> - -<p>As the party rode down into the streets, the tomb-like silence greeted -them uncannily, and the faces of the Commissioners were puzzled and -anxious.</p> - -<p>"What does all this deserted look mean?" asked Major McCulloch.</p> - -<p>"Sir," answered the Governor, "I must now inform you of a condition in -this Territory which I had hoped would be over and done with when we -returned to this Valley. Brigham Young told me some weeks ago that he -should vacate every town and hamlet in this Territory. More, he should -set fire to every house, destroy every green thing, and leave behind -him a desolate waste, such as he found when he came here."</p> - -<p>"Zounds, man, how can the old rebel dare to do such a thing?" asked the -Major.</p> - -<p>"Major McCulloch, Brigham Young may be a fanatic, but he is not nor -never has been, I am persuaded, a rebel. He loves his country as dearly -as ever you did. And, sir, I cannot hear him vilified, even by a Peace -Commissioner." The tone of gentle quiet in the last words robbed them -of their ironical sting, and the irascible old soldier grunted as he -shifted his position on his tired steed.</p> - -<p>"These people have been most unjustly treated, so they think, and if -you are to be peacemakers, you must meet them on their own footing, and -not on any stilted plane of your own setting up."</p> - -<p>The silent streets, the empty houses, the absence of even a dog or -other animal was very mournful, and not a man in the party but felt the -pressure of that heavy grief. The rattle of their horses' feet echoed -far up the empty street. Zion had fled!</p> - -<p>"What a pity there were not poet or artist here," said Governor Powell, -as they rode with noisy echoes along the silent roads. Overhead -the young cottonwood trees were throwing delicate shadows upon the -trickling streams that coursed down by every sidewalk. In the well -fenced city lots, surrounding the comfortable but lonely and deserted -houses, had been planted generous kitchen gardens, now withering and -dun in the sweltering sun. The forge of the blacksmith was silent and -black through its widely opened door, and most of the windows and doors -were barred and closed, while the flaunting weeds in all the streets -and sidewalks bore eloquent evidence of the desertion of man.</p> - -<p>"This is most damned lonesome, Governor Cumming. Not much like your -gaudy pictures drawn out in camp."</p> - -<p>"I had hoped that Brigham Young would repent himself; for I promised to -make peace and to keep it."</p> - -<p>"Pretty bold of you, sir, I must say, sir." And the old soldier -sputtered with annoyance.</p> - -<p>"Major, I brought my wife in from Camp Scott, as you know, last month. -And when we came into this deserted city, partially deserted even -then, she could not withhold her tears. She wept like a child to see -this terrible sight. She besought me as only a tender woman could, to -do everything in my power to bring this unhappy and wronged people -back into the homes that their toil and sacrifices had created in this -desert wild. And, sir, it is because of those tears, and that tender -pleading, that you are here today. I have neither taken sleep nor food, -except by necessity, till President Buchanan has listened to my appeal -and has sent you gentlemen out to undo this most awful blunder."</p> - -<p>"Sir," answered Governor Powell, with a note of reverence in his voice, -"your judgment is no less to be commended than your sentiment."</p> - -<p>"Quite right, sir; quite right," and the bluff old Major blew heartily -at his bugle of a nose. "I wish we may see all this unhappy business -well settled. But, sir, I don't like this damned loneliness!"</p> - -<p>And neither did any of them.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXVII"></a>XVII.</h2> - -<p>BROTHER DUNBAR SINGS ZION -</p> - -<p>The old Council House was a scene of profound excitement the next -morning after the events recorded in the last chapter. There were -gathered in its square brick walls the leaders of a people who had been -suspected, made an incipient war against, tried and found guilty, and -who were now about to be forgiven, when according to their own ideas -they were not guilty of one single count in the whole indictment. Up -from the South where the people were bivouacked, had come two score of -the leaders and elders. Within the larger council chamber there was not -much talk that morning and few outward semblances of the suppressed -excitement. These men were too accustomed to action to do much talking -in the face of danger.</p> - -<p>Here and there were a few groups talking of the possible outcome of -the day, while still others exchanged whispered items of news of the -families in the South and the mountaineers in the eastern canyons.</p> - -<p>As Brigham Young entered the room, accompanied by Heber C. Kimball, -whose eloquent, snapping black eyes, shining bald head and kingly form -towered above many of those assembled near, they were greeted cordially -by their associates, and at once took their seats on the small raised -platform at the western end of the room. Almost at the same time a -whispered word went round that the Commissioners were at the door.</p> - -<p>Captain Stevens flung open the inner door of the council chamber and -announced quietly:</p> - -<p>"President Young, I beg leave to announce the Peace Commission."</p> - -<p>As these two gentlemen entered, followed at a little distance by -Governor Cumming, who had lingered to exchange a word with some one in -the hall, Brigham Young arose and cordially extended a hand of welcome -to his new visitors.</p> - -<p>John stepped back into the hall to exchange greetings with some of his -friends and as he stood chatting for a moment he was tugged by the -coat-sleeve and turned around to find Tom Allen's jolly eyes beaming -into his face.</p> - -<p>With the sympathetic ear of a good listener, John was soon deluged with -verbal pictures of conditions down in Prove and vicinity. He discovered -for himself the bear-hut, and saw its present rejuvenation, filled with -the families of Winthrop and Tyler, who used the two rooms as dining -room and kitchen; the half-dozen wagon boxes, as of old days on the -plains, served as bed-chambers for the two groups of families. He knew -in a trice about the birth of the Mathews twins, the quarrel of Annie -Moore with Stephen Grace; he grasped almost before it was told, all -the details of that strenuous and yet rather monotonous existence down -on the banks of the shallow Timpanogos or Provo river, as he caught at -random the pictures flung at random by his old friend and associate.</p> - -<p>"And, oh yes, don't go yet, John; I must tell you the very latest. -Diantha Winthrop is wearing Charlie Rose's ring. How's that for high?"</p> - -<p>The arrow struck where Tom vaguely hoped it would. If there was one -thing above another that pleased jolly Tom Allen it was to stick -teasing arrows into his friends. But he did not have the satisfaction -of even guessing how near his shot had struck home, for he was -instantly swung round and out of the way by Corporal Rose himself, who -thus addressed himself to John:</p> - -<p>"Captain Stevens, the President is just calling the council to order, -and it is desired that you shall be with us in the council."</p> - -<p>John instantly accompanied Corporal Rose into the inner room, and Tom -Allen was left to his own conjectures and the silence of the deserted -hall.</p> - -<p>Within, the groups of stern-visaged men had settled themselves in -orderly lines upon the rows of benches, and on the raised platform sat -those tried and true friends, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, George -A. Smith, with handsome young Joseph F. Smith and General Wells; and -here John went quietly to find his own seat among the few Utah officers -sitting near General Wells. In the center of the aisle sat rough old -A. P. Rockwood, the commissary-general, with utter indifference to his -rawhide boots and faded blue overalls, but with a perfect appreciation -of his own great sagacity and importance.</p> - -<p>Already the council was in operation. Governor Cumming introduced -ex-Governor Powell to the assembly, and that gentleman proceeded in -his customary smooth language to recite the facts connected with the -presence of the Commissioners in Utah. He referred to the action of -the President of the United States in sending out the Commission and -read in solemn tones the pardon sent out by that great executive. The -pardon was couched in somewhat elusive terms, but it was plain that -the "Mormons" were accused of over fifty crimes and misdemeanors, for -all of which his excellency, the President, offered amnesty to all -who would acknowledge the supremacy of the United States government, -and in this acknowledgment permit the troops now quartered outside -the Territory to enter and take up quarters within said Territory. -The paper concluded with a pledge of good faith to all peaceable -inhabitants of the Territory, and an assurance that neither the Chief -Executive of the Nation nor his representatives in the Territory would -be found interfering with the religion or faith of the inhabitants of -this region. Governor Powell emphasized the pledge on behalf of himself -and associate Commissioner. He explained somewhat loftily, yet in good -grace, that they did not propose to inquire into the past, but to let -all that had gone before alone, and to talk and act now only for the -future.</p> - -<p>Brigham Young called upon one of his near associates to speak: John -Taylor, whose dark eyes looked out from under his splendid brows, -and whose dignified, courtly manner won the admiration of even that -bluff old Major McCulloch. This valiant friend of their late martyred -Prophet, Joseph Smith, gave utterance to some fiery discourse, tempered -with the desire to bring about peace, if it could be a peace with -honor. He was followed by Brigham Young's nearest friend, George A. -Smith, who told the Commissioners in ten minutes more of the "Mormon" -people's past history than even Governor Cumming had ever known; he -told them that the "Mormons" had come out here to these barren vales -"willingly because they had to;" and he added that they were ready -"if needs must or the devil drives" to seek other homes in the same -manner. Some few but fiery words were spoken by Adjutant-General James -Ferguson, and John's whole soul went out to his superior officer, who -voiced the sentiments of the whole Utah militia. And then Brigham -Young arose slowly, as though he were too full of thought and the -responsibility of his position to act except with full deliberation. -His voice was stern and cool, but vibrant, and it cut into every corner -of that council chamber with thrilling if somewhat sharp enunciation. -If his action were deliberate, there was no hesitancy in his speech. He -said:</p> - -<p>"I have listened very attentively to the Commissioners, and will say, -as far as I am concerned, I thank President Buchanan for forgiving me, -but I can't really tell what I have done. I know one thing, and that -is, that the people called 'Mormons' are a lawful and loyal people, and -have ever been. It is true Lot Smith burned some wagons last winter -containing government supplies for the army. This was an overt act, -and if it is for this that we are pardoned, I accept the pardon. The -burning of a few wagons is but a small item, yet for this, combined -with false reports, the whole 'Mormon' people are to be destroyed. -What has the United States government permitted mobs to do to us in -the past? Gentlemen, you can answer that question for yourselves. I -can also, and so can thousands of my brethren. We have been plundered -and whipped; and our houses burned, our fathers, mothers, brothers, -sisters, and children butchered and murdered by the scores. We have -been driven from our homes time and time again; but have the troops -ever been sent to stay or punish the mobs for their crimes? No! Have we -ever received a dollar for the property that we have been compelled to -leave behind? Not a dollar! Let the government of our country treat us -as we deserve. That is all we ask of them. We have always been loyal -and expect to continue so. But hands off! Do not send your armed mobs -into our midst. If you do, we will fight you, as the Lord lives. Do not -threaten us with what the United States can do and will do, for we ask -no odds of them or their troops. We have the God of Israel—the God of -battles—on our side; and let me tell you, gentlemen, we fear not your -threats. These, my brethren, put their trust in the God of Israel, and -we have no fears. We have proved Him, and He is our friend. Boys, how -do you feel? Are you afraid?"</p> - -<p>Instantly there was a crash of voiced response to the man Brigham's -fearless words. They might be termed fanatics—these men—but they -could never be called cowards.</p> - -<p>John held his breath as Brigham Young continued:</p> - -<p>"Now let me say to you Peace Commissioners: we are willing those troops -should come into our Territory, but not to stay in our cities. They -may pass through this city, if needs be, but must not quarter nearer -than forty miles to any city. If you bring your troops here to disturb -this people, you have a bigger job on your hands than you or President -Buchanan has any idea of. Before the troops reach here, this city will -be in ashes, every tree and shrub will be cut to the ground, and every -blade of grass that will burn shall be burned. Our wives and children -will go to the canyons and take shelter in the mountains; while their -husbands and sons will fight you to their last breath. And as God -lives, we will hunt you by night and by day till our army or yours is -wasted away. No mob, armed or otherwise, can live in the homes we have -builded in these mountains. That's the program, gentlemen, whether -you like it or not. If you want war, you can have it; but if you wish -peace, peace it is; we shall be glad of it."</p> - -<p>Once more Governor Powell arose and in honeyed tones he soothed -the tumult of emotions now swelling upon the high tide of that -stern-visaged assembly of men. He dwelt with moving eloquence upon -the great clemency of the President of the United States and the -magnanimity of that authority in setting aside all past offenses, and -he told of the bright future which awaited a new Territory begun under -such favorable auspices of frugality and industry. He praised all for -their temperance and toil. He grew eloquent as he moved along the -current of his own fervid imagination, and his pictures of the coming -era of peace and prosperity caught, not only his own hearty sympathy, -but mollified and quieted the turbulent elements there. He assured them -that the army of the United States would not enter the Valley, only -as they were given permission by that gallant and humane Territorial -executive, Governor Cumming. And he was in full cry upon a swelling -compliment to that genial peace-promoter when the door of the hall was -flung open, and a barbaric figure, hard-ridden through miles of flying -dust and unwashed haste, flung himself into the room. The old slouch -hat upon the head of that dramatic figure was drawn down upon a mass of -braided hair, wound round and round the bullet-shaped head. The hooked -nose, the sleepy-lidded eyes, half closed upon the eagle glance of -that "Mormon" scout, Indian fighter, sheriff, and free-lance, Porter -Rockwell, sent a shivering thrill of apprehension into the breast of -every mountaineer in that chamber. Porter Rockwell bore no trifling -message!</p> - -<p>A moment of converse followed in hasty, lowered tones with Brigham -Young behind the back of that eloquent Kentucky politician who was just -then extolling the orderliness and clemency of the troops, now quietly -resting in Fort Scott; and then, up rose, without haste, but in sudden -sternness, Brigham Young, as he said in piercing accents:</p> - -<p>"Governor Powell, Major McCulloch, are you aware, sirs, that those -troops are on the move to this city?"</p> - -<p>"It cannot be," answered the orator, Powell, as he swung instantly -around to face his questioner. "For we were promised by General -Johnston that they should not move until after this meeting."</p> - -<p>"I have received a dispatch, sir, that they are on the move to this -city, and my messenger would not deceive me."</p> - -<p>There was a hush as of the tomb on every lip and heart in that -assembly. The thunderbolt had fallen.</p> - -<p>In that same severe but perfectly self-possessed voice, Brigham Young -asked:</p> - -<p>"Is Brother Dunbar present?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir," answered that flute-voiced musician.</p> - -<p>"Brother Dunbar, sing 'Zion.'"</p> - -<p>And in the electrical silence which ensued, rang out the clarion -tones of the "Mormon" battle-hymn, if such it could be called, since -it embodies a spiritual triumph rather than a temporal subjugation. -Brother Dunbar sang:</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p> O! ye mountains high, where the clear blue sky<br> - Arches over the vales of the free,<br> - Where the clear breezes blow<br> - And the pure streamlets flow,<br> - How I've longed to thy bosom to flee.<br> - O Zion! dear Zion! home of the free:<br> - My own mountain home, now to thee I have come,<br> - All my fond hopes are centered in thee.</p> - -<p> Though the great and the wise all thy beauties despise,<br> - To the humble and pure thou art dear;<br> - Though the haughty may smile,<br> - And the wicked revile,<br> - Yet we love thy glad tidings to hear.<br> - O Zion! dear Zion! home of the free:<br> - Though thou wert forced to fly to thy chambers on high,<br> - Yet we'll share joy and sorrow with thee.</p> - -<p> In thy mountain retreat, God will strengthen thy feet;<br> - On the necks of thy foes thou shalt tread;<br> - And their silver and gold,<br> - As the Prophets have told,<br> - Shall be brought to adorn thy fair head.<br> - O Zion! dear Zion! home of the free;<br> - Soon thy towers will shine with a splendor divine,<br> - And eternal thy glory shall be.</p> - -<p> Here our voices we'll raise, and we'll sing to thy praise,<br> - Sacred home of the Prophets of God;<br> - Thy deliverance is nigh,<br> - Thy oppressors shall die,<br> - And the Gentiles shall bow 'neath thy rod.<br> - O Zion! dear Zion! home of the free:<br> - In thy temples we'll bend, all thy rights we'll defend,<br> - And our home shall be ever with thee.</p> - - </blockquote> - -<p>It was impossible to calm the tumult any more for that day. Peace or -war, the situation was very much in the hands of Brigham Young for the -time.</p> - -<p>As the three Eastern officials made their way slowly out of the door, -with mingled chagrin and anger, Governor Cumming asked his companions:</p> - -<p>"What would you do with such a people?"</p> - -<p>"Damn them, I would fight them, if I had my way," answered Major -McCulloch, unconvinced that the rumor was in any degree true.</p> - -<p>"Fight them, would you?" answered the Governor sadly. "You might fight -them, but you would not whip them. They would never know when they were -whipped. Did you notice the fire and flash in those men's eyes today? -No, sir; they would never know when they were whipped."</p> - -<p>"I fear," said Governor Powell, reflectively, as they retraced -their way sadly through the silent echoing streets to one of the -few inhabited houses in the city, the hotel on Main Street, "I fear -that the messenger was right. I had occasion to doubt the rashness -of General Johnston's temper before we left the camp. Yet, I hope, I -hope it is not true. I am loath to see the blood of good men shed for -naught. But what a strangely dramatic people! They sing their defiance -instead of announcing it."</p> - -<p>There was another council held the next day; messengers were sent from -both the Peace Commission and Governor Cumming to Camp Scott, and at -length the whole matter was patched up, and the Commissioners were -permitted to have their way. But meanwhile Brigham Young, with all his -associates, had fled once more to the South and the deserted streets -of the city were pressed only by the feet of the few and scattered -non-"Mormons" who had chosen to remain through all these troubles -within the borders of the unhappy Territory.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXVIII"></a>XVIII.</h2> - -<p>THE ARMY ENTERS THE VALLEY -</p> - -<p>The armies of the United States were to enter the valleys of Utah. -President Buchanan had said they must, the Peace Commission and -Governor Cumming said they ought, and Brigham Young said they might.</p> - -<p>On the twenty-sixth day of June, 1858, at daybreak, the advance column -of the army began its march through the streets of Great Salt Lake City.</p> - -<p>The soldiers, whose eyes had for so many months rested on desolation, -looked down from the mouth of Emigration Canyon with a pleased surprise -on all the goodly evidences of civilization about them. Houses, with -blinking windows and comfortable porches; wide streets, flanked on -either side with running streams of clear, cold, canyon water, over -whose rippling surface drooped in graceful lines the native cottonwood, -which had been dug from the neighboring canyon streams and planted -along every water-course to furnish shade and rest for man and beast; -commodious homes, barns, fences and outbuildings gave this unique -city a look of mingled rural simplicity and urban attractiveness. -The huge blocks were laid out in large lots, whereon sat with sturdy -independence each snug house, its surrounding fruit and vegetable -plantations fenced in with poles or cobbles, thus forming a generous -combination of orchard and kitchen garden.</p> - -<p>The soldiers were not more curious nor more deeply impressed with the -queer appearance of this well-built yet deserted city than were the -officers, who rode here and there inspecting their various divisions. -Colonel St. George Cooke, who had been in service with the "Mormon" -Battalion in Lower California, rode through the city with bared head -and gloomy eye, as a silent evidence of a respect and sympathy which -did his head no less honor than his heart.</p> - -<p>One handsome, dark-eyed young officer looked about and rode from side -to side of the silent streets, at last opening a gaping gate wide and -riding within the yard, as if unable to restrain his curiosity. As he -rode around to the back of the house, a door opened, and a man stood -silently watching his approach.</p> - -<p>"Well, my good fellow," patronizingly said the young blue-coated -horseman, "can you tell me the meaning of the extraordinary appearance -of this extraordinary city?"</p> - -<p>"What's extraordinary?" asked the bearded man, leaning against the -doorpost.</p> - -<p>"Do you mean, what's the meaning of the word? or what's extraordinary -about the town? You must know, my man, that it seems very strange—to -use the simple terms suited to your capacity—to find all these good -houses, barns and gardens empty and to find no living soul moving -about. Not a woman or girl, not even a child or dog, to give active -life to your rural scene. Where are your women and children? I have -seen one or two men, but not a woman."</p> - -<p>"Don't see a woman, hey?" and John Stevens looked about him with -indifferent insolence; "well, I don't either."</p> - -<p>"Can't you answer a civil question, my surly fellow? Where are your -families?"</p> - -<p>"They are out of your reach, scoundrel, as well as out of your sight! -What are you going to do about it?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, I'm not afraid; the women will find us out. They have a particular -fondness for brass buttons, you know. I have no doubt that we shall -find all the women we want, provided that you big strapping fellows -have a few dozen over and above your own needs."</p> - -<p>The sneering yet airy tones of this speech made John Stevens clinch his -hands in silent yet mighty anger. But, under orders to maintain peace, -he merely turned around and sauntered towards the barn, leaving his -questioner to go or stay as he pleased.</p> - -<p>"What in the name of mischief does this deadly quiet and desertion -mean?" asked the same officer, as he rode out into the street and found -his companions still streaming down the silent road.</p> - -<p>"I have just heard the Colonel say that these people have followed -their leader, old Brigham, down to the southern part of the Territory, -and that they intend to emigrate to Mexico, or—who knows—to Brazil, -maybe. They were determined to give us no excuse to kill them or to -even administer the punishment they so richly deserve."</p> - -<p>"Run away, have they? Well, that's cool. Here we've come out over -the most forsaken country in all the United States; have passed the -beastliest winter ever seen by soldiers, since Moscow, and yet when we -are here ready to get in our work, behold the sacrifice has picked up -his heels and fled ingloriously."</p> - -<p>"Not even having the grace to leave us a scrubby ram caught in the -thicket. Too bad, old fellow. What about all your plans for a modern -seraglio? No doubt the women are kept under the closest surveillance, -wherever they are."</p> - -<p>"Oh, well, as I told a raw-boned fellow in the dooryard back there, if -the women get a sight of us, they will follow us without our even going -to the trouble to whistle for them. I have known the dear creatures all -my life, don't you know?"</p> - -<p>All day, the tramp, tramp of armed men, the rattle of heavy -field-pieces, the jingle of swords and guns, the rumble of baggage -wagons, with occasional bursts of music from the regimental -bands—these were the only sounds heard through the tomb-like and -deserted streets. So profound was the silence that, at intervals, -between the passage of the columns, the slight monotonous gurgle of -City Creek struck on every ear. The only living creatures to be seen -was the group of men who stood around Governor Cumming on the Council -House corner and waved a cheerful yet subdued salute to the troops, -as they filed lustily by. Inside of many of these houses, no sign of -inhabiting life remained; the furniture was piled in great heaps, -with under portions of shavings and kindlings and straw, ready to be -burned at a moment's notice; while in a few houses there were eager -watching, silent men inside, who held flint and steel ready to apply -to these crisp piles of shavings if ever the marching feet outside had -stopped and attempted any desecration. Outside, everywhere, great piles -of straw lay upon grass, garden and outbuildings; all ready for the -instant torch of destruction.</p> - -<p>All day, all day, the marching feet and wondering eyes passed through -the desolate streets. There were no stops, no breaking of ranks, -save here and there, where some daring soldier's hand would seize -and pluck a fragrant bloom from a flaunting rose-bush, or a thirsty, -dust-stained soldier would stoop, and making a cup of his hands, drink -of the running, sparkling streams along the road. The divisions clanged -heavily along with no rest to the steady, onward, measured march. The -fragrant grass-grown streets were not more eloquent of a whole people's -sorrowing desertion than were the sun-rotting barrels and buckets near -the unused wells of water.</p> - -<p>Forty miles to the south there awaited in the silent desert the spot -where these journeying troops would halt in their march, and striking -permanent camp, sojourn for a season. But the army would camp for the -night on the dry plain across the river Jordan to the west of the City.</p> - -<p>As the last company of soldiers filed past the western streets in the -late summer evening, John Stevens warily closed his own and other doors -in the neighborhood, and together with a party of scouts, he rode -stealthily down to the army camp, made temporarily a couple of miles -beyond the river Jordan. He watched in silent suspicion the whole night -through, and when morning light found men and camp-followers astir, -he, too, was on the alert, and at a safe distance he followed the long -moving column for two days as it stretched from the banks of the river -Jordan down through the narrow pass beside the treacherous stream's -banks. On and on the marching lines flowed heavily down the southern -road, past the northern edge of the lovely sheet of blue, clear water -called Utah Lake; around and around this lake the road ran, past the -northern shores of its clear blue glory; past the chain of canyon -defiles which opened at last into the Cedar Valley, and down into the -heart of that desert vale, where only the cricket and sage-brush gave -evidence of animal or vegetable life. Here on the valley's one water -course the army halted. They made their permanent quarters there and -called their first Utah camp "Floyd," in honor of the Secretary of War.</p> - -<p>Here, then, the army of the United States was quartered, with the -approval of the great and distant heads of the Government, and the -disapproval of the surrounding bands of half-hungry and half-frightened -Ute and Pauvan Indians; with the grudged consent of General Albert -Sidney Johnston, and the silent acquiescence, that armed truce, of the -intrepid "Mormon" leader, Brigham Young.</p> - -<p>As the last tent was set, and the whole machinery of camp life once -more set in motion, Captain John Stevens found himself at liberty -to ride, with his companions, into the southern rendezvous of his -people, at Provo, and to make due report to his commanding officers. -As he turned his face eastward and rode at the head of his company -his relieved thoughts flew from those larger affairs of state to his -personal affairs; and he wondered silently whether it were whim or -affection which kept Charlie Rose's ring on the finger of Diantha -Winthrop. If it were whim—well, eternity was very long; if it were -affection—</p> - -<p>"Corporal Rose," he said, somewhat sharply, "we shall take no rest for -dinner, but press on at once for Provo."</p> - -<p>And Corporal Rose, albeit full of wonder as to the sharpness and the -haste, was very glad to ride straight on to Provo.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXIX"></a>XIX.</h2> - -<p>TOM ALLEN DREAMS A DREAM -</p> - -<p>Most of the Saints had halted in Provo; here on the banks of that -brawling river, called by the Indians, in soft labials, Timpanogos, -had grown up a large temporary metropolis; and that half-tented, -half-domiciled host, whose human hearts beat with hopes and fears, and -whose tongues and thoughts were still very human, in spite of the past, -the discomfort of the present, and the grave uncertainty of the future, -carried on life's daily details with fitful regularity. Thirty thousand -people were encamped in the beautiful Utah Valley, around the borders -of Utah Lake.</p> - -<p>The swimmer, across the Grecian gulf was far more interested in the -exact measure of his stroke than in the record he would make in future -history. So, too, on the banks of the Timpanogos, men were more -interested in the withering crops in the Salt Lake Valley than they -were in the secession of the South or in the possible outcome of their -own difficulties. So there sat in Provo, in a small, dingy back room, -two girls, just now vitally interested in making a huge pot of cornmeal -mush for the supper of two or three associated families. The unwieldy -vessel swung from the crane over the huge fire-place. The strenuous -excitement of the Move had gradually subsided, leaving the young people -at least once more gaily afloat on the seas of their own impulses, -their own fears and their own loves.</p> - -<p>"Don't stop stirring that cornmeal, Dian, until it is thoroughly -cooked," said Rachel Winthrop, as she entered the hut. "You know that -your brother hates raw mush; and it is a science to know how to cook -it. When it has boiled a good half hour, I will come in and stir in the -flour to thicken it."</p> - -<p>The girl bent over the fire-place and stirred the bubbling mass in the -pot, while her pink cheeks turned to rosy red.</p> - -<p>"Oh, Ellie, what a nuisance a fireplace is, anyhow. I didn't half -appreciate our good step-stove until I came here and had to work on -this."</p> - -<p>"Never mind, Dian, I shall have these batter cakes in the skillet baked -in a minute, and then I will stir it for a while."</p> - -<p>"Standing over a fire like this makes my cheeks just like ugly old -purple hollyhocks. It's all I can do to get along with my homely red -cheeks under ordinary circumstances, but when I get over a fire it -simply makes me hideous."</p> - -<p>"Oh, no such thing; why do you care, anyway, Dian, there's no one here -to see you?"</p> - -<p>"Don't need to be! I am conscious of it and that is enough."</p> - -<p>"Say, Dian, do you miss John Stevens? I am just homesick to see him. We -have scarcely laid eyes on him this winter or spring."</p> - -<p>"No, I can't say that I care. John is good enough, but he is so quiet; -I believe he is too tame to really amount to much."</p> - -<p>"Tame! John Stevens tame! Well, Dian, I gave you credit for more -discernment than that. Why, I don't believe that there is a braver or -more passionate man living than John Stevens."</p> - -<p>"Oh, I don't say but what he has temper enough; the flash in his eyes -tells that; but I mean he is tame around women. He pokes around as if -he didn't care whether you were alive or dead. I like some one with -eyes and ears. Some one who has a grain of gallantry in him. Not such a -stick as John Stevens."</p> - -<p>"Why don't you set your cap for Tom Allen? He has eyes and ears for -nothing else than women."</p> - -<p>"And his dinner! Tom Allen! Oh, my! He has no more romance in him than -a dinner plate. Just think of it!"</p> - -<p>And the girl laughed and laughed that silvery, teasing, rippling -laughter, till her mush sputtered and boiled over with indignation, -into the glowing coals of the fire-place.</p> - -<p>"Well, you may laugh, but I really think that Tom Allen is as nice as -he can be. He may be funny and droll, but he has a great big heart in -him, and if he wasn't engaged to Luna Hyde I would set my cap for him -myself."</p> - -<p>"Oh, Ellie, Ellie; you could flirt with anybody, and could, I verily -believe, love anybody that gave you good reason not to, but my heart is -of less impressionable material. It isn't so gentle and lovable as your -dear little one."</p> - -<p>Evidently Ellie wanted to turn the talk away from herself, so she -offered to stir the mush, while Diantha watched the cakes. The -conversation drifted to their immediate surroundings.</p> - -<p>Several families had decided to put their fortunes together during the -Move period, and the Winthrops, Tylers, and a family of Prescotts, who -had several little children, and Tom Allen and his mother were all -living crowded together in one or two little log houses on the Provo -River's banks. Ellen's mind was dwelling just now on jolly Tom Allen, -who spent no time at work or play which was not well interspersed with -fun; fun which was innocent in itself, but which sometimes led to -injured feelings.</p> - -<p>"Come, girls," said Rachel Winthrop, entering the kitchen, "I know you -must be ready and the folks are gathering in for supper. Here, Dian, -stir in this flour slowly and carefully, and I will be ready to take it -up in just one minute."</p> - -<p>The united families were soon gathered at one long table, each person -impatient for his frugal meal, and each filled with the primal thoughts -and impulses common to all humanity. Had any one of them been conscious -of the real pathos of their situation, the scene might have melted such -an one to tears. Driven from comfortable, hard-earned homes, through -fear of armed violence, these four or five families—like thousands -of their friends—unable even to get a home to shelter them from the -winds and storms of the late spring weather, were all huddled together -in these three small log rooms. They were compelled to make beds on -the floors for the children and to use their wagon-boxes for their -own sleeping compartments; and the utmost precaution was necessary to -maintain order and decency in their crowded condition. The good people -of Provo were taxed to the extreme to give shelter and comfort to the -fleeing thousands who had suddenly called upon their hospitality. -Tents, boweries, shanties, and rude structures of all kinds were -pressed into service. And the people who could secure shelter of -any sort were deemed fortunate. The work pressed hardest upon the -women. Compelled to carry on the common vocations of life under such -circumstances, the weekly washings, ironings, cleanings, and cookings -taxed even the most patient and strong to the uttermost. Our friends -were lucky in having Aunt Clara Tyler included in their number, for -she went about in her quiet way, healing wounds made by thoughtless -tongues, and holding back the quick anger which pressed so hard upon -irritated nerves and worn-out bodies. There was a saying, when Aunt -Clara invited someone to take a walk along the river bank with her, -"There goes Aunt Clara—not to cleanse the cups, but to mend some -broken heart."</p> - -<p>Aunt Clara and her friends were not the only ones who took walks by the -river banks. It came to be a common thing for Tom Allen and Ellen Tyler -to stroll up and down its winding paths, talking sometimes seriously -and sometimes in that quizzical way so common to Tom. Sweet little -hungry heart! Ellen was a loving soul, whose worst fault was a selfish -weakness, a trait often admired in a sheltered woman, but dangerous in -one thrown upon her own strength. She must, however, learn her lessons, -as we must learn ours.</p> - -<p>One day in the late spring, Ellen came home from her walk unusually -pensive and thoughtful. She waited till after the evening prayers, and -then asked Diantha to go with her down by the big cottonwood tree, for -she had something to tell her. Sitting down on a grassy knoll, under -the twinkling young stars, Ellen poured out her heart's confidence.</p> - -<p>"You know how much Tom thinks of his religion, Dian, in spite of his -odd ways. He is as good a Saint as the best, if he does make light of -some things. I know his heart, for he has shown it to me, and I know he -is one of our best men."</p> - -<p>Dian looked as if she would like to introduce some of her own -reflections upon the sincerity of Tom's religious professions, but from -the serious tone of her friend's voice, she felt constrained to be as -charitable as possible. So she contented herself with saying:</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, Tom is good enough. I don't believe he would do anything -really dishonorable or bad for the world."</p> - -<p>"Oh, Dian, he is really and truly a dear, good soul. I want you to know -him better. For if you do, you will surely love him better."</p> - -<p>Again Diantha looked her doubt upon this point; but the dim light of -the young moon did not betray her opinion, plainly as it was expressed -upon her mobile face.</p> - -<p>"Dian, I am going to tell you something and ask you for your advice. -You know I have great confidence in your judgment."</p> - -<p>"Better ask Aunt Clara," said Diantha, afraid to trust her own opinion, -where Tom Allen was concerned.</p> - -<p>"No, I want to talk to you. Maybe some day I will tell Aunt Clara, too; -but, just now, I feel like telling you."</p> - -<p>The girl sat with her hand resting on her cheek, gazing into the clear -starry sky above them. After a pause she said slowly:</p> - -<p>"Dian, do you believe in dreams and visions?"</p> - -<p>"Why, yes, of course I do; if they are of the right kind, and not -brought on by eating too much."</p> - -<p>"Well, I believe that we get many revelations through our dreams, if -we only knew how to interpret them." Another pause; then the girl said -softly: "Dian, Tom Allen has had a dream or vision about me."</p> - -<p>The idea of Tom Allen having anything so serious as a vision almost -upset Diantha, but she controlled herself and asked:</p> - -<p>"What was the vision?" Diantha was rather curious now to know if she -had been really mistaken in her estimate of Tom's character.</p> - -<p>"Tom dreamed, or was carried away in a vision, and thought he lay -upon his bed, very sick and nigh to death. As he lay there, pondering -upon the past and future, he said he saw his door open softly, and, -surrounded by a white light, I entered the room, with a banner in my -hand, on which was inscribed: 'Marriage or death.' Then the dream -ended."</p> - -<p>Diantha looked at the serious face of her friend for one moment, and -tried to get up and get away, but it was no use. Her keen sense of the -ridiculous rendered her so weak with inward laughter, that, at last, -she sank back upon the earth, and broke forth into peal after peal of -ringing, hearty, uproarious laughter. She fairly screamed at the last, -the absurdity of it all so overcame her that she could not control her -mirth.</p> - -<p>"What is the matter with you girls?" asked Rachel Winthrop, coming out -of the house to see the cause of this violent laughter.</p> - -<p>"Nothing, only one of Tom Allen's jokes," answered Diantha, for Ellen -was too offended to say anything at all.</p> - -<p>"Why, Dian, don't you think he dreamed that?" Ellen asked at last, in a -hurt, low voice.</p> - -<p>"If he did, he dreamed it with his eyes wide open, depend on that. Oh, -Ellie, Ellie; anyone who pretends to be good and who is good to you, -can pull the wool over your eyes, you dear little confiding thing."</p> - -<p>But Ellen felt as if some one through this act, small as it seemed, had -torn from her eyes a veil of confidence in things good and true that -no one could ever replace. If things could only be different in this -life! If she had only told Aunt Clara, she would have so measured her -judgment and comment that this event would have strengthened Ellen's -faith, while pointing out the absurdity in a sweet, motherly way! But -to have Tom tell her such a thing; thus treating a sacred sacrament as -a matter of light ridicule—this was most galling; and that she could -believe it, too! It cut Ellen to the soul, to have her friend laugh so, -as much at her own childish simplicity as at Tom's foolery. Oh, it was -cruel!</p> - -<p>But Diantha could not help laughing. The ridiculous picture, the -banner; the inscription; it was too funny! Ah, foolish youth, so -credulous, so incredulous, so tender, and yet so cruel! And only poets -and prophets may tell us which is comedy and which is tragedy. For -laughter may presage death, while death itself is the door to love and -life eternal!</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXX"></a>XX.</h2> - -<p>A SOLDIER IN DISTRESS -</p> - -<p>There was a coolness between the two girls after the dream episode, -which lasted for a number of weeks. Diantha could not see why her -friend should take offense at such a trifle, as she termed it.</p> - -<p>As for Ellen, she felt in an indefinable way, that somebody had, with -the tiny point of a pin, shattered what to her had been the most -beautiful bubble she had ever possessed. She was too little inclined to -look back of events for causes, to attempt any rational explanation of -the whole matter; she only knew that it had been delightfully romantic -to fancy herself the subject of a vision and to feel she was the chosen -of heaven for exalted positions; and when her one foolish trust had -been shaken and her dream rudely dispelled, she felt as if there was -not truth or stability in anyone or anything. The blow was crueller -than her friend had any idea of; what the results would be only time -and the offended girl's actions could tell.</p> - -<p>Ellen now took her walks by the river alone. She shunned Tom Allen as -coldly as she did Diantha Winthrop. She would wander off, and with -a pensiveness peculiar in one so light-hearted, avoided everyone, -whether friend or stranger. She would go to the old bathing place and -after lying on the grass for hours in moody silence, slip on her old -home-spun bathing dress, and plunging into the cool waters of the -river, she would lave her hot and tired limbs in the cooling waters, -after which she would feel better and able to go back once more to an -existence which had become monotonous and dreary. Love and admiration -are as necessary to women of Ellen's affectionate nature as are -sunlight and warmth to growing plants.</p> - -<p>One late spring afternoon she was, as usual, sporting and dashing -around in the clear, swift stream, when suddenly raising her eyes, she -saw on the opposite bank of the river a young man on a fine, restless, -white charger; he was dressed in the becoming blue of a soldier; on -his coat glittered and dazzled rows of brass buttons, and on his -shoulders gleamed the insignia of army rank. He was looking at her very -earnestly, and yet without seeming rudeness. Ellen sank at once into -the water, so that nothing was visible but her head, and, turning away -her face, hurriedly made for the shore, creeping along under the water -as it grew shallower. The horseman, divining her fright, or actuated by -some other motive, turned his horse's head, and galloped away in the -direction of the ford, a quarter of a mile above where she had been -bathing.</p> - -<p>Oh, if she could only reach the shelter of her own home before this -stranger could find her retreat! She flew to her leafy dressing-room, -and with flying fingers adjusted her clothing, flinging her -bathing-dress on the bushes and with heavy heart-beats in her throat -she sped along the path to her home. She found that Aunt Clara had gone -to a distant house where a child had died. Aunt Clara was away from -home very much in those long summer days. She was busy with the sick -bodies of her people; alas that she knew naught of the sick soul of one -of the creatures that she loved better than she did her own life!</p> - -<p>How Ellen longed to spring into her friend Diantha's arms, and to tell -her all that had happened! But Dian was not at home, and when Ellen -learned that she had gone out horseback riding with Tom Allen she -wondered with a queer little hurt in her heart if a small jealousy had -prompted part of Diantha's cruel mirth at her own expense.</p> - -<p>Three days passed before Ellen ventured to take her customary walk by -the river side. Then, indeed, her heart fluttered and sank, as she -approached her leafy bower. But she saw no one and heard no sound to -disturb her peace. She almost wondered, as she visited the spot day -after day, if she had not possibly dreamed she saw the soldier on the -opposite bank. She was getting silly on the subject of dreams, she told -herself, scornfully.</p> - -<p>One lovely afternoon, as the canyon breezes were blowing down from the -many clefts in the eastern mountain walls, with the bees humming about -her the song of the desert as they seized the sweets of every flower -in her path, and the distant sound of the foaming river just insistent -enough to mingle with the rustle of the cottonwood trees over her head, -Ellen strolled along the accustomed path, and with nimble fingers wove -for her uncovered brown braids a wreath of wild grasses and the pale -purple daisies which skirted every path in generous profusion.</p> - -<p>She thought resentfully of the many flowers which Aunt Clara said grew -in such generous loveliness in her own native Massachusetts hills; -there was nothing but hardship and desolation in Utah, with common -daisies and cheap grasses for flowers. But on she wandered, sometimes -humming softly and sometimes bitterly reflecting on her many trials, -as she recalled the daily annoyances of her life. Suddenly she saw, -a little ahead of her and out in the thick brush, a blue-coated man, -either dead or asleep.</p> - -<p>Her first impulse was to fly as with the wind, for her own safe home. -But there was a sort of unnatural look about the figure; a distortion -which could not mean sleep. She paused, her heart making such confusion -that she had to hold her hand over it for a moment to still its wild -beating. Then, with a vague, dark fear, her heart now choking her -delicate throat, she cautiously approached the recumbent figure. No, he -certainly was not asleep, for his head hung down limp over the bushes -in a helpless way which could never be sleep. And as she approached -nearer, she saw his arm flung out, the sleeve drawn tightly up, and a -stream of blood pouring over the white cuff of the shirt and staining -the outer blue sleeve with its dull sanguinary hue.</p> - -<p>She looked at the face! It was colorless, and the lips were parted -under the dark mustache, as if in death itself. What should she do? -Again the wild impulse, the whispering voice in her heart, clamored -for her to turn and flee to her own home and send some one out who -could do much more than she, an ignorant girl. But what if the soldier -should die while she was traveling all that distance? She looked into -the face; it was handsome in the extreme, and about the whole figure -there was an indefinable clinging fascination, which drew her onward -so unconsciously, that she hardly realized what decision she had made -until she found herself on her knees beside the recumbent form, tying -up the gaping wound in the arm as tightly as she could with her own -homely but strong cotton handkerchief; then over her own, she tied his -own large handkerchief, which she did not fail to notice was of the -finest texture and of snowy whiteness. She ran down to the river, and -filling the pretty blue soldier cap with water, managed to get a little -between his lips, and then she bathed his head and moistened his pale -brows.</p> - -<p>It seemed hours to her, but it was only a few minutes, before the dark -eyes opened and gazed with seeming stupidity into her own. Then life -returned to his face with a look, which in some way thrilled her to her -very finger-tips—she could not say whether it gave more pleasure or -pain—as it crept into the eyes of the soldier, and he gazed silently -into the face bent over him.</p> - -<p>Ellen colored and turned away, ostensibly for more water. The young -soldier again seemed to sink into a faint and again she bathed and -soothed his lips and head with the cool water, using her own modest -apron to lay across his head as a bandage.</p> - -<p>Without opening his eyes, the young man faintly gasped:</p> - -<p>"Will you tell me where I am and what has happened?"</p> - -<p>"Indeed, sir, I do not know. I found you lying here when I came along -the path, and have done what I could to help you to recover."</p> - -<p>Ellen asked no questions of the young man, her native modesty closing -her lips; yet she was deeply anxious to know what had caused the -singular accident.</p> - -<p>"Be good enough to hold my arm up, so the blood may not surge so -painfully in the wound, will you?"</p> - -<p>Ellen obediently held up his arm, resting his elbow on her own knee to -give it a firmer support.</p> - -<p>"The last I remember," whispered the young man, "two horsemen were -coming towards me, and one seemed to threaten me with an open knife or -dagger. I threw up my hand to ward the blow from my heart, and I knew -no more."</p> - -<p>This peculiar story seemed to imply to Ellen's mind that some of her -own people had noted the young man, and had tried either to kill or -maim him. But she said nothing. Presently the girl grew brave enough to -look at the handsome face beside her, as the eyes now remained closed, -and the stranger seemed too exhausted to talk more. How fine and silky -was the dark mustache which drooped charmingly over the well-cut mouth. -The lips were very full; the chin was not so handsome and well-cut as -the mouth; but the nose was fine, and the nostrils were delicate and -arching; while the whole face was the handsomest she had ever seen, -excepting that always handsomest of soldiers, Captain Van Arden.</p> - -<p>A vague wonder possessed her, why it was that her own boy friends -and lovers were never so brilliant, so stately and so fine-featured -as were the few strangers she had seen. Were the "gentiles" all thus -fascinating and charming in every way? Why must "Mormons" be always -plain and uninteresting?</p> - -<p>"Do you think you could help me off these beastly bushes?" asked the -young man. "They make a very uncomfortable resting place."</p> - -<p>Ellen hurriedly sought a place where she dragged away a few loose dried -sticks and other debris, and then with all the strength she could -muster, she half dragged, half assisted the stranger to the soft earthy -couch under the willow and cottonwood trees.</p> - -<p>The light of the afternoon sun fell in dancing glints and shadows on -Ellen's brown tresses. The flowers on her hair gave her the look of a -woodland sprite, which the dun-colored gown she wore, plain of skirt, -but trimmed with ripples and ruffles of cunning device about the arms -and shoulders, only increased. The flying draperies caught and flecked -the sun and shadows of the cottonwood shade above them, making her -resemble indeed a leaf-clothed maid, the occasional sunbeams deepening -her eyes to their richest shade of chestnut brown.</p> - -<p>"My name is Captain Sherwood, of the United States army. I came over -here for a little hunting and fishing," the young man said after his -removal to more comfortable quarters. "I hope I have not frightened -you, for I am not worth the pain I fear I have given you. Please do not -be afraid of me; I will get away from here just as soon as I can move, -and shall not trouble you again."</p> - -<p>"Oh, I guess I shall get over my fright. I am glad I could be of a -little service. It is my duty to be kind to everybody, and especially -to a brother officer of Captain Van Arden. I knew him when he was here -a year ago."</p> - -<p>"My child," said the officer, with emphasis, and speaking in a serious -tone, "you have saved my life, and I shall never cease to be your most -humble and grateful friend, no matter where you go, or what may become -of me."</p> - -<p>His dark eyes looked into her own with a soft appeal for sympathy and -tolerance which was irresistible to the tender-hearted girl.</p> - -<p>"Indeed I have done but little; I have only helped you to recover from -your faint from loss of blood."</p> - -<p>The young man winced at the simple, honest explanation, but sought -again to impress his heartfelt gratitude upon the charming nurse he had -secured.</p> - -<p>"Perhaps if some wandering 'Danite' had discovered me, in my helpless -condition, instead of your gentle self, I should now indeed have no -need for help or comfort in this life."</p> - -<p>"Indeed, sir, you mistake my people. They are not murderers nor -cut-throats. I have heard that the 'gentiles' think that there are -wicked men among us banded together to kill people, but in all my -life I never saw or knew of such a band or ever saw such a being as a -'Danite.'"</p> - -<p>The officer saw he had gone a little too far, and so he turned his -face away and with a sigh, he moved toward the fast-setting sun, and -murmured, after a short pause:</p> - -<p>"How beautiful the effects of the parting sun-gleams are on your -charming wild valley, with its glistening, turquoise lake, the -snow-topped mountains, cleft and seared into gorges and canyon defiles, -their uneven sides touched here and there with the deep green of the -oak or the paler maple. You have a grand old castellated bulwark for -the setting of your rural home."</p> - -<p>Now, all this was astounding to simple Ellen. To hear her gray, -sage-covered, barren valley home described as in any way beautiful, and -to know that such lovely descriptive albeit high-flown and theatrical -words could be used in connection therewith, was a veritable revelation -to her.</p> - -<p>But the allusion to the setting sun awakened other thoughts in her -heart. Hastily rising, she sought her sun-bonnet, as she said:</p> - -<p>"I must go. It will be twilight now before I reach my home. I shall -send someone down to help you and bring you to where you can be taken -care of."</p> - -<p>Evidently this was not at all to the young man's mind, but repressing -outward expression of his feelings, he simply asked, "Will you not go -back to the place of my accident, and see if you can see anything of my -horse? I don't think he would wander away from me, he is too much of a -pet; and if you can find him, I am sure I shall be able to mount and -get back to my quarters without putting you or your people to any more -trouble on my account."</p> - -<p>By some queer mental process, Ellen inferred that the soldier had good -cause to fear the ministrations of her own people, and yet she did not -know how to answer such an inference. So she simply hurried back to the -spot indicated, and there, not twenty feet from where she had found the -officer, she saw the white horse, quietly barking the cottonwood tree -to which he was carefully tied.</p> - -<p>She unfastened him, and leading him onward, remarked:</p> - -<p>"I guess your enemies, whoever they are, did not intend real harm to -you for they have left your horse securely tied not far from where you -lay."</p> - -<p>"I certainly owe them my heartfelt gratitude for that much; and to you -I owe, what shall I say?" She was assisting him now to rise, and her -face was close to his own, while his eyes shone with the look that had -dazzled her once before. "Shall I say that I owe to you not only my -heartfelt gratitude, but its inmost devotion?"</p> - -<p>Ellen trembled, with a vague feeling which was half repulsion, half -enchantment. She had never in her most romantic dreams imagined -anything half so sudden, nor half so eloquent as she felt this warm, -openly expressed admiration to be. She hardly knew whether it pleased -or frightened her most. One thing was sure, she was so anxious to -get back home that she hardly said another word to her companion. As -he stoopingly bent over his horse in evident weakness and raised his -cap with his uninjured hand, he said in a low, thrilling tone: "This -beautiful green retreat will be to me for the rest of my life a sweet, -solemn temple. For here I have met not only a threatened and averted -danger, but have seen and known its high priestess to be a maiden with -an angel's face and a heart of gold. May heaven guard you, my sweet -friend, till we meet again."</p> - -<p>Ellen gave him one shy, half-frightened glance, and then with her heart -choking her throat with violent emotion, she sped like a timid hare to -her home, through fast deepening twilight. The soldier, once the girl -was out of sight, coolly straightened out his arm, put the bandage in -his pocket, snapped his fingers at the distant mountain peaks and rode -away whistling a French love ditty.</p> - -<p>At the door Ellen met Aunt Clara, just going out with a bowl of gruel -to a neighbor's sick child. Aunt Clara noted with her ever observant -eye the quickened breathing, the air of indefinable excitement about -the girl, even in the gloaming twilight, and pausing to stop Ellen from -entering the house, she asked quietly:</p> - -<p>"What is the matter, dear? You pant as if you were excited, and your -eyes shine so in the dark that they look like stars. Have you been -frightened, and where have you been?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, I've just been running a little, for I stayed down the river -too long, and had to run to get home before dark. No, I haven't been -frightened, at least not to speak of. You know," she added, with an -uneasy laugh, for Ellen had not learned yet to tell a direct lie, "that -girls are natural cowards, Aunt Clara, and are frightened at their own -shadows."</p> - -<p>"Well, girls should always be careful, and especially at these times. -Why, Brother Winthrop says all this excitement about the army coming -in has made the Indians very uneasy and uncertain, and you girls have -no business away from home, especially alone. What if some of those -wicked soldiers should take it into their heads to come over the valley -snooping around here! Let me warn you, Ellie,—for I feel the spirit of -it strongly upon me, for some cause or other,—don't you ever venture -away from this house, either night or day, unless you have safe and -sufficient company."</p> - -<p>For one breathless moment Ellen longed to throw herself into those -blessed, kindly arms and sob out her whole confession. But Aunt Clara -turned hastily, and said as she started away, "Some day, dear, you and -I will talk more about this matter. But I must hurry away now to see -Sister Harris' baby."</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXI"></a>XXI.</h2> - -<p>JOHN VISITS ELLEN -</p> - -<p>The days came and went after this, with pain, pleasure, work, and -mingled hopes and fears. Life was just now full of exciting plans, -forecasts, and prophecies.</p> - -<p>Dian Winthrop went on her own sensible yet self-contained way. As her -friend Ellen seemed able to do without her, she was content to be left -alone. She worked and laughed and dressed and thought her own, serious, -deep thoughts about life and her own being upon the earth, untroubled -by fears, and full of the common trust in the God of her fathers, -knowing that she would be well taken care of by her friends and family, -no matter what might happen.</p> - -<p>She "kept company" in an eminently sensible way with Charlie Rose, -whenever he sought her out. While congratulating herself on the -invariable frankness with which she showed the young man that good as -he might be he was not her ideal, yet she allowed him to spend all his -spare means in taking her to their simple picnics and visits with which -the young people whiled away their leisure time of waiting.</p> - -<p>She did not allow the least attempt at a flirtation with Tom Allen. She -had not enough regard for him to make herself agreeable to him. But she -herself was such a fine, handsome, superior looking and acting girl, -and so admired by everybody, that Tom could not resist the temptation -once in awhile of taking her out and thereby giving her a chance of -understanding and appreciating him at his own advanced valuation.</p> - -<p>Poor little Ellie, starved for her friend's confidence, shrinking with -dread of what the future might bring her, and yet longing to meet and -greet that danger, was half the time full of an unnatural gaiety, half -the time moody and preternaturally grave and silent. One night, when -she and Aunt Clara sat in the front door of the hut, watching the -moonrise in unequaled splendor over the gap in Rock Canyon, they heard -a horseman coming up the street, and in a moment he appeared in front -of their gate. His cheery "whoa" to his animal caused Ellen to run -hastily out, exclaiming,</p> - -<p>"Why, it's John Stevens! Oh you dear old John, how glad I am to see -you!" and as John sprang from his horse, she threw her arms around his -neck, as if he were her own dear brother, and thus she sobbed out her -joy and her vague fears on his friendly shoulder.</p> - -<p>The tall, silent man allowed her to cry until she was calmed, and while -he felt every throb of her tenderness in his own responsive soul, he -felt, too, that underneath it all, there was something deeper and more -serious than he could at present fathom. He left that to a future, -better understanding, however, and contented himself with gently -stroking her soft brown braids, while he chatted with Aunt Clara about -matters of interest to both.</p> - -<p>Once inside the house, and John's supper over, Ellen seemed a very -spirit of mischievous attraction. She fluttered around her great, big, -red-bearded friend; and with the sweetest smiles and most coaxing -fascination, seemed a very magnet of charm. John did not try to resist -this unconscious effort of Ellie's to be winsome and loving as he sat -with his eyes bent gravely upon her, occasionally answering her witty -sallies; inwardly, however, he was anxious to unravel the whole of this -perplexing, if delightful, mystery.</p> - -<p>Aunt Clara noted all these things, for when did she ever fail to see -all there was to be seen when she was present? But she wisely left the -young people to arrange their own affairs, discreetly proceeding with -her knitting, and putting in a remark now and then, only as occasion -seemed to require.</p> - -<p>Was Ellen in love with him? This was the question which forced itself -upon John's mind, in spite of his modesty. Or, was there something else -which caused all this excitement?</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXII"></a>XXII.</h2> - -<p>IF YOU LOVE ME, JOHN -</p> - -<p>The question with which John Stevens troubled himself is one which any -modest man dislikes to put to himself. If love comes in answer to the -solicitation of love, the question is rarely asked; but if love has -come from an unexpected source, the result is an effort to reciprocate -that affection, or else a vague annoyance, a feeling of being injured -in some inexplicable way, which will intrude upon the consciousness.</p> - -<p>The afternoon after his arrival John spent with a hungry, passionate -longing at his heart for a welcoming word from the one woman he had -loved so faithfully and so devotedly for years. As Diantha passed out -of the house on her way toward the river, he wondered why it was his -heart should cling so tenaciously to her, in spite of her coldness and -her neglect.</p> - -<p>Why could not he love sweet Ellen best instead of the indifferent Dian, -she who sometimes wounded her best and dearest, if it happened to meet -her mind to do so? No use to ask; however, he knew that if he could not -win her love, eternity would hold a regret for him, for this woman had -become necessary to his happiness.</p> - -<p>He sat under the cottonwood tree in the front yard as these reflections -passed through his mind, and pulling his long beard with some -impatience, he looked up in time to catch the laughing eyes of Ellen -Tyler as she passed one of the front windows.</p> - -<p>"Why, John, you look as if you saw a whole cavalcade approaching our -house to drive us into the mountains. What on earth is the matter?"</p> - -<p>"Nothing much, Ellen; come out and let's take a walk."</p> - -<p>"All right, if you will go with me up into town, for Sister Winthrop -wants some things from the Tithing Office."</p> - -<p>"Come on, then." And away they sauntered in the warm sunshine, John -determined to conquer his heart by the mere force of will, and Ellen as -determined to grasp this straw of protection and comfort which seemed -held out to her by the strong, safe hand of her loved friend.</p> - -<p>John was really lover-like in his manner this afternoon, and poor, -perplexed Ellen's heart opened to the warm sunshine of that sympathy -like a half-withered, thirsty flower. Little by little, she confided to -him the story of Tom Allen's unfortunate dream, and she felt comforted -and strengthened by the serious and kindly way in which John explained -to her the irreverence manifested by Tom in thus attempting to jest -upon such a holy, solemn subject. And John was wise enough to palliate -Tom's error, so that Ellen was left with a peaceful, quieted heart, -which held no bitterness for Tom and very little of anger against Dian -for the unseemly mirth that young lady had manifested. How good, and -how wise John was! What a splendid soul was hid beneath his cool and -deliberate manner! Surely she could win his heart; at any rate she was -going to try.</p> - -<p>"Do the soldiers come over on this side of the valley very often?" she -asked, as they had exhausted the other subject.</p> - -<p>"I should hope not. I would not want to find any of them prowling -around here; it might be the worse for them, if I did," answered John -in a sort of low, threatening growl.</p> - -<p>"Why, John, you would not object to their breathing the same air as we -do, would you?"</p> - -<p>"It depends. I don't want them near this town, be assured of that."</p> - -<p>A dim suspicion that the young officer she had met so often of late was -right in his surmise that her own people would kill him at sight if -they found him near their towns, made her ask another question:</p> - -<p>"John, if you should happen to find one of those soldiers out shooting -or fishing near the river, would you try to do him any violence?"</p> - -<p>Something in her tone gave him a vague uneasy twinge. He looked quietly -into the flushed face and bright uplifted eyes for a moment, and then -asked instead of answering:</p> - -<p>"Ellen dear, have you ever seen one of those soldiers on this side of -the river?"</p> - -<p>It took a great deal of courage for Ellen to answer that question -truthfully; yet with those keen, kindly, piercing eyes upon her, she -could but tell the story of her first meeting with Captain Sherwood, -leaving her story at the close of that long interview without adding -anything as to further meetings and conversations.</p> - -<p>She was very glad she took this precaution, for she was fairly -frightened at the terrible expression of wrath which overspread the -features of her companion. He said not a word for several minutes, and -she grew seriously alarmed at the anger in those eyes, always bent upon -her in such kindness, as she wished heartily that she had said nothing -whatever about the matter. At last she ventured to say:</p> - -<p>"What is it, John; are you angry with me? I could not help it."</p> - -<p>The man divined at once that he had startled the girl, and perhaps -closed her lips for the future; so with a profound effort, he stilled -the tempest of wrath in his heart, and made out to laugh a little, as -he replied:</p> - -<p>"What a bear I must be, to frighten an innocent child like you. No, my -dear girl, I am not nor could I be angry with you. You could never give -me cause for anger. I might be hurt or sorry about you, but you would -never make me angry."</p> - -<p>He paused again, as if to collect himself still further, and then said:</p> - -<p>"Tell me about it again, Ellen dear."</p> - -<p>Thus quieted, Ellen began at the beginning.</p> - -<p>"Did he say that the 'Mormons' had stabbed him?" asked John.</p> - -<p>Ellen had to think a moment, and then answered: "No, I don't think he -mentioned 'Mormons,' but of course, I thought he meant 'Mormons.'"</p> - -<p>As the story proceeded, John stopped her at every point, and insisted -on having the most explicit explanations. When the story was again -completed, John turned the keen, kindly eyes on her pleading face and -said:</p> - -<p>"You were a brave, true girl to defend your people against the slanders -about the 'Danites;' and I don't think you have it in your power to run -away from a sick kitten, much less an injured man, if you thought you -could help him. So don't blame yourself one bit, it was all right so -far as you were concerned. But as for that devil in human form, let me -show you how improbable his whole story was. For instance, do you think -a man like that would ride around here to hunt and fish? He has seen -some girl down here"—Ellen was glad she did not say anything about the -bathing incident, "and has come over here hunting our girls to ruin and -destroy them. And do you think he would come without a pistol? And if -he had one, would he let someone get near enough to stab him? And if a -man wanted to kill him would he stop short with a cut on the arm? And -then, would such a man tie up the soldier's horse, safely to a tree, so -that he could get up and run away whenever he wanted to? Bosh, it was a -trick which no one but a trusting, unsuspecting woman would have been -ready to accept as a fact. But there, my dear, you are not to blame at -all; it is all over now, thank God, and I am very sure you will not go -out alone again, especially near the river, or far away from home in -any direction."</p> - -<p>"Why, John, all our folks go down to the river at times; did not you -see Dian starting for a walk down there just as we were leaving the -house to come up here?"</p> - -<p>Again that white, silent wrath spread over the face of her companion, -and added to it was a flaming redness which seemed to leap into his -eyes instead of his cheeks. The effect of her words frightened the girl -at his side. Truly he had seen Dian start out that way; he remembered -it all very clearly now, but in his proud endeavor to drive her out of -his heart, he had also driven her out of his mind.</p> - -<p>"I dare say, John dear, she is expecting to meet Tom Allen or Charlie -Rose down by the river, for you know Dian has a way of always having a -string of beaus running after her."</p> - -<p>This was said to comfort John, and to assist in driving from his face -that awful anger whose white silence so terrified her.</p> - -<p>After a pause John asked her:</p> - -<p>"Do you want to go with me down to the river and show me where it is -that you met this man? It is barely possible that Dian may have gone in -the same direction."</p> - -<p>They were returning from town now, and Ellen answered:</p> - -<p>"Of course she has, for the place where I met him is just where Dian -and I cleared away the underbrush purposely for a little shady retreat -for the both of us, and until we were mad at each other a few weeks -ago, we never went there alone, and rarely missed a day but washdays -and Sundays of going there to talk and rest. Of course, I will go with -you, only let us go by the house, so I can leave these things there for -Aunt Clara."</p> - -<p>There was very little said on that riverward walk. Ellen was thinking -sadly of the many times she had met and talked with the young stranger, -of which she dared not speak to her companion, and of how foolish she -had been to run such risks. She was thinking, too, of Dian being down -there, and wondering with a vague jealousy if Dian had also been there -when she knew it not, and if she too was courting the admiration of -the officer. But she put this away in a moment, for she would not do -Dian the injustice to suppose that with all her proud and self-centered -spirit, she could deliberately do such a criminal, deceitful thing as -that would be. She forgot to designate her own conduct as severely -as she was doing the faintly supposed conduct of her friend. But, -then, Dian was such an eminently proper young woman that no one ever -suspected, much less accused her of doing anything unladylike or at all -imprudent.</p> - -<p>As for poor John Stevens, he had been laboring for years, ever -since he had been a man, with a man's understanding of life and its -responsibilities, for the acquisition of the severe self-control -necessary to subdue his passionate nature. He had fought such a gallant -fight against his love for Diantha Winthrop, that no one, not even -Dian herself, suspected the profound emotions which had been so hard -for him to control. He had learned to control his temper, that fierce, -vicious thing, which his dead sainted mother had trained him from early -youth to hold in check; about which he had often prayed, aye, and -even fasted, that it might never rise beyond his power of government; -but now, indeed, when he felt both love and anger flooding his soul -in such an overwhelming tide, he was powerless to hold both flood -tides in check. His hands kept clinching and twisting in unavailing -impotence, and his throat was so dry and parched that he could not have -uttered a word. His whole being was for the time a darkened void, where -nought but a fearful apprehension and hot anger could penetrate his -consciousness.</p> - -<p>He walked beside his companion in silence, which was far worse than -another man's rage.</p> - -<p>"Why, John, I think I am more frightened of you than I was of the -soldier," said Ellen at last. The silence had become too oppressive -for her. "I can't imagine what ails you today. I thought you were the -gentlest and quietest of men."</p> - -<p>John stopped short in their walk, looked up a moment into the burning -sky above him, stroked his beard with a slow motion, and with a little -preparatory cough to clear away the dryness in his throat, he said in -his drawling voice:</p> - -<p>"Oh, don't be afraid; I would not injure even a soldier, if it were -not wise or right to do so, my girl. I feel a little angry, that is -all, that any one should seek to entangle our girls and draw them away -from the safety and purity of their own innocent happy lives. That is -all. Don't be afraid; I dare say both you and I are imagining a lot of -things which will never happen. You will soon forget all about this -handsome devil, while we will find Diantha down there quietly talking -with Tom or Charlie Rose, or some other nice fellow, and she will be -angry to see us come spying on her love affairs."</p> - -<p>Yet, even as he spoke, his keen eyes detected away in the distant -trees, where the brush had been cut away and the eyes could travel -some distance in the green embrasure, a glint of a white dress, and he -was sure that the coat beside the dress was a blue one, not the dark -homespun he knew would be worn by his own people.</p> - -<p>Both John and Ellen quieted every evidence of their approach, and Ellen -fell behind her companion, with a dreadful shrinking fear at her heart, -mixed even then with a bit of jealousy of her friend's apparent free -understanding with her own cavalier.</p> - -<p>"What are you doing here?" growled a low, husky voice behind the two, -who were seated on a fallen tree, apparently absorbed in a book.</p> - -<p>Diantha Winthrop looked up, startled, yet with full control of herself.</p> - -<p>"Oh, John, this is Captain Sherwood, of the United States army, you -know, and he is reading Shakespeare to me, for you know how fond of -poetry I am."</p> - -<p>"How did you come here?" again growled the husky voice, unheeding the -brave, frank explanation so coolly offered him.</p> - -<p>The young officer threw back his head, partly because he was encouraged -by the apparent lack of fear on the part of his companion, and also -because of the fact that no matter if possessed of every fault and sin -in the decalogue, Captain Sherwood was no coward.</p> - -<p>"Well, my good fellow, even if your question is not a very civil one, I -will give you a civil answer. I came here, as I usually go everywhere, -on the back of my trusty horse. I suppose that even a soldier is -permitted to go where he pleases in this free and semi-civilized domain -belonging to Uncle Sam. Have you any objections to my going wherever I -please?"</p> - -<p>John folded his arms and waited quietly for more explanations.</p> - -<p>The soldier also waited a moment, and then, constrained to say -something more, in spite of himself, he added:</p> - -<p>"This young lady has condescended to let me read to her some of the -eloquent classics found in our immortal Shakespeare. But perhaps you -know nothing of poetry, and Shakespeare's name may not even have a -meaning for you."</p> - -<p>The insolence of this reply did not provoke the other to outward anger, -although it certainly had its effect. Just at this moment Ellen came -out from her retreat, and as the soldier caught sight of her he swept -off his cap in a magnificent bow, and with a fine and dignified manner, -the manner of a southern gentleman to a woman he wishes to please, he -said softly:</p> - -<p>"It is a rare pleasure to see Miss Tyler." Then as he saw that the -girl's face was white with fear, and her hands clasped in evident pain, -he bowed and added: "Do not be alarmed, madam; I am too insignificant -for your friend to seek to harm me, and as for him, it is sufficient -to know that he is your friend; he and his are sacred to me from -this moment; I would not injure him or them even if my life pays the -penalty."</p> - -<p>There was a grandiosity about this speech which struck upon Dian's -nerves a little unpleasantly, but to Ellen the tone and manner seemed -the most gentlemanly and elegant she had ever witnessed; while his -evident emotion at seeing her flattered her vain soul with infinite -sweetness.</p> - -<p>All this while John had stood watching everything and saying nothing. -At last Dian approached him, and laying her hand fearlessly upon his -arm, she said in a slightly shaken voice, although still with perfect -self-control:</p> - -<p>"I hope, John, that you will remember that this gentleman has done -nothing offensive, and that it was my fault that he remained here to -read to me. You will allow him to return to his own place without the -least molestation from anyone. For the rest, I alone am to be held -responsible."</p> - -<p>John groaned in spite of himself. Both the girls, like the women they -were, would not cast blame upon the sneaking man, thus taking away -his only weapon of revenge. That groan startled Dian, and made Ellen -tremble like a broken reed in the wind, and even the soldier's face -paled a little at its intensity. But Dian was equal to the occasion; -her fine common sense stood her in good stead. This was no time to be -romantic; good practical sense and reason was what they all needed now. -She caught hold of his arm with her own small but firm hand and said -calmly and distinctly:</p> - -<p>"Look here, John Stevens, there's no sense in your getting angry. You -know well enough that President Young has said repeatedly that there -should be no blood spilt in these times, and you know, too, that this -gentleman is not to blame if a girl chooses to accept his invitation to -spend an hour in his company. Just calm yourself, for neither Ellen nor -I have committed any sin, and we are old enough to have some rights of -our own. And I am not going to be dictated to by any creature on this -earth, man or woman! Whatever you want to say to me must not be said in -anger."</p> - -<p>John looked into the eyes of the woman beside him, and with such a -look! He was muttering under his breath: "Oh, God help me!" And the -anguish and love and anger and struggle for self-control which were -shown in that look shook even Dian's heart with a vague trembling which -she could not understand.</p> - -<p>"Dian, you take Ellen and go home. I shall do nothing rash, God help -me, and you need have no fear; but I beg you to go quietly home, and -take good care of Ellen."</p> - -<p>Moved by some inexplicable impulse, Dian drew herself close to him and -in a low whisper she said:</p> - -<p>"Don't be harsh, John," and then lower still, "if you love me, John."</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXIII"></a>XXIII.</h2> - -<p>DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE -</p> - -<p>Diantha turned away, and putting her arm around her friend, they sped -through the late afternoon sunshine to their home with flying feet, -silent tongues and an unspoken prayer in both hearts for John Stevens -that he might not be overcome.</p> - -<p>As for John, he strode up to the soldier, as soon as the girls were out -of hearing, and with the low roar of an angry lion, he growled:</p> - -<p>"What is to hinder my choking the dastard life out of your lustful -body?" As he spoke, quick as a flash, he had pinioned the man's arms, -and with the grip of an infuriated animal, he had his hands around the -white, gentlemanly throat, and for a moment his passion so blinded -him that he knew nothing, saw nothing, but a huge, black cloud which -overspread all nature and his own heart.</p> - -<p>This murderous impulse passed, and with another awful groan, he -released his hold, and with a fling, threw the stranger away from him, -and quickly turning his back, buried his face in his hands, while one -hot, silent tear scalded his repentant eyes.</p> - -<p>The soldier, after a few moments of insensibility, came to himself, and -with a profound effort, he dragged himself up, and shaking his body -together, he stood upon his feet, and said, quietly and sneeringly, -though somewhat hoarsely:</p> - -<p>"You asked me a very queer question, my good fellow, and if I had not -more regard for law and decency than you seem to have, I would answer -it like this"—with the words, John felt the muzzle of a revolver at -his ear. Again, with the flash of a tiger, John seized the other's arm, -twisted the pistol out of his hand, and with a quick, backward spring, -he had thrown the weapon into the brawling river beside them, while -with a deep sneer in his voice, he answered:</p> - -<p>"Do you think, you soldiers, that you are out here with nothing but -squaws to oppose you? Men who have wives and homes to protect are not -afraid of popguns." And then, as if mastered anew with the terrible -emotions surging in his breast, John asked, slowly: "What is to hinder -my sending your soul to hell, where it rightfully belongs?"</p> - -<p>This time the soldier looked into the hot, angry eyes close to his own, -and perhaps his own bravery had some effect in calming John, for after -a few minutes, the soldier folded his own arms, and with a light touch -indicating the epaulets upon his shoulders, he said, almost airily:</p> - -<p>"Oh, I dare say that even you have some respect for this Government -of ours. And perhaps, too, your wholesome fear of displeasing the -notorious Brigham would hinder you from disgracing yourself."</p> - -<p>John said nothing, and the other quietly went to the tree where his -horse was fastened, and untying and mounting his steed, said lightly:</p> - -<p>"Have you any messages to send to our fort? If so, I shall be pleased -to carry them."</p> - -<p>"Yes, you may tell your commander-in-chief that if he wishes to keep -the heads of his men on their shoulders, he would do well to keep them -away from our towns. We will defend our homes and our virtue with our -lives."</p> - -<p>The soldier was now on his horse, and comparatively safe, so he -ventured to reply tauntingly:</p> - -<p>"Ah, my dear fellow, don't trouble yourself; the women will hunt -us up. I know the dear creatures better than you do. You are very -unsophisticated, depend upon it. We shall soon have hard work to keep -out of the way of them. Ta, ta!" And before John could move, he had -dashed away in the trees, and was soon out of sight and hearing.</p> - -<p>John Stevens was left behind with all the agonized load of fear and -dread which swept over him like a mountain cloud-burst. He leaned -against a tree and with arms folded across his breast and head dropped, -he heaved many a sigh and shed some scalding tears. The thing he had -most dreaded in the onslaught upon his people had come to pass. And to -think that the two women he loved best upon the earth should be in the -greatest danger from this scourge. Death for the men; hunger, cold, -war, pain, all these were slight things compared with the danger which -had been ever present. The temptation which would assail the youth -of both sexes, but more particularly the young women, to forsake the -simple, honest lives of their people, and to become involved in the -sins and corruptions of the outside world; this had been his constant -dread. Was this not Zion? Was God not coming from His hiding place to -keep Babylon from our midst? With all the strength of his soul he loved -chastity and purity. He had, at what cost no one but a strong man may -tell, kept his own nature as sweet and pure as that of any woman, and -he knew that in strictest chastity only there was safety and peace for -either man or woman in this life or the life to come. Why was he so -sensitive to all these impressions and fears? Why could he not be like -Tom Allen, careless and unthinking as to past, present and future, -unless it affected his own pleasure? But he knew he could not. Gifted -with a peculiarly sensitive and keenly perceptive nature, he saw far -beyond the present action; he saw the end to which such action tended, -in a measure, and he suffered with the intensity of such a soul, when -he or any he loved turned aside from the narrow, straight path of -chastity and right.</p> - -<p>After hours of silent suffering and struggle, he arose to find the -stars shining above his head in a shimmering peace, and with a heavy, -but quieted heart, he made his way home to the village beyond. He -resolved that he would seek Bishop Winthrop the next day, and perhaps -even go to President Young for some counsel in this terrible situation.</p> - -<p>The bishop was much moved and excited over the events which had -involved his own sister, as well as the step-daughter of his friend, -Clara Tyler. The bishop suggested at once that they should go to see -President Young, and lay the whole affair before him for counsel. They -found President Young full of business cares and anxieties concerning -the fate of his people, but when the two men entered, the President -asked them to go with him to his inner room, and they could then -present their business before him.</p> - -<p>John Stevens told the whole story, not adding one detail, nor seeking -in the least to exaggerate the danger or the wrong attempted. But his -brief, quiet statement did more to lay the true state of the case -before the President than a torrent of language could have conveyed. -Bishop Winthrop was very much wrought up, and begged the President -to take steps to prevent any such meetings in the future. He was for -threatening to kill any soldier who was found outside of his own -barracks.</p> - -<p>The President listened to the wild talk and plans of his excited -companion as he had to the quieter, yet intenser recital of John -Stevens. After each had said all he cared to say on the matter, the -President, who had been twirling his thumbs, as was his custom when in -deep thought, turned his piercing eyes upon the two men so anxiously -regarding him, and said slowly:</p> - -<p>"It's no use, brethren, to try to force people to do right. You can't -keep people virtuous by shutting them up in prisons. The only way -that I know of to get men or women to walk in the path of virtue and -righteousness, is to teach them correct principles, and then let each -one govern himself. If our daughters want to do wrong, if they can't -find any of our boys who will help them, they will find plenty of men -in the world ready to ruin them. After such girls have learned their -lessons they will be glad to creep back to father's hearthstone, and to -sit under the shelter they once despised. Teach all to do right and to -live their religion, and give them their agency. Let parents live their -religion and go quietly along, and some day their children will all -come back to them."</p> - -<p>This was hard counsel for these two men to follow; they were so -anxious, so full of loving solicitude for the two beautiful girls in -question. After a moment the President looked searchingly at John -Stevens, and said inquiringly:</p> - -<p>"Brother Stevens, why don't you court one of those girls and marry her -yourself? The best way to drive out evil is by introducing good in its -place. Women and men both desire to love and be loved; and I sometimes -think our Elders will be held responsible for the loss of our girls, if -they make no effort to give them a love worthy and pure."</p> - -<p>The conference was ended, and John felt the whole burden had been flung -back on his shoulders. Well, he was strong and willing; he was no -coward, either. But how could he do the impossible?</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXIV"></a>XXIV.</h2> - -<p>ELLIE'S SECOND WARNING -</p> - -<p>The two girls avoided John all the next day, for with feminine instinct -they divined their case would come up for grave consideration, and -neither cared to be questioned or chastised.</p> - -<p>When this startling incident came to the ears of Aunt Clara Tyler, she -buckled on her aggressive armor of righteousness, but like the tactful -soul she was, she drew over her steel coat the soft velvet robe of -tender sympathy and bided her time.</p> - -<p>Two nights after Dian's encounter, the girls were out at a neighboring -party. Returning somewhat late, Aunt Clara's watchful ears heard -them call out their merry good-nights to their companions, and the -psychological moment was upon them.</p> - -<p>The girls found her busy at their own wagon-box bedroom, and they were -glad for a pair of sympathetic ears in which to pour out the story of -"what he said" and "she said" with the evening's trivial happenings, -all of such moment to young, fresh hearts.</p> - -<p>"How good it is to get a word with you, Auntie," cooed Ellen, "you are -off so much with the sick that I don't get a chance to hug you once a -week."</p> - -<p>Joining in their merry chatter, the two girls sitting cross-legged on -their narrow bed, their mentor sat on the stool at the front end of the -box, and gently led them into deep conversational waters.</p> - -<p>"These brilliant men of the world do know how to say pretty things, -don't they?" said Ellen, after Dian had related the river incident, in -her own candid fashion.</p> - -<p>"And he never said a rude word or did an offensive thing," finished -Dian.</p> - -<p>"Good manners, my dear, are only the real or the assumed expression of -a truly unselfish soul. Tact is like charity—it sometimes covers a -multitude of sins."</p> - -<p>Ellen sat silent while this talk went on; Aunt Clara noted it and drew -her own shrewd conclusions.</p> - -<p>"Well, why must this sweet and gentle courtesy belong only to men who -are not good, Aunt Clara?" continued Dian.</p> - -<p>"It mustn't, and yet it too often does. Pioneer life in every country -leaves very little time for young men especially to cultivate the -amenities of life. Aren't our leaders courteous, and can you find -lovelier ladies than Sister Eliza R. Snow and Zina D. Young? Our girls -are as crude in much of their behavior as are our boys. First the -marble must be hewn out, then comes the polish."</p> - -<p>"I love the polish," murmured Ellen. And Dian added frankly:</p> - -<p>"So do I! The rocks in the hillside are ugly!"</p> - -<p>"Not ugly—their rough beauty appeals to an educated mind. And polish -is so deceptive. You could enamel any cheap and poor surface, but heat -or power would crush the false substance into powder. Ah no, my dear -motherless girls, it is my duty to warn you! I see what your youthful -eyes could not perceive. The allurements of bad men and corrupt -worldliness, have ever been and ever will be present with us in this -world. 'Take away the devil's fascination, and you would cut off his -right arm at the shoulder,' is an old proverb. The only safety for -youth and inexperience is to take the counsel of their parents and -guardians. I am a widow, and earn my living by nursing the sick. So I -am obliged to leave you girls to watch yourselves much of the time."</p> - -<p>"But taking counsel always means to do the thing you don't want to do," -pouted Dian, "and to leave undone the things you would like to do."</p> - -<p>"That pretty nearly sums up life's best discipline. And now let me -warn you, my dear, precious girls, let that soldier alone, and every -other man whose life and character is unknown to your guardians; have -fun, enjoy yourselves, but don't go outside your own safe circle for -pleasure or for peace."</p> - -<p>"Oh, pshaw!" grumbled Diantha. But Aunt Clara knew that the temporary -resistance of Diantha's frank nature would yield in time, and that -above all, she could never quite bring herself to disobey any given -counsel. That was the rock upon which the girl's character was builded. -As for Ellen:</p> - -<p>"Ellie," said her aunt, solemnly, "let me warn you and forewarn you -against any evil temptation such as has just assailed Diantha. I'm sure -I don't know how you would come out from such a test, my dear, for you -do love admiration so well."</p> - -<p>"Of course Diantha's the perfect one," replied Ellen, sharply; "I am -never quite safe or quite right," but she was very glad Dian had kept -her secret. For there was surely no need of Aunt Clara knowing all that!</p> - -<p>Alack! The loyalty of youth to youth sometimes works them grave -disaster. If Diantha had only been a little less loyal, Aunt Clara -would have been set upon the watch tower; for she, with her riper -years, knew the weakness as well as the charm of her pretty niece as -inexperienced Dian could not then know. But both girls had now been -rightly taught and cautioned, and so the elder woman kissed them -good-night and left them to the deep slumber of youth and health.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXV"></a>XXV.</h2> - -<p>"DO YOU CARE FOR JOHN STEVENS?" -</p> - -<p>Several evenings later, at supper, Tom Allen remarked that the Snows -were coming over to spend the evening, and he wondered if they could -have some games in the front yard, as it was a bright, moonlight night. -Both Diantha and Ellen were waiting upon the table, and no one for the -moment seemed anxious to answer Tom's remark. Sister Winthrop, as well -as Aunt Clara, had evidently heard something of recent events, and both -were very serious and quiet. But the others of this large and oddly -assorted family assemblage had heard nothing, and accordingly the idea -of having some games to help pass away the brief summer evening with -plenty of music of concertina and accordion was received with general -favor.</p> - -<p>It was a little puzzling to Diantha to see the lover-like attention -of John Stevens to her friend Ellen that evening. They sat together, -they chose each other for every game, they talked together in the most -confidential manner, and at last ended by going off together for a walk -before the evening was half over. Of course, she had seen them act just -that way before; but then she had cared nothing whatever about it; -John was always very queer, and she never knew quite how to take him. -In fact, that was about the only reason she had retained the slightest -interest in him. A girl does so dislike a man who lets her know all -there is to know about himself! A little discreet reserve is such a -charm in a man.</p> - -<p>Now, my lady Dian felt that she had been actuated by a very uncommon -feeling down in the grove, and she had actually stooped to ask a -man to do a favor for her own sweet sake if he loved her, forsooth. -Certainly that man ought to respond by devoting himself to her at once -and forever. And that man was doing the very opposite thing. Dian had -forgotten that she was wearing Charlie Rose's ring; had quite forgotten -all that might be involved or inferred from such a circumstance. She -watched and waited for their return from the walk, feeling for the -first time in her life, that somebody had slighted her.</p> - -<p>It was not altogether an accident that she sat under the cottonwood -tree on the return of the two, nor was it wholly by design that my lady -looked like the very spirit of the night, with her simple white dress, -her pale yellow gleaming hair breaking about her face in rings and -waves, while her white arms, bared to the elbow, rested on her lap and -deadened the white of her dress by their warm, creamy tints.</p> - -<p>Charlie Rose stood at a little distance, evidently enjoying every -detail of the beautiful picture as he leaned on the rude bars of the -fence near Dian. Ellen came up to Dian, and as John sat down on one -side of her, she slid close to her friend on the other side, and put -her arms lovingly around her neck.</p> - -<p>"Oh, Dian, isn't the night lovely?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, dear, it is. But it is getting late and we must go in."</p> - -<p>John sat so close to the fair-haired girl that he could see the starry -shine in her soft blue eyes, and as he looked at her beautiful face -the remembrance of the scene he had witnessed in the grove, and that -this dear girl had been gazed at and admired by a wicked man, brought -the hot tide of feeling welling up in his heart, and he was obliged to -turn away his face from her dazzling beauty, while he slowly stroked -his long beard, and listened to Charlie Rose exchanging poetic nonsense -with the two girls.</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"Two stars agleam in the silent night<br> -Two girls a-dream in the soft moonlight,"</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>improvised Charlie.</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"The girls have a dread of a cool evening breeze,<br> -For they catch a stray cough, two colds and a sneeze,"</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>jeered Dian in response. And she took Charlie's arm as she allowed him -to escort her into the house.</p> - -<p>Ah, John Stevens, John Stevens, your lesson is not learned yet!</p> - -<p>As the two girls said good-night to their friends they instinctively -sat down on their wagon-box bed for a long talk, something neither had -enjoyed for weeks; and they felt all the joy of recovered confidence. -What if Dian did feel a little half jealous of Ellen, and Ellen was -more than a little jealous of Dian! They were girls, and were sincere -friends. Jealousy could not rob them of their real affection for each -other; they were both too noble for that.</p> - -<p>In the long and confidential talk which followed, Dian learned far -more of the young soldier's visits than had been told John Stevens. -And while Dian could see that her friend had been in a very dangerous -position, her own foolish action of the afternoon before closed her -lips against giving the good advice with which she was generally so -ready.</p> - -<p>"But, you know, Dian, that it is all over now, and I am going to behave -myself after this. Say, Dian, do you care anything about John Stevens?"</p> - -<p>The question was a frank one, and Diantha was not the person to evade -any sort of a question. But she was also honest, and she sat some -minutes before giving her answer. She wanted to tell the exact truth.</p> - -<p>"No, I don't care about John, in the sense of the word that you imply; -I don't know whether I ever could or not. I can't tell; maybe, if he -really loved me, and tried awfully hard to make me love him, well, I -don't know, I'm sure. But one thing I am sure of, I don't care anything -about him now, only as a friend. Why?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, I just wanted to know, dear; for I believe I could love him better -than any man on earth, if he would let me."</p> - -<p>"Well, my dear, just you go on loving him, for I am sure he loves you, -and I hope you will be happy with him."</p> - -<p>It would not be the truth to say that dignified Dian felt no inner pang -of jealousy as she uttered these generous sentiments. There stirred in -her heart a very indistinct wish to know the exact condition of her -friend John Stevens' affections. Curiosity in a woman is not always a -common thing, but if once roused, it is apt to be a very strong motive.</p> - -<hr> - -<p>That night there rode into Provo the Governor of Utah, accompanied by a -strong posse of Utah militia. He had come to expostulate with Brigham -Young, and to induce him to return to Salt Lake City. John Stevens was -on his way from the evening frolic to the President's home, to take up -his guard duty, when he met the party just riding into town. Governor -Cumming hailed John with hearty friendship.</p> - -<p>"Captain Stevens, I am happy to see you here. Will you kindly inform -President Young that I wish to see him as soon as possible?"</p> - -<p>John at once complied with this somewhat hurried and informal request, -and was on hand at the conference which, late as was the hour, proved -not very long, but certainly full of interest.</p> - -<p>The anxious and wearied Governor laid before the "Mormon" leader -all the conditions through which the Territory had just passed; he -rehearsed in no measured terms his contempt for the actions of some -of the Federal authorities; he assured the "Mormon" leaders that -Gen. Johnston, who was now safely camped in the Cedar Valley, would -do all in his power to bring about peace and harmony in the unhappy -and distracted Territory. He told Brigham Young of the furore that -the Southern Move, made by the whole population of Utah, had created -in the East and in Europe. He laid before that leader of a hunted -band of religionists copies of the "New York Times" and the "London -Times," which contained bitter comments on this political blunder of -the President of the United States. In closing his speech, he gave -utterance to a manly appeal to Brigham Young to accept his pledges of -security, and at once to take up his return march for Great Salt Lake -City, saying:</p> - -<p>"There is no longer any danger, sir. General Johnston and the army will -keep faith with the 'Mormons.' Every one concerned with this happy -settlement will keep faith and hold sacred the pardon and amnesty of -the President of the United States. By—-, sir, yes."</p> - -<p>"We know all about it, Governor. Our memories are long. But we feel -assured of your own integrity in this matter, and for that we grant you -our fullest confidence and friendship."</p> - -<p>"Then, sir," said the kindly-disposed official, "tomorrow, being the -birthday of our glorious country, the Fourth of July, I shall publish a -proclamation to the 'Mormons' for them to return to their homes."</p> - -<p>"Do as you please, Governor Cumming," replied Brigham Young, with his -quiet, shrewd smile. "Tomorrow I shall get upon the tongue of my wagon, -and tell the people that I am going home, and that they can do as they -please."</p> - -<p>And it was so. The next morning in the cool daybreak, the leader of -the hosts of that modern Israel stood upon his wagon seat, and in the -clarion tones so familiar to his people, he called:</p> - -<p>"To your tents, O Israel!"</p> - -<p>And once more, but this time with paeans of mingled sorrow and -rejoicing and songs of praise not unmixed with anxious future -forebodings, the people prepared to take up the line of march backward -to the deserted homes, to the grass-grown streets of Salt Lake City and -to the sun-dried farms and fields of the northern Valley. The Southern -Move was passing into the annals of a deeply engraved history.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXVI"></a>XXVI.</h2> - -<p>COL. SAXEY EXPOSTULATES -</p> - -<p>The hurry, confusion and turmoil consequent upon packing were endured -gladly by every one in Provo and vicinity, for every heart beat high -with joy that their beloved lands and homes were not to be left behind -once more and they themselves turned again into the desert, homeless -and poor.</p> - -<p>Diantha rode to the city with her brother in his spring wagon. As she -sat on the front seat, she was soon covered with dust, and with the -loss of her pink and white complexion came an appreciable decline in -the thermometer of her generally sweet and cheerful disposition. No -one ever accused Diantha of vanity, but there was nothing which made -my dainty lady so thoroughly annoyed as to feel that she was looking -ugly and commonplace; and above all to know that she was disheveled, -disorderly, or unclean; all of which goes to prove that all are of the -earth, earthy.</p> - -<p>Ellen Tyler rode several teams behind Dian, in her father's wagon, the -spring carriage being occupied by other members of the family. Now, no -matter how dusty the road nor how much at a disadvantage dear little -Ellen might be placed, if she were only treated lovingly and kindly by -those she loved, and if she were sure of "one true heart beside her," -as she herself put it, she was always cheerful and pleasant. And Ellen -was in high feather, for John Stevens drove the wagon she was in, and -the whole journey seemed more like a pleasure trip than a dusty two -days' journey.</p> - -<p>The party were toiling up the long and steep grade to the north of the -village of Lehi, and John was out of the wagon, walking beside his -team, whistling occasionally to his horses, and sometimes coming up to -the wagon to hear the merry chatter of his companion. He had allowed -himself to get some distance behind his team when he saw, in a sudden -turn of the road, a small party of horsemen coming towards them, and -as the dust cleared away, he discovered they were soldiers. He tried -to hurry up so that he might be near or reach Ellen before they passed -her, for instinct warned him that there was need, yet it was too late. -As they passed him, he gazed at the dashing captain—for it was Captain -Sherwood, his own despised enemy—to whom he gave a look of hate and -repugnance. It was returned with a flash of sneering triumph.</p> - -<p>The gay captain had cause to be triumphant.</p> - -<p>As he passed by the long train of wagons, his eyes were eagerly -searching each wagon for the two faces he had come out purposely to -see. He hardly knew Diantha. He had seen her but once, and now the gold -of her hair was a tawny clay, and the tiny curls were stiff with dust; -while the enchanting pink and white of her skin was lost in a deep, -sun-flushed crimson, covered over with the dun dust of the valley road.</p> - -<p>As soon as he recognized her, however, and that only as they met face -to face, he raised his cap with a courtly bow.</p> - -<p>Whether Diantha was a little afraid of her brother's instant anger, -or whether she was moved by her own sense of right and propriety, or -whether there was mingled with it all an indignation that she had not -been recognized because of her unprepossessing appearance, she herself -never tried to fathom; but certain it was that my lady stiffened -herself into an attitude of freezing hauteur, visible through all her -dusty disguises, and with a stony stare of her gleaming blue eyes, she -coldly looked into the laughing black eyes bent upon her, and gave the -soldier the cut direct.</p> - -<p>"I say, old chap, that young lady would give pointers to a New Orleans -belle in giving a fellow his conge, but I should say she was not -bad-looking when properly dressed." So spake a fellow officer as the -two rode at the head of their squad. Captain Sherwood had urged his -superior officer, Col. Saxey, to come along, as he had learned that -this party were on the road, and he wanted his friend to see the two -girls who had so taken his own fancy.</p> - -<p>Ellen saw them coming, and first looking discreetly back to see that -John was well out of sight, she gave the captain a laughing and -apologetic smile, and then turned her head coquettishly aside, as the -horsemen dashed by.</p> - -<p>"That girl is as pretty as the other, only in a different way," said -Col. Saxey. "But I would advise you, Sherwood, to let these women -alone. You will make yourself and others a great deal of unnecessary -trouble, and I can't see that it will do you or anyone else any good."</p> - -<p>"Oh, d—n your advice, Saxey. What is life, anyway?"</p> - -<p>"Life," answered Col. Saxey to his friend Sherwood, "is pretty much -what we make it; good, bad or indifferent. But, really, Sherwood, I -wish you would take an old friend's advice, and let those 'Mormon' -women alone. You know these people are nearly wild with fear anyway, -and I think it the height of folly for us to add to their discomfiture."</p> - -<p>"I can't imagine how I am going to hurt anybody by falling in love with -a pretty girl, and even marrying her, if worst comes to worst."</p> - -<p>"You know quite well, old fellow, you would never dream of marrying one -of these uneducated, uncultured western girls; and when you remember -that she is of 'Mormon' stock; what an absurdity! Why, what do you -think your proud family down in Louisiana would say to such a thing? -Give it up, Clem; give it up."</p> - -<p>"Say, Saxey," and the young officer turned and faced his companion, -reining in his horse to a halt that he might look the other fairly in -the eyes, "I want you to tell me what you and I or any of the rest of -our fellows are going to do out here, thousands of miles from home and -civilization? I say, what are we going to do? I certainly need the love -and tenderness of a dear little woman, such as one of these girls."</p> - -<p>"I am more than surprised, Clem, to hear you speak so coolly of the -ruin of a good, innocent girl. What can possess you?"</p> - -<p>"What can possess you, my virtuous friend? Where have you learned your -lessons of life, if not in the school of experience? I must be in love -with somebody, and lucky it is for me that I have such delightful -material to waste a bit of my time and heart's affection upon. You see -that I am refined enough to wish even my bacon to be of the choicest -cut, and fricasseed to the most delicate brown, instead of fried in -huge slices and served with chunks of bread."</p> - -<p>They were riding slowly on through the dust and heat, and the elder -officer turned and looked keenly into the face of handsome Captain -Sherwood, who was stroking his small black mustache, and smiling at his -inward fancies.</p> - -<p>"Sherwood," he said, at last, "I must confess that I have never in my -life realized the full meaning of all you imply until this hour. Men -allow themselves to float down the current of custom and do and say -many things which are, it seems to me, in my present mood, unmanly -as well as impure. True, men of the world have always done the same -things, and rarely stop to ask questions in regard to the matter; -but—well, in fact, things look a little different now."</p> - -<p>"What has changed the current of your opinion, my wise friend?"</p> - -<p>"Something in the face of that haughty girl, as she looked her disdain -to you, and the look of fierce hatred which that tall, red-bearded -fellow gave you as he passed you, have set me to thinking. Maybe we -are as guilty of crime in hunting out these people as were the Roman -soldiers when they burned the Christians at the stake."</p> - -<p>Sherwood gazed with more and more astonishment at the words of his -friend, and at the close of the little, conscience-stricken speech, he -burst into a hearty peal of laughter, and again and again he laughed as -he recalled the absurdity of such a comparison.</p> - -<p>"You must excuse me, old boy, but it is too utterly funny for words. -These adulterous, ignorant, impudent 'Mormons' to be compared to the -ancient Christians? Ha, ha, ha!"</p> - -<p>The elder man winced a little under the fire of ridicule, but his own -sense of right and honor told him his position was the true one, and he -felt stealing over him a contempt and repugnance for the man who could -so recklessly plan the destruction of innocent, helpless womanhood.</p> - -<p>The soldiers reached the outskirts of their own camp late that -afternoon, and as Col. Saxey gazed at the crowded hive of huts and -tents, filled with men, a few women, and many squaws, which composed -the nondescript village just across the stream from Camp Floyd, he felt -a sense of horror and dislike for all that this motley crowd signified, -which he had never before felt, and which was as surprising as it was -new to him.</p> - -<p>Camp Floyd had been laid out with the care and skill which -characterized all the labors of General Johnston. At the hillside -lay the officers' quarters, while down the river a little lower were -stationed the quarters of the men, with the parade ground between. All -the tents had been pitched on a low three-foot adobe foundation, thus -giving some measure of comfort to their temporary structures. Outside -the camp, and across the bridge which spanned the small mountain -stream, was a collection of rude log huts, one or two small adobe -houses, and a great many tents of all sizes, all pitched on the low -adobe walls. Here were gathered the usual camp followers, those who did -the store-keeping, the washing, the ironing, the makers and vendors of -every commodity bought and sold in the camp. In this place all grades -of camp-followers were sheltered.</p> - -<p>Men were there, some few decent and eager only for the labor and -exchange of money for that labor which came to them; others willing -to buy and sell anything on earth which could be traded off. The most -of them were drunken, carousing, miserable wretches, possessed of -no impulse but that of a selfish and sensual gratification. Here a -coarse woman, with a flaunting air and a ribald jest, passed through -the throng, and there a squaw sat beside the road, her eyes red with -the whisky she had sold herself for, and her face horrible with the -soulless leer of savage, half-drunken invitation.</p> - -<p>A wave of horror passed over the sensitive face of Col. Saxey as -this accustomed scene appeared to him for the first time in its true -colors. He almost hated himself that he was a man. Sherwood noticed -nothing unusual, and as they passed a woman with a red scarf across her -shoulder, he tossed her a coin, as he said lightly:</p> - -<p>"There is enough for two drunks, Liz, and don't try to run them both -into one, either; for the last time you did that, you raised such a row -that the Colonel threatened to have the whole place cleaned out."</p> - -<p>Louisiana Liz, as she was called, screamed back her thanks, and with -her large, dark, but bleared and blood-shot eyes she flashed up at the -young man her most fascinating gaze.</p> - -<p>Arrived at their own quarters, the officers were met by an orderly, who -instructed them to report at headquarters that evening.</p> - -<p>"I particularly request you gentlemen," said General Johnston, when -they reported at his tent, "not so much in a military capacity, as in -the name of decency and honor, to remain as much as possible in your -own quarters, and to keep away from these 'Mormon' villages. As for the -men, I wish you to deal severely with any of them who go far from camp; -in fact I wish all to be done that can be done to keep down unnecessary -excitement. You understand, gentlemen?"</p> - -<p>"I wonder if the gallant general imagines," said Sherwood, as they -walked away from the general's tent, "that any one is going to obey -strictly his orders and requests. Why," said he, as the two were -returning to their own tents, "he is either very simple or else very -tame if he expects either officers or men are to be entirely restricted -in making some sport out of this dead, dreary and absurd campaign."</p> - -<p>"I think the general is entirely right, Sherwood, and so far as -I am concerned, I shall do what I can to carry out his orders; -even to reporting delinquents, officers as well as men," he added -significantly, as he gave a quick glance at his companion.</p> - -<p>"Oh, well, 'catching comes before hanging,' is a true if a vulgar -proverb, so I bid you a pleasant good-night."</p> - -<p>As Captain Sherwood turned into his own tent, he was surprised to find -a figure dimly outlined by the sputtering tallow candle, crouching near -his bunk.</p> - -<p>"What on earth are you doing here, Liz? Don't you know it would mean -severe punishment to you and disgrace to me, if you were found inside -these lines?"</p> - -<p>The half-breed Creole laughed with a low, sneering sound and answered -softly:</p> - -<p>"Do you think I have forgotten all the lessons of my youth, learned -in the silent swamps of our early Louisiana home? Fear not, the snake -herself is not more silent, nor the night-bird more swift in her flight -than I. Fear not!" And she laughed again, with a quiet, mirthless -chuckle.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXVII"></a>XXVII.</h2> - -<p>CHRISTMAS EVE, 1858. -</p> - -<p>The days and weeks of the dry, brilliant summer and autumn flew -along with dusty, burnished wings. For some time the efforts of -the commanding officer at Camp Floyd were measurably successful in -restraining undue intercourse between his men and the people of the -neighboring settlements.</p> - -<p>In the city of Great Salt Lake the affairs of the people went on with -much the same regularity and soberness that had always characterized -them. Yet, underneath every act and word, one could feel the current -of silent expectation and preparation among this hunted people; -expectation of anything sudden and vicious which the army of Utah -might attempt to do; and a consequent preparation for defense and -perhaps war. There was a small reign of terror, at times, rampant -in those whilom silent city streets. While the officers might hold -their own men in check, they exercised no authority over the crowd -of vile camp-followers which sometimes swept up and over those city -thoroughfares with a terrifying cloud of debauchery and crime.</p> - -<p>President Young was threatened continually in divers ways; by anonymous -letters; by wild and erratic apostates; and he knew through reports of -authorized agents that no effort would be spared by the district judges -or the military force to put his freedom and his life in jeopardy. -Around him, therefore, was gathered a trusty band of his bravest and -best friends; and among them was found our good friend, John Stevens. -His watch at the President's office came at night, and he was therefore -prevented from attending many of the parties and balls which still went -on in every part of the city. Brigham Young knew his people too well -to allow other and less innocent occupations to usurp the place of the -dance and amateur theater.</p> - -<p>On Christmas eve, 1858, there was to be a magnificent ball given in the -fine, new Social Hall. Oh, the blessed memories clinging around that -dear old hall! What scenes of enjoyment, and frolic, sweet and pure, -have been celebrated within its gray walls! What hearts have met their -fate, what lips have spoken the words of love eternal, while mingling -in the happy dance—old and young, rich and poor! No class distinctions -ever marred the festivities of that generous place! No separation of -old folks from the young ever jarred upon the spirit of mutual love -and confidence which marked the social intercourse of the Saints. -And what wonderful plays were enacted by that remarkable company of -players, headed by Hiram Clawson, John T. Caine, James Ferguson and -Mrs. Wheelock and Mrs. Gibson! Dear are these precious memories to the -children of the pioneers; for within these walls they learned, through -definite object lessons, that religion was not merely a Sabbath affair, -put on as a cloak! Ah, no; it entered into the very center of pulsating -life and emotion, and was a living entity in the innocent, religious -pleasures, as well as the simple, trustful sorrows of this blessed -people!</p> - -<p>"I am going to bring my dress over to your house, Dian," said Ellen -Tyler, early that Christmas eve, "and get ready with you, for I want -you to fix my hair; you have such lovely taste. I never look so well as -when you arrange my hair and dress. And then I can get the use of your -looking-glass, too."</p> - -<p>Ellen did look lovely. She had a new pink print dress, and print -dresses in those days were as superior to the common calicoes of today, -as are the prices of today less than were those early standards of -values. The skirt was made with dainty, flying ruffles, nearly to the -waist, and edged with the prettiest of hand-crocheted lace; while the -waist, full and gathered into the belt, was fitted with billowy sleeves -of bishop shape. At the belt and near the left shoulder were flying -bows of pink ribbon; while peeping behind the right ear, a tiny bow of -pink made the chestnut brown hair richer for its suggestive contrast.</p> - -<p>"Ellie, dear, you look just like one of Aunt Clara's spice pinks! -I never saw you look so lovely. I could hug you myself for very -admiration."</p> - -<p>Dian stood afar off from her friend admiring her, and approaching Ellen -at last, she bestowed upon the soft, pale cheek, a small pinch, to give -the delicate tint needed to complete the exquisite picture.</p> - -<p>"Well, it's no use telling you how you look, Dian, for I am sure you -know it so well yourself; the fact of your own magnificent charm is so -apparent that it is nonsense for anyone to try and flatter you."</p> - -<p>"Are you making fun of me, Ellie?" queried Diantha, as she turned -around from the tiny looking-glass to ask her question. "I know well -enough that I have a passably good form, and that I do have some taste -in dressing myself; but I hate these ugly red cheeks, and would give -anything in this world for your clear, pale complexion."</p> - -<p>The girl looked with a positive gleam of anger in her flashing blue -eyes at the image of herself reflected in the glass, and muttered as -she pretended to pinch her own rose-tinted cheeks: "Oh, you ugly, -scarlet things, how I hate you!"</p> - -<p>"It makes me unhappy, Dian, to hear you call yourself ugly. You know -God has blessed you with rare gifts of face and form, and you ought not -to speak as you do, let alone feeling so wicked about your red cheeks. -They are lovely to me. They always make me feel as if I would like to -take a bite out of them, as I would from a red June apple."</p> - -<p>Dian was almost in tears now, at such a homely, unpoetic comparison, -and her friend hastened to change the conversation.</p> - -<p>"Say, Dian, do you think John Stevens can get off tonight to come down -to the ball? I feel as if half of my fun would be gone without him."</p> - -<p>"Oh, I don't know, I am sure. I haven't seen John for weeks. He is up -at the President's office night and day, I guess."</p> - -<p>"Well, I will have to content myself with Tom Allen, or Brother Leon, -I guess, for I must have some fun with somebody. I am just wild for a -frolic. I can hardly wait for Tom to come, I want so much to get to the -party."</p> - -<p>The girl was indeed full of the vitality of youth and health, and her -pulse danced and tingled with expectant pleasure. She was young, lovely -and loving, and she longed for love and admiration. Who could blame her?</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXVIII"></a>XXVIII.</h2> - -<p>THE BALL IN THE SOCIAL HALL -</p> - -<p>Arrived at the hall, the girls left their escorts at the door, -and hurried into the crowded dressing room under the stage. What -hand-shakings and laughing exchange of greetings they found there! What -merry peals of gentle laughter! What garrulous exchanges of confidences -as to the causes and effects of the day's labors and pleasures, were -buzzing in the two low-ceiled, square dressing rooms that happy night!</p> - -<p>Up from the basement came the fragrant odor of baking meats, and -delicious pastry. A small army of cooks was busy preparing the -elaborate supper; for this was one of the good old-time parties, for -which the tickets cost five dollars in scrip or produce, or less in -cash; and the guests came at early dusk, and after dancing for three -or four hours, were served at the loaded tables in the basement, with -the luxuries and delicacies of mountain food and mountain cooking; -after eating heartily of the supper, all were ready then for the dance -to be renewed until the early morning hours; at any time, however, the -merry-makers were glad to cease from the gay quadrilles, and listen -to the wise counsel or appropriate remarks made, perchance, by the -Presidency of the Church or other good speakers, who were ever the -merriest and best dancers in the room. At these innocent revelries -also, there was a grateful lack of unholy passions and impure thoughts -and words begotten by the too frequent round dancing of novel-reading -youths.</p> - -<p>"Did you ever, in your life, see Diantha and Ellie look so pretty?" -asked more than one unselfish mother, as the two girls came up the -little stairway from the dressing room, into the main hall, followed by -their cavaliers.</p> - -<p>Diantha was entrancing in her simple, straight-skirted, pale-blue -slip—for she scorned the balloon-like hoops of the day—with no -ornament save the pale gold masses of her luminous hair, and the rich -pink and white of her unappreciated but glorious complexion. She -herself disliked her chief charm, the warm, rich coloring, which gave -so much glowing life and fascinating vitality to the otherwise somewhat -cold expression and haughty air.</p> - -<p>Both the girls danced with the lightest grace and the keenest -enjoyment, and each was besieged with partners, for both were -recognized belles in their own circle. Ellen Tyler watched and waited -in vain for the appearance of her beloved friend, John Stevens. She -had never heard a word of love from his lips; indeed, she had never -given him direct encouragement to offer such words; but she knew that, -with a little insistence on his part, she could pour out to him the -wealth of her young heart. And with all her swarm of admirers, she was -unsatisfied, and yearning for the love that had never been offered her. -Yet she was too sweet and womanly to think for a moment of showing more -interest in any man than his own interest in her justified. And so -she waited and watched, trying to dance always in the set nearest the -stairway which led to the outer north entrance of the hall.</p> - -<p>She was not particularly surprised when a small boy came up to her and -whispered that a gentleman outside wished to speak to her for a moment.</p> - -<p>"Oh," she murmured in her heart, "it must be John."</p> - -<p>She threw a shawl around her in passing the dressing room, and followed -the boy outside. She saw no one when she got in the deserted doorway -and was about to turn around and go back to the hall, for the lane -looked very dark and forbidding at that late hour.</p> - -<p>Just as she turned, a man with a dark cloak enveloping his whole form -stepped out from the east corner of the building and, with a low bow, -said softly:</p> - -<p>"Forgive me, Miss Tyler, but the sight of heaven tempted me to try and -draw out the angel, if but for one moment. I am lonesome, a stranger, -and full of longing for the acquaintance of a sweet woman, be she -sister or friend."</p> - -<p>Ellen recognized the voice of her soldier acquaintance, and she -involuntarily shrank back from him.</p> - -<p>"Do not shrink from me, dear, sweet, gentle spirit. I am but a lonely, -unhappy man, so near to a paradise of laughter, love and music, and yet -unable to partake of one single element of all the glory that I see. -You remember, even the angels are not ashamed to pity."</p> - -<p>Just then someone came into the lane from the sidewalk, and Ellen -hurriedly moved away to enter the deep doorway. As she turned, she felt -a note thrust into her hand and then she was once more inside the safe -precincts of the lighted, noisy building, and she put the note deep -down into her pocket for future reference.</p> - -<p>When she once more made her way into the dancing hall, she was -surprised to find John Stevens dancing on the floor, and with no less -a person than her dear friend Diantha. She wondered how she had missed -him, but reflected that he must have come in while she was in the -dressing room hunting her shawl.</p> - -<p>"He will soon come to me," she whispered to herself, and waited -impatiently for that coming.</p> - -<p>But he did not come. Diantha and he danced together the first time and -the second and the third time, and as Ellen had refused to dance, and -was sitting on the side benches, she could easily follow them as the -couple moved through the mazes of the quadrille and reel. Diantha's -cheeks were glowing, and her eyes looked like blazing stars in the -azure blue, while her lips were like the red balls on the winter wild -rose bushes. And Ellen's sharp eyes noted that Diantha was not now -wearing Charlie's ring. What was happening? Dian floated round with a -rhythmical grace that was always so witching an accomplishment of her -queenly beauty. Ellen watched and listened. She was too shrewd not to -detect some meaning beneath all this throbbing excitement, and she knew -that there was more than the usual effort to fascinate, in the manner -of her friend Dian.</p> - -<p>As for John, he seemed almost another man. Talk about blazing eyes; -his almost burned into flame as he kept his intense gaze fastened upon -the uplifted glances of his companion. He said little; Ellen could see -that; but his look and his manner as he came near his dancing partner -betrayed his whole secret. It was for the first time, too, for never -before had he received such open, such undisguised encouragement from -the girl beside him.</p> - -<p>"John never looked at me like that," whispered Ellen in her own heart, -"never, never!"</p> - -<p>The two dancers were so absorbed in each other that they gave no heed -whatever to anyone about them, and so it came to pass that the brief -space of time spent by John in that eventful ball was spent wholly in -the society of Diantha.</p> - -<p>Ellen's enjoyment was all over. She felt nothing but a thrill of -jealous regret, mingled with a passionate wish for another love to -prove to John Stevens that she, too, could be sought and she felt as -well an intense desire for the love itself. She was such a tender, -clinging nature, physical love to her was not an incident, it was life -itself.</p> - -<p>When she was safely at home she opened her note and by the light of her -tallow candle, she read:</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p> "My Dear Young Friend:</p> - -<p> "I trust you will pardon the seeming forwardness of this letter. - Yours is such a gentle, forgiving nature, that you can but excuse, - especially when you know that the act is prompted by as deep an - affection and as earnest an admiration as could be bestowed by the - heart of a man. I am heartsick and alone. I find myself filled with a - love which is as hopeless as it is passionate; will you not let me at - least have the mournful pleasure of expressing that love, although I - know too well its hopeless character? You are so good, so pure that it - cannot hurt you to become the one star of peace in a stranger's dark - horizon. I would offer you all the love, protection and devotion usual - to my walk in life, if I knew that I dared.</p> - -<p> "At least, let me have the opportunity of telling you, once for all, - the love that fills my whole being for the angel who saved my life - at the risk of the anger and ostracism of her own people. Will you - not meet me for a few happy, happy moments while I tell you of my - friendship and esteem? I will be on the northeast corner of the block - on which you live, with a sleigh, tomorrow evening after nine o'clock. - If you wear a white scarf over your head I shall see you in the - distance, and know you are coming.</p> - -<p> "I am forever your hopeless, despairing</p> - -<p> "LOVER."</p> - -</blockquote> - -<p>The note was written on heavy cream-tinted paper. It bore a beautiful -crest or monogram in one corner, and it was sealed delicately with pink -sealing-wax, stamped with a signet ring, which bore the device of some -ancient French nobleman, and it was filled with a delicious perfumery, -the odor of which floated around her like a visible presence. Ellen -felt in her inmost soul that she should at once destroy this letter, -and go to Aunt Clara with her whole secret; but it was such an -entrancing letter! And John Stevens had flouted her so cruelly. No! -She would keep the letter just to read it again! And then Ellen gave -herself over to vague, delirious day-dreams.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXIX"></a>XXIX.</h2> - -<p>DIANTHA'S SUDDEN AWAKENING -</p> - -<p>Three weeks after the ball in the Social Hall, the two girls were at -a rag-bee at Aunt Clara Tyler's. There was the usual light gossip, -and jolly laughter, and as was always the case at Aunt Clara's home, -everybody felt unusually kind and pleasant. Aunt Clara had the faculty -of making everybody feel desirous of doing and saying the best that was -in them.</p> - -<p>"Did you hear that Tom Allen and his girl are to be married at last?" -asked Sister Hattie Jones, who was busily threading her needle.</p> - -<p>"You don't mean it?" answered Rachel Winthrop. "I really thought he was -going to 'play off' on her and marry Ellie."</p> - -<p>"I don't know how you could think that, Aunt Rachel," said Ellen, a -trifle sharply; "I have never had the least notion of trying to cut -Luna out, and my friendship for Tom was of the most platonic nature, I -assure you."</p> - -<p>Mrs. Jones saw she had made a mistake, and to cover her confusion, she -began on another subject.</p> - -<p>"Our Mark says that these soldiers are getting pretty impudent around -here. He says he has seen an officer riding around this ward in a -sleigh every night for the last three weeks. And he says, too, that -this stranger had one of our girls with him, for he saw her get out one -night, and he declares it is one of the girls in our ward. But he won't -tell who; he is going to get a better look at the girl, he says, before -he tells anyone who it is. I declare I don't see what our silly girls -are thinking of, to run around with these soldiers, who will ruin them -as quick as a wink, and then if they felt like it, they would shoot 'em -besides."</p> - -<p>Diantha looked in quick surprise at Ellen, the moment this story began, -and she saw with infinite alarm the sudden flush which spread over her -friend's usually pale cheek; and with the quick intuition of love, she -divined that Ellen was the guilty girl. What on earth could she do? -The talk drifted on and on, and Diantha listened and kept her intent, -loving gaze fixed upon the drooping eyes of her beloved friend. The two -girls cleaned up the supper dishes. Ellen talked with rapid garrulity, -as if to prevent a single word being said by her companion. At last, -when bedtime came, Diantha said, as calmly and as indifferently as she -could:</p> - -<p>"I believe I'll stay all night with you, Ellie darling, for Aunt Clara -is going out again tonight, she says, to nurse the sick; she has to go -out so much, doesn't she? But what would we do without Aunt Clara? She -is a whole Relief Society of herself, isn't she? You and I haven't had -a good talk since Christmas."</p> - -<p>"Well, all right. But," the girl added hesitatingly, "I'm afraid we'll -have to sleep three in a bed, for Aunt Clara has sent Cousin Alice to -sleep with me tonight."</p> - -<p>"Never mind," cheerfully responded Diantha, resolved not to be balked -in her endeavor to know more about her friend's walks and ways; "I can -easily do that, for I often have extra company, and you and I don't -mind crowding a bit."</p> - -<p>The girls hurried up to their room, soon after the evening prayers -were over, and Diantha looked in vain for a third bedfellow. But -she refrained from asking where the invisible Alice was, for she -instinctively felt that Ellen had lied to her to make an excuse to -prevent the talk Diantha had resolved to have with her friend. Dian was -a wise girl, and she felt instinctively that it would not be prudent -to urge herself upon her friend's confidence. So she chatted on other -topics, and they were soon undressed and in bed. For some reason, -Dian felt unusually wakeful, and she lay for a long time awake, with -a curious feeling, a sort of expectancy of something, or somebody, -which made the chills of uncomfortable fear race up and down her back. -But at last she fell asleep, trying dimly to account for her strange -sensations, and wondering vaguely who was coming. Sometime in the night -she awoke, half-startled, and in a moment she was conscious, wide -awake, and in perfect control of her faculties. It was the complete -instant wakefulness which comes to mothers with sick children, or -to men who watch their homes and loved ones in times of danger! She -wondered for one brief instant why she was not in her own room, and -then it flashed over her. She reached out her hand, and although she -was in some way curiously prepared for it, she found her companion not -at her side, and she felt all the shock of surprised dread which that -discovery would necessarily entail. She lay still a moment, trying to -persuade herself that Ellen had gone down stairs for a drink, or that -she had gone into Aunt Clara's room, for some purpose, and at last she -called out softly:</p> - -<p>"Ellie, Ellie, dear!"</p> - -<p>No answer came, and she was about to get up and find a light, when she -heard the front door open, and directly after, the sound of hurried, -muffled footsteps running up the stairs to her room, and she knew -instinctively who it was.</p> - -<p>"Ellen?" she said at once, as soon as the door opened.</p> - -<p>"Yes," came the breathless answer, from out the darkness.</p> - -<p>"Where have you been?" was Dian's rather stern question.</p> - -<p>"Down stairs after some oil. I have a sore throat."</p> - -<p>That was the second lie her friend had told her that night. Dian -knew it would be useless to try to learn anything further, for more -questions would only bring more lies, and she dreaded to hear another. -It hurt her that her beloved Ellen should feel it possible to tell lies -to anyone or for any purpose.</p> - -<p>Dian could hear in the darkness the swift motions of the girl unrobing, -and she rashly tried another question:</p> - -<p>"What on earth did you dress for, Ellie, just to go down stairs after -oil?"</p> - -<p>"Would you like to run all over the house such a bitter cold night as -this without any clothes on?" sharply asked Ellen.</p> - -<p>Dian lay still after that, realizing how hopeless it was to think of -probing the confidence of the girl she had driven away from her by her -abstractions and neglect.</p> - -<p>Dian's thoughts were bitter and remorseful. She could see now how -at times she had paid little attention to the affectionate girl by -her side, and how often she had allowed their confidences to remain -unspoken when she herself was absorbed in some more congenial pursuit. -She saw, too, her own thoughtless selfishness—was it selfishness? Dian -was loath to admit that it was selfishness on her part which had driven -Ellen to seek for friendship and confidence where it was given more -freely. Was she, Dian, really selfish? Or was she just self-absorbed? -And which was which? Whichever it might be, Dian felt she could never -again be so self-centered. She must think of others more, and of her -own life less. As to who had gained this confidence, even Dian dared -not think. Neither of the girls could sleep, both were too agitated for -repose. But neither felt to break the strained silence between them.</p> - -<p>"I heard today at the rag-bee, Ellen," said Dian at last, gently, "that -John Stevens was coming home from that trip into the north country. If -he is here tomorrow night, we will have him over to our house, and have -a candy-pulling."</p> - -<p>"You'd better have him all to yourself, Diantha, for that will please -both of you, and I guess it will hurt nobody else."</p> - -<p>Ellen spoke in so low and bitter a tone, that Dian felt unable to say -anything more until she had fathomed the reason for such anger.</p> - -<p>"What has John, or what have I done that you should speak like that, -Ellie?"</p> - -<p>"Done? Done nothing, I guess!" still bitterly. "But it didn't take any -smartness or particular discernment to see what was going on between -you two at the Christmas ball. I can see as far through a mill-stone as -anyone else, as your sister-in-law Rachel says."</p> - -<p>Diantha was silenced.</p> - -<p>What could it mean; Ellen Tyler sarcastic, bitter, and deceitful? What -did it all mean? Diantha lay quite still, but she could not sleep. Her -past life and her own faults came before her with startling vividness -and she felt that in some respects she had been a sorry failure. She -hated herself for all the thoughtless disregard for other people's -feelings which had at times hurt her best friends. And she knew, too, -that within herself there lay a wealth of devoted self-sacrifice at the -roots of her soul. Life was at last assuming an impersonal attitude to -this awakening heart.</p> - -<p>What about Ellen? One thing Dian knew, and that was that Ellen had -really liked John Stevens, and what did her bitter anger and her -sarcasm at herself mean? She concluded that Ellen was jealous of her. -Jealous! jealous of her, Diantha! What, then? What had she done to -make her jealous? To think that they two should be at loggerheads over -big, silent John Stevens! She herself had always openly declared that -she never could love a red-bearded man. Well, John's hair was fine and -wavy and it was rich brown, any one could see that. But his long silken -beard! As she thought about it, it really seemed to her to be not so -bad either. The heroes in the few novels and theaters she had read -and witnessed all had mustaches, silken mustaches. None of them were -pictured with long beards. That was for old men and farmers. However, -there was something harmonious in the long beard of the tall, silent -John Stevens. As she reached this point, the girl beside her sighed -a deep, heavy, heart-sad sigh, which struck Dian as very unusual, -especially with sunny Ellen Tyler.</p> - -<p>What was Ellen sighing for? Oh, yes, she was jealous of her and John -Stevens. Well, what would she, Diantha, do about it? She resented the -suggestion which came into her mind, that she would show forth fruits -meet for repentance for all her past selfishness by now being supremely -unselfish, and giving up every hope of John Stevens. Then there flashed -into her mind the attentions which that wicked soldier had been paying -on the sly to Ellen; and now that she thought of it, why, of course -that was where Ellen had been that night. And that was the reason that -she herself had felt so strangely when she awoke. Ellen was in danger, -and the inspiration of the Spirit and her natural instinct had warned -her of her friend's danger. Ellen had been out with him! Now that she -was in possession of the whole fearful secret what should she do?</p> - -<p>Another deep sigh by her side made Dian turn swiftly over, and putting -her arms around the girl, she drew her to her and as Ellen burst into -a fit of passionate weeping, Diantha stroked her hair and soothed her -without asking questions or attempting to pry into the confidence of -the sobbing girl. Diantha knew that forced confidence is neither full -nor satisfactory. Ellen sobbed herself to sleep, after which Diantha -did some very serious thinking. She made her decision at last, and then -with a deep sigh from her own heart, she fell into a broken, restless -sleep, which morning broke with a glad release.</p> - -<p>What that resolve was, was shadowed forth in her next meeting with John -Stevens.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXX"></a>XXX.</h2> - -<p>DIAN IS TRUE TO HER RESOLVE -</p> - -<p>It happened that when she came out of her home to attend her Sabbath -services the next Sunday, she found tall, silent John Stevens on her -doorstep, with a peculiar look in his eyes and a very fine new suit of -homespun gray clothing his tall form.</p> - -<p>"Oh," she gasped. Then as with a sudden impulse, "Come on, I am going -to get Ellie as I go along. She must go to meeting with us this -morning."</p> - -<p>Now, as John had not seen Diantha since the memorable ball, and as -he had certainly expected to get a greeting all his own without the -mention of anybody else, he saw occasion to be very much surprised, if -not a little annoyed. But as usual he said nothing, and they walked -along, Diantha laughing with a quick, metallic sound, as if she were -very happy or as if she were trying to conceal some undercurrent of -emotion. John chose to interpret her looks and her manner to mean a -rebuff to him, but he was slow to anger, and not easily disconcerted, -so they strode merrily along the frozen path.</p> - -<p>Ellen was very much surprised to see them enter her door, and she -refused at first to go with them to church, as she had not made ready -therefor, nor did she care to go. Diantha would not hear any excuses, -and carried Ellen upstairs, to prepare hurriedly for the services.</p> - -<p>As they approached the old—but then new—Tabernacle in the southwest -corner of the Temple block, they could hear the organ's strains, -accompanied by the united voices of the choir, as they sang the opening -hymn. They were too late to enter till after the prayer, and so they -stood outside on the step, and, as they stood there, they saw several -officers approaching the door as if to enter the sacred building.</p> - -<p>John at once stepped up to them and inquired casually:</p> - -<p>"Can I be of any service to you, gentlemen?"</p> - -<p>"We wish to attend your divine service this morning," replied Colonel -Saxey, "and we presume it will not be offensive, as we wish merely -to listen to your beautiful choir, of which we have heard so many -complimentary things."</p> - -<p>"Certainly, sir, you will be welcome." But out of John's eyes there -flashed a gleam of hatred and suspicion toward one of the officers who -lingered in the background. It was none other than Captain Sherwood. -Sherwood caught the look and at once was on his guard; with consummate -skill he directed his glances and his whole attention to Diantha. She -returned his looks of admiration with cold, proud contempt, and she -even went so far as to force herself between him and Ellen as they all -passed up the aisle.</p> - -<p>John saw Captain Sherwood cast glances of admiration towards Diantha -Winthrop, and he saw, too, that she forced herself in between Ellen and -Sherwood, but he failed to see the expression on Diantha's face. What -wonder, then, that he drew a wrong conclusion? After this, his whole -thought was centered upon watching the soldier, and he heard nothing -of the eloquent sermon preached by Elder Heber C. Kimball. And very -little did he hear of the really fine singing by the splendid choir of -fifty voices led by Prof. C. J. Thomas, accompanied as it was by the -tender, tuneful playing of that most beautiful and accomplished of all -President Young's pretty daughters, Fanny Young.</p> - -<p>Before the services were half over the officers withdrew, and John -quietly took up his hat and followed them out. He never lost sight of -them until they were mounted on their horses and well out of town. -John wondered what they had come to town for, but he was sure of one -thing, and that was that Diantha Winthrop had once more changed her -fickle mind. Well, John was as proud as he was silent, and he stroked -his beard with long, gentle passes, as he reflected upon life and its -uncertain meaning for him.</p> - -<p>The weeks flew by, filled with excitement, parties, false rumors of -danger, and then again a few days' quiet would give the city a needed -rest and comparative peace.</p> - -<p>Diantha kept so firmly to her resolve that John Stevens could not -secure her hand, even for a quadrille at a dance, as she was always -just engaged. She would not allow him to speak to her one moment in -private, and this so successfully turned his attention to Ellen Tyler -that she breathed freely and felt that the sacrifice had been accepted -and that her friend was saved.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXXI"></a>XXXI.</h2> - -<p>JOHN ALSO RESOLVES -</p> - -<p>The early spring had begun to clothe the towering mountain steeps with -spotted robes of brown, gray and green; over the distant summits, -the fleecy wind-clouds were torn and draggled as they trailed their -white skirts across the sharp edges of the mountain tops. Out on the -hills peeped the lovely rare bulb that the pioneer children called -"sego-lily," and here and there nestled the early, pink star they -called "Sweet Williams;" and rarer still, the tall, intensely blue -bulbous flower that was known as "the blue-bell," hid its precious -beauty beneath the gray walls of its shrubby friend the sage brush. -Everywhere the sego lily nodded with its golden brown heart and its -delicate, pouting lips of creamy white; while children ran and laughed -and quarreled as they dug the mellow, luscious root they called in the -Indian tongue, "segoes."</p> - -<p>Boys began to drive the sheep from the valley winter quarters to the -bunch-grass covered hills above; the herdsman took possession of his -mountain hut beside the cold, moss-covered spring, perched high up in -the tiny valleys of the upper mountain peaks. Out on the hills was -heard the tinkling bell of the sheep, and the call of the herders -echoed from peak to peak as they drove their hungry flocks through the -upper vales. The low, dark green pastures on the marshy lands began to -throw up their mellow juices into feathery wild oat stems, or filled -the reedy grass with thin nectar for the few and very choice cows that -waded around with slow pleasure in the Jordan meadows.</p> - -<p>Down by the Jordan's banks the boys watched the cows through the early -spring days, occasionally plunging into the cool water for a quick -swim, longing for the hot summer days when hours could be spent in the -water of the treacherous stream. Here and there a stray fisherman threw -his rude line into the stream and occasionally caught a mountain trout, -the speckled beauty glistening like silver as he threw it upon the -bank. At break of day, the husbandman—and who was not a husbandman in -those early pioneer times in these valleys?—drove his team afield—not -in the mellow soil known to the home he had left in the East, but -in the hard, uncultivated earth of centuries of sun-baked, rainless -summers, down in the bosom of the barren valleys. He dug out the tall, -gray-spiked sage brush and huge, flaunting sunflowers, and everywhere -he trenched his land in regular lines to train down upon it the cooling -streams which gave life and fertility to the otherwise hopeless soil.</p> - -<p>The first days of April brought the annual Conference, and everyone -in Utah laid aside work and prepared to attend the great three days' -meeting. Men in the city brought into their homes great stores of flour -and food to feed the visitors who would tarry with them during the -Conference. Women cooked meats and pastry, washed and ironed sheets and -quilts and filled the extra straw ticks to make temporary beds in every -spare corner to accommodate their usual country visitors.</p> - -<p>For many miles on all the country roads could be seen teams of all -descriptions wending their way to Conference. A few horses, some mules, -and often great ox-teams plodded their way city-ward. Men, women and -little children cheerfully left their homes and comforts to take -chances of any kind of hospitality for the privilege of attending the -prized semi-annual religious services.</p> - -<p>The yard of the Tithing office was filled with visiting teams and -wagons of every description, and busy women prepared food and comfort -for the hungry multitude gathered there. Children ran about, playing -at hide-and-seek, or chased each other over the ground amid wheels and -wagon tongues, grouped about in semi-confusion.</p> - -<p>It was rather a cold and damp time, therefore the Tabernacle was well -warmed for the people gathered in happy groups for this Friday morning. -What exchanges of greetings were there as brother met brother and -sister greeted sister! Months, perhaps years had elapsed since they -had seen each other. Here was a family just come over from the "old -country" standing up between the benches to greet the throng which -crowded about them to shake their hands, for they had been good to -the "elders" in England, and every elder wanted to take them by the -hand and introduce them to his family. How quaint the old English -pronunciation sounded on those newly imported English tongues, and how -queer the children looked with their little bare, red arms, and their -low, broad-toed shoes and white "pinafores," and how it made the Utah -children laugh and stare to be told by these recent importations to -"give over now, give over;" and how the elder would smile as the jolly -mother of the new arrival would recall his words and ways while amongst -them; and how his merry eyes would sadden and fill with tears as he -heard the story of "our Mary who had died," or, far worse, perchance, -had apostatized in spite of all teachings, and who had been left behind -to her own backsliding ways! What great slaps were bestowed upon broad -backs as Brother So-and-So came up behind Brother What's-His-Name and -thus announced his pleasure at greeting his old-time friend!</p> - -<p>As John Stevens entered the well-warmed and cosy building, a few -minutes before the meeting was called to order, his eye involuntarily -became brighter in sympathy with the merry confusion and bustle which -he witnessed all around him. Everybody was standing up and talking to -everybody else, while on the distant "stand" the elders were indulging -in the same friendly and informal greetings. Crops, the weather, -babies, death, marriage, sermons, soldiers, war, the millennium, new -homespun coats, the possible advent of a woolen mill in the Territory, -carpet looms, shoe lasts, prospective sawmills, and the best recipe -for cooking dried service-berries, all these topics buzzed in endless -variety and confusion around the well-filled hall.</p> - -<p>But hark! all eyes are turned to the stand, as Brigham Young is heard -calling the people to come "to order," and instantly all voices are -stilled; the groups at once settle down into regularity, and the -thoughts of the congregation are fixed upon the words of the heartfelt -opening prayer of Elder Chas. C. Rich.</p> - -<p>As the choir began its second hymn, John turned in his seat to see -if Diantha and Ellen were in their seats in the choir. Yes, Diantha -stood there with her lovely form clad in its classical, simple gown of -homespun, fitting her like a molded glove, while the glorious eyes and -scarlet lips were as beautiful as ever. He looked at her so long, and -as she was unconscious of his gaze, so earnestly, that he forgot to -look for Ellen.</p> - -<p>After the hymn was over, however, he remembered Ellen and he soon -saw that her place among the altos was vacant. Where was Ellen? he -wondered; she was always at meeting.</p> - -<p>John addressed to himself some very severe reflections, and as his mind -left his own affairs and became partly absorbed in the sermon which -Elder Orson Hyde was preaching, he gradually became conscious that he -had formed a resolution. That resolution was to forget Diantha Winthrop -as speedily as possible.</p> - -<p>Now, this was a thing which John had never before contemplated. In all -his past associations with the girl, no matter what coldness, neglect -or discouragements he had experienced, he had never for one moment -despaired of some day winning her for his wife. He knew intuitively -something of human nature, and besides that he had felt in the depths -of his own soul a whispering assurance that the girl belonged to him, -and that his claim to her was one which had existed before they came -to this earth. Therefore he had quietly gone along, never seeking to -urge himself or his attentions upon her nor indeed upon any girl; -he had concealed from her as from everyone else the secret of his -preference, and he had lived for years with the hope in his heart which -made his daily sunshine and sweetened his every night vision. Yet now, -with awakened consciousness on his part, he found himself forming an -invincible resolution never again to permit his thoughts or his love to -go out to this girl who had given him at one time plain encouragement, -and who had since, for no reason whatever, turned upon him a colder, -prouder face than she had ever done in the old days before she had -guessed his secret.</p> - -<p>He sought, with the old Puritanic inheritance of self-investigation, to -fathom the cause of this resolution. He found his mind distracted from -the sermon which had been so interesting, and involuntarily he turned -around to look at Dian herself to see what expression she had now upon -her face, and to see if perchance her looks might have had something to -do with this strange decision. She looked as serene, as unconscious, -as a statue. Her face looked slightly weary, as if she, too, had lost -interest in the sermon, and her thoughts were on something else. But -she did not look at John, and even if she knew where he sat, she seemed -to avoid meeting his eyes.</p> - -<p>As John's gaze left her witching face, and his eyes traveled over the -choir seats, he observed Ellie's vacant seat, and he felt suddenly -that Ellie had something to do with this decision. What and how did -Ellie effect this? John was not an impulsive man, his thoughts were -deep and rather slow in forming. He allowed his mind to play upon this -thought which had come to him, and it seemed to him that a veritable -inspiration flashed upon him that Ellie was in danger, and that she -needed him. He had no superstitious notion that he could hear Ellen -calling him, that is the way he would have put it to himself; yet if he -had been a more imaginative man, he would have said that he could hear -her voice in his soul pleading for help in her hour of extremest peril.</p> - -<p>However it was, he was so strongly impressed that he struggled as long -as he could to restrain the feeling which gave him no peace, until he -finally arose and went out of the meeting, and hastened down to the -home of the Tylers, and inquired for Ellen. Aunt Clara was at home, -getting dinner for the rest of the folks who had gone to meeting, and -she answered his knock at the door.</p> - -<p>"Ellie, why, she is not well this morning, and she is still in bed. -She did not sleep much last night, and I told her to lie still this -morning, and she could perhaps go to meeting this afternoon."</p> - -<p>John sat and chatted a while with his old friend, Aunt Clara, but he -did not mention the dreadful impression which he had felt that morning, -and he told himself again and again what a silly thing it was for him -to give way to such notions.</p> - -<p>He heard later from Tom Allen that Ellen was at the afternoon meeting -and he added that fact to the scolding he had administered that morning -to himself, and assured himself that there was plenty of time to try -and persuade pretty Ellen Tyler to accept him and his home as her -future destiny.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXXII"></a>XXXII.</h2> - -<p>"SOUR GRAPES" -</p> - -<p>A few hours later, just in the cool edge of the late afternoon, John -found himself eagerly looking over some new daguerreotypes of various -of his friends in the shop of Marcena Cannon, the photographer, on -Main Street. He was so busily engaged that he did not notice the -slight noisy wrangle of some drunken men on the street until he saw a -group of them darken the small doorway of the tiny shop. As his glance -caught the fact that they were soldiers, he withdrew into the shadow -and waited for developments. He was unwilling to embroil himself with -these men, and yet he had caught sight of the dissolute face of Captain -Sherwood in the crowd, and John remained to watch.</p> - -<p>"Hello, Mr. Cannon," cried the tipsy captain, "we want our pictures -taken. Can you take the picture of a gentleman as well as the ugly mugs -of these d—d Mormons?"</p> - -<p>The face of the photographer was drawn into a sneer of contempt for the -insult thus offered himself and his associates, but he only said:</p> - -<p>"Men in my profession must be as willing to try their hands at painting -a fool as they are to take the likeness of an honest man. Are there any -honest men in your party who want to pose before my camera?"</p> - -<p>For answer the captain only leered about the shop, pausing unsteadily -before first one picture and then another; finally he caught sight -of a large daguerreotype of President Brigham Young, done by the -enterprising pioneer photographer Marcena Cannon. Steadying himself in -front of this picture, Sherwood raised his pistol, and shot through it, -the bullet embedding itself in the wall behind. His marksmanship was -so unsteady that only the corner of the canvas was riddled; but the -soldiers surrounded their captain at once, fearing that his overt act -might precipitate some trouble. Sherwood yelled out as his shot rang -into the dim silence of the room:</p> - -<p>"That's the way I'd serve the old scoundrel if I could get him in the -same place."</p> - -<p>Instantly the room filled with street-loungers, although the sound was -no unusual one in those unhappy Salt Lake days. As the smoke cleared -away, Captain Sherwood found himself looking down the muzzle of John -Stevens' own revolver, while a cool, grating voice hissed in his ear:</p> - -<p>"Git out, vermin."</p> - -<p>The soldier, sobered by his own folly, found his small squad of men -were vastly outnumbered by the civilian police who now crowded into the -tiny room, and without further parley he assumed a braggart air, and -swaggered out of the place.</p> - -<p>"'He who runs away'," quoth Charlie Rose, who was at John's elbow by -this time, "'may live to fight another day.' But then again he may not. -You can't sometimes always tell. Little Captain Sherwood may reach the -place of his own seeking sooner than he anticipates."</p> - -<p>The incident only served the better to reveal the unprincipled -character of a man whom already poor John hated with a righteous vigor.</p> - -<p>As the drunken captain, now somewhat sobered by his recent escapade, -clanked noisily down Main Street, followed by his squad, he saw -Diantha, clad in her usual comely habit, coming toward him. Instantly -alert to any possible results of this chance encounter, Captain -Sherwood straightened himself, and endeavored to assume his usual -elegant swagger. But if he had removed the traces of his recent debauch -from his walk, it still lingered in the dusky flame which burned in -cheeks and chin, and above all there still glittered in the dusk of -his leering eyes that signal of danger which thrills every weak human -creature who beholds that black flag. Captain Sherwood sober had much -to recommend him to polite society—but Captain Sherwood drunk betrayed -the devil within him. Drunk or sober, he was the acme of grace, and -it was with customary lightness that he swept off his blue cap and -carrying it to his heart he bowed low with exaggerated politeness to -the frightened girl, now opposite him.</p> - -<p>With small trace of the raging fear within her, the girl turned her -head proudly away, and with a slight motion of mingled fear and disgust -she drew her skirts aside as if to avoid possible contact, and walked -coldly on, leaving a short, dismayed silence behind her, as the men -watched with common interest this second rout of their dissolute -companion and superior officer.</p> - -<p>"You won't speak to me?" the captain muttered thickly to himself; -"well, my tragedy queen, I know somebody who will."</p> - -<p>To his men he only gave the word of command and the party were soon -astride of their horses and riding rapidly into the south.</p> - -<p>It was Diantha's first experience with such evil forces; and after she -was well out of sight she flew to her home, with her heart clamoring -at her throat for swift release. Flinging herself down upon her knees -she buried her face in her pillow as she sobbed out her broken prayers -to that living Father whose tender protection she had never before -sought with such abject humility. After her heart had ceased to pound -in her neck, she scolded herself for a stupid coward of a girl—to be -frightened in broad daylight, and on Main Street, where there were -plenty of good men to protect her in case of real danger. Fright -has no reason, has only eyes to see and ears to hear the nameless -possibilities which sweep the spirit out into formless space. Presently -the still small voice of reason reached her consciousness, and as -thought settled quietly down upon its throne in her troubled soul, the -question flashed along her mind: "Why is that man hanging around Great -Salt Lake City so often of late?" Then—"Ellen?" was questioned and -answered in a second illuminating thrill of pain.</p> - -<p>Without another moment's hesitation, Diantha sprang up, bathed her -face, and the fear that had oppressed her for her own safety was -transferred to her friend.</p> - -<p>Ellen was churning in her cool, quiet buttery. She greeted Diantha -coldly, then bade her bring a chair for herself from the kitchen.</p> - -<p>"No, I will stand," answered Dian, too excited yet to talk calmly. -"I have had such a fright!" And she proceeded to relate her recent -experiences, not adding to nor taking from one single point; the truth -was brutal enough to this sheltered, pure-minded, unsophisticated girl. -With that awful truth she had come to warn and shield her dearest -friend.</p> - -<p>Ellen listened with her brooding eyes fixed upon her frothing -churn-dash. When the story was fairly told, she offered no word of -comment.</p> - -<p>"What do you think of that?" asked Dian, anxious to obtain her friend's -point of view.</p> - -<p>"I don't think anything," Ellen said, at last.</p> - -<p>"Why, Ellie, he was dead drunk."</p> - -<p>"How could you tell such a thing as that?" asked Ellen, judicially. -"What do you or I know about drunken men?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, his eyes, and his red face—and—and—everything—" stammered -Diantha, confused to be thus put at a disadvantage, and upon the -witness-stand. "And there was something so terrible about him every way -that I just shuddered when he looked into my eyes."</p> - -<p>Still Ellen refused to discuss the matter. Dian persisted:</p> - -<p>"You can't think what a fright I was in. If you could have just seen -him—"</p> - -<p>The sullen listener busied herself with her churn. And at last, she sat -down to work over her butter.</p> - -<p>"Ellie," coaxed Diantha, "what do you think about the thing, anyway?"</p> - -<p>The weak, delicate character of the love-sick Ellen had been turned -from its own natural candid sweetness into the gall of secretive -obstinacy, by her concealed passion; and when she was thus adjured, she -simply raised her dash to clean off the remaining globes of gold, as -she said, tartly:</p> - -<p>"If you want to know what I think about you, Dianthy Winthrop, I'll -tell you—'sour grapes'!"</p> - -<p>Diantha was too frankly surprised for a moment to do aught but stare -stupidly at the lowered face opposite her. Then suddenly comprehending, -she said icily, her lips drawing into a sharp line across her face:</p> - -<p>"Do you think I have made up all this story? That I am jealous? Jealous -of a vile, wicked soldier? Oh, Ellen, you surely can't think such a -terrible thing as that!"</p> - -<p>"Would it be the first time you've been jealous of me?" asked the girl. -Dian's truthful memory received this home-thrust in silence; but she -was not thus to be thrown from her purpose.</p> - -<p>"But, Ellen, he was drunk! Drunk, I tell you! And he is not fit to wipe -your shoes on."</p> - -<p>"Sour grapes," muttered the scornful lips of the girl before her.</p> - -<p>"Ellen Tyler, I came here with an honest desire to give you a friendly -warning. I don't imagine for one moment that you need it any more than -I do, or that you are not just as good and just as wise as I am—maybe -more so. But I am beginning to see things as they are: the glamor and -glory and romance which once so fascinated me is fading away, thank -God—anyway as it relates to men who drink and carouse or who do wrong. -And especially do I begin to see how unsafe we are associating with -any man outside this Church and kingdom. I have done my best to warn -you, as Aunt Clara and my brother have warned us both time and time -again. We are two orphaned girls, but God has sent us repeated warnings -through our best friends and guardians to listen and obey. We girls -may or may not come to harm when we follow our own path, but we can -never come to a good end if we disobey the counsels of those who have a -right to give us such counsel. I am going to try and heed that warning -counsel. I dare not disobey. It is bred in my very bone to give heed to -the voice of wisdom. I felt a strong impression that you needed this -warning, too, and I have given it. I think now that I shall go to Aunt -Clara and tell her exactly what I have told you."</p> - -<p>Ellen's eyes lifted quickly. But with the subtle deceit of a weak, -inwardly-selfish soul she said, smoothly:</p> - -<p>"Don't bother to tell Aunt Clara, Dian. You have told me, and I will -remember all you say. It might only worry Aunt Clara when there is no -need."</p> - -<p>Only half convinced, but wholly appeased by this seeming flag of truce, -Diantha chatted with her friend awhile on indifferent things and then -went away, resolved to seek some convenient opportunity after the -Conference was well over to have a long talk with Aunt Clara.</p> - -<p>Alas, that we wait for these laggard opportunities, instead of boldly -going out to meet them in the highway! It is well to consider well -before we do evil, but good should be done on the impulse.</p> - -<p>The next morning, which was Sunday, Ellen was at her post in the choir, -and John hurried home from meeting at noon to make arrangements with -a friend to take his place in the evening so that he could spend that -Sunday evening visiting with Ellen.</p> - -<p>All afternoon he gently forced his mind to dwell solely and wholly upon -the real sweetness and charm of pretty Ellen Tyler. He fancied what -a dear little wife she would make and he drew all sorts of domestic -pictures of what home with such a fond little wife would be. He knew -she was good, true, lovely, and although weak in some points, he was -sure that marriage would give her all the strength and force necessary -for her perfection as a woman and as a saint. Yes, John had decided to -marry—not Dian Winthrop, but sweet, impulsive, pretty Ellen Tyler—if -he could get her! If he could! Ah, if he only could!</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXXIII"></a>XXXIII.</h2> - -<p>WHERE IS ELLEN? -</p> - -<p>As the chill evening closed in that Sabbath night when the city -was stilled of all its Conference bustle,—for Conference had been -adjourned to meet again in six months—John Stevens hurried down to -spend the quiet evening hours with Ellen Tyler. He had resolved to ask -her to be his wife, and if she happily consented, he should insist that -no delays of months or even weeks were necessary, but the sweet June -month, not far away with its rose-blown days and its fragrant, mellow -nights, should see their wedding day with its tender promise of loving -reality.</p> - -<p>"Well, Aunt Clara," he said to that good lady, "I am here again, you -see. Who comes so often as I do?"</p> - -<p>"No one that is half so welcome," she answered gently, with her kindly -smile. "Come right in, John, and let me take your hat."</p> - -<p>"How are you all, Aunt Clara, and I suppose I may as well out with it: -where is Ellie?"</p> - -<p>"We are well, John, and so is Ellie. She got over her little sick spell -all right, and went to meeting this morning. But she is not at home -tonight, nor will she be for a few days. I let her go home with the -Meachams, who live in Provo, you know. I have had to be away from home -so much this winter and spring, nursing the sick, that Ellen has been -real lonesome. I felt a little sorry to let her go, for I don't like -our girls away from home these times. However, you know I can't always -have my way, and Ellen teased so long, and Brother Meacham said he -would be very careful of her, and as she promised to be back inside of -two weeks, I just had to let her go."</p> - -<p>"Where did the Meachams stay, while they were here, Aunt Clara? Did -they put up with you?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, no; you know we had all of Jane's folks from Davis County, and we -had eight of the new arrivals from England, some folks that Brother -Kimball told to come here; they had been so kind to him while he was in -England."</p> - -<p>"I wonder where the Meachams did stay, then?" asked John, uneasily.</p> - -<p>"I ain't sure, but I think they camped in the Tithing Yard; you know -they have a good wagon, and as they are pretty independent, they would -rather do for themselves than to stay with anyone, unless it was an own -brother or sister."</p> - -<p>John picked up his hat with his usual slow, decisive motion, and -refusing Aunt Clara's warm invitation to stay awhile and chat with -her, he left the house, with his long, swinging strides, and was soon -out of the gate, on his way to the Tithing Yard. He did not stop to -ask himself why he was going there, for he knew that most of the teams -which had camped there would be on their hurried way for home, as soon -as the Conference was once closed. Yet he walked as rapidly as was -possible for him, and he told himself that all he hoped to find out was -what hour the Meachams left, and who else was with Ellen Tyler.</p> - -<p>It was a dark night in the early spring. Once inside the yard he made -his way through the mass of debris and over outstretched wagon tongues -to the one lone campfire burning brightly in a distant corner of the -yard. The children were sitting with sleepy, bent heads upon their -mother's knees, listening with all but unconscious ears as one or -another gave the company the benefit of some imitation of Yorkshire -dialect, or spun a yarn in canny Scotch. As John approached the group, -he noted one face, with a positive start.</p> - -<p>"James Meacham," he called out, unable to contain himself, "I thought -you were on your road to Provo. I was told you had started this -afternoon; and also, that you had Ellen Tyler with you, who was going -with your wife and daughter to make a short visit. How is it I find you -here?"</p> - -<p>"Well, Brother John, you find me here because I am not there; I did -not start, because I was not ready to start. And I haven't seen your -precious young friend, Ellen Tyler; no more has my wife, nor my girl -Maggie, I think. She was to be here tonight to let us know if she could -go down with us. And what's more, I am wondering why it is you are so -particular to know. Are you going to marry that fine young woman?"</p> - -<p>"Where is Sister Meacham?" asked John, in a low tone, unheeding his -friend's raillery.</p> - -<p>"She is just gone to bed in the wagon. Here, Maggie," he called, at the -side of the wagon, as he led the way for John, "here's John Stevens -huntin' up pretty Ellie Tyler."</p> - -<p>"Sister Meacham, have you seen Ellen today, and do you know whether she -went to Provo with anyone else?"</p> - -<p>"Why, Brother Stevens, I saw Ellie yesterday, and she told me she was -going to go with us down to Provo for a day or two, but she hasn't -been around today, and as I thought maybe she was wanting to get a -bit readier. I asked James to wait all night and we would go down to -Tyler's in the morning on our way out of town and pick Ellie up. Have -you been down to her house? I guess she is there, all right."</p> - -<p>John said a few hurried words, and then hastened away in the silent -night, leaving the Meachams with a little wonder on their minds, but -no suspicion of anything serious. He remembered that Ellen often -stayed at Winthrops over night when Aunt Clara had to be out nursing, -and he would go there before he gave way to the horrible doubts and -fears that were nearly overmastering him. His knock at the door was -answered by Diantha herself, and she held out her hand to John with a -pretty attempt which began at serious coldness, but which ended like -an invitation to forgive and forget. John did not see her outstretched -hand. He was too full of other emotions to even see the welcoming -sparkle in her blue eyes. He merely took off his hat and asked -laconically:</p> - -<p>"Is Ellen Tyler over here?"</p> - -<p>"No, I've hardly seen Ellen for weeks, that is, except at a distance." -Her manner was cold at once. He had come hunting another girl.</p> - -<p>John's next words dispelled this coldness, and communicated to her -something of the excited fears which tore the breast of the man before -her.</p> - -<p>"Diantha, Ellen Tyler left her home this afternoon just after meeting, -telling Aunt Clara that she was going to Provo with James Meacham's -family to spend a fortnight. Aunt Clara is near worn out with nursing -and Conference visitors, and consented to let Ellie go for two weeks. -Ellen took her clothes with her, and bade them all goodbye. She is not -with the Meachams, who are still encamped in the Tithing Yard, nor is -she at home nor here. Where is she?"</p> - -<p>Diantha looked with fixed, widening eyes at the pale face before her, -and she repeated slowly and mechanically, as if too stunned to think:</p> - -<p>"Where is she?"</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXXIV"></a>XXXIV.</h2> - -<p>IS SHE AT THE CHASE MILL? -</p> - -<p>Diantha turned without another word to John, and, flying upstairs, she -was down in a moment, with a shawl thrown around her shoulders and head.</p> - -<p>"Come," she said, breathlessly.</p> - -<p>"Where are you going?"</p> - -<p>"Over to Aunt Clara, to ask her what to do. My brother Appleton is -away, and Aunt Clara will know better than anyone else what to do."</p> - -<p>They sped along in the cool, spring evening, not exchanging one word, -for both hearts were heavy with the weight of remorse. Each knew that -the word of inspiration had warned both that Ellen was on dangerous -ground, and each knew that the word had not been heeded to the extent -that it should have been.</p> - -<p>"Oh, for one moment to undo the past," was the pitiful tale which each -heart was telling its silent listener.</p> - -<p>Aunt Clara's face whitened with a pallor like their own when the whole -story had been told; but in spite of the sure feeling of catastrophe -which assailed all three, Aunt Clara was too wise to allow fear to -master her.</p> - -<p>"Now, don't go to imagining that Ellen has run away because we can't -just now get trace of her. Everything will turn out all right. You -haven't half looked for her. She may have gone down with the Harpers -instead of the Meachams. Or, she may have gone out to the Chase Mill, -for you remember she did not see me the very last minute. She bade us -goodbye before we went to meeting, for she said she would not wait till -we got home, we always stay so long talking, and she wanted to get off. -No, the thing to do tonight is to find out if she is at the Chase Mill. -You see, if the Meachams have not gone, she may have found a chance to -go down to the mill over night, thinking she could go on with them in -the morning."</p> - -<p>There was a very faint glimmering of hope in this suggestion, and -without saying anything further, it was arranged that John should get -permission from the President for a three days' absence from his duties -as night guardsman, and then he should come for both Aunt Clara and -Dian in his own light spring wagon with a cover, for Dian would not -listen to the others going without her. She felt so unhappy that she -could scarcely bear her own sorrow, and she would have followed them -on foot, so great was her anxiety to know the whole truth about her -beloved friend.</p> - -<p>She sat with Aunt Clara, telling her, now that it was too late, all -the things that she knew and suspected of Ellen; of the night of the -Christmas ball and of her subsequent determination to give John up -entirely to Ellen; and of how Ellen had avoided her all winter, and -how she had not broken through her reserve, for she had thought it was -due to a little jealousy on Ellen's part on account of John. She also -told her of how skilfully Ellen had parried all her questions and all -attempts to draw her out the night they slept together; lastly she told -of their stormy interview the day before.</p> - -<p>All this the girl told with streaming eyes, and broken, sobbing -breaths. Her self-reproach and agony were terrible, and Aunt Clara -wisely allowed the first flood of her grief to spend itself before -she interrupted or tried to calm the excited girl. At last, however, -the elder woman saw a chance to relieve in a measure the unnecessary -remorse, and she asked gently:</p> - -<p>"Has Ellen ever told you she was in love with the soldier you speak of?"</p> - -<p>"No, no indeed. The very last time we had a confidential talk, she said -almost in as many words that she would give anything in this world if -John Stevens would fall in love with her. But that was last winter, -and I have treated him as coldly as I possibly could ever since, for -Ellie's sake."</p> - -<p>"Diantha, you are taking more of this on yourself than you have any -need to do; you have not helped Ellen to do wrong, and if you spoke -once to this wicked soldier, it was but for the once. Purity does not -consist in never being at fault, or knowing what temptation is, but -it is to resist that which on reflection we know to be wrong. Ellen -ought to understand this as well as you do, dear, for, oh, I have -tried to train her aright. I love her as my own life. I have spent -many an hour in trying to persuade her to avoid temptation. I know -the poor, dear girl is vain, and that makes her weak. She lacks the -strength which helps us to keep our own good opinion of ourselves. She -loves admiration and pleasure so well that, always, even as a child, -she would sacrifice anything else on earth for it." Poor Aunt Clara -was trying to drown her own self-reproaches with philosophy and moral -reflection.</p> - -<p>"But oh, to think of Ellen gone away, and to such a horrible doom! It -is too awful," and again the girl broke into a sobbing fit. It was -Dian's first real grief, her first experience of life and its deepest -trials.</p> - -<p>"Diantha, I can see where I have failed with my poor Ellie; I have -been so anxious to nurse and help to save the sick bodies of the poor -and destitute and to administer food and raiment to the needy, that I -have been at times forgetful and careless of the sick and needy soul of -my precious child, who is like the child of my own body. True, I did -not suspect anything of what you are now telling me. But this is not -wisdom. Let us not mourn over the past, but mend the future."</p> - -<p>At that moment John drove up, and the three rode away in the late -evening darkness, to visit the Chase Mill, on the outskirts of the -city, and find out if Ellen had been there. Aunt Clara's surmise was -correct; Ellen had ridden down there, according to the old gentleman -who tended the mill, which lay just southeast of the city. Ellen came -there alone, he said, and asked for a drink of milk. She also took some -bread and butter, for she said she expected to be taken up either by -the Meachams or the Harpers, and she was going to spend two weeks in -Provo, visiting her many friends in that place.</p> - -<p>"How did Ellen get here?" inquired John.</p> - -<p>"She said she came down as far as the mill with Brother Sheets. She -stayed with me here about an hour, and then, seeing a dust outside -coming down the main road, she walked over there, carrying her bundle -of clothes, and waited for the teams. I was busy getting up the cows -and feeding the stock, and did not think any more about it for about -an hour, and when I looked out to the main road for her, she was gone. -I went right out, and happened to meet a team going south, and I asked -the driver if the Meachams or the Harpers had gone on that way a little -while before, and he said he thought the Harpers were just ahead of -him, as they drove out of the city about half an hour before he did. -So, of course, she has gone down to Prove. If you want to stay over -night, I will rig up some straw ticks, and make you as comfortable as I -can."</p> - -<p>Aunt Clara could never feel satisfied to go back to the city without -learning something definite and sure about their missing girl; and so -it was decided to wait over night at the farm house, and to start very -early in the morning for Provo, and bring back their loved wanderer -with them on their return next day.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXXV"></a>XXXV.</h2> - -<p>ON TO PROVO -</p> - -<p>What conflicting emotions swayed that little party of three as they -rode rapidly along the next day towards the town of Provo!</p> - -<p>Diantha had chosen to sit by John on the front seat, both to -accommodate Aunt Clara, who was stout, and to comfort her own miserable -heart, by resting on his great, fortress-like personality. She was too -weak just now to stand alone, as she had done all her life. She was -discovering that she was a true woman, and she needed someone to lean -on in her hour of woe.</p> - -<p>"John," she said, "do you remember when we came home last year from -Provo, how we met those soldiers, almost here it was?" and then that -brought up the thought all were trying to put away, and Aunt Clara -interrupted:</p> - -<p>"I wonder where the folks stayed all night! They couldn't drive clear -through to Provo after meeting was out yesterday afternoon. We didn't -think to inquire at Dr. Dunyon's at the point of the mountain, if they -stayed there over night."</p> - -<p>"I will ask at the Bishop's as we pass through Lehi, if he saw the -Harpers on the road today."</p> - -<p>Accordingly, they drove to the Bishop's, in Lehi, and he told them he -had seen the Harpers driving along early that morning, but they did not -stop over in the settlement.</p> - -<p>"Did you notice if they had two or three girls with them? They had a -grown daughter of their own, and Ellen Tyler came down with them. I was -wondering if she sat on the front seat."</p> - -<p>This was said as indifferently as it was possible, for John did not -want to arouse unnecessary suspicion or cause unnecessary talk.</p> - -<p>"Well, I can't say that I noticed. They had the wagon cover tied up -at the sides, and there were women or girls inside, for I heard them -laughing and singing as they passed by our fence."</p> - -<p>This was cheering, and John consented, although somewhat reluctantly, -to accept the Bishop's kindly invitation to stop and have some dinner, -for he realized the women ought to eat, even if it were impossible for -him to do so. It took some time for the worthy Bishop's wife to cook -dinner, and she was very anxious to get the best she had, for John -Stevens was an old friend, and he had done them many a good turn. Good -as the dinner was, no one seemed able to eat much, although John drank -some of the rich, cold milk which the Bishop's wife brought up from the -springhouse.</p> - -<p>It was past three o'clock when they left Lehi, and there were twenty -miles to drive to Provo. But John's team was a fine one, and at seven -o'clock in the evening, just at the early spring dusk, as they neared -the edge of the bench overlooking Provo, they all strained with hungry, -eager eyes at the little town stretched along the river bottoms, and -each hoped and tried to believe that the object of their search was -sheltered beneath one of those low, friendly roofs.</p> - -<p>Diantha told herself that when she got hold of Ellen she would squeeze -her and pet her until she would never need the love of another person. -She would never leave her side again, for she would either forsake her -own home to live with Ellen, or she would coax Aunt Clara to let Ellen -live with her. And oh, what would she not do to make Ellen happy! She -remembered that Ellen did not like to make beds, or wash dishes. Well, -she would never have that to do again, for she would take all that work -off Ellen's slender hands. She did not mind it, and Ellen should never -have to do anything she disliked again.</p> - -<p>On the other hand, the more experienced head of Aunt Clara was -cogitating about the possible future when they found and brought -the dear wanderer home, and she decided that Ellen must take up and -faithfully perform some of the disagreeable things which all her -life she had slighted and slipped over. She felt that perhaps she, -herself, had favored Ellen too much, in that she had allowed her to -please herself always, and that too, often at the expense of the -comfort and rights of others. She saw now that what Ellen needed was -not less affection, but more discipline, to learn that happiness does -not consist in gratification of one's own wishes and desires, but in -the cheerful sacrifice of self for the good and comfort of others. She -realized now that her Ellen had that inner selfishness clothed with an -outer lavish extravagance which deceives and entices the best of casual -friends. Ellen would give up anything but her own vain pleasures. Aunt -Clara had become so accustomed to sacrificing herself for those around -her, that she began to fear lest she had thus deprived others of that -chastening discipline. She resolved again and again that she would take -up another line of action with her loved child, who was as dear as if -she had been her own offspring.</p> - -<p>John's thoughts were too deep to be discernible from his composed yet -pale face, and he said nothing, unless questioned by the others, but -guided his team with a firm yet gentle hand.</p> - -<p>The low door of the Harpers' home opened at John's knock, and the girl -Jenny, herself, opened it.</p> - -<p>"Ellie Tyler? Oh, no, we haven't seen her. She said Saturday in meeting -that she might come down with us, or she would come with the Meachams, -and she has promised to spend one week with me. I guess she is on the -road with the Meachams."</p> - -<p>John knew better than that, but he would not set tongues to wagging, -and so he said again, in his quiet, yet now wily way:</p> - -<p>"Did you see that officer from Camp Floyd as you drove out of the city -last night? I understand he has been attending our meetings. I wonder -if any of those soldiers are really interested in our Church?"</p> - -<p>The girl caught eagerly at the bait he had so skilfully flung.</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes, I saw him. He had a spanking team, and he passed us just -before we got to Chase's mill. He was alone, though, and if he was at -meeting yesterday I didn't see him. But I believe he was there Saturday -with some more soldiers."</p> - -<p>John had caught the door post as she spoke, and he leaned against -his arm heavily, as he said, huskily, still determined to avoid all -unnecessary talk:</p> - -<p>"We are going to find Ellen, as there is to be a theater in the Social -Hall at the end of the week, and she is needed to take a small part. We -will find her all right; thank you."</p> - -<p>John got out to the carriage, and in a husky voice he repeated what had -been told him, and he added:</p> - -<p>"I am going to Bishop Miller's and get a fresh team and drive out to -Camp Floyd tonight. You can both stay at the Bishop's all night, and I -will arrange to have you driven home tomorrow."</p> - -<p>"I shall not stay all night in Provo," said Diantha, harshly. "I will -walk if you will not take me, but I am going to Camp Floyd myself this -night."</p> - -<p>"Get in, John," said Aunt Clara's quiet voice, "and drive on to the -Bishop's and get your team. We will sit out in the carriage, and -you needn't say to anyone that we are with you, for I am anxious as -yourself to keep people from talking. We are both going with you."</p> - -<p>John was already driving heedlessly down the street, for he had neither -time nor words to waste.</p> - -<p>Not a word was spoken, for miles, by the three who rode so rapidly -along the dusty, rough new road which stretched ghostlike along the -barren valley between the tiny settlements in Utah Valley, and the -distant encampment on the other side of the western hills.</p> - -<p>As they flew along in the bright young moonlight, the swift light -clouds anon parted and then banked up again, thus alternately revealing -and concealing the scene about them; at each side of the road the -great bristling sagebrush which covered the plain rose up like a high, -rough hedge. Here and there a startled rabbit flew over the lower sage -bushes, losing himself in the faint moonlight and the distance. The -lake now lay before them, now behind them, like a dark, purple shadow, -its quiet ripples untouched by breeze, and unbroken by any current. The -dark mountains shut them in, and as they neared the western rim, it -seemed as if a wall of impenetrable gloom shut off further progress; -but a narrow defile led through the low hills, and on they sped.</p> - -<p>In the near distance a coyote yelped in shrill hunger, or answered -his mate's warning cry from the distant foothills. The cool air grew -chill around them, and Aunt Clara drew her own shawl about her, and -threw upon Dian's unconscious shoulders the extra shawl she herself had -remembered to add to their hasty preparations.</p> - -<p>As they neared the dusky group of tents in the outer village across -the stream from Camp Floyd even John was startled as a voice sang out -suddenly:</p> - -<p>"Who goes there?"</p> - -<p>John saw the gleam of a musket barrel as the sentinel stepped from -behind the cedar tree.</p> - -<p>"A friend," John answered. "Harney's the word," and John thanked his -happy fate that he had by accident or inspiration hit upon the right -pass-word. The sentinel lowered the musket, and as he approached the -carriage, Diantha shrank with a nameless terror of the night and its -unknown perils close to John's side. Without a word, John put out -his arm, and drew her to him, as if to shield her from even the gaze -of wicked men; and thus he held her close while he parleyed with the -soldier.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXXVI"></a>XXXVI.</h2> - -<p>AT CAMP FLOYD -</p> - -<p>"I have important business to present to your commander. I bear with me -letters and orders from President Brigham Young, endorsed by Governor -Cumming. I must see General Johnston at once."</p> - -<p>Diantha knew then that John had prepared himself for this before he -had left the city, and she bowed her head in shame for all it implied -concerning her beloved Ellen.</p> - -<p>"I will leave you, Aunt Clara and Diantha," he said, as he drove on, -"at the house of one of our people at the edge of the camp, while I go -in and learn what I can from the commander. You will be perfectly safe, -for Brother Hicks is the storekeeper, and he has his wife with him, and -three grown boys. Wait here till I come for you."</p> - -<p>John lifted Aunt Clara out, and gave the brother who came to the -carriage directions to get her something to eat, for she was nearly -worn out with her long and rough ride. Then he turned to the carriage, -and taking Dian in his great strong arms, he lifted her to the ground, -and without a word, he led her into the house, and shut the door -between them.</p> - -<p>He left the carriage at the house, and proceeded to the sleeping -encampment on foot. It was midnight, and everything was dark and silent -around the white-tented grounds. However, General Johnston arose at -once in answer to the call, and with a slightly disgusted face listened -to the story told by John.</p> - -<p>"You will find Captain Sherwood in his own quarters, and you are at -liberty to put whatever question you may choose to him, for Captain -Sherwood has received strict orders on that subject from my own lips. -My officers are gentlemen, and the soldiers are as decent and orderly -as common men in any walk of life. I can't see on what grounds Governor -Cumming interferes with my discipline in this way."</p> - -<p>The general was intensely annoyed over the whole matter. Evidently a -girl more or less was nothing to him. His rest and his discipline were -of more consequence than all the women in the country. Yet he could -not ignore the request of the Territorial executive, and so John was -allowed to depart with permission to go where he pleased in the camp, -and to secure and take away all the girls and women he could find or -might choose to befriend. John found his way to the officers' tents, -and as he approached them, he saw the light of a cigar in the front of -one. He gave the pass-word and asked:</p> - -<p>"May I inquire if I am near the tent of Captain Sherwood? I have -business of importance with him."</p> - -<p>"My name is Saxey," came the answer out of the darkness, and as the -cigar was thrown away the colonel threw up the tent door and said:</p> - -<p>"Come in, sir, whoever you are."</p> - -<p>"My name is Stevens, and I am from Great Salt Lake City. I have reason -to believe that Captain Sherwood has abducted a young girl from our -midst, one Ellen Tyler. As she is the step-daughter of a widowed aunt, -I have been authorized by the Governor and have received permission -from your commander to do what I can to recover the young lady. Where -can I find Captain Sherwood?"</p> - -<p>John felt willing that any of them should know the object of his -visit, for he keenly suspected that they must many of them be aware -of it, anyway. Colonel Saxey stood toying with a small dagger on his -low stand, and his kind face expressed something of the anxiety this -disclosure had upon him. It was with a different tone of voice to that -used by General Johnston that he replied:</p> - -<p>"I have not seen any strange girl around the camp lately, but I am -free to confess to you that Sherwood was not here at all yesterday. -We only review twice a week, and so the commander did not know of his -absence—an absence without leave, I must also confess. But I do not -think that anything serious has happened, my dear Mr. Stevens. On the -contrary, I hope you will find all your suspicions are groundless. -Captain Sherwood is a gentleman." He winced a little as the familiar -form of defense of a friend slipped from his lips. "I have every reason -to believe that if you should find that the young lady you speak of has -run away with the captain, he will marry her at once, even if he has -not already done so."</p> - -<p>John Stevens said nothing, but slowly stroked his beard, as he stood -impatiently waiting to hunt the "gallant" captain up. The soldier -noted the fiery gleam and glitter in the scintillating eyes of the -mountaineer, and he felt that Sherwood would need all his skill to -meet such a foe under any circumstances. He said no more, however, but -silently led the way from his tent to Captain Sherwood's tent door.</p> - -<p>A determined call brought out the sleepy orderly, who told Colonel -Saxey that Sherwood had been away since yesterday morning, and he did -not know anything about him. Saxey had feared this would be the result, -but he stood uncertain for a moment. Then turning to Stevens he said:</p> - -<p>"Come," and they glided out into the night, leaving the drowsy orderly -to return to his broken slumber.</p> - -<p>They passed rapidly through the outer lines, after giving the night -pass-word, and once beyond the chance of being overheard by soldiers -within the camp and stragglers within the village, Colonel Saxey paused -in the high sagebrush around them, and drawing near the tall, shadowy -form of his companion, he said, distinctly but softly:</p> - -<p>"I believe you are a good man; I have seen a little of this matter, -and I did what I could to avert this disaster. I cannot tell you all -I know; it would be dishonorable. I want you to promise me one thing, -and that is, that no matter what has happened, you will not commit a -greater crime to avenge yourself of a wrong. Murder will not wipe out -sin. And there is hate enough in the Territory as it is."</p> - -<p>"I am not a common butcher," said John, gloomily.</p> - -<p>"I have nothing farther to say. But there is a small log cabin not far -from here, where Sherwood sometimes stays at nights." He started to -go back to his quarters; then turning back, he paused as if to speak. -John waited, but no word came from the trembling lips of the agitated -soldier.</p> - -<p>John hurried away, too anxious to wait longer, and the colonel again -slowly bent his way in the dim, midnight darkness, to the sleeping -village of the white tents, and as he passed the outer guard, he -murmured:</p> - -<p>"Have I done right, or have I done a cowardly thing?"</p> - -<p>The guard touched his cap, and said:</p> - -<p>"I did not understand you, sir."</p> - -<p>"No matter," answered the colonel, as he passed on more rapidly to his -tent.</p> - -<p>"The girl may yet be saved, or he may be made to marry her," he -muttered, as he threw up his own tent door.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXXVII"></a>XXXVII.</h2> - -<p>"DEAD OR DISGRACED?" -</p> - -<p>John sped away between the high sagebrush and willows which skirted the -stream running along west from camp. At one place he found himself on -the bank and saw that the ditch ran far below in a small gully.</p> - -<p>He could hear nothing, nor could he see any signs of human habitation. -He turned his steps in another direction and hurried onward in his -zigzag course, straining his eyes in the fading moonlight of the -evening for sight of a habitation.</p> - -<p>All at once he heard a distant or smothered cry. He stopped at once, -and as he could hear nothing further, he fancied that he must have been -mistaken, or that it was the screech of a far-away mountain lion. He -turned again in his tracks, and by some instinct ran back to the hidden -stream which flowed along down in the deep gully. That scream again! -and he was sure it was a woman's voice. He flew now in the direction -from which it had come. The moon was down, and he could see nothing -but shadows and gloom, accustomed as he was to piercing these mountain -nights with his keen, far-sighted eyes.</p> - -<p>Again and again that scream, and this time he saw, not many rods -distant from him, a door flung open, for it threw a stream of light -across the brush between him and the cabin. He ran on and on, jumping -over the brush occasionally and panting harder as his bounds drew him -nearer the source of those piercing screams. A man's curses and three -successive shots rang out upon the air, mingled with screams, then a -hideous laugh in a harsh voice that was still a woman's, and John could -just see a flying figure bound out from the door and disappear in the -depths of the shadows of the gully.</p> - -<p>"You she-devil!" yelled a man, as he dashed away after the figure -flying away in the darkness.</p> - -<p>John hesitated a moment whether to follow the two who had run away, or -to make straight for the cabin; he chose the latter, and with hasty -bounds, he was soon at the door with his eyes fixed upon a figure -stretched upon the floor.</p> - -<p>It was Ellen! A moment, and he was beside her, trying to stanch the -pistol shot wound in her gaping neck, and calling softly under his -breath for her to open her eyes.</p> - -<p>He did not hear the heavy steps behind him, but he turned to meet the -black, blazing eyes of Louisiana Liz, peeping in the door behind him, -her smoking pistol still in her hand, and then he heard the woman howl -with wicked laughter:</p> - -<p>"You sought your flown bird too late, for the huntsman found her heart -and the keen arrow of hate found her throat almost as soon. Ha, ha, ha!"</p> - -<p>John's blood curdled in his veins, and he held the dying girl closer to -him as he bent his head over her.</p> - -<p>Ellie opened her eyes as she felt John's presence, and whispered -painfully, "Tell Aunt Clara to forgive me; I am so sorry. I -am—so—sorry—"</p> - -<p>John never knew how he allowed that sweet life to flicker out, for he -felt as if he could arise and grapple with Death himself and conquer -the grim destroyer of all this beauty and youth.</p> - -<p>"Well, my long-bearded friend," gasped a hoarse voice behind him; "you -seem to have served your sweetheart a pretty ghastly trick."</p> - -<p>John laid the body of his dead upon the earthen floor of the hut, and -with a spring he was upon his adversary. But the soldier, who was too -quick for him, dodged the blow, and ran out of the door. John followed, -and ran this way and that, but the darkness and the unfamiliarity of -the place rendered it impossible for him to find the villain who had -thus dared to imply that he himself had been guilty of this awful deed.</p> - -<p>In a moment, John knew how impossible it would be for him to prove -anything. From the few words of so good a friend as Colonel Saxey he -knew that it would only provoke hostilities and perhaps plunge the -whole Territory into war and rob the leaders of their lives, if he -added another crime to the one already committed.</p> - -<p>His hands twitched and his throat ached as he entered that dreadful -hut, for he felt that he would be justified in the eyes of God and -man in taking the lives of such vile reprobates as were this soldier -Sherwood and his octoroon paramour. Yet his first duty was to take the -body of this unhappy girl home for decent burial, and then he might -well leave the question of revenge to God and the future.</p> - -<p>No one saw or molested him as he made his hasty preparation to carry -the body away. He slowly and painfully made his way to the straggling -village north of where he stood. He stepped more softly as he neared -the village, for he had no mind to awaken the inmates of the huts -around him. He had wrapped the body up in a quilt, and now he laid it -carefully down just outside the window of the dwelling, whence shone -the light that proved to him that his friends were awaiting him.</p> - -<p>He stood a moment, to collect his strength a little before he met -anyone; then he knocked softly. Aunt Clara came to the door, and asked -as soon as she saw him, "Have you found her?"</p> - -<p>John bowed his head; he could not speak.</p> - -<p>"Is she dead or disgraced?" Aunt Clara never knew why she asked such a -question, but it broke the calm of the man before her, and he leaned -upon his arm against the doorpost, unable to control his voice. His -body was quivering with a man's rare and awful sobs; they shook him as -a heavy wind shakes the mighty canyon pines.</p> - -<p>Aunt Clara stood gazing at him with glazed eyes of anguish. She could -not speak, as Diantha followed her and asked:</p> - -<p>"What is it, John; what have you found? Can't you speak? Where is -Ellen? Why don't you tell us? Why don't you bring her here?"</p> - -<p>"Dead or disgraced?" quivered Aunt Clara's lips, as she looked -imploringly up into John's averted eyes.</p> - -<p>John straightened himself, and answered with a shiver: "Both!" And poor -Aunt Clara fainted at his feet.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXXVIII"></a>XXXVIII.</h2> - -<p>SEGO-LILIES -</p> - -<p>The death of Ellen Tyler cast a heavy gloom over the whole community. -The terrible circumstances surrounding it gave an added cause of enmity -between the people and the army.</p> - -<p>The funeral, which was held in the ward school house, was attended -by nearly every one in the city. The people assembled in the quiet -and undemonstrative fashion usual on such occasions; and long before -ten o'clock, the time set for the services, the house was filled to -overflowing. The windows were raised, and temporary benches arranged -outside, so that as many as possible could hear the sermon.</p> - -<p>The simple cortege made its way down the street. As the mourners -entered the hall, no one wondered to see John Stevens assist the -foster-mother of the girl as she leaned heavily on his arm. Aunt -Clara's face was very pale, for her heart was well-nigh broken; and yet -her eyes were lifted and clear while all who glanced at her saint-like, -controled face, felt calmed and quieted. Diantha was among the chief -mourners, but she was not as tearless and as calm as Aunt Clara; her -convulsed face betrayed her mute agony.</p> - -<p>The whole awful story had swept from mouth to mouth, and some of the -men who sat watching the sad procession file in felt the hot blood of -revenge pour from heart to temple, and there were few present who would -not gladly have taken up the ghastly burden of swift revenge in behalf -of the dead girl.</p> - -<p>The coffin was placed upon the table just below the pulpit. Its plain, -mountain wood was unrelieved by ornament or trimming. Within, the girl -lay, peaceful and silent, her sweet face just touched by the creamy, -heavy petals of the sego-lilies which her small hands clasped. Those -lilies were like her own life, beautiful and white, yet at the heart -just purpled with the shadows.</p> - -<p>President Young lastly passed in, and the congregation waited with -anxious longing to hear his words upon this unhappy occasion. After a -brief hymn, the President arose, and with slow, impressive sentences -he pictured the sheltered life of such girls as the one before him. -He touched upon the affectionate nature of woman, and told the Elders -of Israel that to them in part was due the blame of such awful scenes -as this. There was enough of love, plenty of safe, sheltered retreats -for all good women in the hearts and homes of the men of Zion. Women -should have as ample opportunity to select their partners as men, and -if they showed a preference for a good man, why should he not consider -her right to claim his affection, as carefully as he would expect her -to consider a like claim from him? He spoke in strong, powerful terms -of the wickedness of men who cared nothing for the virtue of womankind, -and who respected nothing on earth or in heaven.</p> - -<p>His words stirred the already excited hearts to a fiery pitch of -indignation. As if he saw the unnecessary anger, he said in quiet -tones: "It may prove useless to try to keep our girls and boys from -running after sin, for if they have not the integrity to stand, they -will fall. Now, this young girl has had good teachings, good examples, -and she has been surrounded by love and kindness; she has not been -neglected. In her weakness she loved too well the admiration of men, -and she has herself sought and found her sin and its punishment. We -must stand or fall for ourselves, and while we are responsible in a -measure for the words we speak and the example we set, yet each must -answer for himself or herself at the bar of Justice."</p> - -<p>At his words, so solemnly spoken, Diantha felt her very heart stand -still.</p> - -<p>"Will this fair daughter of Zion never receive salvation?" asked the -speaker. "Yes, she certainly will. She will learn her lesson. She will -repent of her sin; and after suffering the necessary punishment will -be reunited with her parents and friends, and with them share the -blessings and privileges of the priesthood. She has already partly paid -the penalty of her sin with her life. She will be saved eventually in -the Kingdom of Heaven. I do not want the family to grieve too much, for -this poor child is far better off than she could possibly be upon earth -now; and her last words were words of repentance and affection. Some of -these spirits, though weak in the flesh, are very choice and lovely. We -love them and mourn deeply if they fall into error or are snatched away -by death.</p> - -<p>"If this be a grievous sin for a tender and delicate girl, what must -be said of men who lead women to destruction? I would say that no -pit is deep enough for them. I do not wish to excite any undue rage -towards the vile wretch and his paramour whose work this is; for God -will avenge the innocent on their enemies. But to you Elders of Israel, -I say, beware how you treat the fair daughters of Zion! Man should -protect and preserve innocent, pure womanhood. No woman can sin as -deeply as a man, for she does not bear the same responsibility. If -men expect to stand at the head of their families, let them see to it -that they are without sin of speech or action. That which is a sin in -a woman, becomes a crime in a man. Teach your sons to protect their -virtue as they would their lives, and then there need be no fear of -their assailing any woman. God loves these weak ones as well as we do, -and He will overrule all things for the best to such as are sinned -against and are thereby brought down into sin. Only let the parents -so conduct themselves that their children will receive the benefit of -their lives of purity and holiness, and all their tears of grief will -be turned into joy in the hereafter."</p> - -<p>Diantha felt the whole weight of this terrible lesson pressing upon -her own sad heart, and it nearly crushed her with a double burden of -grief. She wondered how she could ever for one moment have looked -lightly upon her past actions and words, wherein she had said and -thought it no wrong to turn away from the Gospel and marry out of the -Church. She asked herself bitterly whether a part of Ellen's guilt did -not lie at her own door, for had she not given some measure of idle -encouragement to this same soldier, and had she not said many foolish -things and thought many vain, silly thoughts? She felt how inadequate -were the theories of the world regarding love and its proper place in -our lives, and she saw how foolish ideals and romantic poems and plays -had rendered her conception of love fevered and unreal. She saw, while -sitting near the dead body of her friend with its pitiful lesson, that -love—that is, the romantic, unreasoning passion which is so often -called love—is nothing but a base counterfeit. She felt that if love -ruled the world, it must be the love of God and that love which is -founded on respect and built in unselfishness. She could see that -abase, vile passion which has for its only object the gratification of -bodily desire, was a thing to fear and shun.</p> - -<p>Diantha had filled the cold, lifeless hands of her dear friend with the -sego-lilies, wreathing them about the neck, thus to hide the story told -by the bandaged throat; but she saw how useless in eternity would be -the least attempt to hide away the sins and shame of mankind.</p> - -<p>"Oh, that I could tear away the lilies, and show to every girl in Zion -the awful consequences of disobedience and vanity," she thought, as the -strong, vivid words of President Young showed her the darkness of the -abyss into which her own eyes had for one moment looked with fascinated -gaze.</p> - -<p>"Oh, that I could set this poor, desecrated body before every young -woman in Israel, and let it preach its own heartrending sermon! And I, -too, am I not saved as by fire? Oh, my gracious Father, forgive me and -let a lifetime of repentance and faithfulness prove to Thee how humble -and how dependent I am!" So prayed Diantha, as the benediction was -being pronounced by the Bishop in charge. While the pale sego-lilies, -with their purple stains, drooped and died on the breast of the dead -girl!</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXXXIX"></a>XXXIX.</h2> - -<p>THE WOOING O'T -</p> - -<p>Three years is but a fleeting season to the mature, and is as a day -to the aged; but to youth three years stretch out with apparent -never-ending length. Three years of rapid history had been written -in Utah since that vivid day in the tops of the mountains when A. O. -Smoot, Porter Rockwell and Judson Stoddard had brought to the happy -camp the terrible news of the coming of Johnston's army. Three years! -Camp Floyd with its surging life, its frequent deaths, and its story -of blunder and pathos had passed into history. The site where it once -stood now lay desolate and burning beneath the hot summer sun. Weeds -covered the rude foundations of the adobe and tented homes, and only -the lonely prairie dog frequented the once busy streets. The soldiers -had departed to the East, secession having already begun to rear its -horrid shape, and only for the rich stores of a hundred rare comforts -which they had sold in their hurried departure for less than a song, -would anyone remember their unhappy visit.</p> - -<p>Two years of peace and plenty had built up the village of the Great -Salt Lake into a modest inland city. The trees along the sidewalks -were heavy now with July verdure. The busy hum of industry throbbed in -even beats along the city's arteries. The blacksmith whistled at his -forge. The well-bucket creaked merrily in its frequent passage to the -cool waters beneath, and the children sang as they went to and fro to -school, or lingered in the shade of the cottonwood trees. It was the -evening before the Fourth of July, 1860, and the hands of maid and -matron were busy in swift preparation for such a celebration of local -peace and prosperity as had not been theirs for years.</p> - -<p>"Have you noticed what a change there is in Dian, the last year?" said -Rachel Winthrop to Aunt Clara, as the two stood ironing in Aunt Clara's -cosy kitchen.</p> - -<p>"How changed?" asked Aunt Clara.</p> - -<p>"Oh, she's so much softer and sweeter to everybody, and she is really -making herself the friend of every poor girl in the ward. Why, I told -her brother the other day that Diantha looked like another girl; she is -so changed. She wants to do so much for me, and she is so good to the -children, and you know that is unlike what she used to be. She was not -unkind, only indifferent. She didn't show me much friendship, even if I -was her sister-in-law, for I think she thought herself a little better -and smarter than I. But she is mighty good to me now, and I love her a -thousand times better for it, although I always loved her and was proud -of her."</p> - -<p>"I don't find Diantha is changed," answered Aunt Clara's gentle voice. -"Don't you think that it is only that some of her latent powers and -gifts are beginning to be developed? And then she has always been -a reserved young lady, and while never uncivil or haughty, she is -undemonstrative, and as young people are, concerned only with life as -it affected her."</p> - -<p>"Ah, Aunt Clara, you are always thinking the best of everybody. You -never can see any fault in any one."</p> - -<p>"Maybe I see the fault, but I see so much of the virtue mixed up with -it that it quite obscures the small defect. I often think the latent -possibilities, if once they are waked up in any soul, will lead us to -eternal perfection. It is only that some natures are never awakened; -but they go on and on, asleep in their inner souls, and only the body -is awake and alive."</p> - -<p>"Well, I have proved that God will help even the weakest of us to -improve and get strong, if we will continually seek Him for help and -light. Of course, any one as strong as Diantha will naturally be mighty -good or pretty mean."</p> - -<p>"Well, to me Diantha has always been one of the sweetest, strongest, -and purest of girls. She is somewhat impulsive, but she has such -admirable control of herself, people call it common-sense, that she -rarely does anything silly or even unwise. And whoever saw her mean -or small? She has had and still has faults, but they are like her own -self, never small or spiteful. She loves deeply when she does love. Out -of the fires of affliction, poor, proud motherless Diantha is rising -to a higher, purer and more consecrated life. The death of Ellen has -taught her to conform her life more to the standards of Christ and -less to the promptings of a self-centered heart. She will make a grand -woman, and a noble wife and mother."</p> - -<p>"I don't know about the wife and mother. She is twenty-four now, and -she has refused at least a dozen good, true men. I think she is going -to be an old maid."</p> - -<p>"Not she! She is waiting for a man as great, as noble and as -pure-minded as herself. A great many men, as well as a great many -women, are virtuous in action because they fear society or God's -punishment. But Dian is pure in every thought and every act. Nothing -low or vile could so much as reach her outer personality. She is -well-educated and as intelligent as a girl of her age could well be. -Why should she not demand that same exalted standard in her husband?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, well, I guess she will go through the woods and pick up with -a crooked stick at last, as mother used to tell us girls. Lots of -our finest girls marry men who, while good enough, are inferior to -themselves. I often wonder what they do it for?"</p> - -<p>"God has some life lesson for them to learn. The Bishop says that's -the way Nature evens up things. What you say is true oftentimes, but -I am not going to have it so of our Dian. The voice of the Spirit has -manifested to me many times that she will have a man as great and as -gifted as herself."</p> - -<p>"Say, talking of Dian's beaus, they say John Stevens will be home -sometime this week from his mission to Europe. He has been away ever -since Ellen's death. I thought at one time he liked our Dian, but I -guess it was Ellen. He has taken her death very much to heart."</p> - -<p>"John can love more than once, if he finds the right kind of a woman. -He has a soul as big as all eternity. But he grieves as deeply as he -loves."</p> - -<p>Aunt Clara was not surprised, therefore, several evenings after this -conversation, to see John Stevens step under her doorway; his tall head -reaching nearly to her doorpost.</p> - -<p>"I knew you would come to see me first thing, John, and I am glad you -did. It does me so much good to see you." And she greeted him warmly.</p> - -<p>John sat down, his eyes somewhat weary with long nights of wakefulness, -for he was captain of the company of emigrants, and his limbs were worn -with much travel across the seas and plains.</p> - -<p>"I knew you would have some fried cakes and milk for me when I did -come, Aunt Clara. I wonder if I came for fried cakes?" and he laughed -in his low, soft undertone, as he held up one of the nutty brown, crisp -cakes to admire its homely charm before he tested it further.</p> - -<p>"You have come, John, to tell me all about your mission, and I want you -to tell me something more. Rachel Winthrop was in here this afternoon, -and we got to talking about our poor Ellen. She made a remark about -your grieving over Ellen, and it struck me, too, that you have been -grieving these two long years. I don't want you to do that, for Ellie -is all right now, she has paid the penalty with her life. Now, John, -that you are home, you must find some good girl, and marry and settle -down. You must be nearing thirty, and it is very unusual for our young -men to live so long single."</p> - -<p>John had pushed away his plate, and left all its homely charm, for Aunt -Clara's words had choked him with crowding memories. He sat still for -some time, with his head in his hands. Aunt Clara watched him as she -rocked back and forth, and wondered if she had for once been at fault. -After a time, however, he raised his head and said, with an effort at -lightness:</p> - -<p>"I am not much of a fellow, Aunt Clara. Sometimes I do feel a bit -lonely, and although I have enjoyed my mission, the thought of my -homecoming has been a lonely one, except for you, Aunt Clara."</p> - -<p>"Well, of course you are lonesome, John, and that's why I want you, -now that you are home from your mission, to get married, and have some -comfort in life."</p> - -<p>His head was drooped again, between his hands, and he said slowly:</p> - -<p>"Aunt Clara, I have been a selfish one-idea fellow in my life. I -deserve all your reproach and my own loneliness."</p> - -<p>"Now, John, I want you to tell me just what you mean. You have -something in your mind which needs airing. What is it?"</p> - -<p>"I mean that from my earliest youth I have loved, with all the strength -of my heart, a girl who never has and never will, I fear, care anything -for me. For some years I felt that I could win her, through prayer and -faith, and I hoped and was happy. But I did not succeed. I have tried -to hide my feelings, though, and I don't think anyone has suspected me, -unless it was the girl herself, occasionally."</p> - -<p>"John, there is a belongingness in love as in life. We are not married -by chance. I firmly believe that each has made covenant with his mate -in the life before this. If that girl belongs to you, you will get her. -If not, you don't want her. Who is it?"</p> - -<p>"It is Dian."</p> - -<p>He spoke with an effort, as if it were painful thus to speak her name.</p> - -<p>"Oh!" Aunt Clara was not much surprised.</p> - -<p>"What about Ellie?" she asked.</p> - -<p>"I loved Ellen, but it was not as I love Dian. Maybe I have so set my -heart all my life upon getting Dian that I did not give myself a chance -to see other girls. Aunt Clara, forget that I have ever said what I am -about to say; but I had a feeling that Ellen liked me. And I have felt -all the remorse natural that I did not save her while I could."</p> - -<p>"We can always see where we could do better, even in small things. But -no one need destroy all hopes of eternity because love is not returned -or because a loved one dies. This love plays such mischief, when it is -not understood and governed!"</p> - -<p>"Just so. I have failed to conquer my love, and it leaves me sore with -defeat."</p> - -<p>"Why should you conquer your love? Have you ever asked Dian to have -you? Diantha is a noble girl; she is always so strong, so sweet, and so -good."</p> - -<p>"Don't I know it?" almost groaned John, as he pressed his hands across -his eyes.</p> - -<p>"Look here, John, I don't believe for one moment that God would let as -prayerful a man as you waste years of your life upon a useless love. -How do you know that Dian does not love you as well as you love her? -Oh, mated love is such blissful, such divine joy!"</p> - -<p>John shook his head, slowly.</p> - -<p>"I don't want to think, John Stevens, that you are a coward. Go to that -girl, and tell her what you feel, and trust God for the result. See -here: You go into the front room, and I will bring Diantha over in two -minutes. I will tell her you are in there, and if she wants to see you -she will go in of her own accord. If she does not want to see you she -can easily refuse to go in, and then I hope you will give her up and -put your mind off the subject at once and forever."</p> - -<p>Aunt Clara slipped out as she said the last words, and John waited for -some time in moody, unhopeful silence, until he heard the two voices as -they came into the yard. He sprang up, and put himself into the dark -front room, its shadows only lifted here and there by the moonlight -through the window casing.</p> - -<p>Through the open door he saw Dian come in, her face aglow with a merry -smile with which she listened to Aunt Clara's soft tones. Her white -teeth gleamed like even pearls, and her red lips parted over them in -the well-remembered bewitching ripples of laughter. Her bright eyes -were wide and uplifted with clearest radiance. His eager eyes noted -the gleam of her yellow hair, parted above the wide, white brows, -and then lingered on the rich rose upon her cheek, and lighted upon -the full, round chin, which he said to himself was like a cleft rose -bud. The tender white throat rose up from her proud shoulders with a -wondrous grace, and her soft and rounded arms were white under the soft -muslin sleeve. She stood a moment unconscious of any gaze or presence, -other than Aunt Clara's, and he wondered with a silent agony what -expression would sweep over her expressive face when Aunt Clara made -her disclosure.</p> - -<p>"Diantha, John Stevens came home today."</p> - -<p>The cheeks were drained of all their beautiful color, but the girl's -voice was steady as she said simply, "Did he?"</p> - -<p>"Yes; and he has been here to see me."</p> - -<p>"Oh!"</p> - -<p>John did not see the tense clasp of the fingers, he saw only the calm -quiet of her face. Was it the quiet of displeasure?</p> - -<p>He felt guilty, thus to watch her unconscious betrayal of self, but he -told himself savagely that a man has a right to see the face of his -executioner.</p> - -<p>"John would like to see you, Dian." Aunt Clara waited a moment, then -she said quietly: "He is in the front room. If you would like to see -him, go in there and have a talk with him."</p> - -<p>The girl stood a moment, with her tightly clasped hands, and her -hesitation seemed like a year of suspense to the heart watching her -from the other room, and then, with a little, half-troubled smile upon -her lips at Aunt Clara, the girl glided into the other room, and, -sheltered as well as blinded by its partial shadows, she closed the -door behind her. She was so near the man that her muslin sleeve rested -upon his arm.</p> - -<p>He felt suffocated with that blissful touch, and he stood, silent, -wordless, as if deprived of the powers of speech. She, too, felt his -nearness, although she could see nothing, and she stood uncertain which -way to go. Then she threw up her hand as if to shield herself, and -she touched his cold cheek, and felt the silken mustache beneath her -fingers. He snatched her hand and held it to his lips, its warmth and -purity stilling, for a moment, the trembling of his soul. At last he -took it away, and putting it upon his face, rested his cheek within its -sweet cup, as if thus all sorrow were done forever. She stood silent, -waiting, and as voiceless as himself.</p> - -<p>This unbroken, sweet encouragement was almost more than he could bear; -he was so unprepared for it, and it had all come so suddenly. After a -moment, he reached out, and finding her so near, he laid his arm about -her waist, and as she said nothing, he drew her to him with a close, -tender embrace, and laying his own face down upon the soft hair, he -held her to his throbbing heart in speechless bliss.</p> - -<p>Neither knew how long they stood thus, so perfect was their peace. At -last, he drew her face up to him, and whispered in her ear so close -that his breath stirred all the tiny curls around her neck:</p> - -<p>"Is it love, dear, or sympathy?"</p> - -<p>For answer, she laughed softly, and putting her arms around his neck of -her own accord, she murmured:</p> - -<p>"It is my love, my life, John."</p> - -<p>Words were too weak; he drew her face upon his shoulder, and in the -shadowy silence, he put his big, rough hand under her rounded chin, -and thus drawing up her mouth to his own bent lips, he told her with -that long, wordless caress all the pent-up story of his life and its -passion. He drew her to the casement, and in the flood of moonlight -pouring in, he stood away for a moment and looked at her with his -hungry eyes, as if he must make sure if she were real. He gloried in -her beauty, for he loved all things beautiful and perfect of their -kind; and he noted each gracious charm of face and form as he pinioned -her arms down that he might hold her from fleeing away from his loving -possession.</p> - -<p>"So strong, so sweet, so pure," he murmured under his breath; "and all -mine, mine for time and the long eternity!"</p> - -<p>She laughed again, a little, happy, yet modest laugh, as she saw the -gleam of adoration which lit her lover's eyes as he gazed down upon -her in the moonlight, and then she struggled to free herself, as she -remonstrated softly:</p> - -<p>"You are not to hold me at arm's length, sir."</p> - -<p>For answer, he caught her to him, and with his lips upon hers, he vowed -to hold her in his heart of hearts forever and forever.</p> - -<p>Presently, after what seemed to them a few moments of silence and sweet -peace, Diantha lifted her head from his breast, and said:</p> - -<p>"Come, John, Aunt Clara will wonder at our being in here without -alight. Come, let us go out and thank her."</p> - -<p>"Wait one moment, my girl." But she insisted, and together they opened -the door, and stood with modest assertion of their love before their -dearest friend.</p> - -<p>John held his arm around the girl, as if fearing she might change her -mind when once in the light, and observed by other eyes.</p> - -<p>"This John of mine is a queer John, Aunt Clara," said Diantha, merrily, -her breath quick with the joy of her expressed ownership in the big -fellow beside her; "he seems to think, because I am glad to see him, -that he can domineer over me, and he has kept me in there nearly half -an hour, simply to tell him that I am glad he has got home."</p> - -<p>"Half an hour?" asked Aunt Clara, dryly; "you two have shut yourselves -up in there for over two hours. It's after ten o'clock."</p> - -<p>"Why, John Stevens, I am ashamed of you," said the girl, with sparkling -eyes and soft laughter.</p> - -<p>"A man has a right to say how-do-you-do to his wife, hasn't he?" he -said, gravely.</p> - -<p>"Oh, John, how could you?" breathed the girl; "how dare you speak so? -You haven't asked me yet."</p> - -<p>"We will be married, Aunt Clara, and, please God, one month from today."</p> - -<p>"Oh, you John! What impudence! Aunt Clara, did you ever see anything -like it? Here he has never courted me one bit in his life, and never -even asked me to marry him, and now he takes the law into his own hands -in that way!"</p> - -<p>John drew her closer to his side, with his encircling arm, and looking -down into her eyes, he said:</p> - -<p>"Dear girl, I have been courting you in spirit all my life. Let me have -my own way now, will you not?"</p> - -<p>His tone was so gentle, so tender, that she answered softly, yet still -half-mischievously:</p> - -<p>"Well, Aunt Clara, I guess we will have to let him have his way. He is -so big that he could crush us both if we didn't please him."</p> - -<p>Aunt Clara's eyes were moist with tears, as she watched them. She -rejoiced in their love, and she was content that she had helped a -little. But as they started out of the door to leave her, and Diantha -came back to kiss her once more in token of love and gratitude, -Aunt Clara's heart flew back to their lost Ellie, and all the sad, -miserable story. She went to the door and watched them go out of the -gate, Diantha still full of bubbling mischief, with her quick, pretty -gestures of teasing indifference as she refused even to take John's -arm in the bright moonlight—it all brought back her Ellie's love for -this same good man, and she turned back into her room with sobs in her -throat; and then she knelt in silent prayer for these two who had gone -out from her home to their blessed future.</p> - -<p>As Diantha Winthrop herself knelt that night in her evening prayer, -she poured out the wealth of her young heart in gratitude to God who -had so magnified her life and its mission. After her prayer, she sat -at her window and thought back on all the past, and she wondered anew -that she could ever have called her lover cold, reserved or silent. -His every look was pregnant with thought, and his presence was full -of unspoken meanings. She could see how in her ignorant, thoughtless -girlhood she could not appreciate him, as she could not appreciate the -deep throbbing poems in the Bible until life opened them and sorrow put -into her hand the secret key to their mysteries.</p> - -<p>She had grown up to John now, and she wondered how it was that she -could ever have permitted ordinary men to come near her. He was a king! -Proud, intelligent, pure! With the wide-open eyes of experience, she -recognized his matchless manhood and bowed down in mighty prayer that -she might prove worthy of his love.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXL"></a>XL.</h2> - -<p>JOHN BUILDS A HOME -</p> - -<p>That was a busy month, and everybody in the neighborhood insisted on -doing something for the coming wedding.</p> - -<p>John bought a lot not far from Aunt Clara's home, and although it had -only one log room on it for a house, he soon had a large front room -added to it, and he put up a small lean-to for kindlings and wood. -He did not propose, he said to himself, that his wife should have an -unnecessary step to walk, and with that same thought, he dug a new well -close to the kitchen door.</p> - -<p>He put a good paling fence in front of the house, and promised himself -that he would very soon replace the brush fence on the south side of -the lot with a new one, to match the front.</p> - -<p>How many times he peeped into the large front room, with its new, white -pine floor, and its huge fire-place, and wondered how he could wait -until the days were gone and Dian was there to fill every nook and -corner with radiance. He wished he had time to pull down the old part -and put up an adobe room, but that must needs wait for the future. -He planted, with patient care, several vines around the front "door -stoop," for he knew Dian loved flowers and green things. And with what -infinite pleasure at the last, he watched the putting down of carpets, -bright new rag ones, that Dian and her sister-in-law and other friends -had been busy getting made for the happy time of her wedding day. -She and Aunt Clara came a day or so before the wedding and cleaned -everything to spotless whiteness.</p> - -<p>In the window Dian hung simple, unbleached muslin curtains with -crocheted edge, which she had spent many days in bleaching. But they -still retained enough of the original creamy tint to soften the -plastered walls of shining white. Under one window Dian set a small -pine table, painted red in imitation of mahogany, which held her three -only books, one her Bible, a beloved Book of Mormon, and a prized copy -of Shakespeare, which had in some way come into her possession. Under -the other window was a square box, which John had fitted with hinges -and a good lid, and Dian had stuffed the lid top with wool and then -covered it with a pretty piece of cotton print and had hung a valence -of the print around under the lid. This made a comfortable seat, and -that was necessary, as chairs were rare and expensive. Inside the -box-seat she had folded her modest store of linen.</p> - -<p>Over the huge fireplace John had put a low, broad mantle, and Dian set -upon the shelf her precious clock, which was one of the few things -owned by her mother that she now possessed. On each side of the clock -were two brass candlesticks polished like gold, and filled with tall, -yellow tallow candles. Most precious of all prized treasures, John -had bought the small melodeon from Bishop Winthrop, who was now in -possession of a new organ for his music-loving family. John loved the -dear old melodeon, out of whose slender case his beloved young wife -would weave great color waves of sound and harmony; while to him alone -she would now sing "Kathleen, mavourneen, the day dawn is breaking!" -Ah, how he loved music and beauty and love! No one but God knew how he -loved them!</p> - -<p>A few chairs, the old-fashioned bed in the corner, a box which they -called a trunk, and which had also an edged cover of white to hide its -plain look, and the modest room was furnished. John had filled in the -fire-place with spicy evergreens from the canyons, and he had searched -the hills for the last columbines, which stood on the mantle shelf, -their creamy whiteness falling into the bright color tone of the pretty -room.</p> - -<p>As John stood within its sacred precincts the night before he was to -be married, he thought how the glorious presence of his beautiful -wife would make it a haven of rest and happiness. He walked into the -neat kitchen, and noted how carefully Dian had arranged their scanty, -pioneer store of dishes, three plates, three cups and saucers, three -bowls and a vegetable dish—all these had been placed up in brave show -against the board he had nailed at the back of the shelves. The small -cook-stove, called a "step stove," he was especially proud of, for it -was a great luxury in those days. It shone with a brilliant lustre, and -the few pots and pans belonging to it were hung upon the wall behind -the stove with housewifely precision. He bent his face over the flowers -in the kitchen windows, and whispered to himself that the delicate -pinks were like Dian's cheeks, and their perfume was her breath.</p> - -<p>As he finished his survey, he turned into the front room, and kneeling -down, he offered, for the last time, his lonely evening prayer. He -prayed that God would make him gentle, and worthy of such happiness, -while he asked earnestly for the strength to love his religion well -enough to put God first, and wife and home after. But even as he -prayed, the voice of inspiration whispered in his soul, that wife and -home, if rightly understood, are religion, and God was pleased with the -man who could be worthy of them.</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXLI"></a>XLI.</h2> - -<p>DIANTHA ENTERS -</p> - -<p>If time permitted, it would be pleasant to tell of the merry wedding, -and of the delicately mocking charm with which Diantha held her lover -at arm's length, all that long, happy day. She was as winsome as a -sprite, and as elusive. She had a thousand excuses to leave him to his -own devices, after they had returned from the early morning wedding in -the Endowment House. She must see to the dinner, for they were all at -Aunt Clara's, who had insisted on getting the wedding dinner. So John -folded his arms, after she had slipped from them at last, and quietly -sat down by the window to read his book. She might go, she could never -get away from him now, he reflected with a thrill of delight, and he -could well afford to wait for her sure return.</p> - -<p>Dian peeped in occasionally to see if he was all right, for the company -would be there soon, she said, and she was very anxious to see if his -collar and necktie were perfectly straight. She came in, as she found -that he did not seem to notice her, and playfully ordered him to arise -and let her see if he was in perfect trim. He arose at her bidding, -and stood looking quizzically down upon her, as she took a number of -unnecessary minutes to arrange the already faultless collar and tie -under the long beard. His eyes burned down into her uplifted, mocking -blue orbs, but he said nothing, nor did he offer to touch her.</p> - -<p>"I am very glad, Mr. John, that you have learned to keep your arms from -around me, for at least this afternoon, for you will have to learn, you -great, big, awkward John, that muslin dresses are not to be shaken, nor -are they to be taken in such careless hands as these," and she held his -unresisting hand a moment, then deftly put it about her waist.</p> - -<p>He stooped down, and kissed her gravely upon the tender, red mouth, as -if he found it impossible to resist his own forever.</p> - -<p>Then she drew back, and with a sudden assumption of dignity she said, -"Don't you know that it is very rude to kiss a lady, unless you have -properly courted her, and she has promised to marry you?"</p> - -<p>He laughed out of his eyes at her, and fell to stroking his long beard -in the way she remembered so well.</p> - -<p>"Now, I am going to stay right here, Mr. John, to punish you for not -seeming glad to see me just now."</p> - -<p>She sat down for a moment, but as John made as if to take her in his -arms she sprang up, and with a sudden elusive gesture, she put out her -pretty toe from the front of her dress, and made him a deep curtsy, -saying mockingly:</p> - -<p>"The lady must away to spread the feast of—well, not reason—but beef -and chickens, and to thus assist the flow of—well, not soul, but small -talk. Adieu," and she swept him another low bow, and tripped to the -door, where she paused a moment, and turning back she tossed him a -pretty kiss from the pink tips of her dainty fingers, as she laughed: -"None but the brave deserve the fair," and was gone.</p> - -<p>They had refused to have a dancing party, for both had still a deep, -painful remembrance of the friend they had both loved and lost, and -nothing but a simple gathering of the immediate family would they -invite. As they left Aunt Clara's door that night after every guest had -departed, Aunt Clara put her hands on their two shoulders, and with -a silent tear in her eyes, she bade them, "Be true to God and each -other," and they were alone at last with their wedded love and its -pure, exquisite, heaven-ordained bliss.</p> - -<p>Dian walked very primly down the midnight streets with her young -husband, refusing to allow him to attempt to put his arm about her -waist.</p> - -<p>"You know it is exceedingly bad taste for people to show any affection -in public; and even if you were to offer as an excuse that it is very -late and no one is about, you remember that as children we have learned -that we must do what is right whether there is any one to look at us or -not. Eh?"</p> - -<p>John assented, allowing her to place the merest finger tip on his arm, -and he walked gravely down the moonlit streets between Aunt Clara's -house and their own dear little home, which they were about to enter -for the first time together.</p> - -<p>Dian chatted and laughed nervously, asking and answering all sorts of -questions, sometimes putting into John's mouth words he never would -have uttered, for she said if he would not talk for himself she must do -the talking for both. Presently they reached their own lowly gate; and -he gravely held open the little wicket, for her to pass through. She -stood with beating heart and quiet lips upon the small porch, while he -unlocked the newly painted front door. And then she stood just inside -the door, still silent, while John found and lighted the two candles on -the mantle.</p> - -<p>Then with a quizzical look in the keen loving eyes, he said, softly: -"Sister Stevens, will you come in and take possession of your home?"</p> - -<p>It was the first time she had ever heard herself so called, and she -felt overpowered by all the blessed happiness the name implied. She -stood a moment, and then put up her hands to cover the tears which -would fill and overflow her eyes. The big fellow beside her waited a -moment also, as if to make sure of the source of all these tears, and -then he put his hand gently upon her shoulder and whispered, "You are -not sorry, dear?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, John," she sobbed, throwing her arms close about his neck, "I'm so -happy that I must cry. Don't mind, it is only that I am so grateful to -God for you and your dear love. To think, John, that I am yours, your -true wife, for time and for all eternity," and she sighed with a happy, -half-sobbing sigh, as she ceased her crying, and drew his face down to -her own that she might kiss him on the lips, she said, to begin her -married life aright, giving him always, first and last, her best loving -devotion.</p> - -<p>Then Dian opened the lid of her little organ, and played an evening -hymn, while John watched her shining eyes and tender mouth as she -offered up for them both a hymnal of praise in their new home. After -the last note they both bowed in solemn prayer before the Throne of -Grace!</p> - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTERXLII"></a>XLII.</h2> - -<p>HOME, SWEET HOME -</p> - -<p>The next morning, Diantha began at once with housewifely care to clean -and sweep her treasured dwelling. She scrubbed the kitchen floor, -already white and new; she polished the shining brass candlesticks; -she scoured the new tins, and as she worked she sang with gay abandon. -There was song in her heart, and it could not but bubble up to her lips.</p> - -<p>These small chores were done all too soon; then she dusted and arranged -her modest belongings in the dainty "front room." After everything was -carefully "put to rights," she looked with the happy eyes of ownership -at the box, a plain, darkly-painted one, which had come clear from New -England to Nauvoo, and which held all her husband's belongings. She -would go through that, she said to herself, and see if there were any -little bits of mending to do, for of course John had no mother to take -care of his things.</p> - -<p>She found everything folded with as exquisite neatness and care as -she herself could have given them, and in the small wooden "till" she -discovered many a little treasure. There were his small Bible and Book -of Mormon, which he always carried when out on his trips, with a small -rubber cup, also one of his traveling necessities. There was a box of -needles, pins, and cotton which Dian appropriated gleefully, whispering -to her own happy heart that her dear John should never need to put them -to use again. She carefully brushed and folded away all the modest -stores of clothing, and then she came to a small packet, on the bottom -of the trunk, and wrapped up in a paper which was marked "Private."</p> - -<p>It never occurred to Dian, for she was not much of a novel-reader, -that there was anything mysterious in the packet; she knew her lover -husband too well. She laid that out on the stand under the window, for -she wanted John, himself, to show her all its contents, and she knew he -would.</p> - -<p>Ah, the happiness of that morning, for that blessed girl! Who could -portray the bliss of her soul! It was a simple thing, the opening of -a homely box, filled with homely articles, but they were the precious -belongings of the one man in all creation to that girl-wife, and she -felt that the little act, simple as it was, represented her taking -formal possession of John and all that he could ever own. He was hers -now, as perfectly as she was his.</p> - -<p>John came in and found her on the floor, still dreaming over her future.</p> - -<p>"Well?" he asked.</p> - -<p>"Oh, John, I have just been looking over all your things; and I am so -happy."</p> - -<p>John did not exactly see what there was in so little a thing as that -to give her so much joy, but saying nothing, as usual, he sat down and -held out his arms for her to come to him. Then she brought the little -packet, and with one of his quiet smiles, John unwrapped the little -parcel and showed her his choicest treasures.</p> - -<p>"Oh, yes," she exclaimed, as she held up a small, rather indistinct -daguerreotype of herself and Ellen with their arms fixed primly around -each other.</p> - -<p>"I remember that," and her eyes streamed with sad tears in memory of -Ellen. "I have one just like it. How did you get one? Aunt Clara has -Ellie's."</p> - -<p>"I bought it," laconically answered John.</p> - -<p>Dian cried a moment, and then he gave her the four letters he had put -away as the most precious of all his keepsakes. There was one from the -Prophet Joseph Smith to his dead father, one from President Brigham -Young to himself, one from his sainted mother, and a tiny little note -of her own, written when she was only a girl of fourteen.</p> - -<p>"Why, John, what on earth have you kept that little scrawling note for? -I can just remember writing it to you in school one day, in answer to -your own written invitation to go to a party."</p> - -<p>"It is the only line you ever wrote to me, how can I help keeping it?"</p> - -<p>"John," she said, facing him and looking him in the eyes, "do you mean -to tell me that you liked me away long ago, when I was a little girl?"</p> - -<p>He had never told her the story which he had confided to Aunt Clara. -So he did not answer at once, but at length said, in his most drawling -fashion:</p> - -<p>"Do you think I would ask a girl to go to a party if I did not like -her?"</p> - -<p>"Now, John dear, you are not going to bother me in that way. I want -you to tell just how long you have liked me, you know, loved me, in a -really truly way?"</p> - -<p>It seemed to cost John a little effort to answer, for he loved silence, -especially when he was put upon the witness stand. However, he answered -at last, taking her face between his hands as he spoke, and kissing -both pink cheeks:</p> - -<p>"I think I have loved you, sweetheart, since we sang together with -the morning stars and shouted in unison with our companions when the -foundations of this earth were laid."</p> - -<p>"But on this earth, John; what about this earth?"</p> - -<p>"Well, I can hardly answer. If you were to ask me when I did not -love you, I could tell you—never. Ever since I saw you, a tiny, -silver-haired tot of a girl, I felt that you were apart and separate -from everything human for me, and I loved you."</p> - -<p>John, with his every-day clothes on, was out in the lot daily that -fall, plowing and planting for his little wife. He said little. John -never was a talker; but he proved by his constant labors that no -unnecessary task should be put upon the slender hands of his wife. -Wood, kindlings—why, Diantha used to laugh and say that John was -getting in a supply to last five years. Gentle assistance also he often -silently rendered in her many household tasks. She used to order him -away, but he knew the feet must get weary, after a hard day's work; -and Diantha had much to do, to spin, weave, color and prepare their -clothes for the coming winter. Outside her door, the yard was packed, -and wetted down, and swept, until Diantha declared she could trail her -wedding dress over it without harm.</p> - -<p>It was amusing to see him out at his work, driving his team across and -around the lot; and then, when Diantha came out, as she very often -did, singing as she came, he would stop and look over at her with a -gleam of rapturous love in his eyes, while he would wait until she -threw the dainty kiss she was sure to toss before she went inside the -house. Sometimes he could not resist the spell, and tying up his team -he would saunter after her, and once at the door, stand wiping his brow -meditatively.</p> - -<p>"John Stevens," she would cry, "what have you left your work for, and -what do you want, sir?"</p> - -<p>And then he would go up, and putting his hand under her chin, he would -draw up her face to his own bent lips and kiss her saucy red lips, -while he said sometimes, in answer to her mocking question, "I only -want to look at my wife."</p> - -<p>Then she would be silenced, for that sweet word "wife" always poured -over her soul such a flood of happiness that she could not speak for a -time. At other times John would beg his wife to sing him one song, or -to thread a tune on the mystic ivory keys, and he would let his soul go -out to God and his wife on the sound-waves that beat upon his throbbing -breast. Ah, John had much to thank God for, and he knew it!</p> - -<p>One Sabbath day, as usual, they both dressed in their simple, homely -best, and together walked up to the Tabernacle; Diantha felt as if -she were walking upon air. She looked up at her big, sober, gentle, -masterful and yet tender husband, and she knew there was not his -superior in all Zion. How proudly she sat in the congregation while -John paced his slow way to the stand, for he had lately been appointed -to an important position in the Church. Her heart echoed every word of -the ringing homely hymn, "Do What Is Right," and she thanked God that -she had been helped by His matchless power to follow the simple but -noble advice.</p> - -<p>Elder Orson Pratt, who spoke, dwelt upon some of the peculiar beliefs -of the Saints, and then launched out upon the great topic of marriage, -and spoke with mighty power upon the eternity of the marriage covenant. -Diantha's heart swelled with rapture to know that she and John had been -sealed by the power and authority of the Priesthood for time and for -all eternity. And to think that three short months ago she had been so -full of grave misgivings as to whether John would ever seek her again, -for he had made no sign for the two whole years of his missionary life! -How she had grown in these two years, to love the sound of his slow, -drawling voice, the glance of his keen, beautiful, yet gentle eyes. -How ardently she listened to the mere mention of his name by others. -She would sit with her heart all a-tremble if his name were being -discussed. And now to think he was all her own! For time and for all -eternity! Oh, God, what bliss divine!</p> - -<p>The speaker touched upon the privileges of parents who bear children -under the new and everlasting covenant. What a thrill of joy swept -over her as she thought that she would some day be mother to John's -children! Her heart almost ceased its beating for a moment, it was so -new and so beautiful to think of. She looked up at John as the thought -came, and he must have been led to the same reflection, for he had -turned from the speaker and was looking at her with a love in his eyes -which she could see from where he sat; and she colored, half with joy, -half with modest shrinking, as she dropped her eyes and sat still for a -moment.</p> - -<p>"John," she said, as they were walking home at noon, "what a beautiful -sermon Brother Pratt preached this morning."</p> - -<p>"Yes," assented John.</p> - -<p>"And, John, what a happy thought, that I—that we—that—I, that—"</p> - -<p>John could not speak, he was too full of emotion to say a word; but -when they had entered their own door, and closed themselves from the -gaze of the public, he took her in his arms and held her close to his -own throbbing heart, and said in her ear, "The mother of my children. -For time and in all eternity."</p> - -<hr> - -<p>Let us leave them now. We like the last view of our friends to be the -brightest and best. This much, however, must be told, that John and -Diantha are as happy today, although in the whitened years of old age -and long experience, as they were in those early days of their newly -wedded love.</p> - -<p>One day when I asked John to tell me about his courting days, he -answered gravely, putting his arms around the motherly shoulders of his -wife:</p> - -<p>"Why, I have just begun to court my wife. It takes a man a long time to -get ready, and then the courting, to be well done, must never end, but -continue throughout the long eternities."</p> - - - -<h2>Transcriber's Note:</h2> - - -<p>Some obvious printer's errors have been corrected as seemed reasonable, -such as certain punctuation errors (like omitted periods, periods to -commas or semi-colons to commas, and some mismatched quotation marks). -Some inconsistent or obvious spelling errors or typos within the text -were also corrected (e. g. merily to merrily, cariages to carriages, -we'l to we'll, acording to according, Stevvens to Stevens, Govenor to -Governor, Congresss to Congress, cheeful to cheerful, rythm to rhythm, -etc.).</p> - -<p> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's John Stevens' Courtship, by Susa Young Gates - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOHN STEVENS' COURTSHIP *** - -***** This file should be named 50312-h.htm or 50312-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/3/1/50312/ - -Produced by McKayla Hansen, Mormon Texts Project Intern -(http://mormontextsproject.org), with thanks to Renah -Holmes for proofreading - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: John Stevens' Courtship - A Story of the Echo Canyon War - -Author: Susa Young Gates - -Release Date: October 26, 2015 [EBook #50312] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOHN STEVENS' COURTSHIP *** - - - - -Produced by McKayla Hansen, Mormon Texts Project Intern -(http://mormontextsproject.org), with thanks to Renah -Holmes for proofreading - - - - - - -John Stevens' Courtship. - - -A STORY OF THE ECHO CANYON WAR. - - -By SUSA YOUNG GATES - - -Salt Lake City. Utah. -1909. - - -TO THAT OTHER JOHN, TO DIAN HERSELF, AND TO WALTER, THE THREE FRIENDS -WHO HAVE MADE "JOHN STEVENS" POSSIBLE, THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY -DEDICATED - - - -PREFACE. - -A story of love, in the rugged setting of pioneer days, is -the theme of this book. The characters of the story move among the -stirring incidents of the Echo Canyon War--an affair absolutely unique -in the history of the land. The scenes and events depict faithfully -the conditions that, according to the historians--Tullidge, Whitney -and Bancroft--prevailed in and about the Territory of Utah during the -period of the "War." Much information has also been gathered from Vol. -II of the Contributor and from numerous pioneers who recall vividly the -intensity of feeling that characterized the days of "Johnston's Army" -and "the Move." The characters of the story are, of course, mainly -fictitious and have had an existence only in the author's mind. John -Stevens is a composite; his outer appearance was faintly suggested -by an obscure character of pioneer days; many pioneers knew and will -recognize Aunt Clara; Diantha was modeled after a woman yet living in -the prime of her life. - -Young people often think that romance and thrilling episodes, for which -youth hungers, are not found within daily life; and frequently go to -perilous lengths in search for that which in fact is right at home. -An avowed purpose of this book is to show that there is plenty of -romance and color in every-day life--if the eye be not life-colorblind. -If, therefore, John Stevens, with his big, generous heart can awaken -the soul of one youth to a higher courage, a more manly outlook upon -the splendidly hard discipline of pioneer Western life; if Diantha's -suffering and sweet Ellen's sad death help just one vacillating girl -to a realization of the dangers with which the path of love and youth -are always strewn, then indeed will the author be satisfied. The last -two chapters were written at the solicitation of Diantha herself. She -begged that the "girls" might be made to see how sweet and enthralling -true, pure and sanctified married affection can be. - -It is fitting that acknowledgment be here made of the careful and -helpful service rendered by the many friends who have read, re-read, -suggested, corrected, approved, criticized and molded "John Stevens" -into a somewhat passable shape. To these friends, grateful thanks. - -The pioneer days were days of beauty and rich emotions. That their -memory should be perpetuated is the author's chief justification for -the writing of this book. - -SUSA YOUNG GATES. Salt Lake City, July 24, 1909. - - - -CONTENTS - -I. The Picnic in the Wasatch -II. Diantha Forgets John -III. "Come and Kiss Yoo Papa" -IV. The Echo Down the Canyon -V. "The Army is Upon Us" -VI. Who Shall Fear Man? -VII. Van Arden Enters the Valley -VIII. The Winthrops Entertain -IX. John Opens His Mouth -X. In Echo Canyon -XI. "In the Valley or Hell" -XII. The Friend of Brigham Young -XIII. Diantha Wears Charlie's Ring -XIV. "To Your Tents, O Israel!" -XV. I'm a Mormon Dyed in the Wool -XVI. The Peace Commissioners -XVII. Brother Dunbar Sings Zion -XVIII. The Army Enters the Valley -XIX. Tom Allen Dreams a Dream -XX. A Soldier in Distress -XXI. John Visits Ellen -XXII. If You Love Me, John -XXIII. Down by the Riverside -XXIV. Ellie's Second Warning -XXV. "Do You Care for John Stevens?" -XXVI. Col. Saxey Expostulates -XXVII. Christmas Eve, 1858 -XXVIII. The Ball in the Social Hall -XXIX. Diantha's Sudden Awakening -XXX. Dian is True to Her Resolve -XXXI. John also Resolves -XXXII. "Sour Grapes" -XXXIII. Where is Ellen? -XXXIV. Is She at the Chase Mill? -XXXV. On to Provo -XXXVI. At Camp Floyd -XXXVII. Dead or Disgraced? -XXXVIII. Sego-Lilies -XXXIX. The Wooing O't -XL. John Builds a Home -XLI. Diantha Enters -XLII. Home, Sweet Home - - - -John Stevens' Courtship. - -I. - -THE PIC-NIC IN THE WASATCH - -"Dianthy, how are you going up the canyon? Are you going with me and -your brother?" - -"No, I think not, Rachel. I promised to go with John Stevens. And the -very next day Henry Boyle asked me to go with him; wasn't that a shame?" - -"Wasn't what a shame? That Henry should have the impudence to ask you -to go with him? I should think he'd find out after awhile that you are -not in love with him and never will be." - -"I'm sure I can't tell how you know so much about me and my affairs, -Rachel. I haven't told any one I am or I am not in love with Henry -Boyle. And I can't see how it is that you have such a prejudice against -Henry. I'm sure you can't find any fault with him. He's a perfect -gentleman--far more civilized and polite than a whole town full of men -like--like--well--like many of our Utah boys. And he's ambitious, too; -wants to make something of himself; which is more than some of our boys -do. Just see how he came here from England two years ago; left his home -and all his relatives, and in less than a year worked up till he got -the position of clerk in Livingston and Kincaid's store." - -"Exactly! And now he is a gentleman in very deed, for he wears store -clothes every day in the week, and the finest worked ladies' buckskin -gloves on Sunday. What more does he require to be a gentleman?" - -"See here, Rachel, I want you to answer me one question. Do you, or -does my brother Appleton, know anything wrong about Henry Boyle? Isn't -he a 'Mormon,' in good standing and repute? Doesn't he pay his tithes -and donations, and attend his meetings regularly? What more can you -ask?" - -"Oh, Dian, you wear me out completely. Stick to your 'Enery, if -you want to; but he'll never amount to a row of pins. He's a real -namby-pamby man; and that is about all he is likely to be. I should -think you'd want a being with some life and spirit." - -"Like John Stevens, perhaps. Well, I've never seen any evidence of this -wonderful life and spirit you folks are always talking about, in John -Stevens. The only fiery thing about John, that I've ever discovered, is -his red beard." - -With a half sarcastic smile, the girl dusted the last speck of flour -from her cotton apron, went to the wash bench and calmly washed the -flour and tiny bits of dough from her hands; then, drawing a clean -cloth over her wooden bread trough, she set it on the kitchen table for -the night. - -Rachel Winthrop sighed as she watched these proceedings and hushed her -baby to sleep, in the small, yet comfortable rush-bottomed rocker, -which was such a luxury in early Utah days. She admired and loved her -husband's youngest sister, with all the strength of her affectionate -soul; and she yearned with the tenderness of a mother over that -indifferent, self-centered, yet handsome and sensible young person. - -"I don't wonder that men admire you, Dianthy," she said, at last. -"You're a fine looking girl." - -"You mean I've pretty good taste in fixing myself up. People wouldn't -admire me so much if they saw me 'off parade' a few times. It's my -clothes and the way I put them on that wakens admiration, Rachel. Just -look at my nose!" - -She stood a moment, with her arms akimbo, her face tilted as she tried -to squint with half-closed eyes down at the offending organ. - -"There's nothing the matter with your nose, Dianthy, only it's got a -patch of flour on the side of it just now. But come, I must put baby -to bed, so we can finish up, or we'll never be ready to start in the -morning." - -It was the evening of the 21st of July, 1857. All Salt Lake was astir -with preparations for the famous outing to Big Cottonwood Canyon, where -the Twenty-fourth--Pioneer day--was to be spent. Candles sputtered and -burned down, were snuffed and finally replaced with new ones, as the -women of the young city worked hard yet happily the night through, -baking great banks of pies and loaves upon loaves of tender, yellow -cakes; cooking beef, lamb and chickens; roasting young pigs before -the open fire, in the brick ovens, or in one of the few step-stoves. -Serviceberry preserves, and plenty of thick amber-colored molasses were -stored in all the pails and jars obtainable. Such creamy-brown loaves -of yeast or "salt-rising" bread; such pots of sweet, yellow butter; -such crisp doughnuts and delicate "dutch cheese," never before had been -seen in such profusion during the brief ten years' history of the Great -Salt Lake Valley. - -As Rachel Winthrop laid the child in its cradle and prepared to finish -her ironing of print dresses and blue chambrey sunbonnets, the young -girl, who had pulled down her sleeves and adjusted her collar, went -slowly out at the front door, as if watching for someone. Then, turning -back into the sitting-room, she seated herself at the small melodeon -in the corner, and began to play softly. Her touch upon the tiny ivory -keys was very sympathetic and musical. Waltzes and schottisches poured -out in mellow harmony upon the heated waves of the July evening. Then, -as if filled to the full with the spirit of music that she had invoked, -she lifted up her voice in song. "Shells of the Ocean" and "Rock Me to -Sleep, Mother," betrayed a quality of tenderness in the soul that the -somewhat proud exterior did not warrant. - -"Oh, Dian," called her sister-in-law, "why do you sing such mournful -songs? You give me the creeps." - -"Do I?" asked the girl. "I wasn't thinking; but someway, I feel sad -tonight, just as if something were going to happen." - -"Something is, Dian; we are all invited by President Young to spend the -Twenty-fourth in Big Cottonwood Canyon. And there's lots to do before -we go to bed." - -"Just one song then, to cheer us up, Rachel, for the evening's work" -and the gay voice trilled out the rollicking changes of "We All Wear -Cloaks," and ended with the evening hymn, "Come, Come, Ye Saints, No -Toil Nor Labor Fear." Before she had finished the first stanza of the -hymn, her brother, Bishop Winthrop, had added his musical bass, and the -sixteen year old Harvey was putting in a fair tenor and playing the air -as well on his concertina. Rachel herself sang the alto. Then, with a -quiet reverence, the Bishop said, "Let us have prayers." - -The quiet of the night closed in with starry radiance upon the little -family, the children asleep, while the women worked, conversing in -subdued voices. Few were the hours of sleep that memorable night in -Great Salt Lake City, for most of its citizens, to the number of three -thousand, had been invited to spend the day at the headwaters of the -Big Cottonwood stream, in the little dell far up in the tops of the -mountains. All the city was astir to assist in the unusual festivity. - -In the morning, the Winthrop household was boiling and bubbling in the -excitement and heat of preparation. - -"Dian," said the distracted Rachel, "you go out to the wagon and get -the Bishop to put in all those things that I have laid at the side of -the appletree." - -Out in the back yard could be heard the frequent small explosions that -preceded such scenes in the Winthrop household. - -"What's all this trash, Diantha? Does Rachel think we are going to -cross the plains again? She's got enough stuff here to feed an army -and to house a regiment," this as the Bishop selected various of the -bundles and bales sent for the wagon's supply. "Who on earth but Rachel -would ever think of carting a heavy wooden tub, flat irons and popcorn -up Big Cottonwood? Popcorn on a picnic! And she's actually got a -feather bed in this pile! Humph!" and the snort of disgust ended only -as he tossed the bed back into the crotch of the young apple tree. - -"Now, Appleton, that bed must go, so just do be good and let's not -waste time this way. Here; it can go right on top of the boxes and -we'll have it handy for the children to sit on," Dian worked as she -talked, for she knew how little value to attach to the warmth of her -brother on such occasions. "Here, Harvey, pack that shovel into the -crevice there, will you?" - -"Shovels on a picnic! Does she think we are going to locate mines? And -rakes! My soul, but we will never get up the canyon with this load. -You'll all have to walk, I'll tell you that." - -"All but the baby and Rachel, Appleton. I am going to ride in John -Stevens' wagon, with Aunt Clara and Ellie Tyler." - -"Is that so, Dian? Well, that's fine." And in the pleasure of this -announcement, the Bishop stowed away most of the things awaiting their -turn on the grass. - -"Salt! Why, Dian, there's twenty pounds of salt in this sack," and the -Bishop fairly shouted in astonishment. "Salt by the bushel! Does Rachel -imagine we are going out to pickle meat? There's salt enough for three -thousand people, to last them a week." - -"Exactly, Appleton; you know well enough that other people forget -things, and Rachel has to be general commissary for the crowd," calmly -replied her unmoved defender. - -"Upon my word! Do you mean that I am to be made a general pack-horse to -carry all the forgotten things for other people?" - -"Appleton," this was said skilfully, and by way of diversion, "are we -to have a dancing pavilion up there?" - -"Two of them, Dian. And I don't want you sky-larking off with all the -young men in the company, if you are to go with John Stevens. You -won't get another chance like John, let me tell you. A member of the -legislature, a man without fault or blemish, and as good as God ever -made a man." - -"There's the rub, brother. I'm not good enough for such a paragon. And -I don't like paragons." - -"You're an obstinate girl, Diantha." - -The girl laughed merrily, now that she had diverted the attention of -her irascible brother to herself, for he had packed away even the -despised salt, and was putting in the tent poles and tents on top of -the other bulky but light loading, while they were talking. - -"Come, Rachel, we're all done. What are you laughing about?" sang out -the Bishop. "Are you ready to start?" - -His wife emerged from the house, all smiles, and with a cup of cool -buttermilk to refresh the weary husband, who had dealt so generously -with her packing arrangements. - -"Thank you, Dian," she said softly, as the girl hurried into the house -to complete her own preparations. - -It was in the early afternoon of that day, when a double team--the -wagon fitted with bows, but the cover folded in the bottom of the wagon -box--drew up to the Winthrop house with great dash and clatter. Four -good spring seats rattled emptily as the driver threw on his brake and -gave a loud "Hello" to the people inside. - -The front door opened and Bishop Winthrop came out. - -"Dian will be ready in a moment, John. I am glad she is going with you, -for I know you'll take good care of her." - -"Just as good as she'll let me," the young man smiled down at his -friend. - -"Oh, Dianthy's all right, only she's a little high-spirited. Give her -plenty of time, John; you can afford to wait," said the elder man, in -confidential tones. - -At that moment Diantha herself came out with her two nieces, and -looking at the empty seats, she asked, "Where's Ellen Tyler going to -ride? I'll sit with her." - -"All right," answered the young man calmly "Only you'll have to sit -three in a seat, as Charlie Rose put that middle seat in for himself -and Ellen." - -John sat patiently waiting for the girl to make up her mind, and not -offering to assist her in. Perhaps his horses were fractious. At any -rate, he sat watching them, now and then flicking a fly from them, -apparently indifferent as to the result of the girl's decision. - -"I suppose I shall have to ride in front, then," Dian murmured, and -began climbing over the wheel, "although I like to be invited to sit by -young men." - -"You may sit on the back seat if you want to, and let either Aunt Clara -or Tom Allen or either of the two little girls, Lucy or Josephine, sit -here," said John, as he smiled down into her averted face, his gray -eyes flashing with suppressed amusement. - -"No, thank you. I've had trouble enough to get where I am, without any -help; I don't care to climb any more. Get in, girls," she added. - -"Where are you going now, John?" asked Diantha, as they drove off at -last. - -"For the rest of the folks," and away they clattered and rattled, the -horses requiring careful handling, they were so full of eager life. - -John drove rapidly to the home of Aunt Clara Tyler, where he was to -find the others of his party. - -A moment's wait, and then Ellen Tyler came out, followed by the others. -Her brown curls fell from under the white sunbonnet which surrounded -her face like a ruffled halo. The delicate cream of her skin but made -the glowing brown eyes and the scarlet lips the lovelier by contrast. -Her pretty teeth gleamed through the curved line of parted lips as -she bounded smilingly down the flower-bordered path. She had a great -bunch of spice pinks and blue bachelor buttons in her hand, and as she -reached the wagon she threw the blue blossoms into Dian's lap, saying -gleefully, "These belong to you, Dian." - -"Why?" cried out Charlie Rose, who stood waiting for his partner, at -the wheel, "do you think Dian is destined to be a blue-stocking or will -she marry an old bachelor?" and the young man sprang gracefully to -assist Ellen to her place. - -"Dian's never blue herself, and so she may have my bluest flowers," -said Ellen, as she leaned over the seat to give her friend a -good-morning kiss. - -Fat and jolly Tom Allen had thoughtfully brought out a chair on which -stout and kindly Aunt Clara could climb safely into the back seat -with him. Lucy Winthrop and Josephine Tyler, as inseparable childish -friends, occupied the other seat. - -Soon all were seated; the plethoric baskets were disposed of; and the -merry party dashed through the tree-bordered streets, John Stevens -managing his double team with the skill of long practice. - -Just at the edge of the town a young man galloped up on horse-back, and -raised his straw hat gracefully to the ladies, reined in his horse near -Diantha Winthrop, and sat on his trotting steed in true English style. -Diantha greeted the young man as Brother Boyle; and at once gayly -devoted her attention to him, ignoring her partner, John Stevens, with -girlish obliviousness. - -There was a great clattering of wheels and many gay jests, with gusts -of youthful laughter floating out from that wagon-load of happy -hilarity. The placid Aunt Clara Tyler looked on from her vantage -point in the back seat, with sympathetic companionship. They overtook -and passed scores and hundreds of teams, all traveling in the same -direction. And each party was given, as they passed, the greetings of -long friendships and mutual pleasures. - -When they reached the rendezvous at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon, -they found the narrow passageway between the hills looking like a -tented field. Out in the open square of the regulated camp, the strains -of "Uncle" Dimick Huntington's Martial Band saluted the ears with -tingling effect, as the fifes piped out shrilly the melody of "The Girl -I Left Behind Me." - -Charlie Rose assisted Aunt Clara and Ellen to alight, while he sang in -merry accompaniment the words of the song. Ellie's own dancing feet -were tripping, almost before she touched the greensward; and Charlie -seized her hands and together they flew and pirouetted and bowed and -danced to the strains of that inspiring sound. - -Henry Boyle, who was off his horse before the party halted, quickly -appropriated Dian's willing fingers, and together they tripped in all -the gay disorder of impromptu dancing over the open square, as the -music shrilled and floated out on the cool, canyon breeze. - -Even Aunt Clara's feet tingled with the sound; but she refused to -accept jolly Tom Allen's invitation to join the merry throng now -quickly gathering on the sward, for she was very stout; but she smiled -sympathetically into John's face as he glanced quizzically at his own -partner now whisking away merrily with another, and at his associate -youths who had left to him all the labor of unhitching and preparing -camp for the night. But John was not a dancing man. He cared little -that he was left alone. His animals were very dear to him; for his -lonely domestic life had brought him in close association with the dumb -beasts that carried him over trackless plains and mountain peaks. - -Soon the word went forth that President Young was approaching the -rendezvous, and all hastened to greet their friend and leader. As -his buggy, driven rapidly through the dusty road, came in sight, the -Nauvoo Band poured forth its brass blare of welcome; the boys pulled -off their hats; the girls waved sunbonnets; and the whole group stood -at attention, with affectionate greetings written upon their smiling -faces, and waving their hands, to welcome Brigham Young--Governor, -President, friend, and brother. - -Thereafter followed the peaceable family of Bishop Winthrop. Comforted -and rested by the soothing assurance that wife and children were well -and with him, and that his precious young sister, Diantha, was for -once in the care and company of the man he loved best on earth, Bishop -Winthrop had driven his light spring wagon joyfully, and withal as -rapidly as his farm horses would permit, in the wake of the President -and his immediate family, with Rachel and babe crooning happily beside -him, and the merry youngsters behind, who were too interested in the -gigantic picnic before them even to indulge in a childish squabble. - -At late sunset, the bugle sent forth its insistent call for silence. -Rapidly the company of over three thousand souls, encamped for the -night beside the brawling Big Cottonwood stream, gathered in one -glowing mass of color and motion. Then youth and age knelt reverently -on the sward, while devotions were offered to the kind Providence which -had permitted them to begin their long-planned festivity. - -An hour after the evening service was over, the pleasure seekers had -retired into wagons and tents, and the silence of the peaceful hills -brooded over the encampment. - - - -II. - -DIANTHA FORGETS JOHN - -The next morning at daybreak, the party began the long steady climb -amidst crags and pine covered hills, up through the rocky windings of -"The Stairs," and still up. The party laughed, sang, walked, climbed, -or rested for a moment beside the churning, foaming mountain stream or -beneath the shadowing pine trees which bordered the newly made road. As -the long cavalcade wound in and out between the hills, the two girls -in the wagon drawn by John Stevens' spirited horses, sang and laughed -in gayest abandon. Aunt Clara's eyes were full of tender gratitude for -such happiness, for she had known the sorrows of many mobbings and -drivings. This haven of peace and joyous plenty was a foretaste of -heaven to the faithful heart which had braved more than the persecution -of strangers; for Aunt Clara had left home, parents, and all she -held dear for the sake of that Gospel which spelled Truth and Life -Everlasting to its faithful votaries. - -"Oh, John," cried Diantha at last, "You must let Ellie and me walk; -I just can't resist the pleading call of those gorgeous flowers. -Bluebells, and red-bells--and oh, the exquisite columbines! Look, -Ellie, look! Stop, John, stop! Ellie and I will walk." - -John himself was walking beside his team up the heavy, seemingly -never-ending grade of that twenty mile ascent, while Tom Allen and -Charlie Rose placed an occasional block under the wheels or stood upon -them, while the panting horses rested for a moment. - -"Here you are," called Charlie, as he heard Dian's plea, "'my waiting -arms will hold you,'" and he held out his arms in mock pleading. - -"Aunt Clara's lips will scold you," jeered Dian as she climbed safely -down on the other side. But Ellen jumped gayly into the grasp of the -waiting cavalier, whose modest action in placing her gently on the -hillside belied his bombastic appeal. - - "Spirit of the hills, descend and greet, - The pressing of her eager feet," - -sang Charlie as he followed the flying girls, gayly improvising his -boyish madrigals to meet each incident of the day. - -The girls climbed from point to point, always going upward, but keeping -out of the way of passing teams. Their arms were soon filled with the -blooms of riotous colors and perfume which intoxicated them with the -blush and glory of the color song of peak and mountain vale. - - "Her spicy cheeks were red with bloom, - Her colored breath was panting; - As with a thousand flowers of June--" - -Charlie paused to block the wheel, and Diantha finished his doggerel -for him, - - "She mocked at Charlie's ranting." - -and Aunt Clara who felt faint herself from the rarified air that they -were all conscious of, looked anxiously at the somewhat delicate frame -of her foster-daughter. - -"Tom, I believe you, too, are uncomfortable." - -Tom Allen was almost speechless, for his bulky form was nearly overcome -with the constant climbing; but he would not betray the fact to the -scorn of Charlie Rose: for Tom dreaded to be teased quite as much as he -loved to tease others. So he quieted his panting breath to say, "Aunt -Clara, I think I heard some one say you had some doughnuts in one of -those baskets; where could we find a better place to eat our frugal -meal than beside this purling stream." - -"Just a mile or so, more," interposed John Stevens. "We are almost -there; can't you exercise patience for another hour?" - -At that moment, however, word was passed down the line that all would -pause half an hour to rest animals and men. - -The cavalcade had passed the two lower sawmills, with the roomy cabins -decorated with waving flags. Now they halted beside the third and last -mill, nestled in the crevice of the canyon. Its buzzing industry was -stilled for this wondrous day, while the workmen and their families -gathered in the grassy space to meet and welcome the company. For their -pleasure they had not only made the last five miles of that difficult -road into the vale of the Silver Lake, just above, but had also -erected three spacious boweries with comfortable floors and seats to -accommodate the gay revelers. - -Everybody seemed moved with a common impulse for "doughnuts;" for the -President himself, as he halted at the "saw-mill," stepped up to Aunt -Clara Tyler and accepted courteously her offer of fried cakes. - -The impatient girls were glad, nevertheless, when the half-hour was -over, and they could once more resume their places in the wagon for -the final steep climb to the place of destination. When they mounted -the last summit of that low northern rim encircling the valley of -their desire, both girlish throats were at once filled with excited -exclamations of delight, as the fairy scene burst upon their view. - -An emerald-tinted valley with a silvery lake empearled on its western -rim lay before them, cupped in a circle of embracing hills and -snow-covered crags. The summits of the eastern and western hills were -crowned with pine, which here and there, like dusky sentinels, traced -their lines down, down to the water's edge. That gleaming, brilliant, -silent water! Every tree upon its brink was reproduced, and even the -clouds above floated again in soft, tremulous pictures beneath the -surface of this beautiful mountain mirror. Sheer above the lake on the -south towered white granite cliffs, holding here and there a whiter -bloom of snow in their pale embrace. - -Ellen jumped excitedly from her seat to lean over and hug her friend -Diantha, as the wagon rolled slowly down the smooth road to the spot -which John had selected for the Winthrop and Tyler tents, close to -the marquee of President Young. Dian put up a caressing hand to the -soft cheek of her enthusiastic friend, Ellen, and leaned her own cheek -tenderly against the one bending over her shoulder. - -"Oh, Dian," breathed the happy girl, "I never thought there was so much -beauty in all Utah." - -"Utah is the home of beauty and goodness," said Charlie Rose gallantly, -and even Dian could not answer this trite compliment saucily, for her -heart was melted with rapture at sight of so much grandeur. - -The camp was located on a fairy-like spot, overlooking the surrounding -meadows and lake. The boweries, President Young's marquee, and -President Heber C. Kimball's tent, occupied an open space amid the -small copses of pine on the north side of the lake. The tents, -carriages and wagons, were soon grouped about these central points. A -massive granite rock, fifty-four feet in circumference by fifty-four -feet high, stood at the entrance of this lovely, natural bower; from -the center of this spot, and apparently without earth to sustain them, -grew three pine trees, which were fringed round at the top of the rock -with a thick cluster of young pines, about two feet high. A large flag -was suspended from these trees, bearing the motto "Clear the Way," -with an all seeing eye in the oval of the upper margin, above two -clasped hands, under which, inscribed on a scroll, were the words, -"Blessings Follow Sacrifices." A representation of the Pioneer company -crossing the North Platte River, on rafts, occupied the central space -of this great flag. Below was another legend, "The Pioneers of 1847 -at the Upper Crossing of the Platte, in Pursuit of the Valleys of the -Mountains." - -A little farther to the right, and near the northwest corner of the -great, central, hundred foot bowery, was a stately pine, from which -floated the loveliest flag on earth--the Stars and Stripes--its silken -folds now whipping out wide and full now curling in graceful half -circles around the unique flagstaff. - -Another banner near by, bore the representation of a bundle of -sticks, bound together with strong cords, and the inscription, "The -Constitution of the United States. Equal Rights! Woe to the Violators!" - -From the front of the central bowery hung three great banners, the -first having painted thereon a rock in the midst of billowing waves; -from the summit of the rock floated the starry flag, and below was the -inscription, "The Constitution of the United States! The 'Mormons' -will Defend the Rock! Who can Prevail Against it?" The second banner -had the picture of a lion, with one paw upon a rock above which was -the inscription "Utah Courage," and underneath in golden letters, "The -Spirit of '76 is not Dead." The third banner had a lion standing beside -the docile figure of a recumbent lamb, with the inscription, "Peace -Reigns Here," painted across the silken surface beneath. - -On the tallest pines at the crowning point of both eastern and western -summits, there floated great flags, the red, white and blue of their -glory accentuated by the clear, brilliant blue of the sky, and the deep -green of the wooded slopes. - -Scattered here and there were massive swings for the youth, while the -little ones were well provided with low swings and wide seats. - -Major Robert T. Burton, of the Nauvoo and Utah Militia, with a -detachment of life-guards, had charge of the swings and the rafts on -the lakes, to guard against accidents. John Stevens was detailed to his -own full share of this guard duty, and was therefore soon absent from -the merry party he had brought so carefully to the camp. - -The labor of setting up tents and arranging camp filled the remaining -afternoon hours, and Dian was glad when her brother said, "You can go -now, my girl; Rachel and I will finish; take this feather bed over to -Aunt Clara's tent, for Rachel wants her to be comfortable." - -"What a kind thought, Appleton; Aunt Clara does so much sick nursing -that she needs to have a good bed. Tell Rachel I think she is pretty -good to give up her own bed." - -"That's all right. Rachel and I are young, and can sleep on the ground, -when we need to. She says Aunt Clara was so anxious to make you young -people happy that she gave up all the room she could for your spring -seats and yourselves." - -"Aunt Clara is good to us, and Rachel is good to her. Pretty good -religion that, brother, eh? Rachel is very thoughtful, Appleton." - -"Yes, she is the best woman on earth, Dolly. I appreciate her, if I am -cross at times. Hark! That's the bugle call for prayers. Run along with -your bed, Dian." - -"Allow me to assist in this operation," and merry Charlie Rose appeared -just in time to carry the bulky bed into Aunt Clara's tent. - -The camp gathered in the central bowery, at the cool sunset hour, and -the choir sang "Come, Come Ye Saints." - - Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear, - But with joy wend your way; - Though hard to you this journey may appear, - Grace shall be as your day. - 'Tis better far for us to strive, - Our useless cares from us to drive. - Do this, and joy your hearts will swell-- - All is well! all is well! - - Why should we mourn, or think our lot is hard? - 'Tis not so; all is right! - Why should we think to earn a great reward, - If we now shun the fight? - Gird up your loins, fresh courage take, - Our God will never us forsake; - And soon we'll have this tale to tell-- - All is well! all is well! - - We'll find the place which God for us prepared, - Far away in the West; - Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid; - There the Saints will be blessed. - We'll make the air with music ring, - Shout praises to our God and King; - Above the rest these words we'll tell-- - All is well! all is well! - - And should we die before our journey's through, - Happy day! all is well! - We then are free from toil and sorrow too; - With the just we shall dwell. - But if our lives are spared again - To see the Saints, their rest obtain, - O, how we'll make this chorus swell-- - All is well! all is well! - -After the song, the attention of the assembly was riveted upon the -dignified form of Brigham Young as he advanced to the edge of the -raised platform and said: - -"We unite, my friends and brothers, and sisters, in gratitude to that -Father who has permitted us to enjoy this festal occasion. Tomorrow -morning, at seven o'clock, the bugle will call you here to morning -devotions, except those who are detained at their wagons. We wish those -who have children here to see that they are in the tents, and not have -the cry go forth that this, that and the other child is lost. I also -wish to give a word of caution to all who may visit this lake or the -ones in the hidden vales above us. I would rather have stayed at home -than to have it said that a child has been lost, or any person drowned -through visiting this place. - -"Suppose a child was lost in the woods and could not be found; suppose -you should lose a sister, a daughter, or a companion on this lake; you -would always think of your visit to Big Cottonwood Canyon with bitter -regret. A circumstance of this kind would mar the peace of everyone. -I wish the sisters and children to keep away from these rafts, unless -they have some person in their company capable of taking care of them; -if they know enough to do so as they should, they will listen to this -counsel. - -"Here are swings and boweries prepared for your enjoyment; here are -most beautiful groves, meandering streams, and lovely sheets of -water, amid the towering peaks of the Wasatch mountains. Here are the -stupendous works of the God of Nature, though all do not appreciate -His wisdom, manifested in His works, but are tempted to recklessness -through the buoyant feelings of youth and health, and without caution, -are liable to run into danger. - -"Some, if they had the power, would be on the other side of those -loftly peaks in ten minutes, instead of calmly meditating upon the -wonderful works of God, and His kind providence that has watched over -us and provided for us, more especially in the last fifteen years of -our history. I could sit here for a month and reflect on the mercies -of our God, and humble myself in thankfulness because of His favors to -myself as an individual, and to all this great people. - -"What do you think the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, the -Patriarch, would have given to have seen this day in the flesh, and to -have been here instead of being taken to Carthage, like lambs to their -slaughter, and butchered by their enemies? We are hid up in the Lord's -secret chambers, according to His promise, where none can molest us, or -make us afraid." - -Diantha's whole body shivered in an inner resistance as the President -uttered this joyful challenge to fate. But she listened attentively as -the further quiet words fell from his lips: - -"Here is a good floor which we have prepared expressly for your -enjoyment, there are two other boweries for the mothers and their -children, and here are three bands of musicians, together with -our Nauvoo Brass Band and Brother Huntington's Martial Band. The -Springville band and the Ogden band will both assist Professor Ballo -who has charge of the great orchestra provided for dancing. Before we -have our evening prayers, Professor Ballo will favor us with one of his -classical selections,--'what do you call it, Brother Ballo?'" asked -the President calmly, across the pavilion, and the musician flushed -slightly as he responded from the opposite platform: - -"It is the Overture to Tancreda," profusely bowing in his embarrassment. - -And with that the band struck up the exquisite strains of that tuneful -offering to youth and courage, while the people listened with well -placed musical sympathy, to this unusual burst of melody, in the virgin -solitudes of this sylvan vale. The very hills took up the theme of that -lovely opera by Rosinni, and echoed and re-echoed the fine harmony with -all the Silver Lake's famous echo. - -As the massive form of the President's Counselor, Heber C. Kimball, -stepped out to offer the evening prayer for that happy camp, sweet -Ellen's soul sang and sang the words of the prayer into the straining -melody of the Overture to Tancreda, but alas, Ellen's music was hidden -in her soul and had not been taught to find expression on her lips, or -from her finger-tips. - -After prayers, the people dispersed to their tents to finish -preparations for rest, or to join in dance and song around camp fires -or in the great boweries. - -At the Winthrop tent, Rachel was completing her camp arrangements. - -"Just see 'Enry B'yle 'ang 'round Di," muttered Dian's brother Harvey -to his chums as they carried bundles and boxes from the wagons to the -tents, "He is too fine to chop and dig; he leaves that to John and -father." - -"I'm going to tell mother to set him to work, said Lucy, who at once -ran to put her threat into execution. - -"Miss Diantha, what can I do to help you?" asked the gallant young -man, on receiving the hint from frank Rachel Willis. Thereupon he took -bundles and parcels from the girl, she laughing again and again at his -awkward attempts to be useful around a camp fire. - -The camp-fires, now began to shoot steady flames into the darkening -sky; the squeak, squeak of the fiddles was answered by the toot of the -brass horns, and martial and stringed bands united their forces in -loud, triumphant invitations to "dance." - -And how they danced! Old and young, short and tall, fat and slim--the -temporary floor groaning and shivering beneath the hundreds of merry, -flying, stamping feet. - -Huge camp fires, all over the valley, flung dancing flames and sparks -high into the fleecy evening clouds, while at each corner of the -pavilion, great pine trees, brought from the hills and set upright -for the purpose, burned a spicy, fragrant glowing radiance into every -crevice and corner of the bowered halls. - -"Are you going to dance with me?" drawled John Stevens, through his -long beard, as he suddenly appeared at Diantha's side. She stood in -the brilliant light of the burning pine tree, near the bowery, her -tall, graceful figure melting into divine curves under the simple, -white frock she wore, her arms uncovered to the elbow and her lovely -neck just bared to show the proud lines which dipped in smooth beauty -from ear-tips to shoulders. Her columned throat pulsated with bounding -life under the snowy skin, as she moved her pretty head from side to -side, while the crown of her yellow hair which was coronaded in heavy -braids around and around the shapely head, broke into tiny curls on her -temples and at the white nape of the neck, and was a glittering mass of -spun gold in the dancing flames which heightened both color and quality -of that mass of silken charm. - -"Why, of course, I am, if you ask me to," Dian replied frankly. - -She knew John was not much of a dancer, being very tall, and not -very fond of gyrating around as rapidly as the swift music demanded. -However, she took his arm and they walked out upon the floor; a waltz -was called, and then the girl looked up in her companion's face with a -dismayed glance, and he gazed at her with a quizzical response to her -misgiving. Of all dances, he was least at home in a waltz. - -Once,--twice,--they tried to turn around but without much success. They -stumbled over other couples on the floor. In spite of Dian's heroic -efforts to keep her giant upright and in time with the step, he stopped -suddenly and exclaimed: "I think we shall have to call that a failure." - -She looked up quickly to see if there was not a shade of disappointment -on his face, and she rejoiced with a wicked joy, when dapper young -Henry Boyle came up immediately and carried her off to dance, with all -the grace and rhythm that was so necessary a part of a perfect waltz. - -They passed John once or twice, as he stood under the blazing pine, -stroking his beard and watching the dancers with an inscrutable -expression. - -Diantha forgot him by and by, and did not again think of him, for her -time was so filled with calls for dances that she had no time to think -of anybody or anything but her own excited self. - -After a few hours of dancing, the girl accepted Henry Boyle's -invitation to walk out around camp awhile, and together they traversed -the small valley. As they passed their own camp-fire, where sat her -sister-in-law, Rachel Winthrop, chatting with Aunt Clara, she suddenly -wondered where John Stevens had been all the evening. - -"Have you seen John, this evening?" she asked Rachel. - -"Yes, he has been here, once or twice, getting some cakes and milk for -himself and partner, I guess, for he took two plates." - -"I thought I was his partner up here," said Diantha, in a somewhat -injured tone. - -"Haven't you seen him this evening?" queried Aunt Clara Tyler. - -"Oh, yes, but I have been dancing so hard, I forgot all about him." - -"You may find some day, Dian, that two can play at the forgetting -game," said Aunt Clara, with a tenderness that robbed the speech of any -bitterness. - -"I wish they would," answered the girl indifferently. - -Nevertheless her vanity was touched, a few moments after, when she and -her companion passed a rustic bower of boughs, twined and twisted into -a lovely green retreat, where there was a small camp-fire smouldering -in front, and a low couch inside, covered with softest buffalo robes, -whereon sat her dearest friend, Ellen Tyler; and stretched out with -his long legs to the fire, his arm supporting his head, and his face -turned very intently to the young girl near him, was that recreant, -John Stevens, who ought just now to be suffering all the torments of a -discarded lover. - -It was annoying to say the least. Dian acted as if she did not see them -at all, and whispered with much animation to her companion, as they -passed the light of the fire. - -She hurried at once to the bowery and none were more sprightly and gay -until the ten o'clock bugle sounded throughout the valley, and then she -allowed Henry Boyle to accompany her to the tent where the elder ones -still sat chatting and enjoying themselves. - -Diantha Winthrop was pre-eminently sensible. She was sometimes annoyed -with the frequent compliments she received as to this trait of her -character. She was rarely angry with people; she never gossiped about -anybody, and if she had nothing good to say, she rarely said anything -at all. She was not impulsive, nor was she unduly swayed by her -emotions, deep as they sometimes were. She acted upon mature thought, -and only the few who were her intimate friends, really knew the value -of her sterling character. - -Henry begged his companion to stroll up the hill-side a little, just -fairly out of range of the jokers by the camp-fire, and the girl was -the more willing because of that other couple under the pines across -the tiny valley. - -"Here you are, Dian," cried out Rachel. "I was just wondering if you -would not like to get that pop-corn and pop some for the crowd." - -But Henry was still begging under his breath, for her to come up in the -shadow of the pines, and away from the crowd. - -"Can't Lucy and Josephine pop the corn, Rachel?" asked Dian, at last. - -Both children protested their utter weariness. - -"Ah, child," said young Boyle, patronizingly to little Lucy, "just pop -the corn, like the leddy you are." - -"I'm not a 'leddy'," flashed the child back, "and I don't think it's -fair, so there." - -"Don't cry," still teased the young fellow; "do be a good girl," then -joking in his rather clumsy fashion, he added, "Come and kiss yoo papa." - -"Never mind, youngsters," sang out Tom Allen, "I'll help you," while -Harvey and Josephine both flew to assist Lucy Winthrop. - -Lucy sprang into the tent in an angry flame, while her mother followed, -herself too annoyed at the liberty the young man had taken to answer at -all. But she soothed the two little girls, and they all came out and -finished the corn. Rachel herself carried some up to Henry and Dian, -who now sat cozily far up on the hill-side, under the dense shadow of -the trees. - -The younger ones slipped away from the fire, and the laughter and song -there died down; but the young couple still sat under the dark shadow, -far up on the hill-side. - -Henry was entertaining Dian with long tales about his former home in -the British Isles. He gave glowing pictures of the castle belonging to -a distant relative in Staffordshire. The girl listened with increasing -interest; for who could fail to sympathize with the neglected cousin, -even if a third one, of a real lord and earl. The narrator's allusions -to himself were a little broad and fulsome, but Dian was inexperienced, -if shrewd by nature. A feeling of deeper respect for this good -looking and highly connected youth was growing momentarily in her -breast--he certainly was such a fine dancer, and he always picked up -a handkerchief so gracefully! She could but feel flattered by these -confidential revelations of superior virtues and titled relations. The -sounds were hushed from tree to tree, and the canopy of silence was -unfolding in all the majesty of the mid-night hour. - -Suddenly there was a pounding crash and roar above them on the -hill-crest, and down through the brush and trees came bounding some -terrible wild animal. - -Dian screamed, and Henry jumped wildly in the air, yelling at the top -of his voice. - -"Run, run; it's a bear." - -He took his own advice so quickly that the girl was barely on her feet -before he was half-way down to the camp fire, still yelling, "Run, Run!" - -As the young man reached the full blaze of the fire, a quick chorus of -childish voices, above them on the hill-side from which he had fled, -high falsettos, trebels, and one deep bass voice, united in a blasting -sing-song: - -"Come and kiss yoo papa; come and kiss yoo papa." - -And the children, in one derisive row of merciless tormentors, stood -just in the upper shadow line, repeating the refrain with painful -insistence, until Boyle himself was glad to retreat into the silence of -his own tent for the night. There were sounds of laughter from every -near-by tent. What Dian thought of this absurd adventure could only -be conjectured from the scornful expression of her rosy lips, as she -gathered the two little girls in her arms and drove the still jeering -boy, Harvey, and Tom Allen in the darkened back-ground, away into the -far seclusion of their own tent. - -But even as she fled, she heard in the near distance another shrill -cat-call, "Come and kiss yoo papa." And she joined with one smothered -hysterical burst of laughter, the two girls, who were still in her -arms, in laughing at their discomfited enemy. - - - -III. - -"COME AND KISS YOO PAPA" - -It was barely five o'clock the next morning, and long before the lazy -sun would climb the high eastern hill, when Brother Duzett's drums -rattled and rolled their startling reveille, echoing from peak to peak. -In a moment, the quick bustle of camp life broke the stillness of dawn, -and the neigh of the tethered horses, and the low of the oxen in the -meadow, added a note of surprised domesticity to that wild scene. Then, -before these sounds were fairly through echoing and re-echoing across -the silver sheeted lake, two rounds from Uncle Dimick Huntington's -cannon ware answered by two others across the vale fired from Elisha -Everett's fieldpiece. The booming volleys were swept from crag to crag, -and went rolling and tumbling in wild confusion down the canyon's -winding glens, and were just losing themselves in silence, when the -three brass bands united in one great glowing tribute to liberty, in -the entrancing melody of the loved "Yankee Doodle." After this even the -children could sleep no longer, but dressed as best they could with -half-frozen fingers in the dim dawn of the snow-cooled air. - -Out from tent and wagon-box they poured at eight o'clock, these merry, -happy revellers, filled to the brim with joyous anticipations of all -that the day and the years would bring to them. - -As Dian and Ellen met each other, both with cheeks of rosy hue from -their hastened toilet, and ready to go to the bowery for morning -prayers, they heard that shrill call, now muffled by the busy morning -noises-- - -"Come and kiss yoo papa," and Dian knew that the young avengers were -again hot on the Englishman's trail. - -"What's that?" asked Ellen. - -Dian explained her midnight adventure, but she asked no question of -Ellen as to her own whereabouts the night before, as she really was -indifferent on that subject. She had known and loved Ellen a good part -of her life, and she did not propose to let a silly thing like John -Steven's diverted attentions come between her and her friend. Dian was -much too sensible for jealousy as a pastime; it might do in real love; -but jealousy in the abstract had never been a part of her character. -Dian was surely sensible. - -The girls were that moment joined by Charlie Rose, fresh, dapper, and -full of morning "poesy." - - "The stars have left the morning skies - To beam in Ellen's lovely eyes," - -he began, when Dian interrupted saucily, "Well, I'll declare!" then he -finished-- - - The rose has left the dawn so meek, - To bloom in Dian's beauteous cheek." - -"Well, Charlie, you are at least impartial with your ridiculous -compliments," laughed Dian, "but I wish you wouldn't go on about my -blowzy cheek." - -"I said beauteous," corrected Charlie. - -"Where's Tom Allen?" asked Ellen. - -"Oh, he's fishing, as usual. Did you folks have plenty of fish this -morning?" and then Charlie told absurd Munchhausen fish stories till -the girls were convulsed with girlish laughter. - -"What became of Boyle, the elegant?" asked Charlie. "Me thinks I see -not his fringed pantaloons, nor his gay, red shirt. Hast seen his -ludship this bright morning?" - -There was a wicked echo in the back regions of the Winthrop tent as -Charlie asked this, and a chorus of childish voices piped up, "Come -and kiss yoo papa," and Dian and Ellen were again too overcome with -successive peals of cruel, heartless merriment even to reply to Charlie. - -"Dian," called Rachel, from the tent door, "come here a moment. I want -you to find that flat-iron you laid away somewhere." - -"Why, Rachel, the bugle has sounded for us to gather for morning -exercises in the bowery. What do you want of the flat-iron?" - -"I want the tub, too; Harvey, you carry that tub right down to -the creek this minute, and if I catch you up to any more of your -monkeyshines, I will have your father punish you. Do you hear, sir?" - -"Why, Rachel, Rachel," protested Dian, "don't get angry with Harvey up -here. Surely he is not up to mischief in this lovely place?" - -"Do you know what he did?" exclaimed his mother, more inclined to laugh -after all than to scold, "he took Henry Boyle's new red shirt out of -his tent and then soused it in the creek and left it soaking there all -night. He dragged it this morning through the black mud of this horrid -valley until you can't tell what it is. Brother Boyle can't get up, I -tell you, till I wash and iron his shirt. I am almost inclined to whip -Harvey myself." - -But she refrained; and the two women dragged the shirt out amid -smothered peals of laughter, and sent Harvey to his duty in the crack -juvenile regiment of Rifles, while Dian herself was not unwilling to be -urged by Rachel to go on with Ellen to the exercises, permitting her -kind-hearted sister-in-law to prepare the shirt for future service. - -And still there floated at mysterious intervals that jeering cry about -the tent of the fallen hero, as he lay ruminating within the inner -sanctuary of his own tent on the mischances of fickle fortune. - -"Come and kiss yoo papa," wailed the children, as they, too, departed -for the exercises in the bowery. - -The scene in the central pavilion was impressive! After prayers had -been offered by Apostle Amasa Lyman, the great silken flag, taken -down through the dewy shades of night, was unfurled from the tallest -tree in the vicinity, by the youthful John Smith, son of the murdered -patriarch, and once more the bands broke into crashing melody, and -again the cannon roared across the affrighted silence, while the people -shouted as the emblem of Liberty was unfurled to the morning breeze. - -The regiments of the Utah militia which had been drawn up in rigid -lines before the central pavilion, now saluted the Governor of the -Territory, Brigham Young, and then began a series of brilliant -evolutions. The marching and counter-marching of this tried and trusty -band of mountaineer soldiers made a gallant display which was eminently -fitting to time and scene, in its evidence of loyal devotion to -freedom's rights. - -"Dian," whispered Ellen, as the two sat watching the maneuvers, "don't -you just love a soldier? The sight of those brass buttons is just -thrilling to me." - -Dian's answer was more moderate, but she would have been less than -human if she had not been thrilled by the sight of the so-called "Hope -of Israel," the Juvenile Rifle Company which was now led out by the -handsome young son of the President himself, John W. Young; for all -those youngsters were less than sixteen years old. Her nephew, Harvey -Winthrop, was in that gay company, as she noted triumphantly. And their -marching and counter-marching, their saluting and drilling was a sight -to touch the most sluggish heart into warmth of admiration. - -"Oh, Dian, isn't that the cutest thing you ever saw in your life?" -again asked happy Ellen, as they watched the youthful soldiers finally -trot off to the silence of the trees beyond. - -"Let us go, Dian, now that the military exercises are over. I have just -been longing to climb those peaks, and see the lakes above us. Come -quick; let us go now," and the restless girl pulled at her friend's -sleeve. - -"Why, dear, you must be one of the reckless spirits the President -was talking about last night. We ought to stay and listen to all the -program in the Bowery. Let us go with the crowd and not sneak off -alone." - -But Ellen could not wait, so eager were her feet to press the forbidden -slopes of the hills above. She longed to fly, so vital were her pulses. -The girls compromised as usual and finally walked over to the swings -on the north side of the lake, and both swung themselves into happy -weariness in half an hour's time. - -"Where are the boys?" asked Willie Howe, as the two girls strolled -about. - -"John is doing guard duty; Charlie is down the canyon with the horses; -Tom declares he will bring us a whole wheelbarrow of fish for dinner, -so I suppose he is somewhere on the lakes fishing." - -"And where is Henry Boyle?" - -At that Dian remembered his plight and her ready laughter bubbled up to -eyes and lips. She told the shirt story midst peals of wicked laughter. -Youth is so cruel! - - - -IV. - -THE ECHO DOWN THE CANYON - -The two girls now strolled outward toward Solitude. On and on they -went, drawn by the beauty of the scene about them. As the upward -path brought them into the over-arched seclusion of the eternal -quaking-aspens, towering in highest majesty above them, their very -tones were hushed to reverence by the surrounding loveliness. - -"Oh, this is indeed Solitude! Such solitude as only God can make -possible," exclaimed Diantha as the two emerged from the long path -among the tall trees, and saw the tiny gorge below them, ending in the -frowning, locked fortress above. - -They lingered on the upward climb to Lake Solitude to gather bluebells -and columbines, and when they at last emerged on the rim of the rock -which stretched from peak to peak, enclosing that hidden, silent sheet -of glassy water, both felt that they had no words left to express their -pent-up feelings. It was gloriously beautiful! And so they sat down -upon the brink, and cast stones into the surface of the pool. They -were all alone in that retired spot. Their merry companions, and the -thousands of revellers had evidently taken other paths among the many, -each one of which led to other and more entrancing scenes than the last. - -And in that silence and seclusion, the two girls, for the last time -in this life, opened to each other the heart's secret recesses, for -each to gaze upon. The sweetness of that confidence hallowed, for all -time, the place and the day. The tragedy of life hovered close to both -innocent souls, and above and about them hung the curtains of the -uncertain future. Ellen was never before so lovable and dear to Dian, -while Ellen, dear, affectionate Ellen, fairly revelled in this rare and -unreserved confidence shown to her by her adored friend. - -A distant "Hello" reminded them that they had promised to be back -at camp in time to take the long trip up to an upper lake, and they -answered with another cry of "Hello," which was caught and repeated -a thousand times in the mysterious echo nestling forever under the -shelter of the chalk-white peaks. And back they sped, under the giant -quaking-aspens, to the edge of Lover's Lane. Just as they reached the -forest, Henry Boyle met them, his handsome young face glowing with the -exertions he had put forth to locate these wanderers. - -"Hurry, the crowd are all waiting for you two. Aunt Clara has put up -our luncheon; John Stevens has got off guard duty for two hours, and -Charlie and Tom have both arranged to make the trip up to the upper -lake." - -The girls ran down the slope with him and found the young people all -ready at the edge of the bowery. - -"Are you children going?" asked Dian, not too well pleased to find a -group of noisy, half-grown children as part of their equipment. - -"Ah, let them go, Dian," begged Ellen; "I will look after them, and I -know Harvey will be good, and the girls will stay right with me. Won't -you, girls?" - -And with this promise, the whole party started up the steep ascent -towards the upper lake. - -"In all my life," said Ellen, as the children swarmed around her, and -she found that John Stevens was to be her escort, for that portion of -the trip at least, "I was never so happy. I could sing if I only had -Diantha's voice; or I could dance, if I had Lucy's hornpipe steps; but -as it is, I must just shout aloud and cry 'Hello.'" And suiting the -action to the word, she put her pretty hands to the side of her lips -and cried down the valley: - -"Hello! Hello!" - -Ellen stood some time at this viewpoint on the southern peak, and the -children gathered around her and John to admire the exquisite beauty of -the scene spread out in the fairy dell below them. - -"Was there ever anything more beautiful on this earth, Dian?" she -asked, in triumphant tones. "There is nothing to hurt or make one -afraid in all this holy mountain, is there, John?" - -"Hush, Ellie," answered John. "I don't like people to fling the -gauntlet in the face of fate with such careless words." - -"But, John, did you hear what the President said this morning?" - -"Yes, I did. And it chilled my blood to hear him speak so; I have heard -him do such a thing only once before. Do you recall how he said, the -first year we came here, that he wanted just ten years of quiet and -peace and he would ask no odds of anybody." - -"I don't remember it, John. I was only eight years old then, you know." - -"True, child, I forgot. It is just ten years this very day since the -pioneers entered this valley." - -"Oh, John, don't be superstitious. I must not listen to you if you are -going to prophesy evil. Come, the children are all going, and we will -lose our dinner. But listen once more while I cry 'Hello'," and she -cried again "Hello!" - -Was it John's fancy, or did he hear afar off a long shuddering echo -which clung with sinister repetitions to every distant crag and peak? - -"Why, John, what are you listening for? You scare me! I thought you -were the bravest of men." - -"The bravest men take no chances with fate or men," answered John, -resuming his long upward stride beside his companion. - -They found the whole party already gathered on the little island which -lay in the center of the second lake. - -As John and Ellen reached the great rock on the south side of the lake, -they heard the sound of music floating in enchanted waves through the -vale of glory around them. John paused to listen. - -It was Dian singing as she spread the homely viands on the smooth, -white rock which was to be their table on the Island in the center of -the lake. The sheen of her hair was caught by the sunbeams as they -danced across the still water, for she had thrown her sunbonnet down -upon the rock, as she plied her homely tasks. The boys had caught some -fish, and she was stooping over the camp fire to brown them for the -coming meal. Her stately beauty was never more apparent than when some -task of seeming ugliness brought the color ripe and rich to cheek and -neck, and thus she bent above her tasks, every detail visible in that -clear atmosphere to the watchers across the little lake. - -Dian sang to the accompaniment of her brother Harvey's concertina, -all unconscious of the picture she made across those magic waters, so -near and yet so far away from those who loved her best. The soul of -her was still wrapped in dreams, and only half awakened to response -by her friends or family. And as she stirred about or bent above the -blazing fire, her voice swept poignantly over the distance as she sang -"Kathleen Mavorneen" in the reckless abandonment of tone taught her by -the little Italian music professor who loved to put his own fervid soul -into the unconscious voices of these youthful, sylvan artists, whom he -had so unexpectedly found in this strange country. - -"The Day Dawn is Breaking," sang Dian, the concertina wailing and -mildly snorting in its brave efforts at complete harmony with Dian's -sweet voice, and Ellen listened, her own heart beating in her throat -with an admiration that was too generous to be envy. But oh, why could -she not sing? - -"You people would better come over here if you want your dinner," -called Charlie Rose. And as he spoke the odor of the frying trout made -invitation almost needless. - - "Beside the lake their tryst they kept, - And rested not, nor ate, nor slept," - -sang Charlie. - -But Diantha caught his words and added, - - "The fish was gone, the lovers wept; - And wished their promise they had kept! - -"If you folks don't hurry, we'll have every scrap of the fish eaten up." - -The prosaic appeal reminded Ellen that she had left her friend alone -with the work of preparation of the dinner, and so they hastened down -to the other raft and soon paddled across to the island. - -The picnic dinner was scarcely over before Tom Allen was down on the -narrow beach and calling for all hands to embark. The children followed -him quickly, and he managed to secure both Charlie Rose and Diantha as -his other passengers; just as Henry Boyle came running down the rocks, -Tom called: "Get the pole and give us a push from shore." - -"Wait," called the young Englishman. - -Boyle seized the pole, and sprang for the raft, but in an instant he -was waist deep in the icy water, and the raft was floating off beyond -his reach. - -"Come and kiss yoo papa," yelled out the piping chorus of children's -voices, while Charlie recited dramatically, "The boy stood on the -burning deck," with his own absurd modifications of the original text. - -Dian was angry with the children, thus to taunt their helpless and now -uncomfortable friend, but the children only cried out the refrain, -again and again, and that piping treble swept over the waters, as the -poor youth left behind waded up on to the shore of the island and -turned his back resentfully upon his jeering tormentors. - -At that moment, John himself rounded the island with his own raft -and picked up the discomfited youth, whose once brilliant red shirt, -freshly ironed that morning by Rachel's kind hands, was once more faded -and streaked, and added to that humiliation was the awful discomfiture -of those dripping, wet, and heavy leathern pantaloons, bordered with -dripping fringe. Surely his punishment was very heavy. - -"Hurry home," said John, kindly, as they landed, "and get on some dry -clothing." - -As poor Boyle plunged and swashed on his hurried homeward way, the -cluck of those swishing breeches and the sluice of his brand new but -water-filled shoes made it difficult for even Ellen to keep herself -from joining the children in their peals of naughty merriment. - -Yet, with all the sundry small mishaps, surely there had never been so -happy and so blissful a day vouchsafed to the "Mormon" refugees in all -their tempestuous short existence. - -But the echo calls and calls from peak to peak and cries the challenge -out to happiness and freedom. And who shall answer, O spirit of a -nameless past, so long pent up in these hoary mountain vales! - - - -V. - -"THE ARMY IS UPON US" - - Oyez!! - -It is a long and a difficult climb into the tops of the Wasatch -mountains; and it takes hours and hours to climb; and the knees grow -weak, and the breath comes hard, and the body bends to the grass. - - Oyez! Oyez! - -And the news of the evil day may travel so fast or travel so slow, -good sir, but it travels apace, and reaches the hills by a steep and a -difficult road. And long are the miles and dusty the path which stretch -between the rolling river Platte and the tops of the Wasatch hills. But -men must ride, good sirs, when they bear the message of evil report, -for evil finds wings of wind, while good goes only by post, good sirs. -And the men must ride fast, and the men must ride far, for the miles -are many and the road is long that stretch between the Platte and the -Wasatch hills. - - Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! - -The people in the hills are happy today, for they see not, neither do -they hear, the echo which flies in sinister message from peak to peak -as the men ride fast and spare not, climbing and climbing still, to -reach the tops of the Wasatch hills. And the echo is caught and stilled -in its upward peal by the curling folds of that star-lit flag which -flutters and flies at full-masted pride on the top of the highest tree -on the top of the Wasatch hills. - - Oyez! Good Sirs, Oyez! - -The young people ran and danced and sang on their way down the road -from the upper lake, but run as they would Ellen was ahead of them -all, and she reached the spot where she and John had lingered on their -upward way, at the jutting promontory, and the whole party stood -breathless and silent in speechless admiration. - -But it was more than the beauty of the scene which caught and riveted -John's attention. He stood on the very edge of the precipice and shaded -his eye with his hand, then quickly took out his field glass. - -"What is it, John?" asked Charlie Rose, sober in an instant at the look -upon his friend's face. - -"Show me; let me help to make things attractive," said Tom, with a -teasing note in his voice. - -"What do you see, John? I can see three horsemen coming up the Valley -trail. They are just now turning the point," said Charley. - -"Oh, I see them," shouted Harvey, in a boy's excitement and with a -mountaineers clear vision, he added, "And they are not our folks. They -look too tired and rough for any of our folks. Say John, isn't that -Porter Rockwell, with his hair braided round under his hat? Look! I -thought he was out on the Platte River." - -But John had caught the profile of the man afar off and he turned down -the dangerous short cut and was galloping down the path with the speed -of a panther. The remainder of the young men followed helter-shelter -and the two older girls were left to go down the safer and slower path -with the little girls, with what speed they could muster. - -"I think we are silly people to run for nothing," said Dian as they -flew down the path, but she was ahead of Ellen even as she spoke, and -for some unknown reason, her own blood was a tingle with the electrical -disturbance in the spiritual atmosphere about her. - -"The United States is sending an army to destroy us." - -Almost before they had left the dense woods this message had flashed -into their ears. - -"The United States is sending an army against the Saints." - -The people whispered it, spoke it, shouted it, and hissed it as they -passed group after group. The children cried it; the women moaned it; -and even the trees caught the sinister echo as it drifted from peak to -peak and lost itself among the chalk-white cliffs as they gazed down in -silence at the sudden excitement, spreading like a pall over that happy -group. But as swift as the rumor spread it was followed as swiftly by -a whisper of "Peace" and again "Peace, the Lord is on the side of the -innocent," and the men drove off the frown of gloom, the women smiled -again in trusting hope, and even the children forgot to cry as the -influence of the leader, Brigham Young, spread out like a bright cloud, -and the spoken word of quiet peace was passed from camp to camp. - -The men might ride, and evil tidings come, but into the very woof and -web of Mormonism was woven a trust in Providence which no careless hand -might sever. - -"Can Aunt Clara feed these hungry travelers?" asked John Stevens, half -an hour later, as he raised the flap of her tent, and introduced the -three dusty travel-stained men, accompanied by Judge Elias Smith, who -had been their companion from Great Salt Lake City. Abram O. Smoot, -tall and eagle-visaged, his splendid limbs stiff and worn with the long -ride between the Platte and these peaceful glens in the Wasatch; Porter -Rockwell, his hawkeyed glance narrowed into one glittering line as he -swept off his worn and ragged hat, was crowned by a wreath of burnished -braids that many a woman might envy, but which no woman's hand might -ever clip, for death would find him still crowned with those dark and -burnished tresses. And last, Judson Stoddard, alert, resourceful and -intrepid rider, soldier and friend. Aunt Clara ministered to them all, -giving milk and food to refresh, while she brought ice-cool water to -lave the tired hands and brows of her friends and brethren. - -"The President wishes you to meet him in the council tent in one hour," -said John, to the three men, as he left his mountaineer friends in Aunt -Clara's tent, and strode away to join his youthful companions and to -dissipate, as best he could, all the thoughts of gloom and care; for -now his own troubled fears had fled, surmounted by a certain knowledge -of what they had portended. He knew his leader's policy too well to -go about the camp with anything but a cool and quiet front. Fear had -passed; now came action. - -Bishop Winthrop, with a word whispered from John, strolled leisurely -away to the marquee, saying to his wife, Rachel, as he passed: "You had -better go on with dinner, Rachel; I may eat with the President, I wish -to speak with him a few minutes." - -There was no further excitement in the Winthrop camp, for even John -Stevens threw himself on the ground, and lay looking up into the bright -blue sky above him, calmly waiting for that important function in every -man's life, his supper. - -It was rumored quickly during the afternoon, that the three men, A. O. -Smoot, Porter Rockwell, and Judson Stoddard had brought other details -of this startling news, but after the first shock was over the people -leaned upon the sagacity and inspiration of their president, as if he -were a very part of the rocky bulwarks surrounding them. - -That night, the bugle called the whole camp, as usual, together for -prayers, and it was then that the formal news was communicated to them: -"Buchanan is sending an army to exterminate the 'Mormons.'" It was all -true then. - -The two girls, Diantha, and Ellen Tyler, sat together in the bowery, -when this announcement was made, and they looked at each other -with wide open eyes. They were both children when brought to these -valleys, and the thought that the terrible scenes at Nauvoo were to be -re-enacted in this far distant Territory, caused both of them to pale -with fear and dread. - -With a common instinct both looked around for John Stevens. Henry Boyle -stood near them, and he answered their questioning look with a little -pallid smile. Dian felt that the young man was as frightened as she, -and again, in spite of herself, she felt contempt for him. - -Away off in the lower corner of the bowery, stood placid John Stevens, -stroking his long silken beard, with as much composure as if the -announcement was a party to be given in the Social Hall. He did not -look at Diantha, but seemed to be thinking of something very intently, -which was not unpleasant, and she wondered what it was. - -"Why doesn't John come over here?" asked Ellen, as she, too, discovered -the tall figure of their friend. - -"Little goose, do you fear that the soldiers are within a half-mile of -this place?" asked Diantha, laughingly. "Hark, President Young is going -to speak," and then both sat with silent, spell-bound hearts, listening -to that clarion voice, which uttered the sentiments of a people, -harrassed, driven and mobbed. - -His reassuring words, and the strong, calm spirit of inspiration -which spoke through the brief sermon, filled every heart with renewed -confidence and hope. What the future held in store for them as a people -or as individuals, no one could say; but one thought buoyed up every -heart; God was with them and they could not feel dismayed. - -The rejoicing and merry-making was not interrupted for long; for -after supper the bands tuned up, the pine-trees were lighted anew, -and the merry hearts and the dancing feet filled the pretty vale with -rollicking pleasure. - -"Where is John Stevens?" asked Dian of Henry Boyle, who came up to -claim her for the first dance. - -"Oh, he had to go home on some business for the President," answered -Ellen Tyler, who sat near. - -"Without saying one word to me?" indignantly protested Diantha. - -"He asked me for my horse," said young Boyle, "and told me I might -drive you home in his place." - -"Well, of all odd fellows, surely John Stevens is the oddest," answered -Dian, none too well pleased with this summary disposal of her valuable -person. She would certainly have to take the trouble to teach that -young man a lesson some day, when she had time; perhaps when all this -army business was over, she would seriously take him in hand. Not that -she cared a rap about him, but it was not a good thing for a young man -to have such careless ways of treating her sex, fastened upon him by -long continued habit. Diantha was pre-eminently given to setting people -right, and she did not intend that her gentlemen friends should escape -her molding hand. - -There were many wakeful hours spent in that gay little tented village -and long before the peep of day the next morning, men were hitching -up and packing wagons. Ere long the whole cavalcade had taken up the -line of march, and soon the silence of the mountain peaks chained the -whispers of pine and quaking-aspens within the long vale, leaving the -circling memories alone to sweep forever over the lake like shadowy -wraiths of summer mist. - - - -VI. - -WHO SHALL FEAR MAN? - -At the time of this story (in 1857-8) there stood in Salt Lake City, -in the Thirteenth Ward, a small adobe house of four rooms, with the -tiny square-framed windows, set at regular intervals from a central -brilliantly green door which gayly faced the street. Not only was the -green door rare because of its extremely unconventional color; it was -also unusual in its quick response of welcome to black or white, bond -or free, in a place where welcome grew more lavishly than did the grass -in the streets. There was something so aggressively bright about that -loudly painted door that even the Indians grew to love its restful -color and the atmosphere that it betokened for all who pushed ever so -lightly at its ready portals. The green was such a happy blending of -the dark shades of the cool pine with the yellowed masses of creeping -mosses that one's eyes were rested just to glance at it. None who -passed within could fail to recognize that some one out of the ordinary -lived behind those gaudy yet pleasing door-panels. The poor, the sick, -the halt, the lame and the blind, all learned the ease with which that -bright door opened, and the wealth of gentle welcome which spoke in -the brighter eyes of dear old widowed Aunt Clara Tyler. The Indians, -too, knew where they would receive plenty of "shutcup," and if one had -a bruise or a wound, only Aunt Clara's hand could soothe and dress, to -the complete satisfaction, the injured member. - -Dear Aunt Clara! The mind traces in golden light her lovely picture. -Bright and black were her eyes, but never sharp and cruel; she had a -sweet mouth and the blackest of hair. She was short and very stout; but -who ever saw aught but the lovely spirit which was enshrined within her -active body. People used to wonder why Aunt Clara had no enemies, and -why everything animate looked to her for succor and protection. The -secret could all be told in two words--womanly sympathy, such sympathy -as the noblest of women and the purest of angels can bestow; a sympathy -which never encouraged evil because it made a sharp distinction -between sin and sinner, but which drew the whole sting from the wound -before dropping in the needed tonic of wise counsel, and covering all -softly with the vial of loving tenderness. That was the secret of her -popularity with young and old in the whole neighborhood. - -She had no children of her own, which enabled her to be mother to the -whole town. But her dead sister's child, Ellen, was as dear to her as -an own child, while she had a deep and abiding love and confidence -in the other motherless girl, Diantha Winthrop. She had no money of -her own, and being a widow, she had few old clothes or supplies to -dispose of; yet, someway, she was a veritable Relief Society. These -organizations were not then in working order; and dozens of mothers -with big broods of children could have told how Aunt Clara's winning -voice and manner drew from them all the half-worn clothes they could -possibly spare; and how such a mother would laugh as she saw some -podgy Lamanite squaw going down the street with her own jean skirt on, -patched by Aunt Clara's thrifty fingers and clean for the last time in -all its final mournful existence. It was quite natural for the Bishop -to send ragged children or newly arrived emigrants to knock at Aunt -Clara's friendly green door, for help, spiritual or temporal. - -No wonder, then, that the night after the return from the celebration -in Cottonwood Canyon, a dozen young people sat in the comfortable -rush-bottomed chairs within the opened portals; and while Aunt Clara -moved quietly among them, putting the finishing touches to her evening -work, they talked with excited voices of the impending danger. - -Aunt Clara saw that something was necessary to drive away the alarm. -Going into her bedroom, she drew out six large skeins of woolen yarn. - -"Here, girls, I have a chore for you to do. I want this yarn wound off -for it is to be knitted up at once. Boys, you can help by holding the -yarn nicely and properly, and the one who is done the soonest shall -have one of the dough-nuts left over from my pic-nic." - -"What's this for; to knit stockings for our soldiers?" asked Diantha, -who was, as usual, the center of the group. - -"It's to knit socks for the Bishop and the boys; I am sure I don't -know, nor do I care, whether they go out to fight as the defenders of -our country or not. It will be all right whatever they do. Didn't you -hear President Young say that God would fight our battles for us? Let -that be sufficient." - -"Don't you think we are going to have a war, Aunt Clara?" ventured -timid Millie Howe, who was one of the group. - -"No, I don't. Of course I don't know all the facts of the case, but I -have heard President Young say many times since we entered the Valley -that we should not have to fight any more battles, for God would fight -them for us. I have perfect faith in his word." - -"Nevertheless, Aunt Clara," said a voice at the open window, "I want to -borrow your father's old Revolutionary musket, which you keep hanging -up over your bed." - -Two or three girls screamed at the suddenness of the sound, and the -young men started in their seats. - -"Oh, John Stevens, why do you frighten us like that?" called Ellen. -"Come here and give an account of yourself. Where have you been since -you left us in the canyon, and what did you leave us so unceremoniously -for?" - -"Business, business," answered the young man, entering the room as he -spoke. "What are you all doing here, winding yarn as peacefully and -calmly as if there were nothing of more importance on earth." - -"Well, is there anything of more importance, John?" asked Tom Allen. -"Think of it, man, holding yarn for the prettiest girl in Salt Lake. -I know what ails you, you have no yarn to hold. Here, Aunt Clara, -give him some yarn to hold, and there is Ellen. She can wind up that -slow-moving tongue of his at the same time." - - "The yarn around and round she slung - To make him loose his sluggish tongue," - -cried Charlie Rose, tauntingly. - -"Oh, John, do tell us the news. Don't bother with Tom and Charlie; tell -us the news," Ellen persisted. - -"If Aunt Clara will give me one of her dough-nuts, I will tell all the -news I have to tell." - -"Why don't you say that you will tell all there is to tell, John; you -are so non-committal?" chimed in Diantha, who understood how much and -how little might be expected in the way of telling or talking from John -Stevens. - -Aunt Clara went out and brought in a pan of dough-nuts and a pitcher of -milk, which kept the young people too busy for a few minutes to talk -anything but nonsense. - -"If I could find a girl that could make as good dough-nuts as you can, -Aunt Clara," said Tom Allen, with his mouth half-full of cake, "I would -marry her tomorrow." - -"Would you, indeed," cried Ellen Tyler. "Then you must learn that -catching comes before hanging. I made those dough-nuts myself, young -impudence, while Aunt Clara was fitting my dress to wear up in the -canyon." - -"Ellie, I shall certainly have to take you as my wife. You know that -I have already been engaged several times. But you shall have the -privilege of being my very last sweetheart. The last is best, you know, -of all the game. You are second to none in the matter of dough-nuts. -Please, Ellie, give me another fried cake." - -"Another plate-full, you mean. I certainly shall not accept your offer, -for if I did I should have nothing else to do the rest of my life but -fry dough-nuts for you." - -"Ellie, haven't you heard that the nearest way to a man's heart is--" - -"Oh, don't say such horrid things. We all know where your heart lies, -Tom, so don't bother to tell us," said Dian, with a disgusted air. - -"What on earth is the matter with me," began Tom, rising in mock -indignation from his chair, but the girls cried out in dismay, and John -Stevens, who sat nearest the offending youth, pulled him down into -his seat again, and growled at him in so low a voice that no one but -Tom could hear him, "There is nothing the matter with you, only you -make yourself a little too prominent." And John indicated his friend's -adipose with a slight blow. Tom was so tickled with the joke that he -determined to repeat it even if the girls should be more shocked than -ever, but Aunt Clara came in and asked John to tell them the news of -the army. - -"Yes, there is really an army en route for Utah, but they will forever -be en route, either to Utah," after a pause, he added under his breath, -"or to hell." - -"What are they coming here for?" asked Aunt Clara, again. - -"No one knows, unless it is to rob and murder us again, as mobs have -tried to do so often before." - -"And will they do it?" breathlessly asked Ellen. - -"Not this year," grimly answered John. "There is only one entrance into -this valley, through the canyon. And forty men could hold an army at -bay for a year in our canyons." - -"But, John, where are they? and how many are there of them? and when -will they get here? and who is going out to meet them and fight them, -and--" - -"Well, Ellie, we shall give you the credit of asking more questions in -a minute than even President Young could answer in a day. Say, boys, -where is Henry Boyle?" - -"Henry Boyle, did you say, Henry Boyle?" and Tom Allen, who had thus -repeated the question, began to laugh, and as he laughed he fairly -tumbled off his chair in his efforts to control his merriment. The -others smiled and some even laughed aloud to see fat Tom laugh, for his -merriment was always as contagious as a clown's. - -"Do tell us what is the matter with Henry Boyle?" snapped Diantha, at -last, worn out by his long continued, mysterious laughter. - -"Oh, dear, I forget all about it, this war talk drove it all out of -my head. But it is too ridiculous for anything," and he went off into -another peal of laughter and exhausted himself, before they could calm -him down to tell his story. - -"You see, early this morning, far too early, it could not have been -more than half an hour after sunrise, I was just taking my last beauty -sleep, when a little boy rapped at my door; and when I succeeded in -tearing myself from the arms of Morpheus sufficiently to find out what -he wanted, he said Brother Boyle wanted to see me. I got myself over -to Henry's and on entering the room," here another burst of laughter -rendered Tom speechless for a moment, "there lay Henry on his bed, his -legs stretched out and covered with his hard shrunken buckskin pants. -I don't know where he got those pants, but they were not half tanned, -and yesterday after that fall in the lake with them, fringes and all, -he slept in them, for he said he could not get them off; and he had to -let Charlie Rose drive the folks down in the wagon, while he coaxed -another family to let him travel down in the bottom of their wagon, for -he couldn't bend his knees. He got on to his bed someway, and there he -lies. He wanted me to help him out of his scrape, for he says he can -not afford to lose his precious pants; they cost him too much." - -"What did you tell him to do?" asked Ellen. - -"Oh, I ordered him to live on fresh air and cold water for three days, -so his legs would shrink, and then left him to time and fate." - -"I am ashamed of you, Tom Allen, for treating anybody so, especially -one who is a comparative stranger to these mountains and our customs." - -"Oh, Dian, if you are going to lecture me, I shall have to have another -of Aunt Clara's dough-nuts." - -"Come, my dears," said Aunt Clara, "sing me a hymn. Here is Harvey with -his concertina, and he will help you. Sing 'O, ye mountains high'," -and then, gradually quieting down, the young people joined in that -thrilling hymnal of Mormon independence. Strange people they were, with -strange notions of life and destiny. - -"Well, I am going home," announced Diantha, at last, and she arose at -once to get her hat. - -John Stevens took up his own hat quietly at her words, and she was -pleased that he did so, for she wanted to ask him more about the coming -trouble, and she knew that he would say nothing of importance in that -crowd. - -"You asked me to stay all night with you, Dian, do you want me to come -home with you now?" queried Ellen Tyler. - -Half annoyed that Ellen had thus rendered it impossible for her to -speak alone with John, Dian was yet too courteous to let her friend -know of her feelings. As soon as Ellen started out Tom Allen snatched -up his hat, and so Dian had to accept the double interruption of her -anticipated confidential talk. - -There was no such a thing as quiet or sensible talk with Tom Allen and -Ellie along; but just before they reached her gate, Dian managed to ask -John quietly to go down to Henry Boyle and release him from the effects -of Tom Allen's cruel fun. - -John parted with them all, and after a brief visit with Henry Boyle, -wended his way to President Young's office, where he was soon deep -in council with his leaders and the associated friends of the Nauvoo -Legion. - -The middle of August found John Stevens enlisted as one of a small, -trusty band of Utah mountaineers under Colonel Robert T. Burton, with -faces set to the east, where they were soon out of sight and sound of -civilization, riding toward the coming troops. - - - -VII. - -VAN ARDEN ENTERS THE VALLEY - -In the early morning of the sixth of September, 1857, a solitary -horseman was slowly making his way down Echo Canyon, thoughtfully -observing the features of the narrow and circuitous route of the -everlasting hills as he rode. The morning sun glinted and shimmered -upon the gaudy gilt buttons and epaulettes of his dark blue coat. His -cap bore upon its visor the arms of the U. S. He was clearly an army -officer. - -The bright fluttering leaves on the oak and maple brush that clothed -the mountain sides in their gaudy, early autumn dress, formed a -vivid contrast to the tiny groves of cedar which clung closely to -the mountain tops or hung in straggling beauty to the side of some -precipitous cliff. The bare, brown earth, dotted with bald white and -gray boulders, showed its plain face here and there, and far from the -eye, the dull brown shade was gradually melted into a pinkish purple -haze, too full of wild barbaric beauty to escape the attention of the -young rider who sat his fine horse with a proud military firmness. - -The officer was evidently upon the alert for any surprise, for his eye -glanced quickly ahead and around; his whole bearing suggested a sharp, -suspicious attention to every detail of road and overhanging rock. As -he turned a sudden curve in the road, he met a tall, silent horseman, -who sat his restless steed, in a manner no less firm and commanding -than that manifested by the gayly-clad officer of the great army of the -United States. - -"Good morning, sir; may I ask whither you are bound?" said the -mountaineer. - -"Certainly, I am traveling to Salt Lake City. Permit me to pass, if you -please." - -"Just one moment; do you come on an errand of peace or otherwise? You -must know something of the condition of affairs in this Territory, and -I assure you I have full right and authority to ask this question." - -The officer glanced shrewdly into the face of his opponent, and after -a few moments' careful scrutiny, which was apparently satisfactory, he -leaned easily over the horn of his saddle, and answered quietly: - -"I accept your declaration and as a civil answer to your somewhat -unusual question, I am quite willing to tell you that my name is Van -Arden, and that I am bound on an errand to Mr. Brigham Young." - -"I do not ask the nature of that errand, for I don't suppose you would -answer me if I did; but I shall take the liberty of accompanying you -from here to the City." - -"Very well, Mr--." - -"Stevens," laconically answered the other, slowly wheeling around his -horse and trotting along by the other's side. - -The remainder of the morning was spent in a somewhat desultory -conversation, the officer doing most of the talking, as he was -determined to retain a measure of friendly intercourse, no matter -whether it was pleasing to his companion or not. Towards noon, they -halted beside the mountain stream, and each produced a modicum of -luncheon, which was partaken of in semi-silence; a few questions from -the officer accompanied the meal, with exceedingly brief, although not -uncivil, answers from the mountaineer. As they arose to resume their -journey, a small party of horsemen appeared just in front of them, and -without a word of greeting or questioning they joined the two, and -silently followed closely upon the heels of the strangely associated -companions. - -Arriving in due time in Salt Lake City, the gallant captain was -escorted by his silent guard to excellent quarters in the hotel on Main -Street. As he was about to dismount, he turned to his late companion -and courteously asked: - -"Would you kindly convey, for me, a message to Brigham Young?" - -Stevens drew himself up in his saddle, and with his eyes sternly set -upon his horse's ears, he said coldly: - -"If you have any messages to send to his excellency, Governor Young, I -will deliver them." - -"Then be so good as to convey my compliments to His Excellency, -Governor Young, and inform him that Captain Van Arden is the bearer of -important messages for His Excellency which, from their nature, should -be delivered at once." - -Without a word of reply, Stevens wheeled his horse around, and, after -a brief parley with his men, who quietly accepted his orders, he -rode hastily up the street. He was admitted at once to the office of -the Governor, and gave a brief, yet vivid report of his three weeks' -sojourn in the mountains, and then stated the nature of his errand and -message. - -"I am under orders from Colonel Burton to keep a strict, but civil -watch over this officer, who left Fort Leavenworth, July 28th, with six -mule teams, to attend upon you with some demands or requests. We have -not yet been able to ascertain the nature of his mission, but feel sure -it is of a peaceful nature, as he left his teams and escort at Ham's -Fork, and proceeded from thence alone." - -"What was his object in leaving his teams?" asked Governor Young. - -"I think he feared his mission might be misunderstood, and he, perhaps -be barred from entering the valley at all, if he attempted to bring -them any further. He said as much to me today." - -"What is your opinion of the man?" asked the Governor. - -"I take him to be a gentleman. He met some of our apostates, who have, -as you know, hurried out of Utah to join the army, and they have, one -and all, tried to scare the life out of him, with blood and thunder -yarns about our people. But he has traveled straight along, and appears -to be a firm, yet a sensible and peaceable kind of man." - -The President-Governor sat a moment in silent meditation. Then, with an -upward glance of his piercing blue eyes, he asked: - -"Did you say that he wished to see me tonight?" - -"He did not mention any set time, only that his business was important -and he wished to have an interview as soon as possible." - -"Brother Wells, will you send a message to Brother Bernhisel, asking -him to be present to accompany us in half an hour to the hotel?" said -the President. Then turning to Stevens, he added: - -"You will hold yourself and a small escort with you in readiness to -accompany us upon this errand." - -In a short time the party arrived at the hotel, and the guard -were stationed at different points around the building, while the -gubernatorial party entered the parlor, and sent a courteous message to -Captain Van Arden. - -John Stevens lingered behind the rest of the party, but General Wells -came to the door and called quickly: - -"Brother Stevens, the President desires you to come in with us." - -John quietly accompanied his general, and as they entered the parlor, -they found the captain shaking hands cordially with the Governor. Who -could resist the magnetic courtesy and geniality of the "Mormon" leader -when he chose to exert it! - -In a very short time captain Van Arden discovered that instead of a -bold pirate and trickster, he had encountered a master spirit, and if -he would succeed in his appointed mission, he must treat his powerful -guest as all great men are treated--with the most elegant diplomacy and -subtlest deference. - -Without a word of anxious curiosity or vulgar assumption of power, -Governor Young allowed the captain to choose his own time for the -desired interview, and ten o'clock the next day was accordingly -appointed as the best hour. - -The captain accompanied the governor and the rest of the party to the -porch of the hotel, and as they moved off into the clear, pleasant -autumn darkness, he looked up into the blue vault above him and said to -his own soul: - -"What cowardly fool and lying trickster has persuaded the President of -the United States to send out here the flower of the American army to -subdue, or perhaps destroy, this innocent, loyal, and simple people? -Brigham Young is the peer of any statesman in the United States, or I -cannot read human nature." - - - -VIII. - -THE WINTHROPS ENTERTAIN - -The next morning, the 8th of September, when Captain Van Arden went -down to the breakfast table, his whilom companion, the silent Stevens, -was already enjoying himself at a table in the corner of the dining -room. The captain at once joined him, and found that the silent lips -could open, and the reserved manner melt, when the owner so willed it. -At ten o'clock the two wended their way in friendly chat to the Social -Hall, the place appointed for the proposed meeting. - -The captain found the room a well-lighted, large hall, with a raised -dais or stage, in the east end, surmounted by an arch which evidenced a -curtain, perhaps for the purpose of dramatic entertainments. As another -surprise, the captain caught sight of a plaster cast of the Bard of -Avon in the center of the proscenium arch, smiling down upon any -Thespian devotees who might be present. The floor was mostly covered -with a bright rag carpet, and the windows were tastefully draped with -dark red hangings. - -President Young came forward, and again the captain found himself under -that magnetic charm; but he was himself a man of the world, and he was -moreover exceedingly anxious to carry his point with these people, -however much he might sympathize with them after learning their true -character and position. He was in the employ of the United States army, -and had a most important duty to perform. Accordingly, as soon as the -preliminary greetings were over, he addressed himself to the "Mormon" -leader, and preferred his request. - -"Governor Young, I come with a letter from my superiors and with -orders to purchase stores and forage and lumber with which to make our -soldiers, who are on their way here, comfortable during their journey." - -"May I ask, Captain, what soldiers are on their way here and what -brings them out to these western wilds?" - -The captain was off his guard for the moment at the unexpected -questions. He was aware that everyone present knew beforehand the -answer required at his hands, and he hesitated at the choice of proper -terms with which to convey the unwelcome intelligence which all were -already in possession of; however, the questions must be answered. - -"Through some unhappy misunderstanding, Governor, the President of the -United States has been informed that the records of this Territory -have been burned, and that the people here are inimical to the ruling -government." - -"The records of the Territory are in the proper receptacle for such -documents, and this people, as you can testify, if you will use your -eyes and your ears, while you are with us, are as peaceful and as -law-abiding citizens of the great United States as any that dwell -beneath the shadow of the flag. I see no justification for thus sending -down an army upon us." - -"Permit me to observe, your Excellency, that the army is not sent out -here to do harm or to annoy the peaceable and law-abiding citizens of -this Territory, but to protect such from all out-laws and murderers, -whether Indians or whites." - -"We have a fully organized and properly acknowledged corps of -territorial officers, and are and have always been able to protect the -inhabitants of this Territory from insult or injury." - -The captain proceeded as delicately as he could to convey the -information that a new governor had been appointed for the Territory, -who was with the main body of the troops, and would enter the Territory -and assume his office as soon as circumstances would permit. He was a -wise and prudent man, this new governor, by name Cumming, and he would -be a friend to the people, and a support to all concerned--so the -captain endeavored to assure the assembled council. - -"I am the governor of this Territory," answered Brigham Young, "and as -such, shall take the proper measures to insure the life and liberty -of the patient, peaceful inhabitants of these valleys. You may tell -your commander that we, as a people, have been robbed and murdered, -our wives outraged, and our men massacred, being driven from state -to state, until we came out to this desert wild, and here, by the -blessings of God, we have made the desert to blossom like the rose and -the wilderness to gush forth. We have asked no help from the United -States save that given to any other distant territory. After we came -here, we planted the flag of our country upon our Ensign Peak within -twenty-four hours, thus taking formal possession of this country in -the name of the United States; and from that hour we have held out our -welcoming arms to the honest and peaceable of all nations and tongues. -We love our country and would take up arms in her defense, as our own -'Mormon' Battalion has so well shown, but we shall never submit to -being murdered and pillaged by a lot of cut-throats and out-laws, for -we will die, ourselves, before we submit to such indignities again." - -A low murmur of approval went round the assembled council, and it was -some moments before the officer could be heard, explaining that the -United States had no intention whatever of committing any depredations -or offering the least violence to any person or set of persons. - -"We do not want to fight the United States," said the Governor, "but if -they drive us to it, we shall do the best we can; and I tell you as the -Lord lives we shall come off conquerors. The United States are sending -their army here simply to hold us until some mob can come and butcher -us as has been done before. We are supporters of the government and -love the constitution and respect the laws of the United States; but -it is by the corrupt administration of those laws that we are made to -suffer. Most of the government officers who have been sent here have -taken no interest in us, but on the contrary have tried to destroy us. -What do you think of the patience of a people who have submitted to -seeing a pimp set up as our honorable judge, to seeing him bring his -strumpet with him and have her sit close beside him on the judicial -bench, while he delivered his unrighteous rulings? Others like him -complain that there is no civilization in Utah because, forsooth, there -are no gambling hells or houses of prostitution. The officers sent here -are often the vilest and most wicked of men." - -"Most of the men sent to the Territory," answered the diplomatic -captain, "have received their office as a political reward, or as -a stepping stone to some higher office; but too often, they have -no interest in common with the people. The greatest hold that the -government now has upon you is in the accusation that you have burned -the United States records." - -"I deny that any of the books of the United States have been burned. -You are at liberty to examine the books as proof of this statement," -said the Governor. "I have broken no law, and in the present state of -affairs, I will not suffer myself to be taken by any United States -officer to be killed, as they killed our own beloved Prophet Joseph -Smith." - -"I do not think it is the intention of the government to arrest you," -said the captain, "but to install a new governor in the Territory." - -"I believe that you tell the truth," returned the President, "that you -believe this--but you do not know their intentions as well as I do. If -they dare to force the issue, I will not hold the Indians by the wrist -as I do now, for white men to shoot at; they shall go ahead and do as -they please. If the issue comes, you may tell the government to stop -all emigration across the continent, for the Indians will kill all who -attempt it. And if any army succeeds in penetrating this valley, tell -the government to see that it has provisions and forage in store, for -they will find here only a charred and barren waste. We have plenty -here of what you want, but we will sell you nothing. Further than this, -your army shall not enter this valley until I say so." - -The captain was overwhelmed with surprise; he expected to find a few -fanatical fools, and found himself confronted with an assembly of -shrewd, determined men. Their talk was the talk of an equal power -measuring arms with the great body of the American people. - -He tried to show the President that it would be useless to thwart the -government in its plans to station troops in Great Salt Lake Valley. -If such was the determination of the central government, a handful of -mountaineers, albeit shrewd, hardy, and fired with religious zeal, -which was the bulwark of all lofty courage, would nevertheless sooner -or later be compelled to submit. - -"We have no fight with the United States," said Brigham Young, "but -when these troops, which you say must eventually quarter in this -Valley, arrive, they will find Utah a desert; every house will be -burned to the ground, every tree cut down, and every field made into a -barren waste. We have three years' provisions on hand, which we will -cache, and then take to the mountains; and we shall receive from them -the protection which we desire and which we have always deserved." - -The interview was thus terminated. The captain had come to impress -this set of fanatics with the might and majesty of the United States -government; he was, instead, impressed with the strange, unnatural -earnestness of this band of gallant men, whom he could but see were -honest, pure and intelligent. - -At the close of the council Captain Van Arden was invited by the -governor to share the hospitality of his home for the remainder of -the day. As they left the hall, the Captain found his old traveling -companion standing upon the steps, and the President invited John -Stevens home to dine with them, and to spend the afternoon. - -As the party walked up the short hill towards the President's house -they met a small group of young people, and John's eye, from under -the broad hat, recognized pretty Ellen Tyler and the elegant form and -handsome face of Diantha Winthrop. Some young men were with them, and -momentary greetings were passed between John and his friends. - -After the meeting was over, Ellie turned to Diantha and asked her -eagerly: - -"Did you ever see such a handsome man; oh, isn't he just superb?" And -she gave herself a tiny hug in evidence of the sincere admiration she -felt for the brilliant stranger they had just passed. - -"He had a very fine pair of side whiskers, if that is what you mean. -And his coat was very blue and his buttons were very bright also," -answered Diantha, laughingly. "You can always pick out handsome men, -Ellie, but we passed so quickly that I did not get a good look at his -face." - -"Who on earth were you looking at, then?" asked Ellen, "I can't see how -it is, Dian, that you are so slow to see people. I see everyone at a -glance." - -"I was looking at our President and thinking what a glorious leader we -have." - -"I guess you also saw John Stevens," said Tom Allen, who was walking -beside Ellen. - -"Oh, yes, I saw John. Who could help seeing him? He is too big to -escape anyone's eyes," answered Dian, indifferently. "Here comes my -brother Appleton." - -The days following were filled with appointments for Captain Van Arden -to meet and share the hospitality of the leading men of the Valley. The -gravity of the situation seemed swallowed up for the time being by a -burst of genuine hospitality. - -The third day the captain promised to spend with Bishop Winthrop, who -proposed a ride to the Warm Springs in the afternoon, returning to the -house for an early dinner when the Captain was to meet the ladies of -the Bishop's household. - -The expected day came all too soon for the women folks, who had much -work to do to receive their guests in proper manner. The riding party -was to be home for dinner at four o'clock; and at that hour, Aunt Clara -Tyler, who had been invited, and the two girls, Diantha and Ellen, -stood in the front room, watching for the party. - -"Oh, isn't it perfectly lovely to think of seeing and talking to that -splendid captain, Dian; I am just trembling with excitement," and Ellen -Tyler fluttered restlessly about, going from window to window, in utter -inability to control her impatience. - -Aunt Clara stood looking down the street, and at the words of the -impulsive girl, she turned on her those gentle yet steady black eyes, -and chided: - -"My child, there is nothing remarkable about this captain. He is good -looking, to be sure, but that is a very small matter. He wears a -uniform, but that, too, is of little account. He comes to this people -in an official capacity, and as such, our brethren have thought proper -to show him all courtesy. But let me tell you, neither your father nor -President Young himself would permit this man, nor any other stranger, -to enter within the inner portals of his family life. You are a silly -girl to waste a thought upon him." - -Diantha sat rocking herself coolly in the big rush-bottomed rocker, and -with whimsical contrariness, she took up Ellen's argument. - -"I don't see, Aunt Clara, why one man isn't as good as another, if he -behaves as well. I don't know anything about this captain, but suppose -he or any other non-Mormon who is a good, honorable man, with not a -shadow of sin or vice in him, should happen to take a notion to me, I -can't see where the harm would be in taking a notion to him. Surely -you don't mean to imply that all the good men, and all the desirable -men are 'Mormons.' I think that is a very narrow view. What are your -reasons?" - -"There are two reasons, my dears. One is the solemn fact that a -marriage ceremony solemnized by any other than by one divinely -appointed and having authority from God to do so, ceases at death; a -separation from a loved one after death, to continue throughout all the -ages of eternity would be far more agonizing and intolerable than the -mere earthly separation which is for a few flying years." - -"Well," answered Ellen, flippantly, "that's not much of a reason. If -you are sure of being happy here, why not let hereafter take care of -itself? 'Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.'" - -"Ah, my child, you speak with the bitterness of the world-old -scepticism and unbelief on your lips. That vain philosophy has wrecked -more hearts than any other phrase ever uttered. There is also another -reason; a very present and most cogent reason; one that effects our -every day lives. It is this: Married people should be mated on the -three planes upon which human beings meet and mingle--the physical, the -mental and the spiritual. If they be mismated on either the mental or -physical planes, a harmonious adjustment may be possible through the -diligent exercise of the spiritual graces. But if the mismating is on -the spiritual plane, such a couple will surely find their happiness -shipwrecked, sooner or later. Try as you may, twist as you will, you -nor none other may ever escape the bondage and sorrow that comes -to those who are separated by a spiritual gulf. I have never seen -happiness as the result of such unequal yoking, and I never shall. -When, as sometimes happens there comes a measure of peace to such -mismated couples, it is simply and only because the one has sunk, or -has risen to the spiritual plane occupied by the other. Mark what I -say, Ellen, my girl." - -"Well, I shall marry for love, Auntie; and I shall never take a sorrow -on my heart which I cannot kick off from my heels." - -Aunt Clara did not turn around to face the speaker; she merely said: - -"I don't think God makes mistakes; and He has said, through his former -and latter-day prophets, that it is not right for the believer to mate -with the unbeliever." - -"Oh, here they are, Auntie; here they are!" cried Ellen. - -Ellen turned and ran impulsively out on the front porch; Aunt Clara and -Diantha followed her in a more leisurely manner, while Sister Rachel -Winthrop, the hostess of the occasion, joined them as soon as the word -reached her, and thus the four women stood waiting to receive their -guests under the shaded porch. - -President Young led the way up the steps with Captain Van Arden close -by him. The President introduced the captain to the ladies, since -Bishop Winthrop was still busy at the gate with others of the party. - -The captain looked with genuine yet well-guarded interest into the -faces of the two young "Mormon" girls, almost the first he had met. -His interest grew into admiration, as he noted the lovely brown eyes, -and the curling tresses of glossy brown hair floating around the head -of sweet, fascinating Ellen Tyler. Her lips were curved and rosy with -health and beauty, and her low brow and delicately-traced eyebrows were -like those of a Grecian goddess. Her sparkling charm was not alone in -the regular and beautiful features, nor in the well-molded yet dainty -form; but in and through every glance, every word, there sparkled an -indefinable attraction which no one could resist. Women loved her, -men adored her. And this stranger instantly felt the force of her -loveliness. He was a man of the world, too prudent to manifest much -interest in women of this peculiar and just now excited people, but he -shot a glance of daring admiration into the brown depths of Ellen's -eyes, which she, as daringly accepted. - -Diantha was a little behind the others, and as she came forward for -an introduction, the captain mentally exclaimed: "By Jove! where do -they get such beauty from?" For the elegant dignity of the girl's -carriage was fully warranted by the superb outlines of her face and -form. Her head was crowned with its soft weight of yellow hair, braid -over braid of its golden glory breaking into tiny waves on her brow; -the neck curved gradually into the loveliest shoulders and bust he had -ever beheld; and these lines melted into so round and pliant a waist -that he felt sure she could well pose in marble for a perfect Hebe. -Her face was not so beautiful as that of the brown-eyed maiden, but it -was so engaging in its details of coral lips, parting over teeth like -white shells, richest pink cheeks and a full, strong, pink chin, that -no one could withhold the meed of admiration which this magnificent -girl demanded. She had such a cool, superior way of looking at people, -with steady eyes and even eyelids, that even this worldly wise captain -wondered if the girl were a perfect woman of the world, supremely -conscious of her own charms, or was she simply utterly ignorant and -therefore unconscious of the impression she made upon every one who saw -her. - -Both girls were dressed in white; but Ellen's dress fluttered and -broke into endless intricacies of bows, ends, ribbons, flounces and -rosettes, while Dian's hung in long, simple, classic folds from the -short, baby waist to the toe of the tiny boots. Clearly, thought the -captain, as his artistic eye noted these details, some inherent art has -taught these two girls the secret of their own beauty and how best to -emphasize it. - -All these thoughts flashed through the captain's mind in an instant; -and yet, if he was shrewd enough to cease his earnest attention to -the girls before it became noticeable, his mind was busy all that -afternoon, in spite of the effort to control his words, with surmises -and a most natural desire to see more and hear something about these -beautiful girls. - -As the party came into the house, Diantha found herself close to tall, -quiet John Stevens. She looked at him in surprise; she did not remember -to have seen John look so handsome. He had on a new suit, and he looked -so clean and wholesome, so true and so brave that she instinctively -accorded him a rather more gracious smile than she altogether intended. -She did not notice this latter fact, however, until she saw how coolly -he accepted her unusual demonstration of welcome. Then, to be sure she -felt humiliated to think that she had been even a little glad to see -him. - -"Did you ever see Ellen Tyler look so sweet in her life?" asked John. -"Ellen is a fine girl." - -Now, Dian was and always had been a very generous girl, but this -unexpected and utterly uncalled for remark on the part of John Stevens -was not precisely to her liking. But as he looked so unconscious of her -pleasure or displeasure, she wisely refrained from offering any sharp -admonition or spicy council, as was so natural to practical Dian. - -"I am of the opinion that your gay captain has the same way of -thinking," she answered, and as she spoke, John looked in the captain's -direction, and he, too, could see the vain attempts of the officer to -keep his eyes away from Ellen's fascinating features. At once John -sauntered up to Ellen and never in her life had Ellen known this -reticent man to show so much animation and gay interest in her as he -did that afternoon. - -"Why, John," asked Ellen herself, banteringly, "what has come over you? -I have tried my best to go with you for two years past and you have -insisted on being only friendly and brotherly and all that; and just -now, unless I am mistaken, you are trying pretty hard to flirt with me. -What's it all about, anyway?" - -John answered her in his grave, quizzical way that his meaning was even -more earnest than apparent, and then begged her to go out in the garden -while the others were at supper. - -"I can't possibly, I must help wait on the table, you know. I am to -have special charge of the head of the table, so won't I have a fine -chance to catch the captain's eye?" - -Just then Diantha was invited to sing, and she sat down to the little -melodeon with modest assurance. After she had sung twice, Harvey joined -her with his concertina, and they both sang and played with charming -compliance to the repeated calls of "more, more." - -Finding that it was impossible to take Ellen away, John followed the -party into the dining room, and was delighted to find himself seated -next to Captain Van Arden. He felt all the current of mutual admiration -and silent understanding that passed between the lively girl and the -blue-coated stranger, and he ground his teeth in silent rage that he -was unable wholly to intercept the glances and occasional words that -passed between them. - -After dinner Bishop Winthrop led the way to the gardens, and the talk -turned upon the determination of the President and his people to -leave this whole city in ruins behind them after their flight to the -mountains, provided the army should obtain entrance to the valley. - -The captain was walking with Aunt Clara, whose gentle face and charming -manner had captured his heart completely. He felt that she was a good -and noble woman, and he wondered how all this sanguinary talk would -affect so womanly a creature. - -He looked down into the kindly black eyes and remarked: - -"I hope, madam, that with such gentle counsels as yours, these strong -men will not carry out such a dismal threat as the President has just -voiced. I could not imagine tender women and helpless children driven -from these peaceful homes and inviting surroundings." - -"Be assured that if our brothers and fathers feel that it is best for -us to give up our homes and once more be wanderers upon the earth, we -women will accompany them as cheerfully as if we were taking the safest -pleasure journey. I know of no cowards among our women." - -"What, madam, would you consent to see this beautiful home destroyed -and this fruitful orchard ruined?" - -"Yes, I would not only consent to it, but with my own hands set fire -to my house, and cut down every tree in the orchard and uproot every -plant." - -The captain stood in silent amazement. What was the moving force that -bound this singular people to such united action! Surely there was a -sociological puzzle here for some philosopher to fathom. - -The party soon dispersed, and other days of like pleasure made the -hours fly until the Captain had been in the valley nearly a week. - - - -IX. - -JOHN OPENS HIS MOUTH - -On the following Sabbath Captain Van Arden attended divine service, -and he was not as surprised as he would have been a week ago, to hear -and see the calm, mighty courage which animated every face and spoke -in every voice. Here was a handful of wronged and hunted religionists, -whose only crime was in desiring to serve God in a way peculiar to -themselves. He had walked the streets at darkest midnight, and not once -had he seen or heard one word of drunkenness, ribaldry or obscenity. -He had failed to find any traces of licentiousness, such as the ugly -rumors he had heard before coming here, had led him to expect. Instead, -he felt himself surrounded by an implacable circle of watchful care, -which prevented him from entering into any relations with women, even -the harmless one of mild flirtation with the pretty brown-haired girl -he had met at Bishop Winthrop's home. Certainly he had received some -enlarged ideas on the subject of religious persecution. - -He listened attentively to Apostle John Taylor, who, at the close of -his remarks, repeated the statement he had heard before, that the army -should not be allowed to enter the Valley; and then, in ringing tones, -the preacher asked all who would apply the torch to their dwellings, -cut down their trees and lay waste their farms, to raise their hands. - -The captain rose in his seat to see the effect of this powerful appeal. -Not one hand in that vast assembly of four thousand people, was left -to rest in cowardly silence in its owner's lap; but like a unit, the -clouds of hands arose. Some horny and worn with toil and poverty; -others, soft and white with youth and womanhood; and even little -children in their eager, unconscious zeal, elevated their hands high in -sympathy with their elders. - -The captain felt awed and overcome. Up in his throat rose a lump of -sympathy and admiration for this heroic people. He expected to find a -seditious and priest-ridden community, mouth-valiant and few in number, -whom the mere appearance of troops would tame into submission. He found -instead, a handful of enthusiasts rising against the might of a great -nation. - -When President Young arose to speak the Captain felt a genuine response -in his own breast to the vigorous and manly sentiments uttered by the -"Mormon" leader: - -"When the time comes to lay waste our dwellings and our improvements, -if any man undertakes to shield his, he will be treated as a traitor. -Now, the faint-hearted can go in peace, but should that time come, they -must not interfere. Before we will again suffer as we have in times -gone by, there shall not one building, nor one foot of lumber, nor a -fence, nor a tree, nor a particle of grass or hay that will burn, be -left in the reach of our enemies. I am sworn if driven to the last -extremities, utterly to lay waste this land in the name of Israel's -God, and our enemies shall find it as barren as when we came here." - -At the close of the services the Captain sought President Young, -surrounded by his friends and associate pioneers; the officer grasped -and held the hand of the maligned leader, and with a voice shaken with -emotion, declared his sympathy and fellowship with this band of earnest -enthusiasts. - -"President Young, my whole heart goes out to you in this cause. I am -sure no one in the central government understands the real condition -of affairs here. I shall hasten to President Buchanan and when he -understands the true situation, be assured there will be a cessation of -this war-like movement." - -"Perhaps," said the President, "he will not accept your version of the -affair." - -"He must listen; he shall be convinced. By the eternal heavens, if our -government pushes this matter to the extent of making war upon you, I -will withdraw from the army, for I will not have a hand in the shedding -of the blood of American citizens." - -"We shall trust in God, Captain. He will open our way before us. -Congress has promptly sent investigating committees to Kansas and other -places as occasion has required; but upon the merest rumor, it has sent -two thousand armed soldiers to destroy the people of Utah, without -investigating the matter at all." - -"The government may yet send an investigating committee to Utah, and -consider it good policy to do so, before they get through." - -"I believe that God has sent you here, Captain Van Arden, and that good -will grow out of it. I was glad when I heard you had come." - -"I am anxious to get back to Washington as soon as I can. I have heard -officially that General Harney has been removed to Kansas. I shall stop -the trains at Ham's Fork on my own responsibility." - -"If we can keep peace for this winter, I think that something will -transpire that will stop the shedding of blood. God bless you, captain, -in all your labors and efforts to bring about so desirable a condition." - -Notwithstanding the gallant captain's generosity and nobility, John -Stevens, who had heard every word uttered between him and his own -beloved leader, was greatly pleased and relieved to receive orders -to accompany the Captain early the next morning on his homeward -destination. - -John felt no shadow of fear or doubt about the coming issue between the -picked army of the United States and the struggling guerillas of his -own Territory; but it filled his soul with a vague dread and alarm to -look forward to a possible contact between the youth of his people and -the alluring sins and vices of the world at large. - -He was surprised, therefore, as the two men rode along in the cool, -September morning, up through the rough canyon gorges, to have the -captain turn to him with a question upon the very subject which was -occupying his own thoughts. - -"Stevens, was I wrong in supposing that although your people greeted me -with such noble welcomes, yet there was a barrier raised between any -especial friendliness between me and any of your women?" - -"Did you make any effort to be especially familiar with our women?" -asked John, cautiously. - -"Ah, Stevens, you are a genuine Yankee. You answer my question by -asking another; and I may not care to commit myself. You have some very -fascinating and really intelligent women among your people. I saw some -lovely faces in your bowery yesterday." - -"Well, yes, our girls are tolerably good-looking." - -"Oh, Stevens, no wonder your girls long for a breath of worldly -freedom, if all your young men are as cautious and unenthusiastic about -them as you seem to be," laughed the captain. - -"Do our girls long for worldly pleasures?" - -"Another question; I see, my taciturn friend, that the only way to open -your oyster of a mouth is to turn confidential myself and open my own -heart to you. I confess to some curiosity as to the inner condition -of your social affairs. Now, I am quite willing to further confess -that I was never more impressed with the grace and magnificence of -womanhood than I was when I saw it embodied in those two young girls I -met at your Bishop Winthrop's. Such unconscious charm and beauty, I had -never seen before. And the brown-haired one was evidently not unkindly -disposed to me; however, of course I had not time, even if I had been -given the opportunity to go deeper than a profound admiration for the -lovely and winsome sprite. She was not forward, although perfectly free -and familiar, if I may so express it." - -"Did Ellen, for that is her name, express to you any such feelings as -you infer our girls possess?" - -"Well, yes; she casually mentioned her desire to see and know something -of the great, beautiful, unknown world stretching out behind these -rugged mountains." - -"And you?" - -"I was a guest and a stranger, and, I hope, also a gentleman. I could -not but admire and be impressed by her innocence, but I also respected -and guarded it." - -"I believe you are a good man, Captain Van Arden; but you are not of -our faith. And if you read the old Scriptures, you will find that God -sets a curse on those of His chosen people who marry with unbelievers. -God surely knows why this should be so." - -"I can't see for the life of me, why one good man is not as good as -another; if you believe in the Bible, you must acknowledge that we are -all one family, and all children of one Father. Why should you presume -to be better than I?" - -"It is not an assumption, or an impudence. There is an eternal law -which underlies this principle. Perhaps I cannot make it plain to you, -but it exists, else God would not have announced it. God is a Master -gardener. He does not mix His blooms and fruits, but sets each to -multiply with each; nor does He ever mix the birds and animals; else -sterility would result. But to His children He has given their agency -as their dearest possession; and they use that agency like the reckless -spend-thrifts and bunglers that they are. Only man may mix his seed -and still retain a measure of fertility. We are eternal. Our spirits -sang together when this earth was created, and to each is allotted a -time and a destiny; but always our free agency comes in to disturb -and confuse that destiny. Yet, only by using that free agency, can we -work out our exaltation in the world to come. If we would be prudent, -we would let the great Gardener train and trim our lives to His own -matchless design. It is the ancient Hebrews, who have preserved to -the world the best that we know of home, brotherhood, love, and life -eternal; and in their national individuality and history we have the -most perfect example of the fruits of careful breeding. Where they have -observed the traditions of the fathers, they are strong, domestic, -clean, faithful, loving and true. This fact, with all the Israelite's -faults, is the lamp which has lighted Christianity for the rest of -mankind to see by. If the Jews had mixed with all creation, where would -their autonomy be today? Why shall the true Christian hesitate to abide -by an eternal truth because of ridicule? The religious emotions are -the deepest founts of the human soul. Make them muddy, confuse their -source, and you have lost their purity and their worth. All men may -believe in Christ, but all do not follow Him; for He came to fulfil, -not to abrogate the laws of Moses. Love is too often the result of -propinquity, or passion. More: I am convinced that God has mated His -children in spirit before they ever dwelt upon this earth. There is a -divine belongingness in marriage; and if we will follow the guidance -of that unerring spirit, we will not mix our lives nor confuse our -destiny; there will be no bungling confusion or muddled strains in -races or religions. I do not think all people will be converted to the -Gospel in this life; nor that they could be. Nor that all men and women -are rightly mated. But all will have a chance behind the veil, for we -hold the doctrine of salvation for the dead to be as true as Peter and -Paul held it. [A] - -[Footnote A: Read I Peter, 3rd chap. verses 18 to 20; also I Peter, -chap. 4, verse 6, and I Corinthians, chap. 15, verse 29.] - -"Our religion, like our politics, is much a matter of temperament. But -the day will come in the great hereafter, when gradually all men will -learn and accept the perfect Gospel of peace and right. Meanwhile, let -not those who have been so greatly blessed as to see the Truth, confuse -themselves and weaken their powers for good by joining themselves for -life with those who know not and love not the Truth. As is the husband, -so is the wife. As is the wife, alas, so becomes the husband, sooner or -later." - -"Stevens," said the captain, "you can expound and exhort like the rest -of your elders, even if you do not waste time in general conversation," -then with a twinkle in his eye, the captain added, "You recall to -my mind a scathing assertion I heard uttered by an apostate in your -Valley. He said that you 'Mormons' believed that no woman could be -exalted in the Kingdom of Heaven without a man. Is that so?" and the -soldier looked shrewdly at his companion. - -"Yes, captain; that is correct." - -Astonished by this frank admission, the captain rode on in silence for -some moments. Then, as if to add point to his rejoinder, John Stevens -drew in his horse, and turned in his saddle to look his companion full -in the eye: - -"Yes, sir, that is our belief. But we also hold that no man can be -exalted in the Kingdom of Heaven without a woman. Don't you recollect -that Paul says the woman is not without the man, nor the man without -the woman in Christ Jesus?" - -And long before John had finished, the captain was laughing so heartily -that he lost his reins. - -"Well, Stevens, I give up. You are a better scriptorian than I am; even -if you may be inclined to appropriate quotations a bit for your own -advantage. That's no more than we all do." - -John shrewdly put another question. - -"Would you be willing to see your sister marry a Mormon elder?" - -The captain looked amused, then amazed. - -"Do you mean to imply that 'Mormons' are orthodox Christians?" - -"I imply nothing. I only wondered if you would be willing to have your -sister marry any virtuous man, no matter what his other condition might -be, spiritual or physical." - -"Well, Stevens, I fear I could not convince you, and you only further -puzzle me. One thing, though, I do maintain, and that is, that every -American citizen, woman as well as man, should have the right to choose -his own path and companion in life. It is our birthright." - -"It is, when we are old enough to know our own mind; but you would not -throw your half-grown son and daughter in the midst of temptation and -leave them there unprotected, to carry out that argument." - -"Perhaps not, perhaps not. You have given me new food for thought, and -I already have much new and valuable material for reflection and study. -Let us hasten now or we may not reach our evening camp before dark." - -As he lay in camp that night, the conversation repeated itself over -and over in the troubled mind of John Stevens. Oh, what was the right? -How he trembled at the thought of strange and scornful men being -brought into this peaceful valley, and left to corrupt and estrange our -thoughtless youths and beautiful girls. - -He knew something of the moral conditions of men in the world and -he also knew much of men in general. He felt that nothing but the -keenest religious conscience could protect men from immorality of -life. He raised his hand in silent agony to heaven, and swore that -his whole strength and life should be devoted to protecting and -shielding the youth from this terrible fate--that of too many youths -in the outside world. And yet, as he himself had said, there was -the divine right of self-choice, or man's agency. He groaned as the -consequences of thrusting upon innocent and helpless women, as would -be done, opportunities to seek their companions among camp-followers, -miners, and other transients of that day. Human agency was an agency -fraught with dire consequences. Would we have to meet its terrible -responsibility, he asked himself? - -What did the future hold in store for this hunted and persecuted -people? God alone knew! It was so difficult for a man of John's -temperament to say God's will be done, when it involved the life, or -worse, perhaps, the virtue of men and women. For he feared for the -virtue of the youths among his people quite as much as he dreaded the -temptations to be offered to the maidens. To John Stevens virtue, of -both man and woman, was far dearer than life. - -He felt as if he must arise, and with mighty power, seize and flee with -his loved ones to the safe fastnesses of the mountains. - - - -X. - -IN ECHO CANYON - -It was a lovely day in the last of September, a few days after the -occurrences related in our last chapter. The air was cool, crisp, and -full of the odor of pine and sagebrush. In a mountain retreat, around a -gleaming fire, sat a group of men with serious, eager faces, and their -talk was carried on in guarded tones. - -The country was wild and barren, except that here and there along the -course of a stream the willows and brush gave a little protection to -man and beast. On a low hill-side to the right of the camp-fire, were -tethered horses, picking a scant supper from the fall-dried plain. Not -very far away yawned a huge black opening in the side of the mountain, -which gave the name of Cache Cave to the spot. - -The leader of the party, General Daniel H. Wells, sat in the center of -the council, his fine large head and prominent features giving him a -massive appearance well calculated to inspire respect and confidence. -He was listening to some recital of a recent expedition from the lips -of a tall, red-bearded, slow-spoken man. - -"What did General Harney say when Captain Van Arden had explained to -him the condition in our Territory?" asked the General. - -"The General replied with an oath, 'I am ordered to Salt Lake City, and -I will winter there or in hell.'" - -The men around the camp-fire uttered various exclamations of -determination that the violent general should be well supplied with -opportunities to join his friends in the latter warm retreat. - -On the right of General Wells sat an immense, broad-shouldered fellow, -bearded and with eyes like an eagle. He said little, and kept his face -in his hands while listening to the report of his fellow-soldier, -Stevens. - -"Major Smith," remarked General Wells, turning to this silent, -keen-eyed giant-like officer, "you will at once proceed to the enemy's -camp, and deliver these documents which have been entrusted to my care -by Governor Young. Wait for a reply, see all you can, hear all you -can, and make yourself, if possible, more familiar with the country -surrounding us than you are at the present. There is much for you to -do in the near future, if we would prevent this army from entering the -Valley this winter. Do you wish any one to accompany you?" - -"No, sir, I am foot-loose, and when alone, can ride as fast as I -please." - -Accordingly, that night, while the others were fitfully sleeping, Major -Lot Smith proceeded silently out of the camp to go on his mission to -the United States army, now pressing forward to Fort Winfield. Not -a detail of the lonely road, not a bush nor rock; not the slightest -undulation in the silent hills escaped the keen eyes of this traveler. - -Arrived at the army's headquarters, Major Lot Smith was conducted to -the United States General's tent, where he was received with great -dignity. His papers delivered, he waited in stern silence, the reply of -a tall, heavy-set, dark-complexioned man, whose prolonged silence gave -him an opportunity to observe underneath the apparent coldness, a shade -of anxiety and care on the officer's face, which the eagle eyes under -the heavy red brows read as plainly as he did the rock-strewn roadway -along which he had traveled. - -"Major-General Harney has been ordered back to Kansas," remarked Col. -Alexander, after reading the despatches, "and Colonel Johnston, who -succeeds him, will be here in a few days. Meanwhile, I will myself -undertake to reply to these remarkable documents, and shall send the -answer by you, if you can wait for a few hours." - -"I am here under orders to await the answers to these papers, sir," -answered Smith. - -"Very well, my men will attend to your needs, and while you are eating -dinner, your horse shall receive attention." - -Lot Smith made no reply, but bowed himself out of the presence of the -officer. Instead of accepting any hospitality for himself, he eagerly, -yet quietly, spent the few hours of his stay, in mastering every detail -of the camp, and fixing upon his mind every word he chanced to overhear -from the soldiers. - -He soon ascertained that the present commanding officer was Colonel -Alexander, and that the colonel was in some anxiety as to what move -to make next. Smith discovered this from the remarks of a young, -dark-mustached officer, who sat chatting with his companion outside of -a tent door, utterly oblivious that "Mormon" ears were taking note of -his extravagances. - -"I have told the Colonel repeatedly," announced this young braggart, -"that the only honorable and manly course to pursue, is to follow -the plan laid out by Harney. Harney is a trump, by--, and I wish we -had him here again instead of this wavering, chicken-hearted present -administration. All we have to do is to secure most of our troops and -supplies in Fort Winfield; then a few hundred of us with our knap-sacks -on our back could make the valley in a few days, surprise the fanatics -and poltroons down there, take possession of old Brigham's harem for -our own comfort and pleasure, quarter our men in their church, and the -thing is done." - -"Old Brigham himself might have something to say about that," remarked -one of the loungers at the tent door. "Van Arden says he is a fighter -of no mean ability." - -"Bah! Van Arden is easily frightened. The very first thing to be done -is, of course, to string up such rabble as Young, Kimball and Wells, -with others of their ilk, to the nearest tree. I have no patience with -men who play into the hands of heathens and tricksters. What were we -sent out here for, anyway?" - -The young man looked around the circle with a sneer upon his handsome -mouth, and as he met the eyes of one or another, they gave him varying -replies either by word or by glance. - -"I don't think any one knows just exactly what we were sent out here -for," at last answered the tall, gray-eyed man who had spoken before. -"I don't know that Harney, Alexander or even Buchanan himself knows -exactly what we were sent here for. Presumably to install Cumming in -the office to which the President has appointed him." - -"And do you think that it will take the flower of the American army, -and millions of dollars to do so simple a thing as that? Come, now, -Saxey, you are not so innocent as that. We have a whole Territory to -subdue and the seditious priests of this most villainous community are -to be tried and hanged, or hanged anyway. That's what I came out here -for." - -"Well, I am prepared to follow my orders, no matter what they may -be; but I have no desire to take part in street fights, or brawls -such as was witnessed in Illinois ten years ago, when the leaders of -this people were killed by the border ruffians of that State. I know -something of this people from my brief association with a part of the -"Mormon" Battalion, which answered our government's call for troops to -march into Lower California. I never saw a braver or more devoted body -of men. And I will not be a party to another outrage upon an innocent -people." So spake Col. Saxey, gentleman, soldier and man. - -"You and I do not indulge in street fights or brawls," replied the -braggart, "but we are determined to see order and decency maintained -in this government, no matter if it be at the cost of a few lives of -such lecherous scoundrels as old Brigham and his priests. Why, their -doings are a blotch on the escutcheon of our proud country. It is an -introduction into our midst of the rotten lives and practices of the -Turks and Orientals. The manhood of this nation will not endure it." - -"Let us see, Sherwood," interposed the grey-eyed man, withdrawing his -cigar to give emphasis to his words, "how many of Brigham's daughters -or concubines have you decided shall form part of your establishment -this winter?" - -"Oh, plague on your Quixotism; you make no distinction between the -amours of a gentleman and the vile practices of the heathens and -'Mormons.'" - -The silent listener at the other side of the tent found it impossible -to keep his teeth from grinding together at this moment, but he was -suddenly approached by a subaltern who requested him to wait at once -upon the commanding officer for his messages to Utah. - -Obtaining the despatches, Major Smith started upon the return journey. -It was high noon in the camp of the mountaineers, when dusty, -travel-stained Lot Smith rode into the small circle. He was ushered -into the tent occupied by General Wells and staff and there delivered -his messages. For the first time since leaving his own camp, the Major -sat down and proceeded to satisfy a soldier's appetite, and although -weary and worn for sleep, he was glad to satisfy his cravings for food -before resting or sleeping. - -The general saw the worn condition of his faithful officer, and ordered -him to his own tent until the next morning. Meanwhile a courier was -sent to the valley with the despatches from the army, and a full report -from General Wells and his scouts. - -All that night General Wells and his staff talked, planned, and -counseled. It was but little after seven o'clock when the council -assembled the next morning to hear the verbal report of Major Smith and -to decide upon future action. - -"I overheard much of their vaunting, blasphemous determination to enter -the Valley, kill or imprison our leaders, and to capture and ruin our -wives and daughters. There are a few cautious, sensible men among them, -such as Col. Saxey, whom you all know by reputation at least, but the -majority, especially the officers, who are mostly young men of hot -passions and romantic temperament, are determined to force Colonel -Alexander to proceed at once to the Valley with a light detachment, to -be followed by the masses of the troops, as fast as is convenient." - -"Colonel Alexander informs me in his letter," said General Wells, -"that he will submit our letters and despatches to General Johnston -immediately upon that officer's arrival in camp; and, that meanwhile -the troops are there by order of the President of the United States, -and their future movements will depend upon the orders issued by -competent military authority." - -"What shall we do under these circumstances?" asked one of the officers. - -"This is the plan adopted in our council before leaving Salt Lake City, -and there sanctioned by President Young. We were to ascertain the -location of the troops as soon as possible, which has now been done by -Major Smith. Then we were to proceed at once to annoy them in every way -possible. We are to use every exertion to stampede their animals, and -are to set fire to their supply trains whenever practicable. Burn the -whole country before them, and on their flanks. Keep them from sleeping -by night surprises, blockade the roads by felling trees or destroying -the river fords wherever we can. Watch for opportunities to set fire -to the grass on their windward, so as to set fire to their trains. -Leave no grass behind them that can be burned. We are to keep our men -concealed as much as possible, and of course we are to guard ourselves -against surprises continually." - -"What if we meet a detachment and are compelled to fight," asked one of -the men. - -"I anticipate no such catastrophe," answered General Wells. "Brother -Brigham has said that the Lord will fight our battles for us, and if -we follow his counsel to the letter, we shall also be able to comply -with his strictest injunctions, which are, to spare life always when -possible, and not to shed a drop of blood when it can be avoided. 'Say -your prayers and keep your powder dry,' was his parting admonition." - -The General sat some time as if in silent meditation, and the officers -present remained silent, unwilling to disturb his reflections. - -At length the chief raised his head, and looking straight into the eyes -of Major Smith, he asked: - -"Major, do you think that you can take our small force, about forty men -we have here now, and passing in the rear of the enemy, turn back and -burn the supply trains on the road?" - -The Major returned the intent gaze of the General, and while a dusky -gleam shot through the red-brown depths of his own eyes, he only -replied in words: - -"Yes, sir; I think I can." - -"Very well, sir, you can consider yourself under orders to carry out -the plan I have just now indicated. The council is adjourned." - -That these men could, at the close of their portentious council, kneel -down and ask God to bless them and assist them in their undertaking, -may seem strange, but they were banded together to protect the lives -of their fellow-men shut up in the narrow valleys of the lower -country, and they felt that if God did not interpose His power, the -soldiers, accompanied as they were by a horde of blasphemous, reckless, -licentious camp-followers and brawlers, would not only kill and -plunder, but they would also decoy and destroy their fair wives and -daughters. - -They were facing no imaginary terrors, for the pangs of Illinois and -Missouri were not yet blotted from the memory of even their babes. -No blood would be shed, except in self-defense, but every man there -was prepared to pour his life-current out like water upon the ground, -if necessary, to protect their beloved homes and families and their -honored leaders. God was their father and to Him they appealed. - -"Say your prayers and keep your powder dry," had been the counsel of -President Young, and they were united as one man to carry out his -instructions. - -One of the first men spoken to by Lot Smith was quiet John Stevens, a -man after Smith's own heart. No need of much talk between these two, as -they divined each other's wishes and purposes without need for words -and explanations. - -There was some delay, consequent upon breaking up camp, so that it -was early twilight when the small detachment rode out upon the open -prairie. The Major called John Stevens to his side, and to him in a few -words related as they rode along some of the conversation overheard in -the camp of the enemy. - -As John listened to the wicked threats of the dissolute officers -concerning the fair daughters of his people, he was seized with a -sudden, passionate anger, and for a few moments he could think of -nothing but to heap curses upon their wicked heads, and he longed with -murderous longing, to have one of them just now under his own clenched -hands that he might strangle the pride and the devil out of him. - -His curses were not uttered aloud, however, and when he recovered -himself, he heard his commanding officer ask: - -"What's the matter, Stevens, are you annoyed?" - -"Perhaps! I was not old enough to do any good in Illinois; but -now--well, I am glad, major, that you permitted me to accompany you on -this trip." - -"Stevens, we are of the same stripe; but we must both remember our -orders, and no matter what the provocation may be, we must shed no -blood, unless compelled to do so. We both understand this, and yet, it -is as hard for me as it is for you, my friend." - -The next morning, just before sunrise, Major Smith called John's -attention to a speck on the eastern horizon. - -"Let us go forward carefully, Stevens; we must be sure as to numbers -and conditions of this oncoming train." - -"There are only half a dozen teams as I make them out." - -An hour's ride verified Stevens' keen power of sight. Riding swiftly up -to the flurried teamsters, Lot Smith pre-emptorily ordered them to turn -back; and turn back they did. But our mountain soldiers had other work -to do, and so they rode forward for an hour. - -"Major, I have a feeling that it would be well to take a look again -at those teams we ordered to follow us. I can't see anything of their -dust," said John, as they rode along. - -The major turned on his horse and scanned the horizon behind them with -shaded eyes and thoughtful mind. - -"Stevens, take fifteen or twenty of the boys and go back there, and see -if our orders have been obeyed. Meanwhile I will ride forward slowly." - -Three hours after this, Stevens returned and reported that he had found -the train once more headed westward; whereupon he had unloaded the -freight, and set fire to the whole lot. The teamsters were preparing to -come eastward again on their animals. - -"Good, now let us ride eastward as fast as we can." - -Turning in the direction of the Green River bluffs, the men rode into -a small clump of willows by the stream, and decided to get some sleep -before proceeding further. It was sorely needed, and proved refreshing -to the band of weary men. - -The next morning before daybreak they were in the saddle; and before -riding an hour, the major discovered a cloud of dust coming from the -old "Mormon" trail. - -Riding fiercely into camp, Lot Smith demanded to see the captain. - -"Captain Simpson is out huntin' cattle; and I guess if you want him you -will have to hunt him," replied one of the teamsters. - -"I'll look after your captain," bluntly announced Lot, and then cocking -his own gun as a signal to his men to follow suit, he quietly added, -"but you fellows can just fork over your shooting irons; we are wanting -some implements of that kind just now." - -There was a flash in the red-brown eyes of Lot Smith, and every -teamster carefully gathered up his pistol or gun and delivered it over -to Stevens, who distributed them among the men. - -Leaving Stevens in charge of the camp, Lot Smith rode out to meet the -captain, whose name was Simpson. He was driving in some animals, and -Lot simply said: "Captain, I am here on urgent business." - -The man addressed was no coward, and his eyes flashed as he demanded -the nature of that business. - -"Just hand over your pistols, and I will let you know the nature of -it," answered Smith. - -Spurring his horse towards the train, Simpson replied: "No man ever -took my pistols yet; and if you think you can without first killing me, -try it." - -They were all the time riding full gallop towards the train. - -"I admire a brave man, captain, but I don't like blood. You insist on -me killing you, which would only take a minute, but I don't want to do -it. If you will take the trouble to look that way, captain, instead -of glaring into my eyes, you will see that your teamsters are in a -ticklish situation." - -They had ridden as close together as their panting, reeking horses -would allow, each looking fire and death into the blazing eyes of the -other; but when Simpson raised his eyes and saw his own teamsters -huddled together, unarmed and shivering, under the cocked guns of the -mountaineers, he turned to Smith and muttered: "You have me at a bitter -disadvantage." - -"We don't need that advantage, captain. What would you do if I should -give up your arms?" - -"I'll fight you," answered the captain, between his teeth. - -The two had now reached the camp. - -"Well, we know something about that, too, Take up your arms." - -The teamsters shrank back as one man. - -"Not by a d--d sight," one of them exclaimed. "We came out here to -whack bulls, and not to fight." - -"What do you say to that, captain?" asked Smith. - -With another violent oath, the captain ground his teeth and replied: -"If I had been here before, and they had refused to fight, I would have -killed every man of them." - -Major Smith was too brave a man not to be touched by this manly, yet -reckless spirit; and after some parley with Stevens, he ordered his men -to give Simpson two of the loaded guns, with two of the loaded wagons, -to keep his men from starvation until their return to the Eastern -States, and then ordering all out of the way, he called out for a big -burly Irishman, a non-"Mormon," who had followed Stevens from the -trains the day before, and had offered to join their forces: "Here, -Dawson, you can put the torch to these trains; it is very proper for -the Gentiles to spoil the Gentiles." - -The whole train of fifty-two wagons was burned; after which the -mountaineers rode away, telling the teamsters that they could take what -provisions they had secured for themselves to their comrades, a few -miles away, and then return; and if any attempt were made to extinguish -the flames, summary punishment would be administered to the offenders. - - - -XI. - -"IN THE VALLEY OR HELL" - -The details of that peculiar and providential winter of 1857-8 are -written in lines of vivid interest and incident through the pages of -recorded history. The pen would fain linger to describe how Lot Smith -and his brave companions followed up their arranged course, burning -grass and trees, tearing up bridges, and demolishing houses or huts of -shelter everywhere along the road. - -Fort Bridger, the point to which the army of Utah had made its slow, -plainful way, was a mass of ruins when entered by Colonel Albert Sidney -Johnston and his half-frozen soldiers and the remnants of his trains -and stock. I cannot refrain from giving the words of the report of this -awful march, made to Congress by the two commanding officers, Colonel -Johnston and Colonel St. George Cooke. - -The condition of the main division is thus stated by Colonel Johnston: - - "The expedition was now ordered to Fort Bridger, and at every step - the difficulties increased. There were only thirty-five miles to be - traversed, but excepting on the margin of a few slender streams, - the country through which our route lay is the barest of desert - land. There is no shelter from the chilly blasts of this mountain - solitude, where even in November, the thermometer sometimes sinks - to 16 degrees below zero. There is no fuel but the wild sage and - willow; and there is little pasture for the half-frozen cattle. Our - march commenced on the sixth of November, and on the previous night - five hundred of our strongest cattle were taken by the 'Mormons.' - The trains extended over six miles, and all day long sleet and snow - fell on the retreating column. Some of the men were frost bitten, - and the exhausted animals were goaded by their drivers, until many - of them fell dead in their traces. At sunset the troops camped - wherever they could find a particle of shelter, some under bluffs, - and some in the willow copses. At daybreak the camp was surrounded - by the carcasses of frozen cattle, of which several hundred had - perished during the night. Still, as the trains arrived from the - rear, each one halted for a day or more, giving time for the cattle - to graze and rest on such scant herbage as they could find. To - press forward more rapidly was impossible, for it would have cost - the lives of most of the draft animals; to find shelter was equally - impossible, there was none. There was no alternative but to proceed - slowly and persistently, saving as many as possible of the horses, - mules and oxen. Fifteen days were required for this difficult - operation." - -Arrived at Fort Bridger, though they found the whole place in ruins, -the camp was struck, and tents were erected. Here the army of the -United States wintered, calling the camp Fort Scott. - -A fine commentary on the foolish extravagance and thoughtless waste -of money involved in the fitting out of this disastrous campaign was -furnished by the opening of the few supply wagons left them by their -relentless pursuers. The wagons loaded with provisions had been burned; -the wagons that survived were filled with bedticks and camp kettles. -For two thousand six hundred men, wintering in a region seven thousand -feet above the sea level, where at night the thermometer always sank -below zero, there were three thousand one hundred and fifty bedticks, -and only seven hundred and twenty-three blankets; there were one -thousand five hundred pairs of epaulettes and metallic scales, but only -nine hundred coats and six hundred overcoats; there were three hundred -and seven cap-covers, and only one hundred and ninety caps; there were -one thousand and ninety military stocks; some of the men were already -barefooted and others had no covering for their feet but moccasins, -while there were only eight hundred and twenty-three pairs of boots and -six hundred pairs of stockings. One wagon was entirely freighted with -camp-kettles; with nothing to cook, and no salt with which to season -their nothingness. - -An extract from Colonel St. George Cooke's report gives quite a dismal -picture of his own division. He says: - - "The north wind and drifting snow became severe; the air seemed - turned to frozen fog, nothing could be seen; we were struggling in - a freezing cloud. The lofty wall of Three Crossings was a happy - relief; but the guide who had lately passed there was relentless in - pronouncing that there was no grass at that point. As he promised - grass and shelter two miles further, we marched on, crossing twice - more the rocky stream, half-choked with snow and ice; finally he - led us behind a great granite rock, but all too small for the - promised shelter. Only a part of the regiment could huddle there in - the deep snow; whilst the long night through the storm continued, - and fearful eddies, above, below and behind, drove the falling and - drifting snow. Meanwhile the animals were driven once more across - the stream, to the base of the granite ridge, which faced the - storm, but where there was grass. They refused to eat; the mules - huddled together, moaning piteously, while some of the horses broke - from the guard and went back to the ford. The next day, better - camping ground was reached ten miles farther on. On the morning of - the eighth, the thermometer marked 44 degrees below the freezing - point; but in this weather and through deep snow, the men made - eighteen miles, and the following day nineteen miles, to the next - camping ground on Bitter Creek, on the Sweetwater. On the 10th, - matters were still worse. Herders, left to bring up the rear, with - the stray mules, could not force them from the valley, and they - were left to perish. Nine horses were also abandoned. At night the - thermometer marked twenty-five degrees below zero; nearly all the - tent pins were broken, and nearly forty soldiers and teamsters were - on the sick list, most of them being frost-bitten. The earth has - no more lifeless, treeless, grassless desert; it contains scarcely - a wolf to glut itself on the hundreds of dead and frozen animals - which, for thirty miles, nearly blocked the road." - -Such was the condition in which this flower of the American army found -itself when about ready, as they supposed, to enter the Valley of the -Great Salt Lake and subdue a handful of unoffending and simple-hearted -people. Something was certainly done by the small band of hardy men who -followed and surrounded the army with harassing circumstances; but they -did little compared with the forces which were brought to bear by the -God of nature, who undertook to fight this battle according to His own -good pleasure and plan. - - - -XII. - -THE FRIEND OF BRIGHAM YOUNG - -The bright fire upon the wide hearthstone in Aunt Clara's sitting room -in Great Salt Lake City seemed all the brighter to the young man who -opened the cheerful green door late in the afternoon on the 24th day of -February, 1858. The slow moving figure of Aunt Clara swung around from -her busy loom in the corner, as she looked to see who her visitor was. - -"You, John? I thought you were in Echo Canyon or in San Bernardino, or -on the Southern Mexican route." - -"So I was till this morning; I have come to see if you will take a -stranger for a few days, who is sent to you by Governor Young." - -"Anyone sent from President Young is welcome, and John, anyone you -bring is welcome also." - -John Stevens thanked her and added that he would return shortly with -his guest, and then departed as silently and swiftly as he had come. - -"Ellen," called Aunt Clara to the girl whose spinning wheel whirred -from the kitchen, "bring some more wood for the fire-place, and put the -clean white blankets in the front bedroom. Have we enough white flour -to make some biscuits?" - -Ellen came into the sitting-room, followed by her friend Dian, who was -busily engaged in knitting at some large, coarse but warm socks. Dian -did not stop as she walked, but knitted away as if life depended upon -the "stunt" being accomplished before the dusk should come upon her. - -"Why do you want to make biscuits tonight, Aunt Clara?" asked Ellen. - -The answer produced much scurrying of the girl's quick feet, and in -less than half an hour, the table was set in the clean front sitting -room, shining with the few cherished china pieces brought from the -early colonial days into these bleak mountain valleys by this Puritan -daughter from New England's wave-washed shores. Ellen set some eggs -to wait their turn at the great open fire-place, and in the covered -bake skillet were browning the cream biscuits which only Aunt Clara -could compound from the various chemical resultants of lye made -from wood-ashes and the pleasant acid of soured cream. Serviceberry -preserves glowed darkly through the one precious glass dish, and soft -Dutch cheese was molded into oval richness on a china saucer. A pitcher -of foaming milk testified to its recent cold storage; and a plate of -doughnuts flanked the cheese. It was a hasty meal, but none the less -appetizing; and was ready none too soon. - -A strong yet quick rap at the front door introduced John Stevens, to be -followed by a dusty, travel-stained man, of small stature, and of an -exceedingly dignified mien, yet looking very feeble and ill. - -"Mrs. Tyler, let me introduce Dr. Osborne," said John gravely, and the -gentleman bowed courteously over the extended hand of his hostess. The -lady looked at the traveler with a curious half remembrance in her -black eyes, but the "doctor" responded with only a grave salute, as -he followed his hostess into the low-ceiled bedchamber, just off the -sitting-room. - -"John," said Aunt Clara, when she returned, "I have surely seen that -gentleman somewhere, but I can't tell where for the life of me. He is -very tired and looks sick;" and she gazed thoughtfully and inquiringly -at dusty John Stevens, who only stroked his long beard and gazed kindly -at her without reply. - -"Hurry, John," called Ellen from the inner kitchen door; "supper is all -ready, and if you are going to eat with this gentleman, you will need -to hurry and wash. Come out here to the porch; I have water and a clean -towel for you." - -Dian was still knitting away for dear life, near the small-framed west -window; John halted a moment at her side. - -"What's the hurry?" he asked, laconically, as he touched the dark grey -ribbed stocking swinging from the shining needles in her deft fingers. - -"Oh, it's for the Utah militia boys. Aunt Clara has kept us girls -knitting and spinning, sewing and weaving, night and day, for the -soldiers. We don't mind, for it's all we can do to help along." - -"Any particular soldier?" he queried, indifferently. Dian glanced up -to discover a latent meaning, but John's cool gaze gave her no clue. -However, a girl flings many chance shots, and some are sure to hit. So -she replied with a supercilious accent: "Oh, I promised Charlie Rose to -knit all the socks he needed for the expedition. Will you take these to -him?" - -"Certainly," answered John, gravely. He turned and left her, saying: -"Charlie will be real grateful for your kindness." - -"How provoking men can be," thought Dian. - -Left with Dian, Aunt Clara stood in the center of the floor, her dark -eyes fixed in an absent-minded stare, so common to her when she was -trying to puzzle out some mental problem that eluded her. Where had -she seen her visitor? Dian hurried away to her home across the way, -ignorant both of Aunt Clara's problem or its possible solution. - -As soon as the supper was despatched, Aunt Clara followed her two -guests out of the front door, and said softly to John, "Come back after -your interview with the President, John; I have something to tell you." - -John nodded assent, and he and the traveler melted away into the -freezing gloom of the winter's darkness. - -But John did not return with his visitor till after midnight, and -then, finding the front door on the latch, as was usual in that safe -and honest pioneer town, he guided his guest by the light of the fire -into the front chamber, now somewhat warmed by the open door from the -sitting room, and, lighting the tallow candle left on the light-stand -by the bedside for his guest, he softly made all as comfortable as he -could and then left the traveler to seek a much-needed repose. - -Who was the traveler and what was his business with President Young? -This was the thought that flashed and wandered in and out of the -sleepless brain of Aunt Clara, hour after hour, in that still and cold -night. She knew much of her people's inner, unwritten history, for hers -was the silent tongue and quick sympathy which drew all men, as well as -women, to her tender heart and warm hearthstone for help and counsel. -She had been the trusted friend of the great Prophet Joseph Smith, and -to him she had given more than a human devotion; she had accorded him -his place beside the greatest martyrs in Biblical history. She was -likewise the confidential friend of his successor, Brigham Young; to -Aunt Clara the great Pioneer often looked when he had a delicate task -which needed the quickness and subtlety of a woman's help. And now she -could not sleep till she had puzzled out her puzzle, and had answered -the challenge of her unerring memory. - -Daylight had brought the answer. Aunt Clara was up early, and, by the -light of her candle, was kneading the loaves for the day's baking. -To her soon came Ellen, intent on finishing her spinning and reeling -before daylight should bring breakfast and interruption. - -"Do you suppose that this is another of those splendid United States -soldiers?" asked Ellen, her feet stepping off the regular rhythm of the -whizzing yarn, as it whirled and spun from the steel point into fine -threads under the flying fingers of the industrious girl. Her wheel -paused in its onward circling flight to catch Aunt Clara's answer: - -"No, dear; if he were, John would have taken him down to the Salt Lake -House. And how could John bring in a soldier? They are all out east. -John has been down to San Bernardino." - -Evidently Aunt Clara herself had been busy with the same question, -which still did not possess so vital an interest for youth as for -experienced age. Youth leaned upon the wisdom of Brigham Young, and -the proved Providence which drew them safely from most difficulties; -maturity grasped the dangers and difficulties with surer fear, and -sought to find answers to every problem. - -"Well, one thing is certain, Aunt Clara. President Young has kept the -soldiers out of the Valley, and the winter is half over." - -"True, dear; but no one but God knows what is ahead of us just now. One -thing just now, however, is to get this yarn all spun, reeled and woven -into good coats for our soldiers;" and Aunt Clara slid into her seat -before the huge loom, as if to shut off further discussion. - -When the traveler came into the room two hours later, he found the -wintry sun well started on his morning pilgrimage and his hostess -placing his modest breakfast on the table in the sitting room; he -noted every point of the innate refinement and peace which filled the -small place with more than human sweetness. The delicately crocheted -white window-curtains, the cushioned rush-bottomed chairs, all of them -garnished neatly with antimacassars, tied with green ribbons; the -windows filled with geraniums and blooming petunias; and the great -hand-loom in the corner of the roomy sitting-room only added to its -homelike air. - -He walked up to the fire-place and as he stretched out his hands to the -blaze, he said cordially: - -"Well, Aunt Clara, have you found me out yet?" - -"Yes, Colonel Haines, I discovered you not more than three hours ago." - -"What was your clue?" - -"You spoke of our people last night as your friends; there is but one -man in the United States who thus refers to this hunted people." - -"I had no idea that I could remain so long incognito to those keen eyes -and ears of yours, Aunt Clara. You see I've not forgotten the quaint -Yankee term by which all of your friends designated you in Nauvoo?" - -"Have you had your interview with the President?" - -"Yes, and I must say again, what I have said before: if the government -of this country knew Brigham Young as I know him, they would honor -themselves by honoring him with every trust and responsibility they -could bestow." - -"Ah, Colonel, how few men ever get human perspective. Only a true man -himself may discover truth and honor in another." - -"I find your people very sore, and naturally so; but President Young -has wisely agreed to welcome Governor Cumming into the Territory, and -I think he will permit the army to be quartered somewhere, not too -near your settlements; I can appreciate his dislike to bringing the -turbulent elements of army life into too close a juxtaposition with -your innocent and sylvan communities. Yet the great government of which -we are all proud factors has sent an army here--right or wrong--to -be quartered within the confines of this Territory; and I was sure -that President Young only needed the assurance that Governor Cumming -comes here as an element of peace, and not as a casus belli, to accept -wisely and quietly the unfortunate situation. Captain Van Arden has -been a good friend to your people, my dear lady. We are to hold another -council meeting this morning, and then I shall take myself from under -your hospitable roof and go on my way." - -"Surely, Colonel, you will not think of taking up another journey in -this terrible winter season, and you in the delicate state of health -which is evidenced in the lines of pain just now showing upon your -face?" - -"Fear not, friend Clara. Your president promised me last night that my -life should be spared to complete this and other good works; and you -know that I look upon Brigham Young as a prophet." - -Aunt Clara moved quietly about the room for a few moments; then, -coming up to the table once more, she said reverently, with the deep -tenderness that only a devout woman may express in voice and eyes: - -"Friend Thomas, I feel that God has sent you here to put a stop to this -terrible misunderstanding and tragedy." - -"Dear old friend, you are just repeating the words of our mutual friend -and President, Brigham Young, last night, as he gave me his goodnight -hand-clasp. And now tell me who is that exceedingly pretty girl who was -in here last night?" - -"That is the daughter of my dead sister; she lives with me and assists -me as my own daughter would have done, if she had lived." - -"She is certainly good to look upon. May I charge you to look well -after her? The future advent of many strange men into this primitive -society of yours will call for the closest watching and the most loving -care on the part of you older ones." - -"Ellen is the light of our eyes; she is a good girl, Colonel Haines; -very loving and sincere; she is easy to lead and asks only for love in -return." - -"Ah, Aunt Clara, it is the paradox of human nature that man, who should -be the protector of woman, is too often her assailant; and that the -kindly virtues of a woman which make her the best of wives and mothers, -too often renders her the easiest prey to a wicked man." - -"Have you noted anything wrong with my Ellen, sir?" asked Aunt Clara, -in mournful surprise. - -"Not so. She is just a little too endowed with natural loveliness for -her complete safety in this unhappy world." - -Then, saying a few words of gratitude, the Colonel, or "Doctor -Osborne," arose and put on his heavy army cloak. - -"May I ask you one question, Colonel?" - -"A dozen, if you will." - -"Why do you come here to us under an assumed name?" - -"Ah, that is easy to answer; for you yourself have riddled me my -riddle. I had received such generous and courteous treatment in your -old unhappy city of Nauvoo, and had made so many warm friends there, -that I wondered if it could be that you had changed into the creatures -that your enemies in Washington tried to convince me you were; so I -chose to come under a borrowed name, and thus test all round your -quality of hospitality. And my good friend Aunt Clara Tyler has proved -for me all that I sought to discover." - -The interview at the President's office that day was so satisfactory -that within twenty-four hours, John Stevens was once more at the head -of an escort which was to convey Colonel Haines, the mediator, the -friend, and the great heart, on his mission of mercy and peace into the -lines of Federal armies quartered at Fort Scott, on Black's Fork. - - - -XIII. - -DIANTHA WEARS CHARLIE'S RING - -The mission of Colonel Haines was of immediate effect. The fear of -desperate warfare was over. But there yet remained much for the people -of Utah to do and suffer. - -John Stevens was constantly in the saddle during the few months of the -Spring of 1858, though this did not prevent him from keeping a pretty -close watch on Miss Diantha Winthrop. He was quite familiar with the -tenor of her recent encouragement to Charlie Rose. He was also aware of -the quiet yet effective snubs she had administered to that resplendent -young Englishman, Henry Boyle. In a way known only to himself, John -Stevens contrived to be aware of most things in which he himself was -interested. - -It was early in the evening of the first week of April that he rode -down from the northern camps into the valley; as he passed the first -farm-houses outside the city, he caught sight of a wagon-load of young -people, evidently just returning from some merry-making, and he was -conscious of the glory of Dian's hair and the flash of her bright -eyes, even before he heard the silvery peal of laughter with which -she was adding to the stings of a taunt administered to some luckless -wight of the party. The music of her laughter was at once the charm -and the despair of all Dian's lovers. The notes of that peal always -reminded John of a chime of Swiss silver bells, with which a strolling -musician had once delighted the city. They rippled and trilled along -the waves of ether with enchanting melody. Her friends will remember -many youthful graces of this well-known Dian, but none which were more -charming than her ready, irresistible, musical laughter. It was never -forced nor insincere, but was always the expression of the truth-loving -and buoyant soul within. It did not add to John's own merriment to -see the girl enjoying herself so heartily while under the gallant -protection of Charlie Rose; as his horse lingered some distance behind -the wagon, he could pick out the "crowd" even in the cool dusk of the -early evening, and locate all the incipient flirtations. It may be that -the tired man felt the incongruousness of laughter when his own heart -was hot and sore because of the events just now transpiring; but he was -too just not to recognize the further fact that youth is a time for joy -and forgetful laughter; and, furthermore, all possible excitement and -fear had been wisely suppressed by Brigham Young. As soon as he reached -a side street, John turned away, and cantered into the city to deliver -his messages. - -The next evening, as he was striding down the State Road he met the -"crowd" face to face. They were returning from singing practice. - -"Oh, John," called Ellen, "do tell us all the news. Here's Tom Allen -trying to make us believe that the President is for deserting our good -homes and leading us into the wilderness. It isn't true, is it?" - -"Would you rather stay here under the rule of an army, or follow your -leaders into another place of safety and peace?" asked John, gently and -seriously. - -"John," said Charlie Rose, now sober and earnest, "I am trying to get -these girls to understand that they are about to have a chance to be -brave and womanly. It's stiff work trying to make a girl see that there -is anything but fun ahead." - -"Some girls," corrected Diantha, with lofty emphasis. - -"Come into Aunt Clara's sitting-room and let me get a word with her; -then, maybe, you shall get another," said John, quietly. - -Sobered and awed, the little group of young people filed, almost -silently, into the familiar gathering place. Dian refused to sit down; -her quick thought had followed the serious mood of John Stevens and -instantly her whole attention was fixed on one idea; what could she do -in this crisis--a girl--and yet so full of devotion to that cause her -friends were defending? - -"Aunt Clara, you can tell the crowd how very serious our condition is -at present. They seem to have forgotten Nauvoo," said John, possibly -glad to sober these young people. Charlie Rose, whose face was quite -flushed with the news he had just heard on the streets, walked over to -the loom in the corner and waited impatiently for Aunt Clara to finish -tearing off her last thread. - -It was impossible for John Stevens to be unconscious of the fact that -Charlie Rose was standing very near to Dian, as she leaned against the -loom, so near that almost the loose flying tendrils of her yellow hair -were against his shoulder. But with stern grip on his own nerves, he -sat carelessly on the bench and bent his head slightly as he examined -the pattern of his braided buckskin pantaloons. - -Aunt Clara felt the tense atmosphere surrounding her, and she waited in -silence for John to speak, for she was sure he had something serious to -tell them. That he had something to say was sufficient for others to -remain quiet. - -"Boys, how many of you can be ready to start at midnight for the army -of the United States camped now at Fort Scott?" There was a breathless -silence for an instant, and then: - -"All of us," quietly answered Charlie Rose. - -"We shall leave the Eagle Gate, then, at twelve o'clock, boys; I shall -expect you to be there. Bring your usual outfit." - -"John," said Aunt Clara, with a note of anxiety in her voice, "what is -it now?" - -"We are to meet and escort Governor Cumming into the Territory." - -"Governor Cumming? Is Brigham Young no longer Governor of Utah then?" -asked Charlie. - -"I have this day delivered the official information that the President -of the United States has appointed a new Governor for our unhappy -Territory. It is for this reason, ostensibly, that the flower of the -American army has come out into the wilderness of the West. Thousands -of trained soldiers have been sent to install one man in a Territory -of a few hundred pioneers." John spoke bitterly, but it was not his to -question. He was but to obey. - -"What is the name of this new Governor?" asked Dian with quick sarcasm -in her tones. - -"His name is Cumming, and so far as I am able to judge, he is not to -blame for this blunder of Buchanan's. But, boys, meet me at the Eagle -Gate at midnight." - -"Oh, John, will the soldiers kill us all, or drive us from our homes?" -asked Ellen, tearfully. - -"Only God can answer that," replied John, solemnly. - -The heart of every girl was thrilled with the sense of personal and -communal danger. Yet, there mingled with it all a paradoxical and -feminine joy in the intrepid character of the men who would protect -them and their homes in life or in death. - -Ellen ran up to Dian, and with her arms around her neck, begged her -friend to "stay all night." Ellen felt suddenly a sense of coming -disaster; her very heart was choking in her throat, and she felt that -she must have many people near her. Dian was glad to stay; although -her own thoughts were not busy with herself, but dwelt upon the larger -interests of the starving army beyond the mountains, who were all human -beings, even if enemies. Her soul bowed in prayer for Brigham Young -and the other leaders of her people, whose judgment and wisdom must be -supreme in this the people's most trying hour. - -The days that followed were filled with vague rumors of coming -disaster. Women clung to their little children; men gazed upon their -innocent daughters and wondered what the future held in store for all. -They had seen their dear ones mobbed, driven and plundered, time and -again in the past; what would this new disaster bring forth? - -Fear and suspense--are they not man's most dreaded foes? Anything -which comes is better than the undefinable things which are so feared -but which rarely happen. And thus the days and weeks of that month -of suspense which followed John Stevens' expedition into the eastern -mountains were far more unendurable to Diantha and her girl-friends -than the simple events which followed. For, after all, when the day -came for the entrance of Governor Cumming into the Territory, the sun -shone, the meadow-larks piped out their usual notes of musical inquiry -into the state of the worm and bug market, the crickets hopped nimbly -out of the way of the oncoming posse of mountaineer soldiers who acted -as the gubernatorial escort, and the whole party drew up to the Salt -Lake House, clattered under the broad eaves of its western porches, and -debouched quietly within. The first great act of the expected sensation -was over, while the second act was quite small and inadequate to the -tremendous overture of dread which had been pounding at the ears of -the small inland city for so long. Governor Cumming proved to be a -very generous, whole-souled man, and in the historic interview which -followed between the new and the old Governors of the then distracted -Territory of Utah, both men discovered the elements of candor, truth -and sincerity in the other, and the bond of mutual understanding was -not long in forming. The days of adjustment and readjustment which -followed were not days of unmixed confusion and disturbance, for time -was taken in which to dispel fears and to form new ties. - -Diantha Winthrop was conscious, in those uncertain and troublous days, -of a certain dissatisfaction regarding the outcome of the dramatic -beginnings which her quick intelligence had discovered in this -appalling incident. Like most noble if youthful minds, her thoughts -had been busy with the high purpose and exalted ideals of the people. -Unlike her volatile friend Ellen, Dian's gloomy fears at this period -settled around the leaders of her people; while to little laughing -Ellie the one important feature of it all was little Ellie's own -connection with each and every happening. It was therefore somewhat of -a disappointment to both girls that there was such a tame ending to -so tragic a beginning. Governor Cumming was in the city, he had been -properly received by Governor Young, and the whole incident was closed, -apparently, without even the hoisting of the flag. The girls mentioned -the matter to Aunt Clara, and that good lady only answered: - -"None but poets and prophets know the difference between tragedy and -comedy. What you feel is going to be tragedy turns out to be comedy, -and what starts as comedy too often turns into tragedy." - -And thus life poured its turbulent stream down into the channels -of Utah's history and the evening and the morning made up the -scintillating days of that trying season. - -Suffice it to say, Governor Cumming was duly escorted into the city, -and he and his gentle lady-wife were suitably quartered. To him Brigham -Young turned over all the Territorial records, the great seal and all -insignia of his exalted office; all were delivered over safely and -formally by the maligned "Mormon" leader. But our friend John, with his -companions Charlie Rose and Tom Allen, was kept long weeks in active -service out in Echo Canyon. The city seemed very lonely to Ellen and -Dian during those long spring weeks. - -One day in the early spring, some weeks after Governor Cumming's -entrance into the Valley, Dian sought a quiet interview with Aunt -Clara, hoping to ascertain something definite as to the real nature of -all the rumors and forebodings again quivering in the very air of Great -Salt Lake City. - -"Dear Aunt Clara," said Dian, when they were seated and busily -knitting--oh, those active, flying hands of women which never rested, -scarce night or day, during those trying months--"I am so troubled; -my nights are full of unhappy dreams and my days are so restless that -I cannot accomplish anything worth while. What is all this about? -Please confide in Ellie and me, dear Aunt Clara. I know you enjoy -the confidence of the leading brethren, and I long to know if it is -true that the soldiers are going to be allowed to enter our beloved -Territory? And is Governor Cumming really our friend?" - -"Governor Cumming is a very liberal and humane man, my dear. But it is -apparently true that we shall have to bow to the will of the government -of this great nation which we all love so well, and allow these -soldiers, this terrible army, to come into the Territory and quarter -themselves here, for how long no one can tell. Ostensibly the army came -to install Governor Cumming; but as you know, Governor Cumming has been -peaceably installed, yet General Johnston insists on coming into the -Valley. President Young has turned over the records and great seal of -our Territory which our wicked enemies swore to President Buchanan we -had destroyed, and now Governor Cumming has notified Brother Brigham -that a Peace Commission may be sent out to this Territory to hand us -out a Proclamation of Amnesty. And there is the full story." - -"What's a Peace Commission and what is amnesty?" asked Ellen. - -"Surely, my dear! What is amnesty? It is forgiveness. And why the -United States should deem it necessary to send an army out here to -crush us into submission, when we had never revolted, and then think -it necessary to send us a proclamation of amnesty, when we have done -nothing to be forgiven for, is more than a poor woman can understand. -However, the plain English of it is that someone wanted the army -out of the way in Washington, others wanted the money that comes to -contractors, and still others don't know anything about it, except -someone has raised another cry of 'Down with the Mormons.' Governor -Cumming hopes to clear everything up with the aid of this Peace -Commission. But, girls, I have something very serious to confide to -you; next Monday we are to pack up everything that can be loaded into -wagons, leaving the rest piled up with kindlings ready to burn, and -then we are to start for the South." - -"For the South? Where?" asked the two girls in one breath. - -"I cannot tell. Some have already gone quietly ahead. We shall pack -up everything that we can pile in our wagons, and with sufficient -provisions to last us a year, we shall once more go out into the -wilderness. This time we shall take to the mountains." - -"Oh, Aunt Clara, surely you are not in earnest?" - -"Girls, this is no time for any of us to be in jest. We know not what a -day may bring forth. Do you get to work at once. And then, when all is -ready, we shall fill this house with sufficient kindling to burn every -stick and log within twenty-four hours of the time when the word is -given." - -"Aunt Clara! Burn this house which you love so well? With this dear -green door? It's the only green door in the city. And all this comfort -which you have worked so hard to secure? Oh, I can't bear the thought. -And the lettuce and radishes which you sowed on the snow and which -are just now ready to eat? What about everybody else?" asked Ellen, -incoherently. - -But no amount of grief on the part of the girls could change the -condition of things, and after awhile the prudent counsels of their -good friend calmed undue excitement, and they resigned themselves to -the common fate, willing to share in the general affliction as they -had shared in the common good. Here was tragedy, surely! When least -expected, here it was! Nightfall found them all tired out with the -day's labor and excitement. - -Evening brought Charlie Rose to the door of the quiet sitting-room, and -even if they were tired, they were glad to see his welcome face. - -"Oh, Charlie, will we all have to go South?" asked Ellen, unable to -restrain her excitement. - -"Yes, Ellie, I bring word to Aunt Clara that she and you must be -ready to start tomorrow morning for the South. Dian, your folks are -to go tomorrow also. We didn't expect to go for another week, but -the government is going to send some peace commissioners out to -the Territory, and they may be as dangerous to our welfare as the -peacemakers at Carthage. So we shall get away tomorrow, as many as can, -and as fast as we can. 'Boil and bubble; toil and trouble,'" quoted -Charlie, mournfully. - -"Aunt Clara, if that is the case, I must hurry home and help Rachel; -she may need me; and you and Ellen can get along without me," said -Diantha. - -"Oh, I shall be frightened, Dian. Just Aunt Clara and me here all this -dreadful night," cried out Ellen. - -"Hush, child! Why should we be frightened? No one wants anything of us. -Go right on, Dian; you are needed at home. No doubt my sister will be -here before long," expostulated Aunt Clara. - -Ellen was fain to be comforted; her heart yearned for the presence of -her dear friend Dian in this hour of common peril and distress. Yet she -had Aunt Clara, and she must be content. - -As Dian left the door, Charlie stood beside her and she whispered: - -"Go back, Charlie, and stay with Aunt Clara awhile. I am not a bit -afraid to run over home alone." - -"Dian, let me come with you. I will come back to Aunt Clara; but I -can't bear to see you or any of our girls out alone on the streets." - -"Why, we always go out on the streets alone, when we have any occasion -to; why should we be afraid now?" - -But the young man was walking by her side even as she protested. As -they reached Dian's gate he put a detaining hand upon her arm and said, -earnestly: - -"I have to go back to camp in Echo Canyon tomorrow; Dian, will you miss -me?" - -The dim darkened new moon was shining down upon the young people with -the tender radiance of spring folly; they were young; Dian's heart -was very sore with the quivering emotions wrought up in the last -twenty-four hours. She liked Charlie Rose, for he was as wholesome and -pure as he was honest, and he was always bright and gay. The night was -very lonely. - -"Of course, we shall miss you, Charlie. All the boys, even to Tom -Allen, are out in the canyons. It is very lonely." - -"You have Henry Boyle left," said her companion, somewhat maliciously. - -"Pooh!" contemptuously. "He is almost ready to apostatize; he is scared -to death over this army business. He has asked Governor Cumming to let -him go out of the Territory under the protection of the soldiers." - -"Can that be true, Dian? I would not have thought him a traitor as well -as a coward." - -"Are not all cowards traitors?" - -"Hardly, Dian. That's too sweeping. But I am surprised about Henry. He -cut quite a shine here for months." - -The girl began to open her gate; she knew that her brother did not -approve of young people standing at the gate in the late evenings. - -"Dian, listen just one moment; here, wear this ring for me while I am -gone; won't you?" As he spoke he drew a pretty ring from his finger, -evidently an heirloom in his family. Rings were rare in those days, and -Dian's eyes sparkled. She knew that she was not in love with Charlie; -but neither was she with anyone else. Why should she not wear a ring? - -"I will wear it awhile, Charlie, but I won't keep it. You must give it -to the girl you are going to marry." - -"That's what I'm doing, Dian." - -The tone of his voice startled her with its intensity; she drew away -from him, half frightened. - -"Here, Charlie, take your ring; I do not want to wear it." - -But with instant comprehension of his rashness, the young man said with -a light laugh: - -"Oh, pshaw, Dian! Oblige me by wearing my ring until I find the girl I -am to marry. Then I will come to you for it." - -Pacified, the girl pushed the ring back on her finger, and then at once -turned into the gate, saying as she did so: - -"I shall not forget you nor any of the boys in my prayers, Charlie. -Goodnight and goodby." - -And the young man was fain to be content with this general parting wish. - - - -XIV. - -"TO YOUR TENTS, O ISRAEL." - -"To your tents, O Israel!" - -What a picture of quiet despair melting into calm resignation those -spring months presented! In April there had begun that wondrous move -into the unknown which had been the inspiration and yet the dread of -President Brigham Young. Only a patriot such as he could appreciate -the love of home and country which had forced this people ten years -before into a trackless wilderness; no one but a patriot could guess -what these new sacrifices must mean to the hunted and driven people. -Ten years of peace! Ten years of hardest labor ever performed by -any people, at any period; and now to start out into the wilderness -again! Who could tell the suffering, the anguish of a people whose -hearthstones were their altars, and whose religion was a home! - -As the wagon driven by Aunt Clara's own delicate hands turned into the -State Road on the morning of the 12th of May, 1858, she saw a long, -straggling trail of wagons ahead of her; old and weather-worn most of -them were, having crossed the plains many times in the last twelve -years. There were crowds of little children packed in many of the -wagons, and in some there groaned and writhed the sick and helpless. -But all faces wore the expression of exalted determination borne only -by a people whose devotion could help them to bid adieu to comfort and -ease when duty or inspiration gave the ringing cry: - -"To your tents, O Israel!" - -Ah, how often in their broken and turbulent history as a people had -that clarion cry sounded in their ears! - -And now, once again, Israel was on the march! - -The usual chatter of women, the laugh of children, the merry exchange -of field and farm gossip from the men, these common features of their -communal life were almost hushed in the common sorrow which gripped the -vitals of every wanderer in that straggling train which was conveying -twenty thousand souls from Great Salt Lake City alone, and thousands -more from the northern towns, to the mountains! From the Eagle Gate -clear to the "Point of the Mountain"--that longest straight street in -all the world--the whole length of that twenty miles of road, straight -as engineering skill could plant--was one moving mass of wagons, with -and without covers; some with quilts over the wagon boxes, and some -without boxes or covers; driven by men, by women, and by little boys. -Great oxen on some of them lumbered heavily along; horses, mules, -and even patient cows were harnessed in the procession. The dust was -blinding; the day began to be hot. Out in the western horizon shone the -silvered edge of the Great Salt Lake, glistening, diamond-bright, under -the ardent sun. - -At Dr. Dunyon's place at the Point of the Mountain the wagons of the -Winthrop family drew alongside the slower mule team driven by Aunt -Clara's slender but capable hands; and the voice of Ellen Tyler called -out from under the dusty wagon cover: - -"Rachel, where's Dian? I have been looking for her all the morning." - -"She is just behind in the last wagon. She thought she could help -grandmother if she stayed in that wagon. You get out and ride with her; -there's plenty of room in there;" and Rachel halted to chat awhile with -Aunt Clara. - -Ellen quickly accepted this welcome invitation, and hurried back to her -friend. - -She found Diantha sitting uncomfortably on a high box, leaving the -spring seat to be occupied by the old lady who was showing signs of -great weariness. - -"Oh, Ellie, I am so glad you have come. Help me to unroll this bedding -and get a place fixed for grandma to lie down. I was sure she could not -ride on the spring seat, but she wanted to try it to save trouble." - -The girls quickly unfastened the huge roll of bedding, and with the aid -of the lad who was driving the team, they made a fairly comfortable bed -on the boxes inside the wagon. - -"Now, grandma, you try to sleep a little; you have not slept a wink all -night." - -"Who could sleep, dearie?" answered the plaintive voice of the old lady. - -The girls covered her feet with her shawl, and then both of them -crowded into the spring seat with the driver. - -"Say, Dian, whose ring are you wearing? It looks like Charlie's," said -the quick voice of Ellen. - -"Whose ring but my own, silly? Should I be wearing other people's -rings?" - -Ellen was abashed with the little rebuff. She was too proud to ask for -confidence not willingly shared, yet she was sure the ring belonged to -her friend Charlie; she hastily turned the talk into safe, impersonal -channels. - -"Don't you wonder where we are going, Dian?" - -"My brother Appleton says we are to stop in Provo for awhile, until we -know what the army is going to do." - -"And where do you think we will go after that?" - -"No one seems to know. I guess President Young knows; he knows -everything. But he is too wise to tell anybody what he thinks, till the -time comes for action." - -"I have heard Aunt Clara speak as if we were bound for a place in -Mexico, called Sonora." - -"Well, I am sure I don't care where we go. We have had to pick up and -leave our beloved homes again, driven by those who hate us for our -religion. Aunt Clara says that not all of these men in Washington are -so cruel; Col. Haines told her that Captain Van Arden was our true -friend. And there are doubtless others." - -"Did he say that of Captain Van Arden?" asked Ellie, her eyes aflame -with some pleasant recollection of the gallant captain's visit. - -"Indeed he did. And he, together with Colonel Haines has persuaded -President Buchanan to send some peace commissioners out here to try and -fix up this awful blunder made by Buchanan himself. I wonder how it is -that men are so easily prejudiced against our people?" - -Ellen was not given to general reflections; to her, life was an -extremely personal affair. So she began a running chatter about the -news they had received of John Stevens. - -"Did you know that John is now one of the chief officers in the Utah -militia?" - -Dian turned the ring round and round on her finger and said nothing in -reply to Ellen's chatter. She was not a bit interested in John Stevens, -nor was she prepared to open her own thoughts for the keen eyes of her -loving friend. There are some things that are too hazy in a girl's mind -for analysis; and Dian was content to listen while she idly dreamed -of Charlie Rose and what he would do about the ring, when he really -fell in love with a girl. And what would John Stevens think about her -wearing Charlie's ring? But the hours dragged along, night came, and -the weary travelers camped wherever water and wood could be found. Next -morning's sun found most of the mighty host once more on the dusty -highway, faces to the South, and with uplifted hearts to a Providence -that had never forgotten Zion. - -"To your tents, O Israel!" - -Israel was on the march! The high road of Destiny might be dusty with -blinding prejudice, and hot with men's hate and scorn. But Israel was -just a band of loyal men and women who trusted God and feared no man. -And so they went forth, this modern Israel, singing hymns while the -issues of life and death wove themselves into intricate patterns on the -web and woof of the mysterious future! - -The evening shades of the second day found our friends halted on the -Provo river bottoms, a part of that temporary encampment which made the -small city a veritable summer pioneer metropolis. - -The long, tiresome journey was at last completed, and the Winthrops -and Tylers could find no better place in all Provo than a low adobe -hut, which was then used as a bear den by the family who had built -themselves a new house further up the street. Mr. Bruin was taken -summarily out of his quarters, the boys and children spent several -hours cleaning out the hut, while the women cooked their frugal supper -over the campfire, and then all retired at a late hour, weary with the -long two days' travel. - - - -XV. - -I'M A MORMON DYED IN THE WOOL. - -Meanwhile, the men on the frontier in Weber Canyon were uneasy and as -full of vague forebodings of the future as were the women and children -left in the safer shelter of the lower valleys. To be sure, the army -had been kept out of the Valley for the whole winter; and spring had -come, and they were still outside the confines of the Territory. - -On the morning of May 28th, Colonel Lot Smith was ordered to the -headquarters of the Utah militia. He was closeted with the General for -an hour. When he emerged, he went at once to the tent of John Stevens. - -"Captain Stevens, get Corporal Rose and a squad of six men and meet me -outside of the lines in half an hour; you have an important duty ahead." - -The order was instantly obeyed, and soon the little squad was riding -out towards Camp Scott. - -Arrived there, after hours of hard riding, they showed their passports -to the pickets, and were at last allowed to enter the lines. As the -little squad rode rapidly up towards the camp of the army, in the near -distance, the mountaineers noted with interest the picture of tented -life, now grown so familiar to Stevens, but so novel to the eyes of -the other young Utahns. The white Sibley tents, now brown and rusty -with the winter's use, were planted about the log and wooden structures -in regular form in the center of the encampment, while blue-coated -soldiers could be seen through the outer motley fringe of the camp's -usual followers, pacing in sentry duty, or moving to and fro on other -duty. The great white city rested on the brown and pale green landscape -of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains like pinioned birdwings, -brooding over the nest of mighty enterprises. - -John turned to his companions and said: - -"Corporal Rose, I shall leave you and the men here to rest quietly -until my return. Remain in your saddles and prepare for quick action." - -"Do you anticipate any trouble, Captain Stevens?" - -"Soldiers do not anticipate. They prepare. I may not go armed into the -presence of civil and military authorities on a message of peace. Hold -my weapons and my horse until my return." - -Handing his musket to his companion, and striding steadily forward, -Captain Stevens was soon within the outskirts of the great camp at Fort -Scott. In the rough camp life of the hordes of camp followers were -mingled shouts of drunken laughter, oaths of anger, and the shrill -cries of ribald women. He entered the narrow streets of rude houses in -the edge of the camp, which consisted of half shacks, half wigwams, -and all of them altogether abandoned in their reckless atmosphere of -rude frontier conviviality. The look on the face of the mountaineer as -he walked hastily through this outer fringe of corruption to reach the -inner city of white orderliness was grim and foreboding. - -Passing one of the larger tents in the motley village, a drunken man -suddenly emerged therefrom with his pistol swinging in his reckless -grasp. - -"Who are you?" he demanded of John, reeling up and cocking the pistol -directly in the face of the mountaineer. The drunken eyes of the -soldier noted the rude garb of the stranger and with drunken quickness -of malicious wit, he shouted noisily: - -"Are you a damned Mormon?" - -With a terrible look in the flashing eyes which passed along the gun -barrel and pierced the very marrow of his assailant, John Stevens -answered, through his clenched teeth: - -"Yes siree! I am a 'Mormon!' Dyed in the wool!" - -With a shaking hand the pistol was lowered, and the soldier said -unsteadily: - -"Well, you're a damned good feller." - -John Stevens turned away in disgust and yet with a quick gratitude for -the speedy deliverance. - -And now he reached the entrance to the real Camp Scott. - -He showed his passports to the sentry, and passed quickly into the -tented enclosure, where he was soon ushered into the presence of -Governor Cumming and a group of officers, among whom were the Peace -Commissioners, no doubt, whom John Stevens had come to seek. - -Governor Cumming's countenance lighted as he met the flashing gaze of -John Stevens. - -"So, Captain Stevens, you are to be my escort into Great Salt Lake City -this second time also?" - -"If that is my duty, I shall perform it even more cheerfully than I did -before, Governor Cumming." - -"Spoken like a soldier. But, friend Stevens, I want you to enlighten -these gentlemen. Excuse me, gentlemen, I desire Captain Stevens, who -has so recently come from the Valley, to tell you officers how cordial -and friendly his President is." - -Stevens' smile was very grim as he answered: - -"President Brigham Young is always cordial to his friends." - -"And always generous, even to his enemies, hey, Stevens?" - -"He is just to every one." - -The Governor hastened to cover the slight confusion he felt at his -failure to draw happy assurances of peace from the mountaineer. At that -moment a slim, dark, handsome young officer, whom Stevens recognized -with a flash of his keen eye and quick memory, stepped jauntily out of -the group beside the Governor and said lightly: - -"My good man, why does your rebel leader court death and extinction in -this defiant fashion?" - -John strode towards the insulting speaker, and at that moment the -Governor of the new Territory realized that he had more than a war of -two belligerent forces; he had a religious as well as a sociological -problem on his hands. He felt his own powerlessness, even to prevent -sudden conflict between these two rash youths. - -Suddenly an orderly entered and after saluting he announced: - -"Governor Powell and Major McCulloch." - -The entrance of these two men made a diversion. But neither the soldier -nor the mountaineer forgot his personal grievance. - -"Major McCulloch, here is the leader of the escort which Governor Young -has sent to convey the Peace Commissioners into the Valley. I trust you -will be mutually benefited by your acquaintance. Stevens is a fearless -soldier and a just man. Captain Stevens, Major McCulloch and Governor -Powell of Kentucky are the two Peace Commissioners sent out here by our -gracious executive, President Buchanan." - -"Captain Stevens, were you one of that gallant band of boys who went to -San Bernardino in the 'Mormon' Battalion?" asked Major McCulloch. - -John signified that he was, and the bluff old soldier grasped his hand -and shook it heartily. - -"Well, sir, I may think your leaders a damned set of hypocrites, but -you men, and the women too, as to that, sir, who undertook that most -damnable and difficult march in the way you did, and carried it through -so gloriously, sir, you have all my hearty admiration. I am glad to see -you, sir." - -John responded to this genuine outburst with mingled feelings; he could -but acknowledge the genuineness of the man, but the strictures upon -the leaders of his people stung John almost to the quick reply. Again -Governor Cumming was to the rescue. - -"Gentlemen, we have no time for reminiscence. We must to business! -There is no time to lose." - -"Damn me, sir, I am not wasting time when I tell a man he is one -of a body of heroes. Damn it, man, do you know anything about that -tremendous march of half-clad, half-starved troops through a howling -barren waste, over deserts and mountains, burying their dead, and -nursing their sick, without one day's rest or pause? Damn it, man, you -seem to be pretty ignorant of the greatest march undertaken by American -or other soldiers. Do you know, sir, that that company of rough, -untrained soldiers planted the first American flag on the soil of Lower -California? Stevens, I am proud to take your hand. I saw your name on -the muster roll and am glad to meet you." - -Governor Cumming was nervously aware of the stare of contempt indulged -in by more than one of the officers in the tent at this outburst of the -peppery but generous major; but he was fain to wait till the soldier's -tongue was tired, and then he hastily proceeded to outline the plan of -action. - -As the council proceeded, John Stevens perceived that, inadvertently -perhaps, the Governor held out as a sort of peace-sop the picture of -the comfortable homes down in the Valley below: the smiling farms, -the young orchards and the fruitful gardens; these he hinted to the -assembled officers would make life very endurable to all who might find -shelter beneath the snowy peaks of the mountains towering above the -lakes and valleys of that inhabited desert. - -John was forced to listen in silence to the seeming bait which was held -out to the weary soldiers who had wintered almost where Gen. Harney -said they would--in "hell"--and "hell" it had been to those restless -men in the frozen passes of the desert mountains. - -"How can all this be true, Governor?" asked ex-Governor and -Senator-elect Powell, the other member of the Peace Commission, "when -it is hardly ten years since these people came into these barren -wastes?" - -"My dear sir, these 'Mormons' have done more marvelous things than ever -did Moses. And they have even put the Pilgrim Fathers to the blush with -their gigantic toil and its marvelous results. They call it the special -providence of God; hey, Stevens?" to the young man whom he was anxious -to placate and who was listening savagely to this somewhat indiscreet -parley; "but the blossoming desert below may be called, in all reason, -the result of energy and grit. Yankee grit! Why, sir, you will find -that those people down there are mostly of pure New England descent. A -very few English, and fewer Europeans. Yankees they are, most of them. -And a very courageous lot of Yankees they all are. They are the peers -of any in the matter of sobriety, courage and industry." - -John could but feel that Governor Cumming was trying to be fair in his -explanation, and that helped him the better to bear the insolent airs -of some of the blue-coated officers, who gazed at him loftily. His -manhood could hardly be insulted by such personalities. - -As he waited without, after the conference had been broken up, and the -Governor and Commissioners had withdrawn, he noted one of the officers, -whom he had heard called Col. Saxey, trying to still the wild boasts -of some of the younger men, who could not quite rid themselves of the -prospective triumph over the "damned Mormons." - -"This whole business," asserted Saxey, "is nothing but a scheme on -the part of King Buchanan to get the flower of the Union troops out -here just to further his own wily political ends. He is the king of -blunderers, say I!" - -John moved hastily away; he was aware of the few wise heads in that -vast army of ten thousand, but he also knew that time and time again, -the demons of mobocracy had broken over all civil and military control -and had plundered and driven his poor and unhappy people. And now, -behold, he was to escort the Peace Commissioners into the Valley! Well, -he would do his full duty. - -"I have sent a message to General Albert Sidney Johnston," said -the Governor, after they rode out of camp under the protection of -the "Mormon" squad, "charging him to remain here quietly until you -gentlemen of the Peace Commission have done your work, and until it is -quite safe and proper to debouch our army into the valleys below." - -"And do you expect General Johnston to obey your orders?" asked Major -McCulloch. "If he remains in camp one day after we leave it, it will be -because he wishes to do so, not because you command it." - -"What do you mean Major. Am I not the head of the government in this -Territory? Who shall command, if not the representative of the United -States government?" and the gentleman proudly swept his glance over the -generous form of his companion. - -"My dear fellow, that is a question that lies too deep for a soldier to -answer. Which shall rule in this Territory? The civil or the military? -Can you unriddle me the riddle, Governor Powell?" - -That gentleman merely raised his eyebrows, as he sought to keep a -steady seat on his fiercely trotting cayuse pony and said: - -"Quien sabe?" - -"There must be no mistake," said Governor Cumming, anxiously; "if there -is any measure of peace to come into this unhappy Territory--and you -gentlemen have been commissioned for that purpose and no other--I must -be allowed full control as the civil head of this part of our Nation. -There has been no rebellion, gentlemen; I beg you to remember that;" -and John, who had heard all, loved the kindly, determined gentleman who -maintained that fact in the face of all opponents. "You may patch up -a peace as best you may. But it will never, can never, be done at the -point of the sword." - -"Quien sabe?" again asked the political Powell, who was open to -conviction on either side. - -And so the cavalcade rode swiftly on its way. They reached the entrance -to the canyon at dusk; after a brief rest Capt. Stevens insisted that -they should continue on their line of travel, because of the possible -danger of attack from Indians or other stragglers in the mountains. -And so it was that the party traversed the whole of the canyon -fortifications under cover of darkness. And whatever John's motive in -so doing might be, it was not communicated to the others. But when they -passed peak after peak, all brilliantly illuminated by camp fires, -around which men stood silent and grim, Governor Cumming felt some -doubt as to whether this glowing tribute was a token of respect for -themselves, or a skilful multiplication of resources on the part of the -mountaineers. - - - -XVI. - -THE PEACE COMMISSIONERS - -As the small and weary party of travelers went into camp that night a -messenger rode quietly up, and gave a small packet into the hands of -Stevens. John did not unfasten the packet at once; he had much to do in -making camp and preparing things for the night. But when the stillness -of late evening brooded over them, John drew out from the wrapping a -half dozen letters, among them being two of instructions to himself -from General Wells; among the letters from friends and relatives to the -Utah squad, there was a small missive, written in a delicate, familiar -hand, addressed to Charlie Rose. John immediately went over to the -far side of the camp fire where Charlie lay at ease, and delivered -the small letter. He was quick to note the sudden excitement which -quivered along every nerve of the young fellow, as his fingers grasped -the expected note from Diantha Winthrop. Both knew who had written the -letter. Both were mountaineers; ready of action, but slow to confide. - -John took careful notice of all his own instructions, read by the -light of his heaped-up fire. But in and through it all his thoughts -were centered on that missive lying on the heart of Charlie Rose. The -remembrance of that letter lay in his own breast for many days, like a -coal of fire. - -As the party emerged, two mornings later, June 7th, 1858, from the -last of the canyon defiles, they were at once struck with the wild -beauty before them. It was a barren valley, through which flowed a -few green-fringed streams, a silvery line of shimmering water on its -western horizon betokening the presence of the blue salt sea, and near -the northern mountains the prosperous beginning of that inland empire, -now dotted here and there, over the checker-board regularity of its -wide-streeted design, with the green of planted fruit and shade trees. -The geometrical fields around and beyond this incipient city amazed the -party with their regularity. - -"They plant their whole civilization in accordance with the line and -plummet of order. Irrigation makes the system and regularity a vital -necessity," explained the Governor. - -"How distinctly you can see in this wonderful atmosphere," exclaimed -Governor Powell. "I should think that town but a few miles away, and -that lake shimmering in the distance is, how far away? A dozen or so -miles?" - -The Governor smiled as he explained distances and details with the -growing enthusiasm which ever belonged to even temporary ownership in -Utah scenery. - -"This is the most wonderful place in the world. The eye is not weary, -the brain is not taxed, nor the body aged, by life in this salubrious -climate. And you can see objects many miles away. Indeed the clearness -of the air makes distance a very deceptive matter." - -"Make it all a little more civilized," growled the weary Major. - -As the party rode down into the streets, the tomb-like silence greeted -them uncannily, and the faces of the Commissioners were puzzled and -anxious. - -"What does all this deserted look mean?" asked Major McCulloch. - -"Sir," answered the Governor, "I must now inform you of a condition in -this Territory which I had hoped would be over and done with when we -returned to this Valley. Brigham Young told me some weeks ago that he -should vacate every town and hamlet in this Territory. More, he should -set fire to every house, destroy every green thing, and leave behind -him a desolate waste, such as he found when he came here." - -"Zounds, man, how can the old rebel dare to do such a thing?" asked the -Major. - -"Major McCulloch, Brigham Young may be a fanatic, but he is not nor -never has been, I am persuaded, a rebel. He loves his country as dearly -as ever you did. And, sir, I cannot hear him vilified, even by a Peace -Commissioner." The tone of gentle quiet in the last words robbed them -of their ironical sting, and the irascible old soldier grunted as he -shifted his position on his tired steed. - -"These people have been most unjustly treated, so they think, and if -you are to be peacemakers, you must meet them on their own footing, and -not on any stilted plane of your own setting up." - -The silent streets, the empty houses, the absence of even a dog or -other animal was very mournful, and not a man in the party but felt the -pressure of that heavy grief. The rattle of their horses' feet echoed -far up the empty street. Zion had fled! - -"What a pity there were not poet or artist here," said Governor Powell, -as they rode with noisy echoes along the silent roads. Overhead -the young cottonwood trees were throwing delicate shadows upon the -trickling streams that coursed down by every sidewalk. In the well -fenced city lots, surrounding the comfortable but lonely and deserted -houses, had been planted generous kitchen gardens, now withering and -dun in the sweltering sun. The forge of the blacksmith was silent and -black through its widely opened door, and most of the windows and doors -were barred and closed, while the flaunting weeds in all the streets -and sidewalks bore eloquent evidence of the desertion of man. - -"This is most damned lonesome, Governor Cumming. Not much like your -gaudy pictures drawn out in camp." - -"I had hoped that Brigham Young would repent himself; for I promised to -make peace and to keep it." - -"Pretty bold of you, sir, I must say, sir." And the old soldier -sputtered with annoyance. - -"Major, I brought my wife in from Camp Scott, as you know, last month. -And when we came into this deserted city, partially deserted even -then, she could not withhold her tears. She wept like a child to see -this terrible sight. She besought me as only a tender woman could, to -do everything in my power to bring this unhappy and wronged people -back into the homes that their toil and sacrifices had created in this -desert wild. And, sir, it is because of those tears, and that tender -pleading, that you are here today. I have neither taken sleep nor food, -except by necessity, till President Buchanan has listened to my appeal -and has sent you gentlemen out to undo this most awful blunder." - -"Sir," answered Governor Powell, with a note of reverence in his voice, -"your judgment is no less to be commended than your sentiment." - -"Quite right, sir; quite right," and the bluff old Major blew heartily -at his bugle of a nose. "I wish we may see all this unhappy business -well settled. But, sir, I don't like this damned loneliness!" - -And neither did any of them. - - - -XVII. - -BROTHER DUNBAR SINGS ZION - -The old Council House was a scene of profound excitement the next -morning after the events recorded in the last chapter. There were -gathered in its square brick walls the leaders of a people who had been -suspected, made an incipient war against, tried and found guilty, and -who were now about to be forgiven, when according to their own ideas -they were not guilty of one single count in the whole indictment. Up -from the South where the people were bivouacked, had come two score of -the leaders and elders. Within the larger council chamber there was not -much talk that morning and few outward semblances of the suppressed -excitement. These men were too accustomed to action to do much talking -in the face of danger. - -Here and there were a few groups talking of the possible outcome of -the day, while still others exchanged whispered items of news of the -families in the South and the mountaineers in the eastern canyons. - -As Brigham Young entered the room, accompanied by Heber C. Kimball, -whose eloquent, snapping black eyes, shining bald head and kingly form -towered above many of those assembled near, they were greeted cordially -by their associates, and at once took their seats on the small raised -platform at the western end of the room. Almost at the same time a -whispered word went round that the Commissioners were at the door. - -Captain Stevens flung open the inner door of the council chamber and -announced quietly: - -"President Young, I beg leave to announce the Peace Commission." - -As these two gentlemen entered, followed at a little distance by -Governor Cumming, who had lingered to exchange a word with some one in -the hall, Brigham Young arose and cordially extended a hand of welcome -to his new visitors. - -John stepped back into the hall to exchange greetings with some of his -friends and as he stood chatting for a moment he was tugged by the -coat-sleeve and turned around to find Tom Allen's jolly eyes beaming -into his face. - -With the sympathetic ear of a good listener, John was soon deluged with -verbal pictures of conditions down in Prove and vicinity. He discovered -for himself the bear-hut, and saw its present rejuvenation, filled with -the families of Winthrop and Tyler, who used the two rooms as dining -room and kitchen; the half-dozen wagon boxes, as of old days on the -plains, served as bed-chambers for the two groups of families. He knew -in a trice about the birth of the Mathews twins, the quarrel of Annie -Moore with Stephen Grace; he grasped almost before it was told, all -the details of that strenuous and yet rather monotonous existence down -on the banks of the shallow Timpanogos or Provo river, as he caught at -random the pictures flung at random by his old friend and associate. - -"And, oh yes, don't go yet, John; I must tell you the very latest. -Diantha Winthrop is wearing Charlie Rose's ring. How's that for high?" - -The arrow struck where Tom vaguely hoped it would. If there was one -thing above another that pleased jolly Tom Allen it was to stick -teasing arrows into his friends. But he did not have the satisfaction -of even guessing how near his shot had struck home, for he was -instantly swung round and out of the way by Corporal Rose himself, who -thus addressed himself to John: - -"Captain Stevens, the President is just calling the council to order, -and it is desired that you shall be with us in the council." - -John instantly accompanied Corporal Rose into the inner room, and Tom -Allen was left to his own conjectures and the silence of the deserted -hall. - -Within, the groups of stern-visaged men had settled themselves in -orderly lines upon the rows of benches, and on the raised platform sat -those tried and true friends, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, George -A. Smith, with handsome young Joseph F. Smith and General Wells; and -here John went quietly to find his own seat among the few Utah officers -sitting near General Wells. In the center of the aisle sat rough old -A. P. Rockwood, the commissary-general, with utter indifference to his -rawhide boots and faded blue overalls, but with a perfect appreciation -of his own great sagacity and importance. - -Already the council was in operation. Governor Cumming introduced -ex-Governor Powell to the assembly, and that gentleman proceeded in -his customary smooth language to recite the facts connected with the -presence of the Commissioners in Utah. He referred to the action of -the President of the United States in sending out the Commission and -read in solemn tones the pardon sent out by that great executive. The -pardon was couched in somewhat elusive terms, but it was plain that -the "Mormons" were accused of over fifty crimes and misdemeanors, for -all of which his excellency, the President, offered amnesty to all -who would acknowledge the supremacy of the United States government, -and in this acknowledgment permit the troops now quartered outside -the Territory to enter and take up quarters within said Territory. -The paper concluded with a pledge of good faith to all peaceable -inhabitants of the Territory, and an assurance that neither the Chief -Executive of the Nation nor his representatives in the Territory would -be found interfering with the religion or faith of the inhabitants of -this region. Governor Powell emphasized the pledge on behalf of himself -and associate Commissioner. He explained somewhat loftily, yet in good -grace, that they did not propose to inquire into the past, but to let -all that had gone before alone, and to talk and act now only for the -future. - -Brigham Young called upon one of his near associates to speak: John -Taylor, whose dark eyes looked out from under his splendid brows, -and whose dignified, courtly manner won the admiration of even that -bluff old Major McCulloch. This valiant friend of their late martyred -Prophet, Joseph Smith, gave utterance to some fiery discourse, tempered -with the desire to bring about peace, if it could be a peace with -honor. He was followed by Brigham Young's nearest friend, George A. -Smith, who told the Commissioners in ten minutes more of the "Mormon" -people's past history than even Governor Cumming had ever known; he -told them that the "Mormons" had come out here to these barren vales -"willingly because they had to;" and he added that they were ready -"if needs must or the devil drives" to seek other homes in the same -manner. Some few but fiery words were spoken by Adjutant-General James -Ferguson, and John's whole soul went out to his superior officer, who -voiced the sentiments of the whole Utah militia. And then Brigham -Young arose slowly, as though he were too full of thought and the -responsibility of his position to act except with full deliberation. -His voice was stern and cool, but vibrant, and it cut into every corner -of that council chamber with thrilling if somewhat sharp enunciation. -If his action were deliberate, there was no hesitancy in his speech. He -said: - -"I have listened very attentively to the Commissioners, and will say, -as far as I am concerned, I thank President Buchanan for forgiving me, -but I can't really tell what I have done. I know one thing, and that -is, that the people called 'Mormons' are a lawful and loyal people, and -have ever been. It is true Lot Smith burned some wagons last winter -containing government supplies for the army. This was an overt act, -and if it is for this that we are pardoned, I accept the pardon. The -burning of a few wagons is but a small item, yet for this, combined -with false reports, the whole 'Mormon' people are to be destroyed. -What has the United States government permitted mobs to do to us in -the past? Gentlemen, you can answer that question for yourselves. I -can also, and so can thousands of my brethren. We have been plundered -and whipped; and our houses burned, our fathers, mothers, brothers, -sisters, and children butchered and murdered by the scores. We have -been driven from our homes time and time again; but have the troops -ever been sent to stay or punish the mobs for their crimes? No! Have we -ever received a dollar for the property that we have been compelled to -leave behind? Not a dollar! Let the government of our country treat us -as we deserve. That is all we ask of them. We have always been loyal -and expect to continue so. But hands off! Do not send your armed mobs -into our midst. If you do, we will fight you, as the Lord lives. Do not -threaten us with what the United States can do and will do, for we ask -no odds of them or their troops. We have the God of Israel--the God of -battles--on our side; and let me tell you, gentlemen, we fear not your -threats. These, my brethren, put their trust in the God of Israel, and -we have no fears. We have proved Him, and He is our friend. Boys, how -do you feel? Are you afraid?" - -Instantly there was a crash of voiced response to the man Brigham's -fearless words. They might be termed fanatics--these men--but they -could never be called cowards. - -John held his breath as Brigham Young continued: - -"Now let me say to you Peace Commissioners: we are willing those troops -should come into our Territory, but not to stay in our cities. They -may pass through this city, if needs be, but must not quarter nearer -than forty miles to any city. If you bring your troops here to disturb -this people, you have a bigger job on your hands than you or President -Buchanan has any idea of. Before the troops reach here, this city will -be in ashes, every tree and shrub will be cut to the ground, and every -blade of grass that will burn shall be burned. Our wives and children -will go to the canyons and take shelter in the mountains; while their -husbands and sons will fight you to their last breath. And as God -lives, we will hunt you by night and by day till our army or yours is -wasted away. No mob, armed or otherwise, can live in the homes we have -builded in these mountains. That's the program, gentlemen, whether -you like it or not. If you want war, you can have it; but if you wish -peace, peace it is; we shall be glad of it." - -Once more Governor Powell arose and in honeyed tones he soothed -the tumult of emotions now swelling upon the high tide of that -stern-visaged assembly of men. He dwelt with moving eloquence upon -the great clemency of the President of the United States and the -magnanimity of that authority in setting aside all past offenses, and -he told of the bright future which awaited a new Territory begun under -such favorable auspices of frugality and industry. He praised all for -their temperance and toil. He grew eloquent as he moved along the -current of his own fervid imagination, and his pictures of the coming -era of peace and prosperity caught, not only his own hearty sympathy, -but mollified and quieted the turbulent elements there. He assured them -that the army of the United States would not enter the Valley, only -as they were given permission by that gallant and humane Territorial -executive, Governor Cumming. And he was in full cry upon a swelling -compliment to that genial peace-promoter when the door of the hall was -flung open, and a barbaric figure, hard-ridden through miles of flying -dust and unwashed haste, flung himself into the room. The old slouch -hat upon the head of that dramatic figure was drawn down upon a mass of -braided hair, wound round and round the bullet-shaped head. The hooked -nose, the sleepy-lidded eyes, half closed upon the eagle glance of -that "Mormon" scout, Indian fighter, sheriff, and free-lance, Porter -Rockwell, sent a shivering thrill of apprehension into the breast of -every mountaineer in that chamber. Porter Rockwell bore no trifling -message! - -A moment of converse followed in hasty, lowered tones with Brigham -Young behind the back of that eloquent Kentucky politician who was just -then extolling the orderliness and clemency of the troops, now quietly -resting in Fort Scott; and then, up rose, without haste, but in sudden -sternness, Brigham Young, as he said in piercing accents: - -"Governor Powell, Major McCulloch, are you aware, sirs, that those -troops are on the move to this city?" - -"It cannot be," answered the orator, Powell, as he swung instantly -around to face his questioner. "For we were promised by General -Johnston that they should not move until after this meeting." - -"I have received a dispatch, sir, that they are on the move to this -city, and my messenger would not deceive me." - -There was a hush as of the tomb on every lip and heart in that -assembly. The thunderbolt had fallen. - -In that same severe but perfectly self-possessed voice, Brigham Young -asked: - -"Is Brother Dunbar present?" - -"Yes, sir," answered that flute-voiced musician. - -"Brother Dunbar, sing 'Zion.'" - -And in the electrical silence which ensued, rang out the clarion -tones of the "Mormon" battle-hymn, if such it could be called, since -it embodies a spiritual triumph rather than a temporal subjugation. -Brother Dunbar sang: - - O! ye mountains high, where the clear blue sky - Arches over the vales of the free, - Where the clear breezes blow - And the pure streamlets flow, - How I've longed to thy bosom to flee. - O Zion! dear Zion! home of the free: - My own mountain home, now to thee I have come, - All my fond hopes are centered in thee. - - Though the great and the wise all thy beauties despise, - To the humble and pure thou art dear; - Though the haughty may smile, - And the wicked revile, - Yet we love thy glad tidings to hear. - O Zion! dear Zion! home of the free: - Though thou wert forced to fly to thy chambers - on high, - Yet we'll share joy and sorrow with thee. - - In thy mountain retreat, God will strengthen thy - feet; - On the necks of thy foes thou shalt tread; - And their silver and gold, - As the Prophets have told, - Shall be brought to adorn thy fair head. - O Zion! dear Zion! home of the free; - Soon thy towers will shine with a splendor divine, - And eternal thy glory shall be. - - Here our voices we'll raise, and we'll sing to thy - praise, - Sacred home of the Prophets of God; - Thy deliverance is nigh, - Thy oppressors shall die, - And the Gentiles shall bow 'neath thy rod. - O Zion! dear Zion! home of the free: - In thy temples we'll bend, all thy rights we'll defend, - And our home shall be ever with thee. - -It was impossible to calm the tumult any more for that day. Peace or -war, the situation was very much in the hands of Brigham Young for the -time. - -As the three Eastern officials made their way slowly out of the door, -with mingled chagrin and anger, Governor Cumming asked his companions: - -"What would you do with such a people?" - -"Damn them, I would fight them, if I had my way," answered Major -McCulloch, unconvinced that the rumor was in any degree true. - -"Fight them, would you?" answered the Governor sadly. "You might fight -them, but you would not whip them. They would never know when they were -whipped. Did you notice the fire and flash in those men's eyes today? -No, sir; they would never know when they were whipped." - -"I fear," said Governor Powell, reflectively, as they retraced -their way sadly through the silent echoing streets to one of the -few inhabited houses in the city, the hotel on Main Street, "I fear -that the messenger was right. I had occasion to doubt the rashness -of General Johnston's temper before we left the camp. Yet, I hope, I -hope it is not true. I am loath to see the blood of good men shed for -naught. But what a strangely dramatic people! They sing their defiance -instead of announcing it." - -There was another council held the next day; messengers were sent from -both the Peace Commission and Governor Cumming to Camp Scott, and at -length the whole matter was patched up, and the Commissioners were -permitted to have their way. But meanwhile Brigham Young, with all his -associates, had fled once more to the South and the deserted streets -of the city were pressed only by the feet of the few and scattered -non-"Mormons" who had chosen to remain through all these troubles -within the borders of the unhappy Territory. - - - -XVIII. - -THE ARMY ENTERS THE VALLEY - -The armies of the United States were to enter the valleys of Utah. -President Buchanan had said they must, the Peace Commission and -Governor Cumming said they ought, and Brigham Young said they might. - -On the twenty-sixth day of June, 1858, at daybreak, the advance column -of the army began its march through the streets of Great Salt Lake City. - -The soldiers, whose eyes had for so many months rested on desolation, -looked down from the mouth of Emigration Canyon with a pleased surprise -on all the goodly evidences of civilization about them. Houses, with -blinking windows and comfortable porches; wide streets, flanked on -either side with running streams of clear, cold, canyon water, over -whose rippling surface drooped in graceful lines the native cottonwood, -which had been dug from the neighboring canyon streams and planted -along every water-course to furnish shade and rest for man and beast; -commodious homes, barns, fences and outbuildings gave this unique -city a look of mingled rural simplicity and urban attractiveness. -The huge blocks were laid out in large lots, whereon sat with sturdy -independence each snug house, its surrounding fruit and vegetable -plantations fenced in with poles or cobbles, thus forming a generous -combination of orchard and kitchen garden. - -The soldiers were not more curious nor more deeply impressed with the -queer appearance of this well-built yet deserted city than were the -officers, who rode here and there inspecting their various divisions. -Colonel St. George Cooke, who had been in service with the "Mormon" -Battalion in Lower California, rode through the city with bared head -and gloomy eye, as a silent evidence of a respect and sympathy which -did his head no less honor than his heart. - -One handsome, dark-eyed young officer looked about and rode from side -to side of the silent streets, at last opening a gaping gate wide and -riding within the yard, as if unable to restrain his curiosity. As he -rode around to the back of the house, a door opened, and a man stood -silently watching his approach. - -"Well, my good fellow," patronizingly said the young blue-coated -horseman, "can you tell me the meaning of the extraordinary appearance -of this extraordinary city?" - -"What's extraordinary?" asked the bearded man, leaning against the -doorpost. - -"Do you mean, what's the meaning of the word? or what's extraordinary -about the town? You must know, my man, that it seems very strange--to -use the simple terms suited to your capacity--to find all these good -houses, barns and gardens empty and to find no living soul moving -about. Not a woman or girl, not even a child or dog, to give active -life to your rural scene. Where are your women and children? I have -seen one or two men, but not a woman." - -"Don't see a woman, hey?" and John Stevens looked about him with -indifferent insolence; "well, I don't either." - -"Can't you answer a civil question, my surly fellow? Where are your -families?" - -"They are out of your reach, scoundrel, as well as out of your sight! -What are you going to do about it?" - -"Oh, I'm not afraid; the women will find us out. They have a particular -fondness for brass buttons, you know. I have no doubt that we shall -find all the women we want, provided that you big strapping fellows -have a few dozen over and above your own needs." - -The sneering yet airy tones of this speech made John Stevens clinch his -hands in silent yet mighty anger. But, under orders to maintain peace, -he merely turned around and sauntered towards the barn, leaving his -questioner to go or stay as he pleased. - -"What in the name of mischief does this deadly quiet and desertion -mean?" asked the same officer, as he rode out into the street and found -his companions still streaming down the silent road. - -"I have just heard the Colonel say that these people have followed -their leader, old Brigham, down to the southern part of the Territory, -and that they intend to emigrate to Mexico, or--who knows--to Brazil, -maybe. They were determined to give us no excuse to kill them or to -even administer the punishment they so richly deserve." - -"Run away, have they? Well, that's cool. Here we've come out over -the most forsaken country in all the United States; have passed the -beastliest winter ever seen by soldiers, since Moscow, and yet when we -are here ready to get in our work, behold the sacrifice has picked up -his heels and fled ingloriously." - -"Not even having the grace to leave us a scrubby ram caught in the -thicket. Too bad, old fellow. What about all your plans for a modern -seraglio? No doubt the women are kept under the closest surveillance, -wherever they are." - -"Oh, well, as I told a raw-boned fellow in the dooryard back there, if -the women get a sight of us, they will follow us without our even going -to the trouble to whistle for them. I have known the dear creatures all -my life, don't you know?" - -All day, the tramp, tramp of armed men, the rattle of heavy -field-pieces, the jingle of swords and guns, the rumble of baggage -wagons, with occasional bursts of music from the regimental -bands--these were the only sounds heard through the tomb-like and -deserted streets. So profound was the silence that, at intervals, -between the passage of the columns, the slight monotonous gurgle of -City Creek struck on every ear. The only living creatures to be seen -was the group of men who stood around Governor Cumming on the Council -House corner and waved a cheerful yet subdued salute to the troops, -as they filed lustily by. Inside of many of these houses, no sign of -inhabiting life remained; the furniture was piled in great heaps, -with under portions of shavings and kindlings and straw, ready to be -burned at a moment's notice; while in a few houses there were eager -watching, silent men inside, who held flint and steel ready to apply -to these crisp piles of shavings if ever the marching feet outside had -stopped and attempted any desecration. Outside, everywhere, great piles -of straw lay upon grass, garden and outbuildings; all ready for the -instant torch of destruction. - -All day, all day, the marching feet and wondering eyes passed through -the desolate streets. There were no stops, no breaking of ranks, -save here and there, where some daring soldier's hand would seize -and pluck a fragrant bloom from a flaunting rose-bush, or a thirsty, -dust-stained soldier would stoop, and making a cup of his hands, drink -of the running, sparkling streams along the road. The divisions clanged -heavily along with no rest to the steady, onward, measured march. The -fragrant grass-grown streets were not more eloquent of a whole people's -sorrowing desertion than were the sun-rotting barrels and buckets near -the unused wells of water. - -Forty miles to the south there awaited in the silent desert the spot -where these journeying troops would halt in their march, and striking -permanent camp, sojourn for a season. But the army would camp for the -night on the dry plain across the river Jordan to the west of the City. - -As the last company of soldiers filed past the western streets in the -late summer evening, John Stevens warily closed his own and other doors -in the neighborhood, and together with a party of scouts, he rode -stealthily down to the army camp, made temporarily a couple of miles -beyond the river Jordan. He watched in silent suspicion the whole night -through, and when morning light found men and camp-followers astir, -he, too, was on the alert, and at a safe distance he followed the long -moving column for two days as it stretched from the banks of the river -Jordan down through the narrow pass beside the treacherous stream's -banks. On and on the marching lines flowed heavily down the southern -road, past the northern edge of the lovely sheet of blue, clear water -called Utah Lake; around and around this lake the road ran, past the -northern shores of its clear blue glory; past the chain of canyon -defiles which opened at last into the Cedar Valley, and down into the -heart of that desert vale, where only the cricket and sage-brush gave -evidence of animal or vegetable life. Here on the valley's one water -course the army halted. They made their permanent quarters there and -called their first Utah camp "Floyd," in honor of the Secretary of War. - -Here, then, the army of the United States was quartered, with the -approval of the great and distant heads of the Government, and the -disapproval of the surrounding bands of half-hungry and half-frightened -Ute and Pauvan Indians; with the grudged consent of General Albert -Sidney Johnston, and the silent acquiescence, that armed truce, of the -intrepid "Mormon" leader, Brigham Young. - -As the last tent was set, and the whole machinery of camp life once -more set in motion, Captain John Stevens found himself at liberty -to ride, with his companions, into the southern rendezvous of his -people, at Provo, and to make due report to his commanding officers. -As he turned his face eastward and rode at the head of his company -his relieved thoughts flew from those larger affairs of state to his -personal affairs; and he wondered silently whether it were whim or -affection which kept Charlie Rose's ring on the finger of Diantha -Winthrop. If it were whim--well, eternity was very long; if it were -affection-- - -"Corporal Rose," he said, somewhat sharply, "we shall take no rest for -dinner, but press on at once for Provo." - -And Corporal Rose, albeit full of wonder as to the sharpness and the -haste, was very glad to ride straight on to Provo. - - - -XIX. - -TOM ALLEN DREAMS A DREAM - -Most of the Saints had halted in Provo; here on the banks of that -brawling river, called by the Indians, in soft labials, Timpanogos, -had grown up a large temporary metropolis; and that half-tented, -half-domiciled host, whose human hearts beat with hopes and fears, and -whose tongues and thoughts were still very human, in spite of the past, -the discomfort of the present, and the grave uncertainty of the future, -carried on life's daily details with fitful regularity. Thirty thousand -people were encamped in the beautiful Utah Valley, around the borders -of Utah Lake. - -The swimmer, across the Grecian gulf was far more interested in the -exact measure of his stroke than in the record he would make in future -history. So, too, on the banks of the Timpanogos, men were more -interested in the withering crops in the Salt Lake Valley than they -were in the secession of the South or in the possible outcome of their -own difficulties. So there sat in Provo, in a small, dingy back room, -two girls, just now vitally interested in making a huge pot of cornmeal -mush for the supper of two or three associated families. The unwieldy -vessel swung from the crane over the huge fire-place. The strenuous -excitement of the Move had gradually subsided, leaving the young people -at least once more gaily afloat on the seas of their own impulses, -their own fears and their own loves. - -"Don't stop stirring that cornmeal, Dian, until it is thoroughly -cooked," said Rachel Winthrop, as she entered the hut. "You know that -your brother hates raw mush; and it is a science to know how to cook -it. When it has boiled a good half hour, I will come in and stir in the -flour to thicken it." - -The girl bent over the fire-place and stirred the bubbling mass in the -pot, while her pink cheeks turned to rosy red. - -"Oh, Ellie, what a nuisance a fireplace is, anyhow. I didn't half -appreciate our good step-stove until I came here and had to work on -this." - -"Never mind, Dian, I shall have these batter cakes in the skillet baked -in a minute, and then I will stir it for a while." - -"Standing over a fire like this makes my cheeks just like ugly old -purple hollyhocks. It's all I can do to get along with my homely red -cheeks under ordinary circumstances, but when I get over a fire it -simply makes me hideous." - -"Oh, no such thing; why do you care, anyway, Dian, there's no one here -to see you?" - -"Don't need to be! I am conscious of it and that is enough." - -"Say, Dian, do you miss John Stevens? I am just homesick to see him. We -have scarcely laid eyes on him this winter or spring." - -"No, I can't say that I care. John is good enough, but he is so quiet; -I believe he is too tame to really amount to much." - -"Tame! John Stevens tame! Well, Dian, I gave you credit for more -discernment than that. Why, I don't believe that there is a braver or -more passionate man living than John Stevens." - -"Oh, I don't say but what he has temper enough; the flash in his eyes -tells that; but I mean he is tame around women. He pokes around as if -he didn't care whether you were alive or dead. I like some one with -eyes and ears. Some one who has a grain of gallantry in him. Not such a -stick as John Stevens." - -"Why don't you set your cap for Tom Allen? He has eyes and ears for -nothing else than women." - -"And his dinner! Tom Allen! Oh, my! He has no more romance in him than -a dinner plate. Just think of it!" - -And the girl laughed and laughed that silvery, teasing, rippling -laughter, till her mush sputtered and boiled over with indignation, -into the glowing coals of the fire-place. - -"Well, you may laugh, but I really think that Tom Allen is as nice as -he can be. He may be funny and droll, but he has a great big heart in -him, and if he wasn't engaged to Luna Hyde I would set my cap for him -myself." - -"Oh, Ellie, Ellie; you could flirt with anybody, and could, I verily -believe, love anybody that gave you good reason not to, but my heart is -of less impressionable material. It isn't so gentle and lovable as your -dear little one." - -Evidently Ellie wanted to turn the talk away from herself, so she -offered to stir the mush, while Diantha watched the cakes. The -conversation drifted to their immediate surroundings. - -Several families had decided to put their fortunes together during the -Move period, and the Winthrops, Tylers, and a family of Prescotts, who -had several little children, and Tom Allen and his mother were all -living crowded together in one or two little log houses on the Provo -River's banks. Ellen's mind was dwelling just now on jolly Tom Allen, -who spent no time at work or play which was not well interspersed with -fun; fun which was innocent in itself, but which sometimes led to -injured feelings. - -"Come, girls," said Rachel Winthrop, entering the kitchen, "I know you -must be ready and the folks are gathering in for supper. Here, Dian, -stir in this flour slowly and carefully, and I will be ready to take it -up in just one minute." - -The united families were soon gathered at one long table, each person -impatient for his frugal meal, and each filled with the primal thoughts -and impulses common to all humanity. Had any one of them been conscious -of the real pathos of their situation, the scene might have melted such -an one to tears. Driven from comfortable, hard-earned homes, through -fear of armed violence, these four or five families--like thousands -of their friends--unable even to get a home to shelter them from the -winds and storms of the late spring weather, were all huddled together -in these three small log rooms. They were compelled to make beds on -the floors for the children and to use their wagon-boxes for their -own sleeping compartments; and the utmost precaution was necessary to -maintain order and decency in their crowded condition. The good people -of Provo were taxed to the extreme to give shelter and comfort to the -fleeing thousands who had suddenly called upon their hospitality. -Tents, boweries, shanties, and rude structures of all kinds were -pressed into service. And the people who could secure shelter of -any sort were deemed fortunate. The work pressed hardest upon the -women. Compelled to carry on the common vocations of life under such -circumstances, the weekly washings, ironings, cleanings, and cookings -taxed even the most patient and strong to the uttermost. Our friends -were lucky in having Aunt Clara Tyler included in their number, for -she went about in her quiet way, healing wounds made by thoughtless -tongues, and holding back the quick anger which pressed so hard upon -irritated nerves and worn-out bodies. There was a saying, when Aunt -Clara invited someone to take a walk along the river bank with her, -"There goes Aunt Clara--not to cleanse the cups, but to mend some -broken heart." - -Aunt Clara and her friends were not the only ones who took walks by the -river banks. It came to be a common thing for Tom Allen and Ellen Tyler -to stroll up and down its winding paths, talking sometimes seriously -and sometimes in that quizzical way so common to Tom. Sweet little -hungry heart! Ellen was a loving soul, whose worst fault was a selfish -weakness, a trait often admired in a sheltered woman, but dangerous in -one thrown upon her own strength. She must, however, learn her lessons, -as we must learn ours. - -One day in the late spring, Ellen came home from her walk unusually -pensive and thoughtful. She waited till after the evening prayers, and -then asked Diantha to go with her down by the big cottonwood tree, for -she had something to tell her. Sitting down on a grassy knoll, under -the twinkling young stars, Ellen poured out her heart's confidence. - -"You know how much Tom thinks of his religion, Dian, in spite of his -odd ways. He is as good a Saint as the best, if he does make light of -some things. I know his heart, for he has shown it to me, and I know he -is one of our best men." - -Dian looked as if she would like to introduce some of her own -reflections upon the sincerity of Tom's religious professions, but from -the serious tone of her friend's voice, she felt constrained to be as -charitable as possible. So she contented herself with saying: - -"Oh, yes, Tom is good enough. I don't believe he would do anything -really dishonorable or bad for the world." - -"Oh, Dian, he is really and truly a dear, good soul. I want you to know -him better. For if you do, you will surely love him better." - -Again Diantha looked her doubt upon this point; but the dim light of -the young moon did not betray her opinion, plainly as it was expressed -upon her mobile face. - -"Dian, I am going to tell you something and ask you for your advice. -You know I have great confidence in your judgment." - -"Better ask Aunt Clara," said Diantha, afraid to trust her own opinion, -where Tom Allen was concerned. - -"No, I want to talk to you. Maybe some day I will tell Aunt Clara, too; -but, just now, I feel like telling you." - -The girl sat with her hand resting on her cheek, gazing into the clear -starry sky above them. After a pause she said slowly: - -"Dian, do you believe in dreams and visions?" - -"Why, yes, of course I do; if they are of the right kind, and not -brought on by eating too much." - -"Well, I believe that we get many revelations through our dreams, if -we only knew how to interpret them." Another pause; then the girl said -softly: "Dian, Tom Allen has had a dream or vision about me." - -The idea of Tom Allen having anything so serious as a vision almost -upset Diantha, but she controlled herself and asked: - -"What was the vision?" Diantha was rather curious now to know if she -had been really mistaken in her estimate of Tom's character. - -"Tom dreamed, or was carried away in a vision, and thought he lay -upon his bed, very sick and nigh to death. As he lay there, pondering -upon the past and future, he said he saw his door open softly, and, -surrounded by a white light, I entered the room, with a banner in my -hand, on which was inscribed: 'Marriage or death.' Then the dream -ended." - -Diantha looked at the serious face of her friend for one moment, and -tried to get up and get away, but it was no use. Her keen sense of the -ridiculous rendered her so weak with inward laughter, that, at last, -she sank back upon the earth, and broke forth into peal after peal of -ringing, hearty, uproarious laughter. She fairly screamed at the last, -the absurdity of it all so overcame her that she could not control her -mirth. - -"What is the matter with you girls?" asked Rachel Winthrop, coming out -of the house to see the cause of this violent laughter. - -"Nothing, only one of Tom Allen's jokes," answered Diantha, for Ellen -was too offended to say anything at all. - -"Why, Dian, don't you think he dreamed that?" Ellen asked at last, in a -hurt, low voice. - -"If he did, he dreamed it with his eyes wide open, depend on that. Oh, -Ellie, Ellie; anyone who pretends to be good and who is good to you, -can pull the wool over your eyes, you dear little confiding thing." - -But Ellen felt as if some one through this act, small as it seemed, had -torn from her eyes a veil of confidence in things good and true that -no one could ever replace. If things could only be different in this -life! If she had only told Aunt Clara, she would have so measured her -judgment and comment that this event would have strengthened Ellen's -faith, while pointing out the absurdity in a sweet, motherly way! But -to have Tom tell her such a thing; thus treating a sacred sacrament as -a matter of light ridicule--this was most galling; and that she could -believe it, too! It cut Ellen to the soul, to have her friend laugh so, -as much at her own childish simplicity as at Tom's foolery. Oh, it was -cruel! - -But Diantha could not help laughing. The ridiculous picture, the -banner; the inscription; it was too funny! Ah, foolish youth, so -credulous, so incredulous, so tender, and yet so cruel! And only poets -and prophets may tell us which is comedy and which is tragedy. For -laughter may presage death, while death itself is the door to love and -life eternal! - - - -XX. - -A SOLDIER IN DISTRESS - -There was a coolness between the two girls after the dream episode, -which lasted for a number of weeks. Diantha could not see why her -friend should take offense at such a trifle, as she termed it. - -As for Ellen, she felt in an indefinable way, that somebody had, with -the tiny point of a pin, shattered what to her had been the most -beautiful bubble she had ever possessed. She was too little inclined to -look back of events for causes, to attempt any rational explanation of -the whole matter; she only knew that it had been delightfully romantic -to fancy herself the subject of a vision and to feel she was the chosen -of heaven for exalted positions; and when her one foolish trust had -been shaken and her dream rudely dispelled, she felt as if there was -not truth or stability in anyone or anything. The blow was crueller -than her friend had any idea of; what the results would be only time -and the offended girl's actions could tell. - -Ellen now took her walks by the river alone. She shunned Tom Allen as -coldly as she did Diantha Winthrop. She would wander off, and with -a pensiveness peculiar in one so light-hearted, avoided everyone, -whether friend or stranger. She would go to the old bathing place and -after lying on the grass for hours in moody silence, slip on her old -home-spun bathing dress, and plunging into the cool waters of the -river, she would lave her hot and tired limbs in the cooling waters, -after which she would feel better and able to go back once more to an -existence which had become monotonous and dreary. Love and admiration -are as necessary to women of Ellen's affectionate nature as are -sunlight and warmth to growing plants. - -One late spring afternoon she was, as usual, sporting and dashing -around in the clear, swift stream, when suddenly raising her eyes, she -saw on the opposite bank of the river a young man on a fine, restless, -white charger; he was dressed in the becoming blue of a soldier; on -his coat glittered and dazzled rows of brass buttons, and on his -shoulders gleamed the insignia of army rank. He was looking at her very -earnestly, and yet without seeming rudeness. Ellen sank at once into -the water, so that nothing was visible but her head, and, turning away -her face, hurriedly made for the shore, creeping along under the water -as it grew shallower. The horseman, divining her fright, or actuated by -some other motive, turned his horse's head, and galloped away in the -direction of the ford, a quarter of a mile above where she had been -bathing. - -Oh, if she could only reach the shelter of her own home before this -stranger could find her retreat! She flew to her leafy dressing-room, -and with flying fingers adjusted her clothing, flinging her -bathing-dress on the bushes and with heavy heart-beats in her throat -she sped along the path to her home. She found that Aunt Clara had gone -to a distant house where a child had died. Aunt Clara was away from -home very much in those long summer days. She was busy with the sick -bodies of her people; alas that she knew naught of the sick soul of one -of the creatures that she loved better than she did her own life! - -How Ellen longed to spring into her friend Diantha's arms, and to tell -her all that had happened! But Dian was not at home, and when Ellen -learned that she had gone out horseback riding with Tom Allen she -wondered with a queer little hurt in her heart if a small jealousy had -prompted part of Diantha's cruel mirth at her own expense. - -Three days passed before Ellen ventured to take her customary walk by -the river side. Then, indeed, her heart fluttered and sank, as she -approached her leafy bower. But she saw no one and heard no sound to -disturb her peace. She almost wondered, as she visited the spot day -after day, if she had not possibly dreamed she saw the soldier on the -opposite bank. She was getting silly on the subject of dreams, she told -herself, scornfully. - -One lovely afternoon, as the canyon breezes were blowing down from the -many clefts in the eastern mountain walls, with the bees humming about -her the song of the desert as they seized the sweets of every flower -in her path, and the distant sound of the foaming river just insistent -enough to mingle with the rustle of the cottonwood trees over her head, -Ellen strolled along the accustomed path, and with nimble fingers wove -for her uncovered brown braids a wreath of wild grasses and the pale -purple daisies which skirted every path in generous profusion. - -She thought resentfully of the many flowers which Aunt Clara said grew -in such generous loveliness in her own native Massachusetts hills; -there was nothing but hardship and desolation in Utah, with common -daisies and cheap grasses for flowers. But on she wandered, sometimes -humming softly and sometimes bitterly reflecting on her many trials, -as she recalled the daily annoyances of her life. Suddenly she saw, -a little ahead of her and out in the thick brush, a blue-coated man, -either dead or asleep. - -Her first impulse was to fly as with the wind, for her own safe home. -But there was a sort of unnatural look about the figure; a distortion -which could not mean sleep. She paused, her heart making such confusion -that she had to hold her hand over it for a moment to still its wild -beating. Then, with a vague, dark fear, her heart now choking her -delicate throat, she cautiously approached the recumbent figure. No, he -certainly was not asleep, for his head hung down limp over the bushes -in a helpless way which could never be sleep. And as she approached -nearer, she saw his arm flung out, the sleeve drawn tightly up, and a -stream of blood pouring over the white cuff of the shirt and staining -the outer blue sleeve with its dull sanguinary hue. - -She looked at the face! It was colorless, and the lips were parted -under the dark mustache, as if in death itself. What should she do? -Again the wild impulse, the whispering voice in her heart, clamored -for her to turn and flee to her own home and send some one out who -could do much more than she, an ignorant girl. But what if the soldier -should die while she was traveling all that distance? She looked into -the face; it was handsome in the extreme, and about the whole figure -there was an indefinable clinging fascination, which drew her onward -so unconsciously, that she hardly realized what decision she had made -until she found herself on her knees beside the recumbent form, tying -up the gaping wound in the arm as tightly as she could with her own -homely but strong cotton handkerchief; then over her own, she tied his -own large handkerchief, which she did not fail to notice was of the -finest texture and of snowy whiteness. She ran down to the river, and -filling the pretty blue soldier cap with water, managed to get a little -between his lips, and then she bathed his head and moistened his pale -brows. - -It seemed hours to her, but it was only a few minutes, before the dark -eyes opened and gazed with seeming stupidity into her own. Then life -returned to his face with a look, which in some way thrilled her to her -very finger-tips--she could not say whether it gave more pleasure or -pain--as it crept into the eyes of the soldier, and he gazed silently -into the face bent over him. - -Ellen colored and turned away, ostensibly for more water. The young -soldier again seemed to sink into a faint and again she bathed and -soothed his lips and head with the cool water, using her own modest -apron to lay across his head as a bandage. - -Without opening his eyes, the young man faintly gasped: - -"Will you tell me where I am and what has happened?" - -"Indeed, sir, I do not know. I found you lying here when I came along -the path, and have done what I could to help you to recover." - -Ellen asked no questions of the young man, her native modesty closing -her lips; yet she was deeply anxious to know what had caused the -singular accident. - -"Be good enough to hold my arm up, so the blood may not surge so -painfully in the wound, will you?" - -Ellen obediently held up his arm, resting his elbow on her own knee to -give it a firmer support. - -"The last I remember," whispered the young man, "two horsemen were -coming towards me, and one seemed to threaten me with an open knife or -dagger. I threw up my hand to ward the blow from my heart, and I knew -no more." - -This peculiar story seemed to imply to Ellen's mind that some of her -own people had noted the young man, and had tried either to kill or -maim him. But she said nothing. Presently the girl grew brave enough to -look at the handsome face beside her, as the eyes now remained closed, -and the stranger seemed too exhausted to talk more. How fine and silky -was the dark mustache which drooped charmingly over the well-cut mouth. -The lips were very full; the chin was not so handsome and well-cut as -the mouth; but the nose was fine, and the nostrils were delicate and -arching; while the whole face was the handsomest she had ever seen, -excepting that always handsomest of soldiers, Captain Van Arden. - -A vague wonder possessed her, why it was that her own boy friends -and lovers were never so brilliant, so stately and so fine-featured -as were the few strangers she had seen. Were the "gentiles" all thus -fascinating and charming in every way? Why must "Mormons" be always -plain and uninteresting? - -"Do you think you could help me off these beastly bushes?" asked the -young man. "They make a very uncomfortable resting place." - -Ellen hurriedly sought a place where she dragged away a few loose dried -sticks and other debris, and then with all the strength she could -muster, she half dragged, half assisted the stranger to the soft earthy -couch under the willow and cottonwood trees. - -The light of the afternoon sun fell in dancing glints and shadows on -Ellen's brown tresses. The flowers on her hair gave her the look of a -woodland sprite, which the dun-colored gown she wore, plain of skirt, -but trimmed with ripples and ruffles of cunning device about the arms -and shoulders, only increased. The flying draperies caught and flecked -the sun and shadows of the cottonwood shade above them, making her -resemble indeed a leaf-clothed maid, the occasional sunbeams deepening -her eyes to their richest shade of chestnut brown. - -"My name is Captain Sherwood, of the United States army. I came over -here for a little hunting and fishing," the young man said after his -removal to more comfortable quarters. "I hope I have not frightened -you, for I am not worth the pain I fear I have given you. Please do not -be afraid of me; I will get away from here just as soon as I can move, -and shall not trouble you again." - -"Oh, I guess I shall get over my fright. I am glad I could be of a -little service. It is my duty to be kind to everybody, and especially -to a brother officer of Captain Van Arden. I knew him when he was here -a year ago." - -"My child," said the officer, with emphasis, and speaking in a serious -tone, "you have saved my life, and I shall never cease to be your most -humble and grateful friend, no matter where you go, or what may become -of me." - -His dark eyes looked into her own with a soft appeal for sympathy and -tolerance which was irresistible to the tender-hearted girl. - -"Indeed I have done but little; I have only helped you to recover from -your faint from loss of blood." - -The young man winced at the simple, honest explanation, but sought -again to impress his heartfelt gratitude upon the charming nurse he had -secured. - -"Perhaps if some wandering 'Danite' had discovered me, in my helpless -condition, instead of your gentle self, I should now indeed have no -need for help or comfort in this life." - -"Indeed, sir, you mistake my people. They are not murderers nor -cut-throats. I have heard that the 'gentiles' think that there are -wicked men among us banded together to kill people, but in all my -life I never saw or knew of such a band or ever saw such a being as a -'Danite.'" - -The officer saw he had gone a little too far, and so he turned his -face away and with a sigh, he moved toward the fast-setting sun, and -murmured, after a short pause: - -"How beautiful the effects of the parting sun-gleams are on your -charming wild valley, with its glistening, turquoise lake, the -snow-topped mountains, cleft and seared into gorges and canyon defiles, -their uneven sides touched here and there with the deep green of the -oak or the paler maple. You have a grand old castellated bulwark for -the setting of your rural home." - -Now, all this was astounding to simple Ellen. To hear her gray, -sage-covered, barren valley home described as in any way beautiful, and -to know that such lovely descriptive albeit high-flown and theatrical -words could be used in connection therewith, was a veritable revelation -to her. - -But the allusion to the setting sun awakened other thoughts in her -heart. Hastily rising, she sought her sun-bonnet, as she said: - -"I must go. It will be twilight now before I reach my home. I shall -send someone down to help you and bring you to where you can be taken -care of." - -Evidently this was not at all to the young man's mind, but repressing -outward expression of his feelings, he simply asked, "Will you not go -back to the place of my accident, and see if you can see anything of my -horse? I don't think he would wander away from me, he is too much of a -pet; and if you can find him, I am sure I shall be able to mount and -get back to my quarters without putting you or your people to any more -trouble on my account." - -By some queer mental process, Ellen inferred that the soldier had good -cause to fear the ministrations of her own people, and yet she did not -know how to answer such an inference. So she simply hurried back to the -spot indicated, and there, not twenty feet from where she had found the -officer, she saw the white horse, quietly barking the cottonwood tree -to which he was carefully tied. - -She unfastened him, and leading him onward, remarked: - -"I guess your enemies, whoever they are, did not intend real harm to -you for they have left your horse securely tied not far from where you -lay." - -"I certainly owe them my heartfelt gratitude for that much; and to you -I owe, what shall I say?" She was assisting him now to rise, and her -face was close to his own, while his eyes shone with the look that had -dazzled her once before. "Shall I say that I owe to you not only my -heartfelt gratitude, but its inmost devotion?" - -Ellen trembled, with a vague feeling which was half repulsion, half -enchantment. She had never in her most romantic dreams imagined -anything half so sudden, nor half so eloquent as she felt this warm, -openly expressed admiration to be. She hardly knew whether it pleased -or frightened her most. One thing was sure, she was so anxious to -get back home that she hardly said another word to her companion. As -he stoopingly bent over his horse in evident weakness and raised his -cap with his uninjured hand, he said in a low, thrilling tone: "This -beautiful green retreat will be to me for the rest of my life a sweet, -solemn temple. For here I have met not only a threatened and averted -danger, but have seen and known its high priestess to be a maiden with -an angel's face and a heart of gold. May heaven guard you, my sweet -friend, till we meet again." - -Ellen gave him one shy, half-frightened glance, and then with her heart -choking her throat with violent emotion, she sped like a timid hare to -her home, through fast deepening twilight. The soldier, once the girl -was out of sight, coolly straightened out his arm, put the bandage in -his pocket, snapped his fingers at the distant mountain peaks and rode -away whistling a French love ditty. - -At the door Ellen met Aunt Clara, just going out with a bowl of gruel -to a neighbor's sick child. Aunt Clara noted with her ever observant -eye the quickened breathing, the air of indefinable excitement about -the girl, even in the gloaming twilight, and pausing to stop Ellen from -entering the house, she asked quietly: - -"What is the matter, dear? You pant as if you were excited, and your -eyes shine so in the dark that they look like stars. Have you been -frightened, and where have you been?" - -"Oh, I've just been running a little, for I stayed down the river -too long, and had to run to get home before dark. No, I haven't been -frightened, at least not to speak of. You know," she added, with an -uneasy laugh, for Ellen had not learned yet to tell a direct lie, "that -girls are natural cowards, Aunt Clara, and are frightened at their own -shadows." - -"Well, girls should always be careful, and especially at these times. -Why, Brother Winthrop says all this excitement about the army coming -in has made the Indians very uneasy and uncertain, and you girls have -no business away from home, especially alone. What if some of those -wicked soldiers should take it into their heads to come over the valley -snooping around here! Let me warn you, Ellie,--for I feel the spirit of -it strongly upon me, for some cause or other,--don't you ever venture -away from this house, either night or day, unless you have safe and -sufficient company." - -For one breathless moment Ellen longed to throw herself into those -blessed, kindly arms and sob out her whole confession. But Aunt Clara -turned hastily, and said as she started away, "Some day, dear, you and -I will talk more about this matter. But I must hurry away now to see -Sister Harris' baby." - - - -XXI. - -JOHN VISITS ELLEN - -The days came and went after this, with pain, pleasure, work, and -mingled hopes and fears. Life was just now full of exciting plans, -forecasts, and prophecies. - -Dian Winthrop went on her own sensible yet self-contained way. As her -friend Ellen seemed able to do without her, she was content to be left -alone. She worked and laughed and dressed and thought her own, serious, -deep thoughts about life and her own being upon the earth, untroubled -by fears, and full of the common trust in the God of her fathers, -knowing that she would be well taken care of by her friends and family, -no matter what might happen. - -She "kept company" in an eminently sensible way with Charlie Rose, -whenever he sought her out. While congratulating herself on the -invariable frankness with which she showed the young man that good as -he might be he was not her ideal, yet she allowed him to spend all his -spare means in taking her to their simple picnics and visits with which -the young people whiled away their leisure time of waiting. - -She did not allow the least attempt at a flirtation with Tom Allen. She -had not enough regard for him to make herself agreeable to him. But she -herself was such a fine, handsome, superior looking and acting girl, -and so admired by everybody, that Tom could not resist the temptation -once in awhile of taking her out and thereby giving her a chance of -understanding and appreciating him at his own advanced valuation. - -Poor little Ellie, starved for her friend's confidence, shrinking with -dread of what the future might bring her, and yet longing to meet and -greet that danger, was half the time full of an unnatural gaiety, half -the time moody and preternaturally grave and silent. One night, when -she and Aunt Clara sat in the front door of the hut, watching the -moonrise in unequaled splendor over the gap in Rock Canyon, they heard -a horseman coming up the street, and in a moment he appeared in front -of their gate. His cheery "whoa" to his animal caused Ellen to run -hastily out, exclaiming, - -"Why, it's John Stevens! Oh you dear old John, how glad I am to see -you!" and as John sprang from his horse, she threw her arms around his -neck, as if he were her own dear brother, and thus she sobbed out her -joy and her vague fears on his friendly shoulder. - -The tall, silent man allowed her to cry until she was calmed, and while -he felt every throb of her tenderness in his own responsive soul, he -felt, too, that underneath it all, there was something deeper and more -serious than he could at present fathom. He left that to a future, -better understanding, however, and contented himself with gently -stroking her soft brown braids, while he chatted with Aunt Clara about -matters of interest to both. - -Once inside the house, and John's supper over, Ellen seemed a very -spirit of mischievous attraction. She fluttered around her great, big, -red-bearded friend; and with the sweetest smiles and most coaxing -fascination, seemed a very magnet of charm. John did not try to resist -this unconscious effort of Ellie's to be winsome and loving as he sat -with his eyes bent gravely upon her, occasionally answering her witty -sallies; inwardly, however, he was anxious to unravel the whole of this -perplexing, if delightful, mystery. - -Aunt Clara noted all these things, for when did she ever fail to see -all there was to be seen when she was present? But she wisely left the -young people to arrange their own affairs, discreetly proceeding with -her knitting, and putting in a remark now and then, only as occasion -seemed to require. - -Was Ellen in love with him? This was the question which forced itself -upon John's mind, in spite of his modesty. Or, was there something else -which caused all this excitement? - - - -XXII. - -IF YOU LOVE ME, JOHN - -The question with which John Stevens troubled himself is one which any -modest man dislikes to put to himself. If love comes in answer to the -solicitation of love, the question is rarely asked; but if love has -come from an unexpected source, the result is an effort to reciprocate -that affection, or else a vague annoyance, a feeling of being injured -in some inexplicable way, which will intrude upon the consciousness. - -The afternoon after his arrival John spent with a hungry, passionate -longing at his heart for a welcoming word from the one woman he had -loved so faithfully and so devotedly for years. As Diantha passed out -of the house on her way toward the river, he wondered why it was his -heart should cling so tenaciously to her, in spite of her coldness and -her neglect. - -Why could not he love sweet Ellen best instead of the indifferent Dian, -she who sometimes wounded her best and dearest, if it happened to meet -her mind to do so? No use to ask; however, he knew that if he could not -win her love, eternity would hold a regret for him, for this woman had -become necessary to his happiness. - -He sat under the cottonwood tree in the front yard as these reflections -passed through his mind, and pulling his long beard with some -impatience, he looked up in time to catch the laughing eyes of Ellen -Tyler as she passed one of the front windows. - -"Why, John, you look as if you saw a whole cavalcade approaching our -house to drive us into the mountains. What on earth is the matter?" - -"Nothing much, Ellen; come out and let's take a walk." - -"All right, if you will go with me up into town, for Sister Winthrop -wants some things from the Tithing Office." - -"Come on, then." And away they sauntered in the warm sunshine, John -determined to conquer his heart by the mere force of will, and Ellen as -determined to grasp this straw of protection and comfort which seemed -held out to her by the strong, safe hand of her loved friend. - -John was really lover-like in his manner this afternoon, and poor, -perplexed Ellen's heart opened to the warm sunshine of that sympathy -like a half-withered, thirsty flower. Little by little, she confided to -him the story of Tom Allen's unfortunate dream, and she felt comforted -and strengthened by the serious and kindly way in which John explained -to her the irreverence manifested by Tom in thus attempting to jest -upon such a holy, solemn subject. And John was wise enough to palliate -Tom's error, so that Ellen was left with a peaceful, quieted heart, -which held no bitterness for Tom and very little of anger against Dian -for the unseemly mirth that young lady had manifested. How good, and -how wise John was! What a splendid soul was hid beneath his cool and -deliberate manner! Surely she could win his heart; at any rate she was -going to try. - -"Do the soldiers come over on this side of the valley very often?" she -asked, as they had exhausted the other subject. - -"I should hope not. I would not want to find any of them prowling -around here; it might be the worse for them, if I did," answered John -in a sort of low, threatening growl. - -"Why, John, you would not object to their breathing the same air as we -do, would you?" - -"It depends. I don't want them near this town, be assured of that." - -A dim suspicion that the young officer she had met so often of late was -right in his surmise that her own people would kill him at sight if -they found him near their towns, made her ask another question: - -"John, if you should happen to find one of those soldiers out shooting -or fishing near the river, would you try to do him any violence?" - -Something in her tone gave him a vague uneasy twinge. He looked quietly -into the flushed face and bright uplifted eyes for a moment, and then -asked instead of answering: - -"Ellen dear, have you ever seen one of those soldiers on this side of -the river?" - -It took a great deal of courage for Ellen to answer that question -truthfully; yet with those keen, kindly, piercing eyes upon her, she -could but tell the story of her first meeting with Captain Sherwood, -leaving her story at the close of that long interview without adding -anything as to further meetings and conversations. - -She was very glad she took this precaution, for she was fairly -frightened at the terrible expression of wrath which overspread the -features of her companion. He said not a word for several minutes, and -she grew seriously alarmed at the anger in those eyes, always bent upon -her in such kindness, as she wished heartily that she had said nothing -whatever about the matter. At last she ventured to say: - -"What is it, John; are you angry with me? I could not help it." - -The man divined at once that he had startled the girl, and perhaps -closed her lips for the future; so with a profound effort, he stilled -the tempest of wrath in his heart, and made out to laugh a little, as -he replied: - -"What a bear I must be, to frighten an innocent child like you. No, my -dear girl, I am not nor could I be angry with you. You could never give -me cause for anger. I might be hurt or sorry about you, but you would -never make me angry." - -He paused again, as if to collect himself still further, and then said: - -"Tell me about it again, Ellen dear." - -Thus quieted, Ellen began at the beginning. - -"Did he say that the 'Mormons' had stabbed him?" asked John. - -Ellen had to think a moment, and then answered: "No, I don't think he -mentioned 'Mormons,' but of course, I thought he meant 'Mormons.'" - -As the story proceeded, John stopped her at every point, and insisted -on having the most explicit explanations. When the story was again -completed, John turned the keen, kindly eyes on her pleading face and -said: - -"You were a brave, true girl to defend your people against the slanders -about the 'Danites;' and I don't think you have it in your power to run -away from a sick kitten, much less an injured man, if you thought you -could help him. So don't blame yourself one bit, it was all right so -far as you were concerned. But as for that devil in human form, let me -show you how improbable his whole story was. For instance, do you think -a man like that would ride around here to hunt and fish? He has seen -some girl down here"--Ellen was glad she did not say anything about the -bathing incident, "and has come over here hunting our girls to ruin and -destroy them. And do you think he would come without a pistol? And if -he had one, would he let someone get near enough to stab him? And if a -man wanted to kill him would he stop short with a cut on the arm? And -then, would such a man tie up the soldier's horse, safely to a tree, so -that he could get up and run away whenever he wanted to? Bosh, it was a -trick which no one but a trusting, unsuspecting woman would have been -ready to accept as a fact. But there, my dear, you are not to blame at -all; it is all over now, thank God, and I am very sure you will not go -out alone again, especially near the river, or far away from home in -any direction." - -"Why, John, all our folks go down to the river at times; did not you -see Dian starting for a walk down there just as we were leaving the -house to come up here?" - -Again that white, silent wrath spread over the face of her companion, -and added to it was a flaming redness which seemed to leap into his -eyes instead of his cheeks. The effect of her words frightened the girl -at his side. Truly he had seen Dian start out that way; he remembered -it all very clearly now, but in his proud endeavor to drive her out of -his heart, he had also driven her out of his mind. - -"I dare say, John dear, she is expecting to meet Tom Allen or Charlie -Rose down by the river, for you know Dian has a way of always having a -string of beaus running after her." - -This was said to comfort John, and to assist in driving from his face -that awful anger whose white silence so terrified her. - -After a pause John asked her: - -"Do you want to go with me down to the river and show me where it is -that you met this man? It is barely possible that Dian may have gone in -the same direction." - -They were returning from town now, and Ellen answered: - -"Of course she has, for the place where I met him is just where Dian -and I cleared away the underbrush purposely for a little shady retreat -for the both of us, and until we were mad at each other a few weeks -ago, we never went there alone, and rarely missed a day but washdays -and Sundays of going there to talk and rest. Of course, I will go with -you, only let us go by the house, so I can leave these things there for -Aunt Clara." - -There was very little said on that riverward walk. Ellen was thinking -sadly of the many times she had met and talked with the young stranger, -of which she dared not speak to her companion, and of how foolish she -had been to run such risks. She was thinking, too, of Dian being down -there, and wondering with a vague jealousy if Dian had also been there -when she knew it not, and if she too was courting the admiration of -the officer. But she put this away in a moment, for she would not do -Dian the injustice to suppose that with all her proud and self-centered -spirit, she could deliberately do such a criminal, deceitful thing as -that would be. She forgot to designate her own conduct as severely -as she was doing the faintly supposed conduct of her friend. But, -then, Dian was such an eminently proper young woman that no one ever -suspected, much less accused her of doing anything unladylike or at all -imprudent. - -As for poor John Stevens, he had been laboring for years, ever -since he had been a man, with a man's understanding of life and its -responsibilities, for the acquisition of the severe self-control -necessary to subdue his passionate nature. He had fought such a gallant -fight against his love for Diantha Winthrop, that no one, not even -Dian herself, suspected the profound emotions which had been so hard -for him to control. He had learned to control his temper, that fierce, -vicious thing, which his dead sainted mother had trained him from early -youth to hold in check; about which he had often prayed, aye, and -even fasted, that it might never rise beyond his power of government; -but now, indeed, when he felt both love and anger flooding his soul -in such an overwhelming tide, he was powerless to hold both flood -tides in check. His hands kept clinching and twisting in unavailing -impotence, and his throat was so dry and parched that he could not have -uttered a word. His whole being was for the time a darkened void, where -nought but a fearful apprehension and hot anger could penetrate his -consciousness. - -He walked beside his companion in silence, which was far worse than -another man's rage. - -"Why, John, I think I am more frightened of you than I was of the -soldier," said Ellen at last. The silence had become too oppressive -for her. "I can't imagine what ails you today. I thought you were the -gentlest and quietest of men." - -John stopped short in their walk, looked up a moment into the burning -sky above him, stroked his beard with a slow motion, and with a little -preparatory cough to clear away the dryness in his throat, he said in -his drawling voice: - -"Oh, don't be afraid; I would not injure even a soldier, if it were -not wise or right to do so, my girl. I feel a little angry, that is -all, that any one should seek to entangle our girls and draw them away -from the safety and purity of their own innocent happy lives. That is -all. Don't be afraid; I dare say both you and I are imagining a lot of -things which will never happen. You will soon forget all about this -handsome devil, while we will find Diantha down there quietly talking -with Tom or Charlie Rose, or some other nice fellow, and she will be -angry to see us come spying on her love affairs." - -Yet, even as he spoke, his keen eyes detected away in the distant -trees, where the brush had been cut away and the eyes could travel -some distance in the green embrasure, a glint of a white dress, and he -was sure that the coat beside the dress was a blue one, not the dark -homespun he knew would be worn by his own people. - -Both John and Ellen quieted every evidence of their approach, and Ellen -fell behind her companion, with a dreadful shrinking fear at her heart, -mixed even then with a bit of jealousy of her friend's apparent free -understanding with her own cavalier. - -"What are you doing here?" growled a low, husky voice behind the two, -who were seated on a fallen tree, apparently absorbed in a book. - -Diantha Winthrop looked up, startled, yet with full control of herself. - -"Oh, John, this is Captain Sherwood, of the United States army, you -know, and he is reading Shakespeare to me, for you know how fond of -poetry I am." - -"How did you come here?" again growled the husky voice, unheeding the -brave, frank explanation so coolly offered him. - -The young officer threw back his head, partly because he was encouraged -by the apparent lack of fear on the part of his companion, and also -because of the fact that no matter if possessed of every fault and sin -in the decalogue, Captain Sherwood was no coward. - -"Well, my good fellow, even if your question is not a very civil one, I -will give you a civil answer. I came here, as I usually go everywhere, -on the back of my trusty horse. I suppose that even a soldier is -permitted to go where he pleases in this free and semi-civilized domain -belonging to Uncle Sam. Have you any objections to my going wherever I -please?" - -John folded his arms and waited quietly for more explanations. - -The soldier also waited a moment, and then, constrained to say -something more, in spite of himself, he added: - -"This young lady has condescended to let me read to her some of the -eloquent classics found in our immortal Shakespeare. But perhaps you -know nothing of poetry, and Shakespeare's name may not even have a -meaning for you." - -The insolence of this reply did not provoke the other to outward anger, -although it certainly had its effect. Just at this moment Ellen came -out from her retreat, and as the soldier caught sight of her he swept -off his cap in a magnificent bow, and with a fine and dignified manner, -the manner of a southern gentleman to a woman he wishes to please, he -said softly: - -"It is a rare pleasure to see Miss Tyler." Then as he saw that the -girl's face was white with fear, and her hands clasped in evident pain, -he bowed and added: "Do not be alarmed, madam; I am too insignificant -for your friend to seek to harm me, and as for him, it is sufficient -to know that he is your friend; he and his are sacred to me from -this moment; I would not injure him or them even if my life pays the -penalty." - -There was a grandiosity about this speech which struck upon Dian's -nerves a little unpleasantly, but to Ellen the tone and manner seemed -the most gentlemanly and elegant she had ever witnessed; while his -evident emotion at seeing her flattered her vain soul with infinite -sweetness. - -All this while John had stood watching everything and saying nothing. -At last Dian approached him, and laying her hand fearlessly upon his -arm, she said in a slightly shaken voice, although still with perfect -self-control: - -"I hope, John, that you will remember that this gentleman has done -nothing offensive, and that it was my fault that he remained here to -read to me. You will allow him to return to his own place without the -least molestation from anyone. For the rest, I alone am to be held -responsible." - -John groaned in spite of himself. Both the girls, like the women they -were, would not cast blame upon the sneaking man, thus taking away -his only weapon of revenge. That groan startled Dian, and made Ellen -tremble like a broken reed in the wind, and even the soldier's face -paled a little at its intensity. But Dian was equal to the occasion; -her fine common sense stood her in good stead. This was no time to be -romantic; good practical sense and reason was what they all needed now. -She caught hold of his arm with her own small but firm hand and said -calmly and distinctly: - -"Look here, John Stevens, there's no sense in your getting angry. You -know well enough that President Young has said repeatedly that there -should be no blood spilt in these times, and you know, too, that this -gentleman is not to blame if a girl chooses to accept his invitation to -spend an hour in his company. Just calm yourself, for neither Ellen nor -I have committed any sin, and we are old enough to have some rights of -our own. And I am not going to be dictated to by any creature on this -earth, man or woman! Whatever you want to say to me must not be said in -anger." - -John looked into the eyes of the woman beside him, and with such a -look! He was muttering under his breath: "Oh, God help me!" And the -anguish and love and anger and struggle for self-control which were -shown in that look shook even Dian's heart with a vague trembling which -she could not understand. - -"Dian, you take Ellen and go home. I shall do nothing rash, God help -me, and you need have no fear; but I beg you to go quietly home, and -take good care of Ellen." - -Moved by some inexplicable impulse, Dian drew herself close to him and -in a low whisper she said: - -"Don't be harsh, John," and then lower still, "if you love me, John." - - - -XXIII. - -DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE - -Diantha turned away, and putting her arm around her friend, they sped -through the late afternoon sunshine to their home with flying feet, -silent tongues and an unspoken prayer in both hearts for John Stevens -that he might not be overcome. - -As for John, he strode up to the soldier, as soon as the girls were out -of hearing, and with the low roar of an angry lion, he growled: - -"What is to hinder my choking the dastard life out of your lustful -body?" As he spoke, quick as a flash, he had pinioned the man's arms, -and with the grip of an infuriated animal, he had his hands around the -white, gentlemanly throat, and for a moment his passion so blinded -him that he knew nothing, saw nothing, but a huge, black cloud which -overspread all nature and his own heart. - -This murderous impulse passed, and with another awful groan, he -released his hold, and with a fling, threw the stranger away from him, -and quickly turning his back, buried his face in his hands, while one -hot, silent tear scalded his repentant eyes. - -The soldier, after a few moments of insensibility, came to himself, and -with a profound effort, he dragged himself up, and shaking his body -together, he stood upon his feet, and said, quietly and sneeringly, -though somewhat hoarsely: - -"You asked me a very queer question, my good fellow, and if I had not -more regard for law and decency than you seem to have, I would answer -it like this"--with the words, John felt the muzzle of a revolver at -his ear. Again, with the flash of a tiger, John seized the other's arm, -twisted the pistol out of his hand, and with a quick, backward spring, -he had thrown the weapon into the brawling river beside them, while -with a deep sneer in his voice, he answered: - -"Do you think, you soldiers, that you are out here with nothing but -squaws to oppose you? Men who have wives and homes to protect are not -afraid of popguns." And then, as if mastered anew with the terrible -emotions surging in his breast, John asked, slowly: "What is to hinder -my sending your soul to hell, where it rightfully belongs?" - -This time the soldier looked into the hot, angry eyes close to his own, -and perhaps his own bravery had some effect in calming John, for after -a few minutes, the soldier folded his own arms, and with a light touch -indicating the epaulets upon his shoulders, he said, almost airily: - -"Oh, I dare say that even you have some respect for this Government -of ours. And perhaps, too, your wholesome fear of displeasing the -notorious Brigham would hinder you from disgracing yourself." - -John said nothing, and the other quietly went to the tree where his -horse was fastened, and untying and mounting his steed, said lightly: - -"Have you any messages to send to our fort? If so, I shall be pleased -to carry them." - -"Yes, you may tell your commander-in-chief that if he wishes to keep -the heads of his men on their shoulders, he would do well to keep them -away from our towns. We will defend our homes and our virtue with our -lives." - -The soldier was now on his horse, and comparatively safe, so he -ventured to reply tauntingly: - -"Ah, my dear fellow, don't trouble yourself; the women will hunt -us up. I know the dear creatures better than you do. You are very -unsophisticated, depend upon it. We shall soon have hard work to keep -out of the way of them. Ta, ta!" And before John could move, he had -dashed away in the trees, and was soon out of sight and hearing. - -John Stevens was left behind with all the agonized load of fear and -dread which swept over him like a mountain cloud-burst. He leaned -against a tree and with arms folded across his breast and head dropped, -he heaved many a sigh and shed some scalding tears. The thing he had -most dreaded in the onslaught upon his people had come to pass. And to -think that the two women he loved best upon the earth should be in the -greatest danger from this scourge. Death for the men; hunger, cold, -war, pain, all these were slight things compared with the danger which -had been ever present. The temptation which would assail the youth -of both sexes, but more particularly the young women, to forsake the -simple, honest lives of their people, and to become involved in the -sins and corruptions of the outside world; this had been his constant -dread. Was this not Zion? Was God not coming from His hiding place to -keep Babylon from our midst? With all the strength of his soul he loved -chastity and purity. He had, at what cost no one but a strong man may -tell, kept his own nature as sweet and pure as that of any woman, and -he knew that in strictest chastity only there was safety and peace for -either man or woman in this life or the life to come. Why was he so -sensitive to all these impressions and fears? Why could he not be like -Tom Allen, careless and unthinking as to past, present and future, -unless it affected his own pleasure? But he knew he could not. Gifted -with a peculiarly sensitive and keenly perceptive nature, he saw far -beyond the present action; he saw the end to which such action tended, -in a measure, and he suffered with the intensity of such a soul, when -he or any he loved turned aside from the narrow, straight path of -chastity and right. - -After hours of silent suffering and struggle, he arose to find the -stars shining above his head in a shimmering peace, and with a heavy, -but quieted heart, he made his way home to the village beyond. He -resolved that he would seek Bishop Winthrop the next day, and perhaps -even go to President Young for some counsel in this terrible situation. - -The bishop was much moved and excited over the events which had -involved his own sister, as well as the step-daughter of his friend, -Clara Tyler. The bishop suggested at once that they should go to see -President Young, and lay the whole affair before him for counsel. They -found President Young full of business cares and anxieties concerning -the fate of his people, but when the two men entered, the President -asked them to go with him to his inner room, and they could then -present their business before him. - -John Stevens told the whole story, not adding one detail, nor seeking -in the least to exaggerate the danger or the wrong attempted. But his -brief, quiet statement did more to lay the true state of the case -before the President than a torrent of language could have conveyed. -Bishop Winthrop was very much wrought up, and begged the President -to take steps to prevent any such meetings in the future. He was for -threatening to kill any soldier who was found outside of his own -barracks. - -The President listened to the wild talk and plans of his excited -companion as he had to the quieter, yet intenser recital of John -Stevens. After each had said all he cared to say on the matter, the -President, who had been twirling his thumbs, as was his custom when in -deep thought, turned his piercing eyes upon the two men so anxiously -regarding him, and said slowly: - -"It's no use, brethren, to try to force people to do right. You can't -keep people virtuous by shutting them up in prisons. The only way -that I know of to get men or women to walk in the path of virtue and -righteousness, is to teach them correct principles, and then let each -one govern himself. If our daughters want to do wrong, if they can't -find any of our boys who will help them, they will find plenty of men -in the world ready to ruin them. After such girls have learned their -lessons they will be glad to creep back to father's hearthstone, and to -sit under the shelter they once despised. Teach all to do right and to -live their religion, and give them their agency. Let parents live their -religion and go quietly along, and some day their children will all -come back to them." - -This was hard counsel for these two men to follow; they were so -anxious, so full of loving solicitude for the two beautiful girls in -question. After a moment the President looked searchingly at John -Stevens, and said inquiringly: - -"Brother Stevens, why don't you court one of those girls and marry her -yourself? The best way to drive out evil is by introducing good in its -place. Women and men both desire to love and be loved; and I sometimes -think our Elders will be held responsible for the loss of our girls, if -they make no effort to give them a love worthy and pure." - -The conference was ended, and John felt the whole burden had been flung -back on his shoulders. Well, he was strong and willing; he was no -coward, either. But how could he do the impossible? - - - -XXIV. - -ELLIE'S SECOND WARNING - -The two girls avoided John all the next day, for with feminine instinct -they divined their case would come up for grave consideration, and -neither cared to be questioned or chastised. - -When this startling incident came to the ears of Aunt Clara Tyler, she -buckled on her aggressive armor of righteousness, but like the tactful -soul she was, she drew over her steel coat the soft velvet robe of -tender sympathy and bided her time. - -Two nights after Dian's encounter, the girls were out at a neighboring -party. Returning somewhat late, Aunt Clara's watchful ears heard -them call out their merry good-nights to their companions, and the -psychological moment was upon them. - -The girls found her busy at their own wagon-box bedroom, and they were -glad for a pair of sympathetic ears in which to pour out the story of -"what he said" and "she said" with the evening's trivial happenings, -all of such moment to young, fresh hearts. - -"How good it is to get a word with you, Auntie," cooed Ellen, "you are -off so much with the sick that I don't get a chance to hug you once a -week." - -Joining in their merry chatter, the two girls sitting cross-legged on -their narrow bed, their mentor sat on the stool at the front end of the -box, and gently led them into deep conversational waters. - -"These brilliant men of the world do know how to say pretty things, -don't they?" said Ellen, after Dian had related the river incident, in -her own candid fashion. - -"And he never said a rude word or did an offensive thing," finished -Dian. - -"Good manners, my dear, are only the real or the assumed expression of -a truly unselfish soul. Tact is like charity--it sometimes covers a -multitude of sins." - -Ellen sat silent while this talk went on; Aunt Clara noted it and drew -her own shrewd conclusions. - -"Well, why must this sweet and gentle courtesy belong only to men who -are not good, Aunt Clara?" continued Dian. - -"It mustn't, and yet it too often does. Pioneer life in every country -leaves very little time for young men especially to cultivate the -amenities of life. Aren't our leaders courteous, and can you find -lovelier ladies than Sister Eliza R. Snow and Zina D. Young? Our girls -are as crude in much of their behavior as are our boys. First the -marble must be hewn out, then comes the polish." - -"I love the polish," murmured Ellen. And Dian added frankly: - -"So do I! The rocks in the hillside are ugly!" - -"Not ugly--their rough beauty appeals to an educated mind. And polish -is so deceptive. You could enamel any cheap and poor surface, but heat -or power would crush the false substance into powder. Ah no, my dear -motherless girls, it is my duty to warn you! I see what your youthful -eyes could not perceive. The allurements of bad men and corrupt -worldliness, have ever been and ever will be present with us in this -world. 'Take away the devil's fascination, and you would cut off his -right arm at the shoulder,' is an old proverb. The only safety for -youth and inexperience is to take the counsel of their parents and -guardians. I am a widow, and earn my living by nursing the sick. So I -am obliged to leave you girls to watch yourselves much of the time." - -"But taking counsel always means to do the thing you don't want to do," -pouted Dian, "and to leave undone the things you would like to do." - -"That pretty nearly sums up life's best discipline. And now let me -warn you, my dear, precious girls, let that soldier alone, and every -other man whose life and character is unknown to your guardians; have -fun, enjoy yourselves, but don't go outside your own safe circle for -pleasure or for peace." - -"Oh, pshaw!" grumbled Diantha. But Aunt Clara knew that the temporary -resistance of Diantha's frank nature would yield in time, and that -above all, she could never quite bring herself to disobey any given -counsel. That was the rock upon which the girl's character was builded. -As for Ellen: - -"Ellie," said her aunt, solemnly, "let me warn you and forewarn you -against any evil temptation such as has just assailed Diantha. I'm sure -I don't know how you would come out from such a test, my dear, for you -do love admiration so well." - -"Of course Diantha's the perfect one," replied Ellen, sharply; "I am -never quite safe or quite right," but she was very glad Dian had kept -her secret. For there was surely no need of Aunt Clara knowing all that! - -Alack! The loyalty of youth to youth sometimes works them grave -disaster. If Diantha had only been a little less loyal, Aunt Clara -would have been set upon the watch tower; for she, with her riper -years, knew the weakness as well as the charm of her pretty niece as -inexperienced Dian could not then know. But both girls had now been -rightly taught and cautioned, and so the elder woman kissed them -good-night and left them to the deep slumber of youth and health. - - - -XXV. - -"DO YOU CARE FOR JOHN STEVENS?" - -Several evenings later, at supper, Tom Allen remarked that the Snows -were coming over to spend the evening, and he wondered if they could -have some games in the front yard, as it was a bright, moonlight night. -Both Diantha and Ellen were waiting upon the table, and no one for the -moment seemed anxious to answer Tom's remark. Sister Winthrop, as well -as Aunt Clara, had evidently heard something of recent events, and both -were very serious and quiet. But the others of this large and oddly -assorted family assemblage had heard nothing, and accordingly the idea -of having some games to help pass away the brief summer evening with -plenty of music of concertina and accordion was received with general -favor. - -It was a little puzzling to Diantha to see the lover-like attention -of John Stevens to her friend Ellen that evening. They sat together, -they chose each other for every game, they talked together in the most -confidential manner, and at last ended by going off together for a walk -before the evening was half over. Of course, she had seen them act just -that way before; but then she had cared nothing whatever about it; -John was always very queer, and she never knew quite how to take him. -In fact, that was about the only reason she had retained the slightest -interest in him. A girl does so dislike a man who lets her know all -there is to know about himself! A little discreet reserve is such a -charm in a man. - -Now, my lady Dian felt that she had been actuated by a very uncommon -feeling down in the grove, and she had actually stooped to ask a -man to do a favor for her own sweet sake if he loved her, forsooth. -Certainly that man ought to respond by devoting himself to her at once -and forever. And that man was doing the very opposite thing. Dian had -forgotten that she was wearing Charlie Rose's ring; had quite forgotten -all that might be involved or inferred from such a circumstance. She -watched and waited for their return from the walk, feeling for the -first time in her life, that somebody had slighted her. - -It was not altogether an accident that she sat under the cottonwood -tree on the return of the two, nor was it wholly by design that my lady -looked like the very spirit of the night, with her simple white dress, -her pale yellow gleaming hair breaking about her face in rings and -waves, while her white arms, bared to the elbow, rested on her lap and -deadened the white of her dress by their warm, creamy tints. - -Charlie Rose stood at a little distance, evidently enjoying every -detail of the beautiful picture as he leaned on the rude bars of the -fence near Dian. Ellen came up to Dian, and as John sat down on one -side of her, she slid close to her friend on the other side, and put -her arms lovingly around her neck. - -"Oh, Dian, isn't the night lovely?" - -"Yes, dear, it is. But it is getting late and we must go in." - -John sat so close to the fair-haired girl that he could see the starry -shine in her soft blue eyes, and as he looked at her beautiful face -the remembrance of the scene he had witnessed in the grove, and that -this dear girl had been gazed at and admired by a wicked man, brought -the hot tide of feeling welling up in his heart, and he was obliged to -turn away his face from her dazzling beauty, while he slowly stroked -his long beard, and listened to Charlie Rose exchanging poetic nonsense -with the two girls. - - "Two stars agleam in the silent night - Two girls a-dream in the soft moonlight," - -improvised Charlie. - - "The girls have a dread of a cool evening breeze, - For they catch a stray cough, two colds and a - sneeze," - -jeered Dian in response. And she took Charlie's arm as she allowed him -to escort her into the house. - -Ah, John Stevens, John Stevens, your lesson is not learned yet! - -As the two girls said good-night to their friends they instinctively -sat down on their wagon-box bed for a long talk, something neither had -enjoyed for weeks; and they felt all the joy of recovered confidence. -What if Dian did feel a little half jealous of Ellen, and Ellen was -more than a little jealous of Dian! They were girls, and were sincere -friends. Jealousy could not rob them of their real affection for each -other; they were both too noble for that. - -In the long and confidential talk which followed, Dian learned far -more of the young soldier's visits than had been told John Stevens. -And while Dian could see that her friend had been in a very dangerous -position, her own foolish action of the afternoon before closed her -lips against giving the good advice with which she was generally so -ready. - -"But, you know, Dian, that it is all over now, and I am going to behave -myself after this. Say, Dian, do you care anything about John Stevens?" - -The question was a frank one, and Diantha was not the person to evade -any sort of a question. But she was also honest, and she sat some -minutes before giving her answer. She wanted to tell the exact truth. - -"No, I don't care about John, in the sense of the word that you imply; -I don't know whether I ever could or not. I can't tell; maybe, if he -really loved me, and tried awfully hard to make me love him, well, I -don't know, I'm sure. But one thing I am sure of, I don't care anything -about him now, only as a friend. Why?" - -"Oh, I just wanted to know, dear; for I believe I could love him better -than any man on earth, if he would let me." - -"Well, my dear, just you go on loving him, for I am sure he loves you, -and I hope you will be happy with him." - -It would not be the truth to say that dignified Dian felt no inner pang -of jealousy as she uttered these generous sentiments. There stirred in -her heart a very indistinct wish to know the exact condition of her -friend John Stevens' affections. Curiosity in a woman is not always a -common thing, but if once roused, it is apt to be a very strong motive. - -* * * * * - -That night there rode into Provo the Governor of Utah, accompanied by a -strong posse of Utah militia. He had come to expostulate with Brigham -Young, and to induce him to return to Salt Lake City. John Stevens was -on his way from the evening frolic to the President's home, to take up -his guard duty, when he met the party just riding into town. Governor -Cumming hailed John with hearty friendship. - -"Captain Stevens, I am happy to see you here. Will you kindly inform -President Young that I wish to see him as soon as possible?" - -John at once complied with this somewhat hurried and informal request, -and was on hand at the conference which, late as was the hour, proved -not very long, but certainly full of interest. - -The anxious and wearied Governor laid before the "Mormon" leader -all the conditions through which the Territory had just passed; he -rehearsed in no measured terms his contempt for the actions of some -of the Federal authorities; he assured the "Mormon" leaders that -Gen. Johnston, who was now safely camped in the Cedar Valley, would -do all in his power to bring about peace and harmony in the unhappy -and distracted Territory. He told Brigham Young of the furore that -the Southern Move, made by the whole population of Utah, had created -in the East and in Europe. He laid before that leader of a hunted -band of religionists copies of the "New York Times" and the "London -Times," which contained bitter comments on this political blunder of -the President of the United States. In closing his speech, he gave -utterance to a manly appeal to Brigham Young to accept his pledges of -security, and at once to take up his return march for Great Salt Lake -City, saying: - -"There is no longer any danger, sir. General Johnston and the army will -keep faith with the 'Mormons.' Every one concerned with this happy -settlement will keep faith and hold sacred the pardon and amnesty of -the President of the United States. By---, sir, yes." - -"We know all about it, Governor. Our memories are long. But we feel -assured of your own integrity in this matter, and for that we grant you -our fullest confidence and friendship." - -"Then, sir," said the kindly-disposed official, "tomorrow, being the -birthday of our glorious country, the Fourth of July, I shall publish a -proclamation to the 'Mormons' for them to return to their homes." - -"Do as you please, Governor Cumming," replied Brigham Young, with his -quiet, shrewd smile. "Tomorrow I shall get upon the tongue of my wagon, -and tell the people that I am going home, and that they can do as they -please." - -And it was so. The next morning in the cool daybreak, the leader of -the hosts of that modern Israel stood upon his wagon seat, and in the -clarion tones so familiar to his people, he called: - -"To your tents, O Israel!" - -And once more, but this time with paeans of mingled sorrow and -rejoicing and songs of praise not unmixed with anxious future -forebodings, the people prepared to take up the line of march backward -to the deserted homes, to the grass-grown streets of Salt Lake City and -to the sun-dried farms and fields of the northern Valley. The Southern -Move was passing into the annals of a deeply engraved history. - - - -XXVI. - -COL. SAXEY EXPOSTULATES - -The hurry, confusion and turmoil consequent upon packing were endured -gladly by every one in Provo and vicinity, for every heart beat high -with joy that their beloved lands and homes were not to be left behind -once more and they themselves turned again into the desert, homeless -and poor. - -Diantha rode to the city with her brother in his spring wagon. As she -sat on the front seat, she was soon covered with dust, and with the -loss of her pink and white complexion came an appreciable decline in -the thermometer of her generally sweet and cheerful disposition. No -one ever accused Diantha of vanity, but there was nothing which made -my dainty lady so thoroughly annoyed as to feel that she was looking -ugly and commonplace; and above all to know that she was disheveled, -disorderly, or unclean; all of which goes to prove that all are of the -earth, earthy. - -Ellen Tyler rode several teams behind Dian, in her father's wagon, the -spring carriage being occupied by other members of the family. Now, no -matter how dusty the road nor how much at a disadvantage dear little -Ellen might be placed, if she were only treated lovingly and kindly by -those she loved, and if she were sure of "one true heart beside her," -as she herself put it, she was always cheerful and pleasant. And Ellen -was in high feather, for John Stevens drove the wagon she was in, and -the whole journey seemed more like a pleasure trip than a dusty two -days' journey. - -The party were toiling up the long and steep grade to the north of the -village of Lehi, and John was out of the wagon, walking beside his -team, whistling occasionally to his horses, and sometimes coming up to -the wagon to hear the merry chatter of his companion. He had allowed -himself to get some distance behind his team when he saw, in a sudden -turn of the road, a small party of horsemen coming towards them, and -as the dust cleared away, he discovered they were soldiers. He tried -to hurry up so that he might be near or reach Ellen before they passed -her, for instinct warned him that there was need, yet it was too late. -As they passed him, he gazed at the dashing captain--for it was Captain -Sherwood, his own despised enemy--to whom he gave a look of hate and -repugnance. It was returned with a flash of sneering triumph. - -The gay captain had cause to be triumphant. - -As he passed by the long train of wagons, his eyes were eagerly -searching each wagon for the two faces he had come out purposely to -see. He hardly knew Diantha. He had seen her but once, and now the gold -of her hair was a tawny clay, and the tiny curls were stiff with dust; -while the enchanting pink and white of her skin was lost in a deep, -sun-flushed crimson, covered over with the dun dust of the valley road. - -As soon as he recognized her, however, and that only as they met face -to face, he raised his cap with a courtly bow. - -Whether Diantha was a little afraid of her brother's instant anger, -or whether she was moved by her own sense of right and propriety, or -whether there was mingled with it all an indignation that she had not -been recognized because of her unprepossessing appearance, she herself -never tried to fathom; but certain it was that my lady stiffened -herself into an attitude of freezing hauteur, visible through all her -dusty disguises, and with a stony stare of her gleaming blue eyes, she -coldly looked into the laughing black eyes bent upon her, and gave the -soldier the cut direct. - -"I say, old chap, that young lady would give pointers to a New Orleans -belle in giving a fellow his conge, but I should say she was not -bad-looking when properly dressed." So spake a fellow officer as the -two rode at the head of their squad. Captain Sherwood had urged his -superior officer, Col. Saxey, to come along, as he had learned that -this party were on the road, and he wanted his friend to see the two -girls who had so taken his own fancy. - -Ellen saw them coming, and first looking discreetly back to see that -John was well out of sight, she gave the captain a laughing and -apologetic smile, and then turned her head coquettishly aside, as the -horsemen dashed by. - -"That girl is as pretty as the other, only in a different way," said -Col. Saxey. "But I would advise you, Sherwood, to let these women -alone. You will make yourself and others a great deal of unnecessary -trouble, and I can't see that it will do you or anyone else any good." - -"Oh, d--n your advice, Saxey. What is life, anyway?" - -"Life," answered Col. Saxey to his friend Sherwood, "is pretty much -what we make it; good, bad or indifferent. But, really, Sherwood, I -wish you would take an old friend's advice, and let those 'Mormon' -women alone. You know these people are nearly wild with fear anyway, -and I think it the height of folly for us to add to their discomfiture." - -"I can't imagine how I am going to hurt anybody by falling in love with -a pretty girl, and even marrying her, if worst comes to worst." - -"You know quite well, old fellow, you would never dream of marrying one -of these uneducated, uncultured western girls; and when you remember -that she is of 'Mormon' stock; what an absurdity! Why, what do you -think your proud family down in Louisiana would say to such a thing? -Give it up, Clem; give it up." - -"Say, Saxey," and the young officer turned and faced his companion, -reining in his horse to a halt that he might look the other fairly in -the eyes, "I want you to tell me what you and I or any of the rest of -our fellows are going to do out here, thousands of miles from home and -civilization? I say, what are we going to do? I certainly need the love -and tenderness of a dear little woman, such as one of these girls." - -"I am more than surprised, Clem, to hear you speak so coolly of the -ruin of a good, innocent girl. What can possess you?" - -"What can possess you, my virtuous friend? Where have you learned your -lessons of life, if not in the school of experience? I must be in love -with somebody, and lucky it is for me that I have such delightful -material to waste a bit of my time and heart's affection upon. You see -that I am refined enough to wish even my bacon to be of the choicest -cut, and fricasseed to the most delicate brown, instead of fried in -huge slices and served with chunks of bread." - -They were riding slowly on through the dust and heat, and the elder -officer turned and looked keenly into the face of handsome Captain -Sherwood, who was stroking his small black mustache, and smiling at his -inward fancies. - -"Sherwood," he said, at last, "I must confess that I have never in my -life realized the full meaning of all you imply until this hour. Men -allow themselves to float down the current of custom and do and say -many things which are, it seems to me, in my present mood, unmanly -as well as impure. True, men of the world have always done the same -things, and rarely stop to ask questions in regard to the matter; -but--well, in fact, things look a little different now." - -"What has changed the current of your opinion, my wise friend?" - -"Something in the face of that haughty girl, as she looked her disdain -to you, and the look of fierce hatred which that tall, red-bearded -fellow gave you as he passed you, have set me to thinking. Maybe we -are as guilty of crime in hunting out these people as were the Roman -soldiers when they burned the Christians at the stake." - -Sherwood gazed with more and more astonishment at the words of his -friend, and at the close of the little, conscience-stricken speech, he -burst into a hearty peal of laughter, and again and again he laughed as -he recalled the absurdity of such a comparison. - -"You must excuse me, old boy, but it is too utterly funny for words. -These adulterous, ignorant, impudent 'Mormons' to be compared to the -ancient Christians? Ha, ha, ha!" - -The elder man winced a little under the fire of ridicule, but his own -sense of right and honor told him his position was the true one, and he -felt stealing over him a contempt and repugnance for the man who could -so recklessly plan the destruction of innocent, helpless womanhood. - -The soldiers reached the outskirts of their own camp late that -afternoon, and as Col. Saxey gazed at the crowded hive of huts and -tents, filled with men, a few women, and many squaws, which composed -the nondescript village just across the stream from Camp Floyd, he felt -a sense of horror and dislike for all that this motley crowd signified, -which he had never before felt, and which was as surprising as it was -new to him. - -Camp Floyd had been laid out with the care and skill which -characterized all the labors of General Johnston. At the hillside -lay the officers' quarters, while down the river a little lower were -stationed the quarters of the men, with the parade ground between. All -the tents had been pitched on a low three-foot adobe foundation, thus -giving some measure of comfort to their temporary structures. Outside -the camp, and across the bridge which spanned the small mountain -stream, was a collection of rude log huts, one or two small adobe -houses, and a great many tents of all sizes, all pitched on the low -adobe walls. Here were gathered the usual camp followers, those who did -the store-keeping, the washing, the ironing, the makers and vendors of -every commodity bought and sold in the camp. In this place all grades -of camp-followers were sheltered. - -Men were there, some few decent and eager only for the labor and -exchange of money for that labor which came to them; others willing -to buy and sell anything on earth which could be traded off. The most -of them were drunken, carousing, miserable wretches, possessed of -no impulse but that of a selfish and sensual gratification. Here a -coarse woman, with a flaunting air and a ribald jest, passed through -the throng, and there a squaw sat beside the road, her eyes red with -the whisky she had sold herself for, and her face horrible with the -soulless leer of savage, half-drunken invitation. - -A wave of horror passed over the sensitive face of Col. Saxey as -this accustomed scene appeared to him for the first time in its true -colors. He almost hated himself that he was a man. Sherwood noticed -nothing unusual, and as they passed a woman with a red scarf across her -shoulder, he tossed her a coin, as he said lightly: - -"There is enough for two drunks, Liz, and don't try to run them both -into one, either; for the last time you did that, you raised such a row -that the Colonel threatened to have the whole place cleaned out." - -Louisiana Liz, as she was called, screamed back her thanks, and with -her large, dark, but bleared and blood-shot eyes she flashed up at the -young man her most fascinating gaze. - -Arrived at their own quarters, the officers were met by an orderly, who -instructed them to report at headquarters that evening. - -"I particularly request you gentlemen," said General Johnston, when -they reported at his tent, "not so much in a military capacity, as in -the name of decency and honor, to remain as much as possible in your -own quarters, and to keep away from these 'Mormon' villages. As for the -men, I wish you to deal severely with any of them who go far from camp; -in fact I wish all to be done that can be done to keep down unnecessary -excitement. You understand, gentlemen?" - -"I wonder if the gallant general imagines," said Sherwood, as they -walked away from the general's tent, "that any one is going to obey -strictly his orders and requests. Why," said he, as the two were -returning to their own tents, "he is either very simple or else very -tame if he expects either officers or men are to be entirely restricted -in making some sport out of this dead, dreary and absurd campaign." - -"I think the general is entirely right, Sherwood, and so far as -I am concerned, I shall do what I can to carry out his orders; -even to reporting delinquents, officers as well as men," he added -significantly, as he gave a quick glance at his companion. - -"Oh, well, 'catching comes before hanging,' is a true if a vulgar -proverb, so I bid you a pleasant good-night." - -As Captain Sherwood turned into his own tent, he was surprised to find -a figure dimly outlined by the sputtering tallow candle, crouching near -his bunk. - -"What on earth are you doing here, Liz? Don't you know it would mean -severe punishment to you and disgrace to me, if you were found inside -these lines?" - -The half-breed Creole laughed with a low, sneering sound and answered -softly: - -"Do you think I have forgotten all the lessons of my youth, learned -in the silent swamps of our early Louisiana home? Fear not, the snake -herself is not more silent, nor the night-bird more swift in her flight -than I. Fear not!" And she laughed again, with a quiet, mirthless -chuckle. - - - -XXVII. - -CHRISTMAS EVE, 1858. - -The days and weeks of the dry, brilliant summer and autumn flew -along with dusty, burnished wings. For some time the efforts of -the commanding officer at Camp Floyd were measurably successful in -restraining undue intercourse between his men and the people of the -neighboring settlements. - -In the city of Great Salt Lake the affairs of the people went on with -much the same regularity and soberness that had always characterized -them. Yet, underneath every act and word, one could feel the current -of silent expectation and preparation among this hunted people; -expectation of anything sudden and vicious which the army of Utah -might attempt to do; and a consequent preparation for defense and -perhaps war. There was a small reign of terror, at times, rampant -in those whilom silent city streets. While the officers might hold -their own men in check, they exercised no authority over the crowd -of vile camp-followers which sometimes swept up and over those city -thoroughfares with a terrifying cloud of debauchery and crime. - -President Young was threatened continually in divers ways; by anonymous -letters; by wild and erratic apostates; and he knew through reports of -authorized agents that no effort would be spared by the district judges -or the military force to put his freedom and his life in jeopardy. -Around him, therefore, was gathered a trusty band of his bravest and -best friends; and among them was found our good friend, John Stevens. -His watch at the President's office came at night, and he was therefore -prevented from attending many of the parties and balls which still went -on in every part of the city. Brigham Young knew his people too well -to allow other and less innocent occupations to usurp the place of the -dance and amateur theater. - -On Christmas eve, 1858, there was to be a magnificent ball given in the -fine, new Social Hall. Oh, the blessed memories clinging around that -dear old hall! What scenes of enjoyment, and frolic, sweet and pure, -have been celebrated within its gray walls! What hearts have met their -fate, what lips have spoken the words of love eternal, while mingling -in the happy dance--old and young, rich and poor! No class distinctions -ever marred the festivities of that generous place! No separation of -old folks from the young ever jarred upon the spirit of mutual love -and confidence which marked the social intercourse of the Saints. -And what wonderful plays were enacted by that remarkable company of -players, headed by Hiram Clawson, John T. Caine, James Ferguson and -Mrs. Wheelock and Mrs. Gibson! Dear are these precious memories to the -children of the pioneers; for within these walls they learned, through -definite object lessons, that religion was not merely a Sabbath affair, -put on as a cloak! Ah, no; it entered into the very center of pulsating -life and emotion, and was a living entity in the innocent, religious -pleasures, as well as the simple, trustful sorrows of this blessed -people! - -"I am going to bring my dress over to your house, Dian," said Ellen -Tyler, early that Christmas eve, "and get ready with you, for I want -you to fix my hair; you have such lovely taste. I never look so well as -when you arrange my hair and dress. And then I can get the use of your -looking-glass, too." - -Ellen did look lovely. She had a new pink print dress, and print -dresses in those days were as superior to the common calicoes of today, -as are the prices of today less than were those early standards of -values. The skirt was made with dainty, flying ruffles, nearly to the -waist, and edged with the prettiest of hand-crocheted lace; while the -waist, full and gathered into the belt, was fitted with billowy sleeves -of bishop shape. At the belt and near the left shoulder were flying -bows of pink ribbon; while peeping behind the right ear, a tiny bow of -pink made the chestnut brown hair richer for its suggestive contrast. - -"Ellie, dear, you look just like one of Aunt Clara's spice pinks! -I never saw you look so lovely. I could hug you myself for very -admiration." - -Dian stood afar off from her friend admiring her, and approaching Ellen -at last, she bestowed upon the soft, pale cheek, a small pinch, to give -the delicate tint needed to complete the exquisite picture. - -"Well, it's no use telling you how you look, Dian, for I am sure you -know it so well yourself; the fact of your own magnificent charm is so -apparent that it is nonsense for anyone to try and flatter you." - -"Are you making fun of me, Ellie?" queried Diantha, as she turned -around from the tiny looking-glass to ask her question. "I know well -enough that I have a passably good form, and that I do have some taste -in dressing myself; but I hate these ugly red cheeks, and would give -anything in this world for your clear, pale complexion." - -The girl looked with a positive gleam of anger in her flashing blue -eyes at the image of herself reflected in the glass, and muttered as -she pretended to pinch her own rose-tinted cheeks: "Oh, you ugly, -scarlet things, how I hate you!" - -"It makes me unhappy, Dian, to hear you call yourself ugly. You know -God has blessed you with rare gifts of face and form, and you ought not -to speak as you do, let alone feeling so wicked about your red cheeks. -They are lovely to me. They always make me feel as if I would like to -take a bite out of them, as I would from a red June apple." - -Dian was almost in tears now, at such a homely, unpoetic comparison, -and her friend hastened to change the conversation. - -"Say, Dian, do you think John Stevens can get off tonight to come down -to the ball? I feel as if half of my fun would be gone without him." - -"Oh, I don't know, I am sure. I haven't seen John for weeks. He is up -at the President's office night and day, I guess." - -"Well, I will have to content myself with Tom Allen, or Brother Leon, -I guess, for I must have some fun with somebody. I am just wild for a -frolic. I can hardly wait for Tom to come, I want so much to get to the -party." - -The girl was indeed full of the vitality of youth and health, and her -pulse danced and tingled with expectant pleasure. She was young, lovely -and loving, and she longed for love and admiration. Who could blame her? - - - -XXVIII. - -THE BALL IN THE SOCIAL HALL - -Arrived at the hall, the girls left their escorts at the door, -and hurried into the crowded dressing room under the stage. What -hand-shakings and laughing exchange of greetings they found there! What -merry peals of gentle laughter! What garrulous exchanges of confidences -as to the causes and effects of the day's labors and pleasures, were -buzzing in the two low-ceiled, square dressing rooms that happy night! - -Up from the basement came the fragrant odor of baking meats, and -delicious pastry. A small army of cooks was busy preparing the -elaborate supper; for this was one of the good old-time parties, for -which the tickets cost five dollars in scrip or produce, or less in -cash; and the guests came at early dusk, and after dancing for three -or four hours, were served at the loaded tables in the basement, with -the luxuries and delicacies of mountain food and mountain cooking; -after eating heartily of the supper, all were ready then for the dance -to be renewed until the early morning hours; at any time, however, the -merry-makers were glad to cease from the gay quadrilles, and listen -to the wise counsel or appropriate remarks made, perchance, by the -Presidency of the Church or other good speakers, who were ever the -merriest and best dancers in the room. At these innocent revelries -also, there was a grateful lack of unholy passions and impure thoughts -and words begotten by the too frequent round dancing of novel-reading -youths. - -"Did you ever, in your life, see Diantha and Ellie look so pretty?" -asked more than one unselfish mother, as the two girls came up the -little stairway from the dressing room, into the main hall, followed by -their cavaliers. - -Diantha was entrancing in her simple, straight-skirted, pale-blue -slip--for she scorned the balloon-like hoops of the day--with no -ornament save the pale gold masses of her luminous hair, and the rich -pink and white of her unappreciated but glorious complexion. She -herself disliked her chief charm, the warm, rich coloring, which gave -so much glowing life and fascinating vitality to the otherwise somewhat -cold expression and haughty air. - -Both the girls danced with the lightest grace and the keenest -enjoyment, and each was besieged with partners, for both were -recognized belles in their own circle. Ellen Tyler watched and waited -in vain for the appearance of her beloved friend, John Stevens. She -had never heard a word of love from his lips; indeed, she had never -given him direct encouragement to offer such words; but she knew that, -with a little insistence on his part, she could pour out to him the -wealth of her young heart. And with all her swarm of admirers, she was -unsatisfied, and yearning for the love that had never been offered her. -Yet she was too sweet and womanly to think for a moment of showing more -interest in any man than his own interest in her justified. And so -she waited and watched, trying to dance always in the set nearest the -stairway which led to the outer north entrance of the hall. - -She was not particularly surprised when a small boy came up to her and -whispered that a gentleman outside wished to speak to her for a moment. - -"Oh," she murmured in her heart, "it must be John." - -She threw a shawl around her in passing the dressing room, and followed -the boy outside. She saw no one when she got in the deserted doorway -and was about to turn around and go back to the hall, for the lane -looked very dark and forbidding at that late hour. - -Just as she turned, a man with a dark cloak enveloping his whole form -stepped out from the east corner of the building and, with a low bow, -said softly: - -"Forgive me, Miss Tyler, but the sight of heaven tempted me to try and -draw out the angel, if but for one moment. I am lonesome, a stranger, -and full of longing for the acquaintance of a sweet woman, be she -sister or friend." - -Ellen recognized the voice of her soldier acquaintance, and she -involuntarily shrank back from him. - -"Do not shrink from me, dear, sweet, gentle spirit. I am but a lonely, -unhappy man, so near to a paradise of laughter, love and music, and yet -unable to partake of one single element of all the glory that I see. -You remember, even the angels are not ashamed to pity." - -Just then someone came into the lane from the sidewalk, and Ellen -hurriedly moved away to enter the deep doorway. As she turned, she felt -a note thrust into her hand and then she was once more inside the safe -precincts of the lighted, noisy building, and she put the note deep -down into her pocket for future reference. - -When she once more made her way into the dancing hall, she was -surprised to find John Stevens dancing on the floor, and with no less -a person than her dear friend Diantha. She wondered how she had missed -him, but reflected that he must have come in while she was in the -dressing room hunting her shawl. - -"He will soon come to me," she whispered to herself, and waited -impatiently for that coming. - -But he did not come. Diantha and he danced together the first time and -the second and the third time, and as Ellen had refused to dance, and -was sitting on the side benches, she could easily follow them as the -couple moved through the mazes of the quadrille and reel. Diantha's -cheeks were glowing, and her eyes looked like blazing stars in the -azure blue, while her lips were like the red balls on the winter wild -rose bushes. And Ellen's sharp eyes noted that Diantha was not now -wearing Charlie's ring. What was happening? Dian floated round with a -rhythmical grace that was always so witching an accomplishment of her -queenly beauty. Ellen watched and listened. She was too shrewd not to -detect some meaning beneath all this throbbing excitement, and she knew -that there was more than the usual effort to fascinate, in the manner -of her friend Dian. - -As for John, he seemed almost another man. Talk about blazing eyes; -his almost burned into flame as he kept his intense gaze fastened upon -the uplifted glances of his companion. He said little; Ellen could see -that; but his look and his manner as he came near his dancing partner -betrayed his whole secret. It was for the first time, too, for never -before had he received such open, such undisguised encouragement from -the girl beside him. - -"John never looked at me like that," whispered Ellen in her own heart, -"never, never!" - -The two dancers were so absorbed in each other that they gave no heed -whatever to anyone about them, and so it came to pass that the brief -space of time spent by John in that eventful ball was spent wholly in -the society of Diantha. - -Ellen's enjoyment was all over. She felt nothing but a thrill of -jealous regret, mingled with a passionate wish for another love to -prove to John Stevens that she, too, could be sought and she felt as -well an intense desire for the love itself. She was such a tender, -clinging nature, physical love to her was not an incident, it was life -itself. - -When she was safely at home she opened her note and by the light of her -tallow candle, she read: - - "My Dear Young Friend: - - "I trust you will pardon the seeming forwardness of this letter. - Yours is such a gentle, forgiving nature, that you can but excuse, - especially when you know that the act is prompted by as deep an - affection and as earnest an admiration as could be bestowed by the - heart of a man. I am heartsick and alone. I find myself filled with a - love which is as hopeless as it is passionate; will you not let me at - least have the mournful pleasure of expressing that love, although I - know too well its hopeless character? You are so good, so pure that it - cannot hurt you to become the one star of peace in a stranger's dark - horizon. I would offer you all the love, protection and devotion usual - to my walk in life, if I knew that I dared. - - "At least, let me have the opportunity of telling you, once for all, - the love that fills my whole being for the angel who saved my life - at the risk of the anger and ostracism of her own people. Will you - not meet me for a few happy, happy moments while I tell you of my - friendship and esteem? I will be on the northeast corner of the block - on which you live, with a sleigh, tomorrow evening after nine o'clock. - If you wear a white scarf over your head I shall see you in the - distance, and know you are coming. - - "I am forever your hopeless, despairing - - "LOVER." - -The note was written on heavy cream-tinted paper. It bore a beautiful -crest or monogram in one corner, and it was sealed delicately with pink -sealing-wax, stamped with a signet ring, which bore the device of some -ancient French nobleman, and it was filled with a delicious perfumery, -the odor of which floated around her like a visible presence. Ellen -felt in her inmost soul that she should at once destroy this letter, -and go to Aunt Clara with her whole secret; but it was such an -entrancing letter! And John Stevens had flouted her so cruelly. No! -She would keep the letter just to read it again! And then Ellen gave -herself over to vague, delirious day-dreams. - - - -XXIX. - -DIANTHA'S SUDDEN AWAKENING - -Three weeks after the ball in the Social Hall, the two girls were at -a rag-bee at Aunt Clara Tyler's. There was the usual light gossip, -and jolly laughter, and as was always the case at Aunt Clara's home, -everybody felt unusually kind and pleasant. Aunt Clara had the faculty -of making everybody feel desirous of doing and saying the best that was -in them. - -"Did you hear that Tom Allen and his girl are to be married at last?" -asked Sister Hattie Jones, who was busily threading her needle. - -"You don't mean it?" answered Rachel Winthrop. "I really thought he was -going to 'play off' on her and marry Ellie." - -"I don't know how you could think that, Aunt Rachel," said Ellen, a -trifle sharply; "I have never had the least notion of trying to cut -Luna out, and my friendship for Tom was of the most platonic nature, I -assure you." - -Mrs. Jones saw she had made a mistake, and to cover her confusion, she -began on another subject. - -"Our Mark says that these soldiers are getting pretty impudent around -here. He says he has seen an officer riding around this ward in a -sleigh every night for the last three weeks. And he says, too, that -this stranger had one of our girls with him, for he saw her get out one -night, and he declares it is one of the girls in our ward. But he won't -tell who; he is going to get a better look at the girl, he says, before -he tells anyone who it is. I declare I don't see what our silly girls -are thinking of, to run around with these soldiers, who will ruin them -as quick as a wink, and then if they felt like it, they would shoot 'em -besides." - -Diantha looked in quick surprise at Ellen, the moment this story began, -and she saw with infinite alarm the sudden flush which spread over her -friend's usually pale cheek; and with the quick intuition of love, she -divined that Ellen was the guilty girl. What on earth could she do? -The talk drifted on and on, and Diantha listened and kept her intent, -loving gaze fixed upon the drooping eyes of her beloved friend. The two -girls cleaned up the supper dishes. Ellen talked with rapid garrulity, -as if to prevent a single word being said by her companion. At last, -when bedtime came, Diantha said, as calmly and as indifferently as she -could: - -"I believe I'll stay all night with you, Ellie darling, for Aunt Clara -is going out again tonight, she says, to nurse the sick; she has to go -out so much, doesn't she? But what would we do without Aunt Clara? She -is a whole Relief Society of herself, isn't she? You and I haven't had -a good talk since Christmas." - -"Well, all right. But," the girl added hesitatingly, "I'm afraid we'll -have to sleep three in a bed, for Aunt Clara has sent Cousin Alice to -sleep with me tonight." - -"Never mind," cheerfully responded Diantha, resolved not to be balked -in her endeavor to know more about her friend's walks and ways; "I can -easily do that, for I often have extra company, and you and I don't -mind crowding a bit." - -The girls hurried up to their room, soon after the evening prayers -were over, and Diantha looked in vain for a third bedfellow. But -she refrained from asking where the invisible Alice was, for she -instinctively felt that Ellen had lied to her to make an excuse to -prevent the talk Diantha had resolved to have with her friend. Dian was -a wise girl, and she felt instinctively that it would not be prudent -to urge herself upon her friend's confidence. So she chatted on other -topics, and they were soon undressed and in bed. For some reason, -Dian felt unusually wakeful, and she lay for a long time awake, with -a curious feeling, a sort of expectancy of something, or somebody, -which made the chills of uncomfortable fear race up and down her back. -But at last she fell asleep, trying dimly to account for her strange -sensations, and wondering vaguely who was coming. Sometime in the night -she awoke, half-startled, and in a moment she was conscious, wide -awake, and in perfect control of her faculties. It was the complete -instant wakefulness which comes to mothers with sick children, or -to men who watch their homes and loved ones in times of danger! She -wondered for one brief instant why she was not in her own room, and -then it flashed over her. She reached out her hand, and although she -was in some way curiously prepared for it, she found her companion not -at her side, and she felt all the shock of surprised dread which that -discovery would necessarily entail. She lay still a moment, trying to -persuade herself that Ellen had gone down stairs for a drink, or that -she had gone into Aunt Clara's room, for some purpose, and at last she -called out softly: - -"Ellie, Ellie, dear!" - -No answer came, and she was about to get up and find a light, when she -heard the front door open, and directly after, the sound of hurried, -muffled footsteps running up the stairs to her room, and she knew -instinctively who it was. - -"Ellen?" she said at once, as soon as the door opened. - -"Yes," came the breathless answer, from out the darkness. - -"Where have you been?" was Dian's rather stern question. - -"Down stairs after some oil. I have a sore throat." - -That was the second lie her friend had told her that night. Dian -knew it would be useless to try to learn anything further, for more -questions would only bring more lies, and she dreaded to hear another. -It hurt her that her beloved Ellen should feel it possible to tell lies -to anyone or for any purpose. - -Dian could hear in the darkness the swift motions of the girl unrobing, -and she rashly tried another question: - -"What on earth did you dress for, Ellie, just to go down stairs after -oil?" - -"Would you like to run all over the house such a bitter cold night as -this without any clothes on?" sharply asked Ellen. - -Dian lay still after that, realizing how hopeless it was to think of -probing the confidence of the girl she had driven away from her by her -abstractions and neglect. - -Dian's thoughts were bitter and remorseful. She could see now how -at times she had paid little attention to the affectionate girl by -her side, and how often she had allowed their confidences to remain -unspoken when she herself was absorbed in some more congenial pursuit. -She saw, too, her own thoughtless selfishness--was it selfishness? Dian -was loath to admit that it was selfishness on her part which had driven -Ellen to seek for friendship and confidence where it was given more -freely. Was she, Dian, really selfish? Or was she just self-absorbed? -And which was which? Whichever it might be, Dian felt she could never -again be so self-centered. She must think of others more, and of her -own life less. As to who had gained this confidence, even Dian dared -not think. Neither of the girls could sleep, both were too agitated for -repose. But neither felt to break the strained silence between them. - -"I heard today at the rag-bee, Ellen," said Dian at last, gently, "that -John Stevens was coming home from that trip into the north country. If -he is here tomorrow night, we will have him over to our house, and have -a candy-pulling." - -"You'd better have him all to yourself, Diantha, for that will please -both of you, and I guess it will hurt nobody else." - -Ellen spoke in so low and bitter a tone, that Dian felt unable to say -anything more until she had fathomed the reason for such anger. - -"What has John, or what have I done that you should speak like that, -Ellie?" - -"Done? Done nothing, I guess!" still bitterly. "But it didn't take any -smartness or particular discernment to see what was going on between -you two at the Christmas ball. I can see as far through a mill-stone as -anyone else, as your sister-in-law Rachel says." - -Diantha was silenced. - -What could it mean; Ellen Tyler sarcastic, bitter, and deceitful? What -did it all mean? Diantha lay quite still, but she could not sleep. Her -past life and her own faults came before her with startling vividness -and she felt that in some respects she had been a sorry failure. She -hated herself for all the thoughtless disregard for other people's -feelings which had at times hurt her best friends. And she knew, too, -that within herself there lay a wealth of devoted self-sacrifice at the -roots of her soul. Life was at last assuming an impersonal attitude to -this awakening heart. - -What about Ellen? One thing Dian knew, and that was that Ellen had -really liked John Stevens, and what did her bitter anger and her -sarcasm at herself mean? She concluded that Ellen was jealous of her. -Jealous! jealous of her, Diantha! What, then? What had she done to -make her jealous? To think that they two should be at loggerheads over -big, silent John Stevens! She herself had always openly declared that -she never could love a red-bearded man. Well, John's hair was fine and -wavy and it was rich brown, any one could see that. But his long silken -beard! As she thought about it, it really seemed to her to be not so -bad either. The heroes in the few novels and theaters she had read -and witnessed all had mustaches, silken mustaches. None of them were -pictured with long beards. That was for old men and farmers. However, -there was something harmonious in the long beard of the tall, silent -John Stevens. As she reached this point, the girl beside her sighed -a deep, heavy, heart-sad sigh, which struck Dian as very unusual, -especially with sunny Ellen Tyler. - -What was Ellen sighing for? Oh, yes, she was jealous of her and John -Stevens. Well, what would she, Diantha, do about it? She resented the -suggestion which came into her mind, that she would show forth fruits -meet for repentance for all her past selfishness by now being supremely -unselfish, and giving up every hope of John Stevens. Then there flashed -into her mind the attentions which that wicked soldier had been paying -on the sly to Ellen; and now that she thought of it, why, of course -that was where Ellen had been that night. And that was the reason that -she herself had felt so strangely when she awoke. Ellen was in danger, -and the inspiration of the Spirit and her natural instinct had warned -her of her friend's danger. Ellen had been out with him! Now that she -was in possession of the whole fearful secret what should she do? - -Another deep sigh by her side made Dian turn swiftly over, and putting -her arms around the girl, she drew her to her and as Ellen burst into -a fit of passionate weeping, Diantha stroked her hair and soothed her -without asking questions or attempting to pry into the confidence of -the sobbing girl. Diantha knew that forced confidence is neither full -nor satisfactory. Ellen sobbed herself to sleep, after which Diantha -did some very serious thinking. She made her decision at last, and then -with a deep sigh from her own heart, she fell into a broken, restless -sleep, which morning broke with a glad release. - -What that resolve was, was shadowed forth in her next meeting with John -Stevens. - - - -XXX. - -DIAN IS TRUE TO HER RESOLVE - -It happened that when she came out of her home to attend her Sabbath -services the next Sunday, she found tall, silent John Stevens on her -doorstep, with a peculiar look in his eyes and a very fine new suit of -homespun gray clothing his tall form. - -"Oh," she gasped. Then as with a sudden impulse, "Come on, I am going -to get Ellie as I go along. She must go to meeting with us this -morning." - -Now, as John had not seen Diantha since the memorable ball, and as -he had certainly expected to get a greeting all his own without the -mention of anybody else, he saw occasion to be very much surprised, if -not a little annoyed. But as usual he said nothing, and they walked -along, Diantha laughing with a quick, metallic sound, as if she were -very happy or as if she were trying to conceal some undercurrent of -emotion. John chose to interpret her looks and her manner to mean a -rebuff to him, but he was slow to anger, and not easily disconcerted, -so they strode merrily along the frozen path. - -Ellen was very much surprised to see them enter her door, and she -refused at first to go with them to church, as she had not made ready -therefor, nor did she care to go. Diantha would not hear any excuses, -and carried Ellen upstairs, to prepare hurriedly for the services. - -As they approached the old--but then new--Tabernacle in the southwest -corner of the Temple block, they could hear the organ's strains, -accompanied by the united voices of the choir, as they sang the opening -hymn. They were too late to enter till after the prayer, and so they -stood outside on the step, and, as they stood there, they saw several -officers approaching the door as if to enter the sacred building. - -John at once stepped up to them and inquired casually: - -"Can I be of any service to you, gentlemen?" - -"We wish to attend your divine service this morning," replied Colonel -Saxey, "and we presume it will not be offensive, as we wish merely -to listen to your beautiful choir, of which we have heard so many -complimentary things." - -"Certainly, sir, you will be welcome." But out of John's eyes there -flashed a gleam of hatred and suspicion toward one of the officers who -lingered in the background. It was none other than Captain Sherwood. -Sherwood caught the look and at once was on his guard; with consummate -skill he directed his glances and his whole attention to Diantha. She -returned his looks of admiration with cold, proud contempt, and she -even went so far as to force herself between him and Ellen as they all -passed up the aisle. - -John saw Captain Sherwood cast glances of admiration towards Diantha -Winthrop, and he saw, too, that she forced herself in between Ellen and -Sherwood, but he failed to see the expression on Diantha's face. What -wonder, then, that he drew a wrong conclusion? After this, his whole -thought was centered upon watching the soldier, and he heard nothing -of the eloquent sermon preached by Elder Heber C. Kimball. And very -little did he hear of the really fine singing by the splendid choir of -fifty voices led by Prof. C. J. Thomas, accompanied as it was by the -tender, tuneful playing of that most beautiful and accomplished of all -President Young's pretty daughters, Fanny Young. - -Before the services were half over the officers withdrew, and John -quietly took up his hat and followed them out. He never lost sight of -them until they were mounted on their horses and well out of town. -John wondered what they had come to town for, but he was sure of one -thing, and that was that Diantha Winthrop had once more changed her -fickle mind. Well, John was as proud as he was silent, and he stroked -his beard with long, gentle passes, as he reflected upon life and its -uncertain meaning for him. - -The weeks flew by, filled with excitement, parties, false rumors of -danger, and then again a few days' quiet would give the city a needed -rest and comparative peace. - -Diantha kept so firmly to her resolve that John Stevens could not -secure her hand, even for a quadrille at a dance, as she was always -just engaged. She would not allow him to speak to her one moment in -private, and this so successfully turned his attention to Ellen Tyler -that she breathed freely and felt that the sacrifice had been accepted -and that her friend was saved. - - - -XXXI. - -JOHN ALSO RESOLVES - -The early spring had begun to clothe the towering mountain steeps with -spotted robes of brown, gray and green; over the distant summits, -the fleecy wind-clouds were torn and draggled as they trailed their -white skirts across the sharp edges of the mountain tops. Out on the -hills peeped the lovely rare bulb that the pioneer children called -"sego-lily," and here and there nestled the early, pink star they -called "Sweet Williams;" and rarer still, the tall, intensely blue -bulbous flower that was known as "the blue-bell," hid its precious -beauty beneath the gray walls of its shrubby friend the sage brush. -Everywhere the sego lily nodded with its golden brown heart and its -delicate, pouting lips of creamy white; while children ran and laughed -and quarreled as they dug the mellow, luscious root they called in the -Indian tongue, "segoes." - -Boys began to drive the sheep from the valley winter quarters to the -bunch-grass covered hills above; the herdsman took possession of his -mountain hut beside the cold, moss-covered spring, perched high up in -the tiny valleys of the upper mountain peaks. Out on the hills was -heard the tinkling bell of the sheep, and the call of the herders -echoed from peak to peak as they drove their hungry flocks through the -upper vales. The low, dark green pastures on the marshy lands began to -throw up their mellow juices into feathery wild oat stems, or filled -the reedy grass with thin nectar for the few and very choice cows that -waded around with slow pleasure in the Jordan meadows. - -Down by the Jordan's banks the boys watched the cows through the early -spring days, occasionally plunging into the cool water for a quick -swim, longing for the hot summer days when hours could be spent in the -water of the treacherous stream. Here and there a stray fisherman threw -his rude line into the stream and occasionally caught a mountain trout, -the speckled beauty glistening like silver as he threw it upon the -bank. At break of day, the husbandman--and who was not a husbandman in -those early pioneer times in these valleys?--drove his team afield--not -in the mellow soil known to the home he had left in the East, but -in the hard, uncultivated earth of centuries of sun-baked, rainless -summers, down in the bosom of the barren valleys. He dug out the tall, -gray-spiked sage brush and huge, flaunting sunflowers, and everywhere -he trenched his land in regular lines to train down upon it the cooling -streams which gave life and fertility to the otherwise hopeless soil. - -The first days of April brought the annual Conference, and everyone -in Utah laid aside work and prepared to attend the great three days' -meeting. Men in the city brought into their homes great stores of flour -and food to feed the visitors who would tarry with them during the -Conference. Women cooked meats and pastry, washed and ironed sheets and -quilts and filled the extra straw ticks to make temporary beds in every -spare corner to accommodate their usual country visitors. - -For many miles on all the country roads could be seen teams of all -descriptions wending their way to Conference. A few horses, some mules, -and often great ox-teams plodded their way city-ward. Men, women and -little children cheerfully left their homes and comforts to take -chances of any kind of hospitality for the privilege of attending the -prized semi-annual religious services. - -The yard of the Tithing office was filled with visiting teams and -wagons of every description, and busy women prepared food and comfort -for the hungry multitude gathered there. Children ran about, playing -at hide-and-seek, or chased each other over the ground amid wheels and -wagon tongues, grouped about in semi-confusion. - -It was rather a cold and damp time, therefore the Tabernacle was well -warmed for the people gathered in happy groups for this Friday morning. -What exchanges of greetings were there as brother met brother and -sister greeted sister! Months, perhaps years had elapsed since they -had seen each other. Here was a family just come over from the "old -country" standing up between the benches to greet the throng which -crowded about them to shake their hands, for they had been good to -the "elders" in England, and every elder wanted to take them by the -hand and introduce them to his family. How quaint the old English -pronunciation sounded on those newly imported English tongues, and how -queer the children looked with their little bare, red arms, and their -low, broad-toed shoes and white "pinafores," and how it made the Utah -children laugh and stare to be told by these recent importations to -"give over now, give over;" and how the elder would smile as the jolly -mother of the new arrival would recall his words and ways while amongst -them; and how his merry eyes would sadden and fill with tears as he -heard the story of "our Mary who had died," or, far worse, perchance, -had apostatized in spite of all teachings, and who had been left behind -to her own backsliding ways! What great slaps were bestowed upon broad -backs as Brother So-and-So came up behind Brother What's-His-Name and -thus announced his pleasure at greeting his old-time friend! - -As John Stevens entered the well-warmed and cosy building, a few -minutes before the meeting was called to order, his eye involuntarily -became brighter in sympathy with the merry confusion and bustle which -he witnessed all around him. Everybody was standing up and talking to -everybody else, while on the distant "stand" the elders were indulging -in the same friendly and informal greetings. Crops, the weather, -babies, death, marriage, sermons, soldiers, war, the millennium, new -homespun coats, the possible advent of a woolen mill in the Territory, -carpet looms, shoe lasts, prospective sawmills, and the best recipe -for cooking dried service-berries, all these topics buzzed in endless -variety and confusion around the well-filled hall. - -But hark! all eyes are turned to the stand, as Brigham Young is heard -calling the people to come "to order," and instantly all voices are -stilled; the groups at once settle down into regularity, and the -thoughts of the congregation are fixed upon the words of the heartfelt -opening prayer of Elder Chas. C. Rich. - -As the choir began its second hymn, John turned in his seat to see -if Diantha and Ellen were in their seats in the choir. Yes, Diantha -stood there with her lovely form clad in its classical, simple gown of -homespun, fitting her like a molded glove, while the glorious eyes and -scarlet lips were as beautiful as ever. He looked at her so long, and -as she was unconscious of his gaze, so earnestly, that he forgot to -look for Ellen. - -After the hymn was over, however, he remembered Ellen and he soon -saw that her place among the altos was vacant. Where was Ellen? he -wondered; she was always at meeting. - -John addressed to himself some very severe reflections, and as his mind -left his own affairs and became partly absorbed in the sermon which -Elder Orson Hyde was preaching, he gradually became conscious that he -had formed a resolution. That resolution was to forget Diantha Winthrop -as speedily as possible. - -Now, this was a thing which John had never before contemplated. In all -his past associations with the girl, no matter what coldness, neglect -or discouragements he had experienced, he had never for one moment -despaired of some day winning her for his wife. He knew intuitively -something of human nature, and besides that he had felt in the depths -of his own soul a whispering assurance that the girl belonged to him, -and that his claim to her was one which had existed before they came -to this earth. Therefore he had quietly gone along, never seeking to -urge himself or his attentions upon her nor indeed upon any girl; -he had concealed from her as from everyone else the secret of his -preference, and he had lived for years with the hope in his heart which -made his daily sunshine and sweetened his every night vision. Yet now, -with awakened consciousness on his part, he found himself forming an -invincible resolution never again to permit his thoughts or his love to -go out to this girl who had given him at one time plain encouragement, -and who had since, for no reason whatever, turned upon him a colder, -prouder face than she had ever done in the old days before she had -guessed his secret. - -He sought, with the old Puritanic inheritance of self-investigation, to -fathom the cause of this resolution. He found his mind distracted from -the sermon which had been so interesting, and involuntarily he turned -around to look at Dian herself to see what expression she had now upon -her face, and to see if perchance her looks might have had something to -do with this strange decision. She looked as serene, as unconscious, -as a statue. Her face looked slightly weary, as if she, too, had lost -interest in the sermon, and her thoughts were on something else. But -she did not look at John, and even if she knew where he sat, she seemed -to avoid meeting his eyes. - -As John's gaze left her witching face, and his eyes traveled over the -choir seats, he observed Ellie's vacant seat, and he felt suddenly -that Ellie had something to do with this decision. What and how did -Ellie effect this? John was not an impulsive man, his thoughts were -deep and rather slow in forming. He allowed his mind to play upon this -thought which had come to him, and it seemed to him that a veritable -inspiration flashed upon him that Ellie was in danger, and that she -needed him. He had no superstitious notion that he could hear Ellen -calling him, that is the way he would have put it to himself; yet if he -had been a more imaginative man, he would have said that he could hear -her voice in his soul pleading for help in her hour of extremest peril. - -However it was, he was so strongly impressed that he struggled as long -as he could to restrain the feeling which gave him no peace, until he -finally arose and went out of the meeting, and hastened down to the -home of the Tylers, and inquired for Ellen. Aunt Clara was at home, -getting dinner for the rest of the folks who had gone to meeting, and -she answered his knock at the door. - -"Ellie, why, she is not well this morning, and she is still in bed. -She did not sleep much last night, and I told her to lie still this -morning, and she could perhaps go to meeting this afternoon." - -John sat and chatted a while with his old friend, Aunt Clara, but he -did not mention the dreadful impression which he had felt that morning, -and he told himself again and again what a silly thing it was for him -to give way to such notions. - -He heard later from Tom Allen that Ellen was at the afternoon meeting -and he added that fact to the scolding he had administered that morning -to himself, and assured himself that there was plenty of time to try -and persuade pretty Ellen Tyler to accept him and his home as her -future destiny. - - - -XXXII. - -"SOUR GRAPES" - -A few hours later, just in the cool edge of the late afternoon, John -found himself eagerly looking over some new daguerreotypes of various -of his friends in the shop of Marcena Cannon, the photographer, on -Main Street. He was so busily engaged that he did not notice the -slight noisy wrangle of some drunken men on the street until he saw a -group of them darken the small doorway of the tiny shop. As his glance -caught the fact that they were soldiers, he withdrew into the shadow -and waited for developments. He was unwilling to embroil himself with -these men, and yet he had caught sight of the dissolute face of Captain -Sherwood in the crowd, and John remained to watch. - -"Hello, Mr. Cannon," cried the tipsy captain, "we want our pictures -taken. Can you take the picture of a gentleman as well as the ugly mugs -of these d--d Mormons?" - -The face of the photographer was drawn into a sneer of contempt for the -insult thus offered himself and his associates, but he only said: - -"Men in my profession must be as willing to try their hands at painting -a fool as they are to take the likeness of an honest man. Are there any -honest men in your party who want to pose before my camera?" - -For answer the captain only leered about the shop, pausing unsteadily -before first one picture and then another; finally he caught sight -of a large daguerreotype of President Brigham Young, done by the -enterprising pioneer photographer Marcena Cannon. Steadying himself in -front of this picture, Sherwood raised his pistol, and shot through it, -the bullet embedding itself in the wall behind. His marksmanship was -so unsteady that only the corner of the canvas was riddled; but the -soldiers surrounded their captain at once, fearing that his overt act -might precipitate some trouble. Sherwood yelled out as his shot rang -into the dim silence of the room: - -"That's the way I'd serve the old scoundrel if I could get him in the -same place." - -Instantly the room filled with street-loungers, although the sound was -no unusual one in those unhappy Salt Lake days. As the smoke cleared -away, Captain Sherwood found himself looking down the muzzle of John -Stevens' own revolver, while a cool, grating voice hissed in his ear: - -"Git out, vermin." - -The soldier, sobered by his own folly, found his small squad of men -were vastly outnumbered by the civilian police who now crowded into the -tiny room, and without further parley he assumed a braggart air, and -swaggered out of the place. - -"'He who runs away'," quoth Charlie Rose, who was at John's elbow by -this time, "'may live to fight another day.' But then again he may not. -You can't sometimes always tell. Little Captain Sherwood may reach the -place of his own seeking sooner than he anticipates." - -The incident only served the better to reveal the unprincipled -character of a man whom already poor John hated with a righteous vigor. - -As the drunken captain, now somewhat sobered by his recent escapade, -clanked noisily down Main Street, followed by his squad, he saw -Diantha, clad in her usual comely habit, coming toward him. Instantly -alert to any possible results of this chance encounter, Captain -Sherwood straightened himself, and endeavored to assume his usual -elegant swagger. But if he had removed the traces of his recent debauch -from his walk, it still lingered in the dusky flame which burned in -cheeks and chin, and above all there still glittered in the dusk of -his leering eyes that signal of danger which thrills every weak human -creature who beholds that black flag. Captain Sherwood sober had much -to recommend him to polite society--but Captain Sherwood drunk betrayed -the devil within him. Drunk or sober, he was the acme of grace, and -it was with customary lightness that he swept off his blue cap and -carrying it to his heart he bowed low with exaggerated politeness to -the frightened girl, now opposite him. - -With small trace of the raging fear within her, the girl turned her -head proudly away, and with a slight motion of mingled fear and disgust -she drew her skirts aside as if to avoid possible contact, and walked -coldly on, leaving a short, dismayed silence behind her, as the men -watched with common interest this second rout of their dissolute -companion and superior officer. - -"You won't speak to me?" the captain muttered thickly to himself; -"well, my tragedy queen, I know somebody who will." - -To his men he only gave the word of command and the party were soon -astride of their horses and riding rapidly into the south. - -It was Diantha's first experience with such evil forces; and after she -was well out of sight she flew to her home, with her heart clamoring -at her throat for swift release. Flinging herself down upon her knees -she buried her face in her pillow as she sobbed out her broken prayers -to that living Father whose tender protection she had never before -sought with such abject humility. After her heart had ceased to pound -in her neck, she scolded herself for a stupid coward of a girl--to be -frightened in broad daylight, and on Main Street, where there were -plenty of good men to protect her in case of real danger. Fright -has no reason, has only eyes to see and ears to hear the nameless -possibilities which sweep the spirit out into formless space. Presently -the still small voice of reason reached her consciousness, and as -thought settled quietly down upon its throne in her troubled soul, the -question flashed along her mind: "Why is that man hanging around Great -Salt Lake City so often of late?" Then--"Ellen?" was questioned and -answered in a second illuminating thrill of pain. - -Without another moment's hesitation, Diantha sprang up, bathed her -face, and the fear that had oppressed her for her own safety was -transferred to her friend. - -Ellen was churning in her cool, quiet buttery. She greeted Diantha -coldly, then bade her bring a chair for herself from the kitchen. - -"No, I will stand," answered Dian, too excited yet to talk calmly. -"I have had such a fright!" And she proceeded to relate her recent -experiences, not adding to nor taking from one single point; the truth -was brutal enough to this sheltered, pure-minded, unsophisticated girl. -With that awful truth she had come to warn and shield her dearest -friend. - -Ellen listened with her brooding eyes fixed upon her frothing -churn-dash. When the story was fairly told, she offered no word of -comment. - -"What do you think of that?" asked Dian, anxious to obtain her friend's -point of view. - -"I don't think anything," Ellen said, at last. - -"Why, Ellie, he was dead drunk." - -"How could you tell such a thing as that?" asked Ellen, judicially. -"What do you or I know about drunken men?" - -"Oh, his eyes, and his red face--and--and--everything--" stammered -Diantha, confused to be thus put at a disadvantage, and upon the -witness-stand. "And there was something so terrible about him every way -that I just shuddered when he looked into my eyes." - -Still Ellen refused to discuss the matter. Dian persisted: - -"You can't think what a fright I was in. If you could have just seen -him--" - -The sullen listener busied herself with her churn. And at last, she sat -down to work over her butter. - -"Ellie," coaxed Diantha, "what do you think about the thing, anyway?" - -The weak, delicate character of the love-sick Ellen had been turned -from its own natural candid sweetness into the gall of secretive -obstinacy, by her concealed passion; and when she was thus adjured, she -simply raised her dash to clean off the remaining globes of gold, as -she said, tartly: - -"If you want to know what I think about you, Dianthy Winthrop, I'll -tell you--'sour grapes'!" - -Diantha was too frankly surprised for a moment to do aught but stare -stupidly at the lowered face opposite her. Then suddenly comprehending, -she said icily, her lips drawing into a sharp line across her face: - -"Do you think I have made up all this story? That I am jealous? Jealous -of a vile, wicked soldier? Oh, Ellen, you surely can't think such a -terrible thing as that!" - -"Would it be the first time you've been jealous of me?" asked the girl. -Dian's truthful memory received this home-thrust in silence; but she -was not thus to be thrown from her purpose. - -"But, Ellen, he was drunk! Drunk, I tell you! And he is not fit to wipe -your shoes on." - -"Sour grapes," muttered the scornful lips of the girl before her. - -"Ellen Tyler, I came here with an honest desire to give you a friendly -warning. I don't imagine for one moment that you need it any more than -I do, or that you are not just as good and just as wise as I am--maybe -more so. But I am beginning to see things as they are: the glamor and -glory and romance which once so fascinated me is fading away, thank -God--anyway as it relates to men who drink and carouse or who do wrong. -And especially do I begin to see how unsafe we are associating with -any man outside this Church and kingdom. I have done my best to warn -you, as Aunt Clara and my brother have warned us both time and time -again. We are two orphaned girls, but God has sent us repeated warnings -through our best friends and guardians to listen and obey. We girls -may or may not come to harm when we follow our own path, but we can -never come to a good end if we disobey the counsels of those who have a -right to give us such counsel. I am going to try and heed that warning -counsel. I dare not disobey. It is bred in my very bone to give heed to -the voice of wisdom. I felt a strong impression that you needed this -warning, too, and I have given it. I think now that I shall go to Aunt -Clara and tell her exactly what I have told you." - -Ellen's eyes lifted quickly. But with the subtle deceit of a weak, -inwardly-selfish soul she said, smoothly: - -"Don't bother to tell Aunt Clara, Dian. You have told me, and I will -remember all you say. It might only worry Aunt Clara when there is no -need." - -Only half convinced, but wholly appeased by this seeming flag of truce, -Diantha chatted with her friend awhile on indifferent things and then -went away, resolved to seek some convenient opportunity after the -Conference was well over to have a long talk with Aunt Clara. - -Alas, that we wait for these laggard opportunities, instead of boldly -going out to meet them in the highway! It is well to consider well -before we do evil, but good should be done on the impulse. - -The next morning, which was Sunday, Ellen was at her post in the choir, -and John hurried home from meeting at noon to make arrangements with -a friend to take his place in the evening so that he could spend that -Sunday evening visiting with Ellen. - -All afternoon he gently forced his mind to dwell solely and wholly upon -the real sweetness and charm of pretty Ellen Tyler. He fancied what -a dear little wife she would make and he drew all sorts of domestic -pictures of what home with such a fond little wife would be. He knew -she was good, true, lovely, and although weak in some points, he was -sure that marriage would give her all the strength and force necessary -for her perfection as a woman and as a saint. Yes, John had decided to -marry--not Dian Winthrop, but sweet, impulsive, pretty Ellen Tyler--if -he could get her! If he could! Ah, if he only could! - - - -XXXIII. - -WHERE IS ELLEN? - -As the chill evening closed in that Sabbath night when the city -was stilled of all its Conference bustle,--for Conference had been -adjourned to meet again in six months--John Stevens hurried down to -spend the quiet evening hours with Ellen Tyler. He had resolved to ask -her to be his wife, and if she happily consented, he should insist that -no delays of months or even weeks were necessary, but the sweet June -month, not far away with its rose-blown days and its fragrant, mellow -nights, should see their wedding day with its tender promise of loving -reality. - -"Well, Aunt Clara," he said to that good lady, "I am here again, you -see. Who comes so often as I do?" - -"No one that is half so welcome," she answered gently, with her kindly -smile. "Come right in, John, and let me take your hat." - -"How are you all, Aunt Clara, and I suppose I may as well out with it: -where is Ellie?" - -"We are well, John, and so is Ellie. She got over her little sick spell -all right, and went to meeting this morning. But she is not at home -tonight, nor will she be for a few days. I let her go home with the -Meachams, who live in Provo, you know. I have had to be away from home -so much this winter and spring, nursing the sick, that Ellen has been -real lonesome. I felt a little sorry to let her go, for I don't like -our girls away from home these times. However, you know I can't always -have my way, and Ellen teased so long, and Brother Meacham said he -would be very careful of her, and as she promised to be back inside of -two weeks, I just had to let her go." - -"Where did the Meachams stay, while they were here, Aunt Clara? Did -they put up with you?" - -"Oh, no; you know we had all of Jane's folks from Davis County, and we -had eight of the new arrivals from England, some folks that Brother -Kimball told to come here; they had been so kind to him while he was in -England." - -"I wonder where the Meachams did stay, then?" asked John, uneasily. - -"I ain't sure, but I think they camped in the Tithing Yard; you know -they have a good wagon, and as they are pretty independent, they would -rather do for themselves than to stay with anyone, unless it was an own -brother or sister." - -John picked up his hat with his usual slow, decisive motion, and -refusing Aunt Clara's warm invitation to stay awhile and chat with -her, he left the house, with his long, swinging strides, and was soon -out of the gate, on his way to the Tithing Yard. He did not stop to -ask himself why he was going there, for he knew that most of the teams -which had camped there would be on their hurried way for home, as soon -as the Conference was once closed. Yet he walked as rapidly as was -possible for him, and he told himself that all he hoped to find out was -what hour the Meachams left, and who else was with Ellen Tyler. - -It was a dark night in the early spring. Once inside the yard he made -his way through the mass of debris and over outstretched wagon tongues -to the one lone campfire burning brightly in a distant corner of the -yard. The children were sitting with sleepy, bent heads upon their -mother's knees, listening with all but unconscious ears as one or -another gave the company the benefit of some imitation of Yorkshire -dialect, or spun a yarn in canny Scotch. As John approached the group, -he noted one face, with a positive start. - -"James Meacham," he called out, unable to contain himself, "I thought -you were on your road to Provo. I was told you had started this -afternoon; and also, that you had Ellen Tyler with you, who was going -with your wife and daughter to make a short visit. How is it I find you -here?" - -"Well, Brother John, you find me here because I am not there; I did -not start, because I was not ready to start. And I haven't seen your -precious young friend, Ellen Tyler; no more has my wife, nor my girl -Maggie, I think. She was to be here tonight to let us know if she could -go down with us. And what's more, I am wondering why it is you are so -particular to know. Are you going to marry that fine young woman?" - -"Where is Sister Meacham?" asked John, in a low tone, unheeding his -friend's raillery. - -"She is just gone to bed in the wagon. Here, Maggie," he called, at the -side of the wagon, as he led the way for John, "here's John Stevens -huntin' up pretty Ellie Tyler." - -"Sister Meacham, have you seen Ellen today, and do you know whether she -went to Provo with anyone else?" - -"Why, Brother Stevens, I saw Ellie yesterday, and she told me she was -going to go with us down to Provo for a day or two, but she hasn't -been around today, and as I thought maybe she was wanting to get a -bit readier. I asked James to wait all night and we would go down to -Tyler's in the morning on our way out of town and pick Ellie up. Have -you been down to her house? I guess she is there, all right." - -John said a few hurried words, and then hastened away in the silent -night, leaving the Meachams with a little wonder on their minds, but -no suspicion of anything serious. He remembered that Ellen often -stayed at Winthrops over night when Aunt Clara had to be out nursing, -and he would go there before he gave way to the horrible doubts and -fears that were nearly overmastering him. His knock at the door was -answered by Diantha herself, and she held out her hand to John with a -pretty attempt which began at serious coldness, but which ended like -an invitation to forgive and forget. John did not see her outstretched -hand. He was too full of other emotions to even see the welcoming -sparkle in her blue eyes. He merely took off his hat and asked -laconically: - -"Is Ellen Tyler over here?" - -"No, I've hardly seen Ellen for weeks, that is, except at a distance." -Her manner was cold at once. He had come hunting another girl. - -John's next words dispelled this coldness, and communicated to her -something of the excited fears which tore the breast of the man before -her. - -"Diantha, Ellen Tyler left her home this afternoon just after meeting, -telling Aunt Clara that she was going to Provo with James Meacham's -family to spend a fortnight. Aunt Clara is near worn out with nursing -and Conference visitors, and consented to let Ellie go for two weeks. -Ellen took her clothes with her, and bade them all goodbye. She is not -with the Meachams, who are still encamped in the Tithing Yard, nor is -she at home nor here. Where is she?" - -Diantha looked with fixed, widening eyes at the pale face before her, -and she repeated slowly and mechanically, as if too stunned to think: - -"Where is she?" - - - -XXXIV. - -IS SHE AT THE CHASE MILL? - -Diantha turned without another word to John, and, flying upstairs, she -was down in a moment, with a shawl thrown around her shoulders and head. - -"Come," she said, breathlessly. - -"Where are you going?" - -"Over to Aunt Clara, to ask her what to do. My brother Appleton is -away, and Aunt Clara will know better than anyone else what to do." - -They sped along in the cool, spring evening, not exchanging one word, -for both hearts were heavy with the weight of remorse. Each knew that -the word of inspiration had warned both that Ellen was on dangerous -ground, and each knew that the word had not been heeded to the extent -that it should have been. - -"Oh, for one moment to undo the past," was the pitiful tale which each -heart was telling its silent listener. - -Aunt Clara's face whitened with a pallor like their own when the whole -story had been told; but in spite of the sure feeling of catastrophe -which assailed all three, Aunt Clara was too wise to allow fear to -master her. - -"Now, don't go to imagining that Ellen has run away because we can't -just now get trace of her. Everything will turn out all right. You -haven't half looked for her. She may have gone down with the Harpers -instead of the Meachams. Or, she may have gone out to the Chase Mill, -for you remember she did not see me the very last minute. She bade us -goodbye before we went to meeting, for she said she would not wait till -we got home, we always stay so long talking, and she wanted to get off. -No, the thing to do tonight is to find out if she is at the Chase Mill. -You see, if the Meachams have not gone, she may have found a chance to -go down to the mill over night, thinking she could go on with them in -the morning." - -There was a very faint glimmering of hope in this suggestion, and -without saying anything further, it was arranged that John should get -permission from the President for a three days' absence from his duties -as night guardsman, and then he should come for both Aunt Clara and -Dian in his own light spring wagon with a cover, for Dian would not -listen to the others going without her. She felt so unhappy that she -could scarcely bear her own sorrow, and she would have followed them -on foot, so great was her anxiety to know the whole truth about her -beloved friend. - -She sat with Aunt Clara, telling her, now that it was too late, all -the things that she knew and suspected of Ellen; of the night of the -Christmas ball and of her subsequent determination to give John up -entirely to Ellen; and of how Ellen had avoided her all winter, and -how she had not broken through her reserve, for she had thought it was -due to a little jealousy on Ellen's part on account of John. She also -told her of how skilfully Ellen had parried all her questions and all -attempts to draw her out the night they slept together; lastly she told -of their stormy interview the day before. - -All this the girl told with streaming eyes, and broken, sobbing -breaths. Her self-reproach and agony were terrible, and Aunt Clara -wisely allowed the first flood of her grief to spend itself before -she interrupted or tried to calm the excited girl. At last, however, -the elder woman saw a chance to relieve in a measure the unnecessary -remorse, and she asked gently: - -"Has Ellen ever told you she was in love with the soldier you speak of?" - -"No, no indeed. The very last time we had a confidential talk, she said -almost in as many words that she would give anything in this world if -John Stevens would fall in love with her. But that was last winter, -and I have treated him as coldly as I possibly could ever since, for -Ellie's sake." - -"Diantha, you are taking more of this on yourself than you have any -need to do; you have not helped Ellen to do wrong, and if you spoke -once to this wicked soldier, it was but for the once. Purity does not -consist in never being at fault, or knowing what temptation is, but -it is to resist that which on reflection we know to be wrong. Ellen -ought to understand this as well as you do, dear, for, oh, I have -tried to train her aright. I love her as my own life. I have spent -many an hour in trying to persuade her to avoid temptation. I know -the poor, dear girl is vain, and that makes her weak. She lacks the -strength which helps us to keep our own good opinion of ourselves. She -loves admiration and pleasure so well that, always, even as a child, -she would sacrifice anything else on earth for it." Poor Aunt Clara -was trying to drown her own self-reproaches with philosophy and moral -reflection. - -"But oh, to think of Ellen gone away, and to such a horrible doom! It -is too awful," and again the girl broke into a sobbing fit. It was -Dian's first real grief, her first experience of life and its deepest -trials. - -"Diantha, I can see where I have failed with my poor Ellie; I have -been so anxious to nurse and help to save the sick bodies of the poor -and destitute and to administer food and raiment to the needy, that I -have been at times forgetful and careless of the sick and needy soul of -my precious child, who is like the child of my own body. True, I did -not suspect anything of what you are now telling me. But this is not -wisdom. Let us not mourn over the past, but mend the future." - -At that moment John drove up, and the three rode away in the late -evening darkness, to visit the Chase Mill, on the outskirts of the -city, and find out if Ellen had been there. Aunt Clara's surmise was -correct; Ellen had ridden down there, according to the old gentleman -who tended the mill, which lay just southeast of the city. Ellen came -there alone, he said, and asked for a drink of milk. She also took some -bread and butter, for she said she expected to be taken up either by -the Meachams or the Harpers, and she was going to spend two weeks in -Provo, visiting her many friends in that place. - -"How did Ellen get here?" inquired John. - -"She said she came down as far as the mill with Brother Sheets. She -stayed with me here about an hour, and then, seeing a dust outside -coming down the main road, she walked over there, carrying her bundle -of clothes, and waited for the teams. I was busy getting up the cows -and feeding the stock, and did not think any more about it for about -an hour, and when I looked out to the main road for her, she was gone. -I went right out, and happened to meet a team going south, and I asked -the driver if the Meachams or the Harpers had gone on that way a little -while before, and he said he thought the Harpers were just ahead of -him, as they drove out of the city about half an hour before he did. -So, of course, she has gone down to Prove. If you want to stay over -night, I will rig up some straw ticks, and make you as comfortable as I -can." - -Aunt Clara could never feel satisfied to go back to the city without -learning something definite and sure about their missing girl; and so -it was decided to wait over night at the farm house, and to start very -early in the morning for Provo, and bring back their loved wanderer -with them on their return next day. - - - -XXXV. - -ON TO PROVO - -What conflicting emotions swayed that little party of three as they -rode rapidly along the next day towards the town of Provo! - -Diantha had chosen to sit by John on the front seat, both to -accommodate Aunt Clara, who was stout, and to comfort her own miserable -heart, by resting on his great, fortress-like personality. She was too -weak just now to stand alone, as she had done all her life. She was -discovering that she was a true woman, and she needed someone to lean -on in her hour of woe. - -"John," she said, "do you remember when we came home last year from -Provo, how we met those soldiers, almost here it was?" and then that -brought up the thought all were trying to put away, and Aunt Clara -interrupted: - -"I wonder where the folks stayed all night! They couldn't drive clear -through to Provo after meeting was out yesterday afternoon. We didn't -think to inquire at Dr. Dunyon's at the point of the mountain, if they -stayed there over night." - -"I will ask at the Bishop's as we pass through Lehi, if he saw the -Harpers on the road today." - -Accordingly, they drove to the Bishop's, in Lehi, and he told them he -had seen the Harpers driving along early that morning, but they did not -stop over in the settlement. - -"Did you notice if they had two or three girls with them? They had a -grown daughter of their own, and Ellen Tyler came down with them. I was -wondering if she sat on the front seat." - -This was said as indifferently as it was possible, for John did not -want to arouse unnecessary suspicion or cause unnecessary talk. - -"Well, I can't say that I noticed. They had the wagon cover tied up -at the sides, and there were women or girls inside, for I heard them -laughing and singing as they passed by our fence." - -This was cheering, and John consented, although somewhat reluctantly, -to accept the Bishop's kindly invitation to stop and have some dinner, -for he realized the women ought to eat, even if it were impossible for -him to do so. It took some time for the worthy Bishop's wife to cook -dinner, and she was very anxious to get the best she had, for John -Stevens was an old friend, and he had done them many a good turn. Good -as the dinner was, no one seemed able to eat much, although John drank -some of the rich, cold milk which the Bishop's wife brought up from the -springhouse. - -It was past three o'clock when they left Lehi, and there were twenty -miles to drive to Provo. But John's team was a fine one, and at seven -o'clock in the evening, just at the early spring dusk, as they neared -the edge of the bench overlooking Provo, they all strained with hungry, -eager eyes at the little town stretched along the river bottoms, and -each hoped and tried to believe that the object of their search was -sheltered beneath one of those low, friendly roofs. - -Diantha told herself that when she got hold of Ellen she would squeeze -her and pet her until she would never need the love of another person. -She would never leave her side again, for she would either forsake her -own home to live with Ellen, or she would coax Aunt Clara to let Ellen -live with her. And oh, what would she not do to make Ellen happy! She -remembered that Ellen did not like to make beds, or wash dishes. Well, -she would never have that to do again, for she would take all that work -off Ellen's slender hands. She did not mind it, and Ellen should never -have to do anything she disliked again. - -On the other hand, the more experienced head of Aunt Clara was -cogitating about the possible future when they found and brought -the dear wanderer home, and she decided that Ellen must take up and -faithfully perform some of the disagreeable things which all her -life she had slighted and slipped over. She felt that perhaps she, -herself, had favored Ellen too much, in that she had allowed her to -please herself always, and that too, often at the expense of the -comfort and rights of others. She saw now that what Ellen needed was -not less affection, but more discipline, to learn that happiness does -not consist in gratification of one's own wishes and desires, but in -the cheerful sacrifice of self for the good and comfort of others. She -realized now that her Ellen had that inner selfishness clothed with an -outer lavish extravagance which deceives and entices the best of casual -friends. Ellen would give up anything but her own vain pleasures. Aunt -Clara had become so accustomed to sacrificing herself for those around -her, that she began to fear lest she had thus deprived others of that -chastening discipline. She resolved again and again that she would take -up another line of action with her loved child, who was as dear as if -she had been her own offspring. - -John's thoughts were too deep to be discernible from his composed yet -pale face, and he said nothing, unless questioned by the others, but -guided his team with a firm yet gentle hand. - -The low door of the Harpers' home opened at John's knock, and the girl -Jenny, herself, opened it. - -"Ellie Tyler? Oh, no, we haven't seen her. She said Saturday in meeting -that she might come down with us, or she would come with the Meachams, -and she has promised to spend one week with me. I guess she is on the -road with the Meachams." - -John knew better than that, but he would not set tongues to wagging, -and so he said again, in his quiet, yet now wily way: - -"Did you see that officer from Camp Floyd as you drove out of the city -last night? I understand he has been attending our meetings. I wonder -if any of those soldiers are really interested in our Church?" - -The girl caught eagerly at the bait he had so skilfully flung. - -"Oh, yes, I saw him. He had a spanking team, and he passed us just -before we got to Chase's mill. He was alone, though, and if he was at -meeting yesterday I didn't see him. But I believe he was there Saturday -with some more soldiers." - -John had caught the door post as she spoke, and he leaned against -his arm heavily, as he said, huskily, still determined to avoid all -unnecessary talk: - -"We are going to find Ellen, as there is to be a theater in the Social -Hall at the end of the week, and she is needed to take a small part. We -will find her all right; thank you." - -John got out to the carriage, and in a husky voice he repeated what had -been told him, and he added: - -"I am going to Bishop Miller's and get a fresh team and drive out to -Camp Floyd tonight. You can both stay at the Bishop's all night, and I -will arrange to have you driven home tomorrow." - -"I shall not stay all night in Provo," said Diantha, harshly. "I will -walk if you will not take me, but I am going to Camp Floyd myself this -night." - -"Get in, John," said Aunt Clara's quiet voice, "and drive on to the -Bishop's and get your team. We will sit out in the carriage, and -you needn't say to anyone that we are with you, for I am anxious as -yourself to keep people from talking. We are both going with you." - -John was already driving heedlessly down the street, for he had neither -time nor words to waste. - -Not a word was spoken, for miles, by the three who rode so rapidly -along the dusty, rough new road which stretched ghostlike along the -barren valley between the tiny settlements in Utah Valley, and the -distant encampment on the other side of the western hills. - -As they flew along in the bright young moonlight, the swift light -clouds anon parted and then banked up again, thus alternately revealing -and concealing the scene about them; at each side of the road the -great bristling sagebrush which covered the plain rose up like a high, -rough hedge. Here and there a startled rabbit flew over the lower sage -bushes, losing himself in the faint moonlight and the distance. The -lake now lay before them, now behind them, like a dark, purple shadow, -its quiet ripples untouched by breeze, and unbroken by any current. The -dark mountains shut them in, and as they neared the western rim, it -seemed as if a wall of impenetrable gloom shut off further progress; -but a narrow defile led through the low hills, and on they sped. - -In the near distance a coyote yelped in shrill hunger, or answered -his mate's warning cry from the distant foothills. The cool air grew -chill around them, and Aunt Clara drew her own shawl about her, and -threw upon Dian's unconscious shoulders the extra shawl she herself had -remembered to add to their hasty preparations. - -As they neared the dusky group of tents in the outer village across -the stream from Camp Floyd even John was startled as a voice sang out -suddenly: - -"Who goes there?" - -John saw the gleam of a musket barrel as the sentinel stepped from -behind the cedar tree. - -"A friend," John answered. "Harney's the word," and John thanked his -happy fate that he had by accident or inspiration hit upon the right -pass-word. The sentinel lowered the musket, and as he approached the -carriage, Diantha shrank with a nameless terror of the night and its -unknown perils close to John's side. Without a word, John put out -his arm, and drew her to him, as if to shield her from even the gaze -of wicked men; and thus he held her close while he parleyed with the -soldier. - - - -XXXVI. - -AT CAMP FLOYD - -"I have important business to present to your commander. I bear with me -letters and orders from President Brigham Young, endorsed by Governor -Cumming. I must see General Johnston at once." - -Diantha knew then that John had prepared himself for this before he -had left the city, and she bowed her head in shame for all it implied -concerning her beloved Ellen. - -"I will leave you, Aunt Clara and Diantha," he said, as he drove on, -"at the house of one of our people at the edge of the camp, while I go -in and learn what I can from the commander. You will be perfectly safe, -for Brother Hicks is the storekeeper, and he has his wife with him, and -three grown boys. Wait here till I come for you." - -John lifted Aunt Clara out, and gave the brother who came to the -carriage directions to get her something to eat, for she was nearly -worn out with her long and rough ride. Then he turned to the carriage, -and taking Dian in his great strong arms, he lifted her to the ground, -and without a word, he led her into the house, and shut the door -between them. - -He left the carriage at the house, and proceeded to the sleeping -encampment on foot. It was midnight, and everything was dark and silent -around the white-tented grounds. However, General Johnston arose at -once in answer to the call, and with a slightly disgusted face listened -to the story told by John. - -"You will find Captain Sherwood in his own quarters, and you are at -liberty to put whatever question you may choose to him, for Captain -Sherwood has received strict orders on that subject from my own lips. -My officers are gentlemen, and the soldiers are as decent and orderly -as common men in any walk of life. I can't see on what grounds Governor -Cumming interferes with my discipline in this way." - -The general was intensely annoyed over the whole matter. Evidently a -girl more or less was nothing to him. His rest and his discipline were -of more consequence than all the women in the country. Yet he could -not ignore the request of the Territorial executive, and so John was -allowed to depart with permission to go where he pleased in the camp, -and to secure and take away all the girls and women he could find or -might choose to befriend. John found his way to the officers' tents, -and as he approached them, he saw the light of a cigar in the front of -one. He gave the pass-word and asked: - -"May I inquire if I am near the tent of Captain Sherwood? I have -business of importance with him." - -"My name is Saxey," came the answer out of the darkness, and as the -cigar was thrown away the colonel threw up the tent door and said: - -"Come in, sir, whoever you are." - -"My name is Stevens, and I am from Great Salt Lake City. I have reason -to believe that Captain Sherwood has abducted a young girl from our -midst, one Ellen Tyler. As she is the step-daughter of a widowed aunt, -I have been authorized by the Governor and have received permission -from your commander to do what I can to recover the young lady. Where -can I find Captain Sherwood?" - -John felt willing that any of them should know the object of his -visit, for he keenly suspected that they must many of them be aware -of it, anyway. Colonel Saxey stood toying with a small dagger on his -low stand, and his kind face expressed something of the anxiety this -disclosure had upon him. It was with a different tone of voice to that -used by General Johnston that he replied: - -"I have not seen any strange girl around the camp lately, but I am -free to confess to you that Sherwood was not here at all yesterday. -We only review twice a week, and so the commander did not know of his -absence--an absence without leave, I must also confess. But I do not -think that anything serious has happened, my dear Mr. Stevens. On the -contrary, I hope you will find all your suspicions are groundless. -Captain Sherwood is a gentleman." He winced a little as the familiar -form of defense of a friend slipped from his lips. "I have every reason -to believe that if you should find that the young lady you speak of has -run away with the captain, he will marry her at once, even if he has -not already done so." - -John Stevens said nothing, but slowly stroked his beard, as he stood -impatiently waiting to hunt the "gallant" captain up. The soldier -noted the fiery gleam and glitter in the scintillating eyes of the -mountaineer, and he felt that Sherwood would need all his skill to -meet such a foe under any circumstances. He said no more, however, but -silently led the way from his tent to Captain Sherwood's tent door. - -A determined call brought out the sleepy orderly, who told Colonel -Saxey that Sherwood had been away since yesterday morning, and he did -not know anything about him. Saxey had feared this would be the result, -but he stood uncertain for a moment. Then turning to Stevens he said: - -"Come," and they glided out into the night, leaving the drowsy orderly -to return to his broken slumber. - -They passed rapidly through the outer lines, after giving the night -pass-word, and once beyond the chance of being overheard by soldiers -within the camp and stragglers within the village, Colonel Saxey paused -in the high sagebrush around them, and drawing near the tall, shadowy -form of his companion, he said, distinctly but softly: - -"I believe you are a good man; I have seen a little of this matter, -and I did what I could to avert this disaster. I cannot tell you all -I know; it would be dishonorable. I want you to promise me one thing, -and that is, that no matter what has happened, you will not commit a -greater crime to avenge yourself of a wrong. Murder will not wipe out -sin. And there is hate enough in the Territory as it is." - -"I am not a common butcher," said John, gloomily. - -"I have nothing farther to say. But there is a small log cabin not far -from here, where Sherwood sometimes stays at nights." He started to -go back to his quarters; then turning back, he paused as if to speak. -John waited, but no word came from the trembling lips of the agitated -soldier. - -John hurried away, too anxious to wait longer, and the colonel again -slowly bent his way in the dim, midnight darkness, to the sleeping -village of the white tents, and as he passed the outer guard, he -murmured: - -"Have I done right, or have I done a cowardly thing?" - -The guard touched his cap, and said: - -"I did not understand you, sir." - -"No matter," answered the colonel, as he passed on more rapidly to his -tent. - -"The girl may yet be saved, or he may be made to marry her," he -muttered, as he threw up his own tent door. - - - -XXXVII. - -"DEAD OR DISGRACED?" - -John sped away between the high sagebrush and willows which skirted the -stream running along west from camp. At one place he found himself on -the bank and saw that the ditch ran far below in a small gully. - -He could hear nothing, nor could he see any signs of human habitation. -He turned his steps in another direction and hurried onward in his -zigzag course, straining his eyes in the fading moonlight of the -evening for sight of a habitation. - -All at once he heard a distant or smothered cry. He stopped at once, -and as he could hear nothing further, he fancied that he must have been -mistaken, or that it was the screech of a far-away mountain lion. He -turned again in his tracks, and by some instinct ran back to the hidden -stream which flowed along down in the deep gully. That scream again! -and he was sure it was a woman's voice. He flew now in the direction -from which it had come. The moon was down, and he could see nothing -but shadows and gloom, accustomed as he was to piercing these mountain -nights with his keen, far-sighted eyes. - -Again and again that scream, and this time he saw, not many rods -distant from him, a door flung open, for it threw a stream of light -across the brush between him and the cabin. He ran on and on, jumping -over the brush occasionally and panting harder as his bounds drew him -nearer the source of those piercing screams. A man's curses and three -successive shots rang out upon the air, mingled with screams, then a -hideous laugh in a harsh voice that was still a woman's, and John could -just see a flying figure bound out from the door and disappear in the -depths of the shadows of the gully. - -"You she-devil!" yelled a man, as he dashed away after the figure -flying away in the darkness. - -John hesitated a moment whether to follow the two who had run away, or -to make straight for the cabin; he chose the latter, and with hasty -bounds, he was soon at the door with his eyes fixed upon a figure -stretched upon the floor. - -It was Ellen! A moment, and he was beside her, trying to stanch the -pistol shot wound in her gaping neck, and calling softly under his -breath for her to open her eyes. - -He did not hear the heavy steps behind him, but he turned to meet the -black, blazing eyes of Louisiana Liz, peeping in the door behind him, -her smoking pistol still in her hand, and then he heard the woman howl -with wicked laughter: - -"You sought your flown bird too late, for the huntsman found her heart -and the keen arrow of hate found her throat almost as soon. Ha, ha, ha!" - -John's blood curdled in his veins, and he held the dying girl closer to -him as he bent his head over her. - -Ellie opened her eyes as she felt John's presence, and whispered -painfully, "Tell Aunt Clara to forgive me; I am so sorry. I -am--so--sorry--" - -John never knew how he allowed that sweet life to flicker out, for he -felt as if he could arise and grapple with Death himself and conquer -the grim destroyer of all this beauty and youth. - -"Well, my long-bearded friend," gasped a hoarse voice behind him; "you -seem to have served your sweetheart a pretty ghastly trick." - -John laid the body of his dead upon the earthen floor of the hut, and -with a spring he was upon his adversary. But the soldier, who was too -quick for him, dodged the blow, and ran out of the door. John followed, -and ran this way and that, but the darkness and the unfamiliarity of -the place rendered it impossible for him to find the villain who had -thus dared to imply that he himself had been guilty of this awful deed. - -In a moment, John knew how impossible it would be for him to prove -anything. From the few words of so good a friend as Colonel Saxey he -knew that it would only provoke hostilities and perhaps plunge the -whole Territory into war and rob the leaders of their lives, if he -added another crime to the one already committed. - -His hands twitched and his throat ached as he entered that dreadful -hut, for he felt that he would be justified in the eyes of God and -man in taking the lives of such vile reprobates as were this soldier -Sherwood and his octoroon paramour. Yet his first duty was to take the -body of this unhappy girl home for decent burial, and then he might -well leave the question of revenge to God and the future. - -No one saw or molested him as he made his hasty preparation to carry -the body away. He slowly and painfully made his way to the straggling -village north of where he stood. He stepped more softly as he neared -the village, for he had no mind to awaken the inmates of the huts -around him. He had wrapped the body up in a quilt, and now he laid it -carefully down just outside the window of the dwelling, whence shone -the light that proved to him that his friends were awaiting him. - -He stood a moment, to collect his strength a little before he met -anyone; then he knocked softly. Aunt Clara came to the door, and asked -as soon as she saw him, "Have you found her?" - -John bowed his head; he could not speak. - -"Is she dead or disgraced?" Aunt Clara never knew why she asked such a -question, but it broke the calm of the man before her, and he leaned -upon his arm against the doorpost, unable to control his voice. His -body was quivering with a man's rare and awful sobs; they shook him as -a heavy wind shakes the mighty canyon pines. - -Aunt Clara stood gazing at him with glazed eyes of anguish. She could -not speak, as Diantha followed her and asked: - -"What is it, John; what have you found? Can't you speak? Where is -Ellen? Why don't you tell us? Why don't you bring her here?" - -"Dead or disgraced?" quivered Aunt Clara's lips, as she looked -imploringly up into John's averted eyes. - -John straightened himself, and answered with a shiver: "Both!" And poor -Aunt Clara fainted at his feet. - - - -XXXVIII. - -SEGO-LILIES - -The death of Ellen Tyler cast a heavy gloom over the whole community. -The terrible circumstances surrounding it gave an added cause of enmity -between the people and the army. - -The funeral, which was held in the ward school house, was attended -by nearly every one in the city. The people assembled in the quiet -and undemonstrative fashion usual on such occasions; and long before -ten o'clock, the time set for the services, the house was filled to -overflowing. The windows were raised, and temporary benches arranged -outside, so that as many as possible could hear the sermon. - -The simple cortege made its way down the street. As the mourners -entered the hall, no one wondered to see John Stevens assist the -foster-mother of the girl as she leaned heavily on his arm. Aunt -Clara's face was very pale, for her heart was well-nigh broken; and yet -her eyes were lifted and clear while all who glanced at her saint-like, -controled face, felt calmed and quieted. Diantha was among the chief -mourners, but she was not as tearless and as calm as Aunt Clara; her -convulsed face betrayed her mute agony. - -The whole awful story had swept from mouth to mouth, and some of the -men who sat watching the sad procession file in felt the hot blood of -revenge pour from heart to temple, and there were few present who would -not gladly have taken up the ghastly burden of swift revenge in behalf -of the dead girl. - -The coffin was placed upon the table just below the pulpit. Its plain, -mountain wood was unrelieved by ornament or trimming. Within, the girl -lay, peaceful and silent, her sweet face just touched by the creamy, -heavy petals of the sego-lilies which her small hands clasped. Those -lilies were like her own life, beautiful and white, yet at the heart -just purpled with the shadows. - -President Young lastly passed in, and the congregation waited with -anxious longing to hear his words upon this unhappy occasion. After a -brief hymn, the President arose, and with slow, impressive sentences -he pictured the sheltered life of such girls as the one before him. -He touched upon the affectionate nature of woman, and told the Elders -of Israel that to them in part was due the blame of such awful scenes -as this. There was enough of love, plenty of safe, sheltered retreats -for all good women in the hearts and homes of the men of Zion. Women -should have as ample opportunity to select their partners as men, and -if they showed a preference for a good man, why should he not consider -her right to claim his affection, as carefully as he would expect her -to consider a like claim from him? He spoke in strong, powerful terms -of the wickedness of men who cared nothing for the virtue of womankind, -and who respected nothing on earth or in heaven. - -His words stirred the already excited hearts to a fiery pitch of -indignation. As if he saw the unnecessary anger, he said in quiet -tones: "It may prove useless to try to keep our girls and boys from -running after sin, for if they have not the integrity to stand, they -will fall. Now, this young girl has had good teachings, good examples, -and she has been surrounded by love and kindness; she has not been -neglected. In her weakness she loved too well the admiration of men, -and she has herself sought and found her sin and its punishment. We -must stand or fall for ourselves, and while we are responsible in a -measure for the words we speak and the example we set, yet each must -answer for himself or herself at the bar of Justice." - -At his words, so solemnly spoken, Diantha felt her very heart stand -still. - -"Will this fair daughter of Zion never receive salvation?" asked the -speaker. "Yes, she certainly will. She will learn her lesson. She will -repent of her sin; and after suffering the necessary punishment will -be reunited with her parents and friends, and with them share the -blessings and privileges of the priesthood. She has already partly paid -the penalty of her sin with her life. She will be saved eventually in -the Kingdom of Heaven. I do not want the family to grieve too much, for -this poor child is far better off than she could possibly be upon earth -now; and her last words were words of repentance and affection. Some of -these spirits, though weak in the flesh, are very choice and lovely. We -love them and mourn deeply if they fall into error or are snatched away -by death. - -"If this be a grievous sin for a tender and delicate girl, what must -be said of men who lead women to destruction? I would say that no -pit is deep enough for them. I do not wish to excite any undue rage -towards the vile wretch and his paramour whose work this is; for God -will avenge the innocent on their enemies. But to you Elders of Israel, -I say, beware how you treat the fair daughters of Zion! Man should -protect and preserve innocent, pure womanhood. No woman can sin as -deeply as a man, for she does not bear the same responsibility. If -men expect to stand at the head of their families, let them see to it -that they are without sin of speech or action. That which is a sin in -a woman, becomes a crime in a man. Teach your sons to protect their -virtue as they would their lives, and then there need be no fear of -their assailing any woman. God loves these weak ones as well as we do, -and He will overrule all things for the best to such as are sinned -against and are thereby brought down into sin. Only let the parents -so conduct themselves that their children will receive the benefit of -their lives of purity and holiness, and all their tears of grief will -be turned into joy in the hereafter." - -Diantha felt the whole weight of this terrible lesson pressing upon -her own sad heart, and it nearly crushed her with a double burden of -grief. She wondered how she could ever for one moment have looked -lightly upon her past actions and words, wherein she had said and -thought it no wrong to turn away from the Gospel and marry out of the -Church. She asked herself bitterly whether a part of Ellen's guilt did -not lie at her own door, for had she not given some measure of idle -encouragement to this same soldier, and had she not said many foolish -things and thought many vain, silly thoughts? She felt how inadequate -were the theories of the world regarding love and its proper place in -our lives, and she saw how foolish ideals and romantic poems and plays -had rendered her conception of love fevered and unreal. She saw, while -sitting near the dead body of her friend with its pitiful lesson, that -love--that is, the romantic, unreasoning passion which is so often -called love--is nothing but a base counterfeit. She felt that if love -ruled the world, it must be the love of God and that love which is -founded on respect and built in unselfishness. She could see that -abase, vile passion which has for its only object the gratification of -bodily desire, was a thing to fear and shun. - -Diantha had filled the cold, lifeless hands of her dear friend with the -sego-lilies, wreathing them about the neck, thus to hide the story told -by the bandaged throat; but she saw how useless in eternity would be -the least attempt to hide away the sins and shame of mankind. - -"Oh, that I could tear away the lilies, and show to every girl in Zion -the awful consequences of disobedience and vanity," she thought, as the -strong, vivid words of President Young showed her the darkness of the -abyss into which her own eyes had for one moment looked with fascinated -gaze. - -"Oh, that I could set this poor, desecrated body before every young -woman in Israel, and let it preach its own heartrending sermon! And I, -too, am I not saved as by fire? Oh, my gracious Father, forgive me and -let a lifetime of repentance and faithfulness prove to Thee how humble -and how dependent I am!" So prayed Diantha, as the benediction was -being pronounced by the Bishop in charge. While the pale sego-lilies, -with their purple stains, drooped and died on the breast of the dead -girl! - - - -XXXIX. - -THE WOOING O'T - -Three years is but a fleeting season to the mature, and is as a day -to the aged; but to youth three years stretch out with apparent -never-ending length. Three years of rapid history had been written -in Utah since that vivid day in the tops of the mountains when A. O. -Smoot, Porter Rockwell and Judson Stoddard had brought to the happy -camp the terrible news of the coming of Johnston's army. Three years! -Camp Floyd with its surging life, its frequent deaths, and its story -of blunder and pathos had passed into history. The site where it once -stood now lay desolate and burning beneath the hot summer sun. Weeds -covered the rude foundations of the adobe and tented homes, and only -the lonely prairie dog frequented the once busy streets. The soldiers -had departed to the East, secession having already begun to rear its -horrid shape, and only for the rich stores of a hundred rare comforts -which they had sold in their hurried departure for less than a song, -would anyone remember their unhappy visit. - -Two years of peace and plenty had built up the village of the Great -Salt Lake into a modest inland city. The trees along the sidewalks -were heavy now with July verdure. The busy hum of industry throbbed in -even beats along the city's arteries. The blacksmith whistled at his -forge. The well-bucket creaked merrily in its frequent passage to the -cool waters beneath, and the children sang as they went to and fro to -school, or lingered in the shade of the cottonwood trees. It was the -evening before the Fourth of July, 1860, and the hands of maid and -matron were busy in swift preparation for such a celebration of local -peace and prosperity as had not been theirs for years. - -"Have you noticed what a change there is in Dian, the last year?" said -Rachel Winthrop to Aunt Clara, as the two stood ironing in Aunt Clara's -cosy kitchen. - -"How changed?" asked Aunt Clara. - -"Oh, she's so much softer and sweeter to everybody, and she is really -making herself the friend of every poor girl in the ward. Why, I told -her brother the other day that Diantha looked like another girl; she is -so changed. She wants to do so much for me, and she is so good to the -children, and you know that is unlike what she used to be. She was not -unkind, only indifferent. She didn't show me much friendship, even if I -was her sister-in-law, for I think she thought herself a little better -and smarter than I. But she is mighty good to me now, and I love her a -thousand times better for it, although I always loved her and was proud -of her." - -"I don't find Diantha is changed," answered Aunt Clara's gentle voice. -"Don't you think that it is only that some of her latent powers and -gifts are beginning to be developed? And then she has always been -a reserved young lady, and while never uncivil or haughty, she is -undemonstrative, and as young people are, concerned only with life as -it affected her." - -"Ah, Aunt Clara, you are always thinking the best of everybody. You -never can see any fault in any one." - -"Maybe I see the fault, but I see so much of the virtue mixed up with -it that it quite obscures the small defect. I often think the latent -possibilities, if once they are waked up in any soul, will lead us to -eternal perfection. It is only that some natures are never awakened; -but they go on and on, asleep in their inner souls, and only the body -is awake and alive." - -"Well, I have proved that God will help even the weakest of us to -improve and get strong, if we will continually seek Him for help and -light. Of course, any one as strong as Diantha will naturally be mighty -good or pretty mean." - -"Well, to me Diantha has always been one of the sweetest, strongest, -and purest of girls. She is somewhat impulsive, but she has such -admirable control of herself, people call it common-sense, that she -rarely does anything silly or even unwise. And whoever saw her mean -or small? She has had and still has faults, but they are like her own -self, never small or spiteful. She loves deeply when she does love. Out -of the fires of affliction, poor, proud motherless Diantha is rising -to a higher, purer and more consecrated life. The death of Ellen has -taught her to conform her life more to the standards of Christ and -less to the promptings of a self-centered heart. She will make a grand -woman, and a noble wife and mother." - -"I don't know about the wife and mother. She is twenty-four now, and -she has refused at least a dozen good, true men. I think she is going -to be an old maid." - -"Not she! She is waiting for a man as great, as noble and as -pure-minded as herself. A great many men, as well as a great many -women, are virtuous in action because they fear society or God's -punishment. But Dian is pure in every thought and every act. Nothing -low or vile could so much as reach her outer personality. She is -well-educated and as intelligent as a girl of her age could well be. -Why should she not demand that same exalted standard in her husband?" - -"Oh, well, I guess she will go through the woods and pick up with -a crooked stick at last, as mother used to tell us girls. Lots of -our finest girls marry men who, while good enough, are inferior to -themselves. I often wonder what they do it for?" - -"God has some life lesson for them to learn. The Bishop says that's -the way Nature evens up things. What you say is true oftentimes, but -I am not going to have it so of our Dian. The voice of the Spirit has -manifested to me many times that she will have a man as great and as -gifted as herself." - -"Say, talking of Dian's beaus, they say John Stevens will be home -sometime this week from his mission to Europe. He has been away ever -since Ellen's death. I thought at one time he liked our Dian, but I -guess it was Ellen. He has taken her death very much to heart." - -"John can love more than once, if he finds the right kind of a woman. -He has a soul as big as all eternity. But he grieves as deeply as he -loves." - -Aunt Clara was not surprised, therefore, several evenings after this -conversation, to see John Stevens step under her doorway; his tall head -reaching nearly to her doorpost. - -"I knew you would come to see me first thing, John, and I am glad you -did. It does me so much good to see you." And she greeted him warmly. - -John sat down, his eyes somewhat weary with long nights of wakefulness, -for he was captain of the company of emigrants, and his limbs were worn -with much travel across the seas and plains. - -"I knew you would have some fried cakes and milk for me when I did -come, Aunt Clara. I wonder if I came for fried cakes?" and he laughed -in his low, soft undertone, as he held up one of the nutty brown, crisp -cakes to admire its homely charm before he tested it further. - -"You have come, John, to tell me all about your mission, and I want you -to tell me something more. Rachel Winthrop was in here this afternoon, -and we got to talking about our poor Ellen. She made a remark about -your grieving over Ellen, and it struck me, too, that you have been -grieving these two long years. I don't want you to do that, for Ellie -is all right now, she has paid the penalty with her life. Now, John, -that you are home, you must find some good girl, and marry and settle -down. You must be nearing thirty, and it is very unusual for our young -men to live so long single." - -John had pushed away his plate, and left all its homely charm, for Aunt -Clara's words had choked him with crowding memories. He sat still for -some time, with his head in his hands. Aunt Clara watched him as she -rocked back and forth, and wondered if she had for once been at fault. -After a time, however, he raised his head and said, with an effort at -lightness: - -"I am not much of a fellow, Aunt Clara. Sometimes I do feel a bit -lonely, and although I have enjoyed my mission, the thought of my -homecoming has been a lonely one, except for you, Aunt Clara." - -"Well, of course you are lonesome, John, and that's why I want you, -now that you are home from your mission, to get married, and have some -comfort in life." - -His head was drooped again, between his hands, and he said slowly: - -"Aunt Clara, I have been a selfish one-idea fellow in my life. I -deserve all your reproach and my own loneliness." - -"Now, John, I want you to tell me just what you mean. You have -something in your mind which needs airing. What is it?" - -"I mean that from my earliest youth I have loved, with all the strength -of my heart, a girl who never has and never will, I fear, care anything -for me. For some years I felt that I could win her, through prayer and -faith, and I hoped and was happy. But I did not succeed. I have tried -to hide my feelings, though, and I don't think anyone has suspected me, -unless it was the girl herself, occasionally." - -"John, there is a belongingness in love as in life. We are not married -by chance. I firmly believe that each has made covenant with his mate -in the life before this. If that girl belongs to you, you will get her. -If not, you don't want her. Who is it?" - -"It is Dian." - -He spoke with an effort, as if it were painful thus to speak her name. - -"Oh!" Aunt Clara was not much surprised. - -"What about Ellie?" she asked. - -"I loved Ellen, but it was not as I love Dian. Maybe I have so set my -heart all my life upon getting Dian that I did not give myself a chance -to see other girls. Aunt Clara, forget that I have ever said what I am -about to say; but I had a feeling that Ellen liked me. And I have felt -all the remorse natural that I did not save her while I could." - -"We can always see where we could do better, even in small things. But -no one need destroy all hopes of eternity because love is not returned -or because a loved one dies. This love plays such mischief, when it is -not understood and governed!" - -"Just so. I have failed to conquer my love, and it leaves me sore with -defeat." - -"Why should you conquer your love? Have you ever asked Dian to have -you? Diantha is a noble girl; she is always so strong, so sweet, and so -good." - -"Don't I know it?" almost groaned John, as he pressed his hands across -his eyes. - -"Look here, John, I don't believe for one moment that God would let as -prayerful a man as you waste years of your life upon a useless love. -How do you know that Dian does not love you as well as you love her? -Oh, mated love is such blissful, such divine joy!" - -John shook his head, slowly. - -"I don't want to think, John Stevens, that you are a coward. Go to that -girl, and tell her what you feel, and trust God for the result. See -here: You go into the front room, and I will bring Diantha over in two -minutes. I will tell her you are in there, and if she wants to see you -she will go in of her own accord. If she does not want to see you she -can easily refuse to go in, and then I hope you will give her up and -put your mind off the subject at once and forever." - -Aunt Clara slipped out as she said the last words, and John waited for -some time in moody, unhopeful silence, until he heard the two voices as -they came into the yard. He sprang up, and put himself into the dark -front room, its shadows only lifted here and there by the moonlight -through the window casing. - -Through the open door he saw Dian come in, her face aglow with a merry -smile with which she listened to Aunt Clara's soft tones. Her white -teeth gleamed like even pearls, and her red lips parted over them in -the well-remembered bewitching ripples of laughter. Her bright eyes -were wide and uplifted with clearest radiance. His eager eyes noted -the gleam of her yellow hair, parted above the wide, white brows, -and then lingered on the rich rose upon her cheek, and lighted upon -the full, round chin, which he said to himself was like a cleft rose -bud. The tender white throat rose up from her proud shoulders with a -wondrous grace, and her soft and rounded arms were white under the soft -muslin sleeve. She stood a moment unconscious of any gaze or presence, -other than Aunt Clara's, and he wondered with a silent agony what -expression would sweep over her expressive face when Aunt Clara made -her disclosure. - -"Diantha, John Stevens came home today." - -The cheeks were drained of all their beautiful color, but the girl's -voice was steady as she said simply, "Did he?" - -"Yes; and he has been here to see me." - -"Oh!" - -John did not see the tense clasp of the fingers, he saw only the calm -quiet of her face. Was it the quiet of displeasure? - -He felt guilty, thus to watch her unconscious betrayal of self, but he -told himself savagely that a man has a right to see the face of his -executioner. - -"John would like to see you, Dian." Aunt Clara waited a moment, then -she said quietly: "He is in the front room. If you would like to see -him, go in there and have a talk with him." - -The girl stood a moment, with her tightly clasped hands, and her -hesitation seemed like a year of suspense to the heart watching her -from the other room, and then, with a little, half-troubled smile upon -her lips at Aunt Clara, the girl glided into the other room, and, -sheltered as well as blinded by its partial shadows, she closed the -door behind her. She was so near the man that her muslin sleeve rested -upon his arm. - -He felt suffocated with that blissful touch, and he stood, silent, -wordless, as if deprived of the powers of speech. She, too, felt his -nearness, although she could see nothing, and she stood uncertain which -way to go. Then she threw up her hand as if to shield herself, and -she touched his cold cheek, and felt the silken mustache beneath her -fingers. He snatched her hand and held it to his lips, its warmth and -purity stilling, for a moment, the trembling of his soul. At last he -took it away, and putting it upon his face, rested his cheek within its -sweet cup, as if thus all sorrow were done forever. She stood silent, -waiting, and as voiceless as himself. - -This unbroken, sweet encouragement was almost more than he could bear; -he was so unprepared for it, and it had all come so suddenly. After a -moment, he reached out, and finding her so near, he laid his arm about -her waist, and as she said nothing, he drew her to him with a close, -tender embrace, and laying his own face down upon the soft hair, he -held her to his throbbing heart in speechless bliss. - -Neither knew how long they stood thus, so perfect was their peace. At -last, he drew her face up to him, and whispered in her ear so close -that his breath stirred all the tiny curls around her neck: - -"Is it love, dear, or sympathy?" - -For answer, she laughed softly, and putting her arms around his neck of -her own accord, she murmured: - -"It is my love, my life, John." - -Words were too weak; he drew her face upon his shoulder, and in the -shadowy silence, he put his big, rough hand under her rounded chin, -and thus drawing up her mouth to his own bent lips, he told her with -that long, wordless caress all the pent-up story of his life and its -passion. He drew her to the casement, and in the flood of moonlight -pouring in, he stood away for a moment and looked at her with his -hungry eyes, as if he must make sure if she were real. He gloried in -her beauty, for he loved all things beautiful and perfect of their -kind; and he noted each gracious charm of face and form as he pinioned -her arms down that he might hold her from fleeing away from his loving -possession. - -"So strong, so sweet, so pure," he murmured under his breath; "and all -mine, mine for time and the long eternity!" - -She laughed again, a little, happy, yet modest laugh, as she saw the -gleam of adoration which lit her lover's eyes as he gazed down upon -her in the moonlight, and then she struggled to free herself, as she -remonstrated softly: - -"You are not to hold me at arm's length, sir." - -For answer, he caught her to him, and with his lips upon hers, he vowed -to hold her in his heart of hearts forever and forever. - -Presently, after what seemed to them a few moments of silence and sweet -peace, Diantha lifted her head from his breast, and said: - -"Come, John, Aunt Clara will wonder at our being in here without -alight. Come, let us go out and thank her." - -"Wait one moment, my girl." But she insisted, and together they opened -the door, and stood with modest assertion of their love before their -dearest friend. - -John held his arm around the girl, as if fearing she might change her -mind when once in the light, and observed by other eyes. - -"This John of mine is a queer John, Aunt Clara," said Diantha, merrily, -her breath quick with the joy of her expressed ownership in the big -fellow beside her; "he seems to think, because I am glad to see him, -that he can domineer over me, and he has kept me in there nearly half -an hour, simply to tell him that I am glad he has got home." - -"Half an hour?" asked Aunt Clara, dryly; "you two have shut yourselves -up in there for over two hours. It's after ten o'clock." - -"Why, John Stevens, I am ashamed of you," said the girl, with sparkling -eyes and soft laughter. - -"A man has a right to say how-do-you-do to his wife, hasn't he?" he -said, gravely. - -"Oh, John, how could you?" breathed the girl; "how dare you speak so? -You haven't asked me yet." - -"We will be married, Aunt Clara, and, please God, one month from today." - -"Oh, you John! What impudence! Aunt Clara, did you ever see anything -like it? Here he has never courted me one bit in his life, and never -even asked me to marry him, and now he takes the law into his own hands -in that way!" - -John drew her closer to his side, with his encircling arm, and looking -down into her eyes, he said: - -"Dear girl, I have been courting you in spirit all my life. Let me have -my own way now, will you not?" - -His tone was so gentle, so tender, that she answered softly, yet still -half-mischievously: - -"Well, Aunt Clara, I guess we will have to let him have his way. He is -so big that he could crush us both if we didn't please him." - -Aunt Clara's eyes were moist with tears, as she watched them. She -rejoiced in their love, and she was content that she had helped a -little. But as they started out of the door to leave her, and Diantha -came back to kiss her once more in token of love and gratitude, -Aunt Clara's heart flew back to their lost Ellie, and all the sad, -miserable story. She went to the door and watched them go out of the -gate, Diantha still full of bubbling mischief, with her quick, pretty -gestures of teasing indifference as she refused even to take John's -arm in the bright moonlight--it all brought back her Ellie's love for -this same good man, and she turned back into her room with sobs in her -throat; and then she knelt in silent prayer for these two who had gone -out from her home to their blessed future. - -As Diantha Winthrop herself knelt that night in her evening prayer, -she poured out the wealth of her young heart in gratitude to God who -had so magnified her life and its mission. After her prayer, she sat -at her window and thought back on all the past, and she wondered anew -that she could ever have called her lover cold, reserved or silent. -His every look was pregnant with thought, and his presence was full -of unspoken meanings. She could see how in her ignorant, thoughtless -girlhood she could not appreciate him, as she could not appreciate the -deep throbbing poems in the Bible until life opened them and sorrow put -into her hand the secret key to their mysteries. - -She had grown up to John now, and she wondered how it was that she -could ever have permitted ordinary men to come near her. He was a king! -Proud, intelligent, pure! With the wide-open eyes of experience, she -recognized his matchless manhood and bowed down in mighty prayer that -she might prove worthy of his love. - - - -XL. - -JOHN BUILDS A HOME - -That was a busy month, and everybody in the neighborhood insisted on -doing something for the coming wedding. - -John bought a lot not far from Aunt Clara's home, and although it had -only one log room on it for a house, he soon had a large front room -added to it, and he put up a small lean-to for kindlings and wood. -He did not propose, he said to himself, that his wife should have an -unnecessary step to walk, and with that same thought, he dug a new well -close to the kitchen door. - -He put a good paling fence in front of the house, and promised himself -that he would very soon replace the brush fence on the south side of -the lot with a new one, to match the front. - -How many times he peeped into the large front room, with its new, white -pine floor, and its huge fire-place, and wondered how he could wait -until the days were gone and Dian was there to fill every nook and -corner with radiance. He wished he had time to pull down the old part -and put up an adobe room, but that must needs wait for the future. -He planted, with patient care, several vines around the front "door -stoop," for he knew Dian loved flowers and green things. And with what -infinite pleasure at the last, he watched the putting down of carpets, -bright new rag ones, that Dian and her sister-in-law and other friends -had been busy getting made for the happy time of her wedding day. -She and Aunt Clara came a day or so before the wedding and cleaned -everything to spotless whiteness. - -In the window Dian hung simple, unbleached muslin curtains with -crocheted edge, which she had spent many days in bleaching. But they -still retained enough of the original creamy tint to soften the -plastered walls of shining white. Under one window Dian set a small -pine table, painted red in imitation of mahogany, which held her three -only books, one her Bible, a beloved Book of Mormon, and a prized copy -of Shakespeare, which had in some way come into her possession. Under -the other window was a square box, which John had fitted with hinges -and a good lid, and Dian had stuffed the lid top with wool and then -covered it with a pretty piece of cotton print and had hung a valence -of the print around under the lid. This made a comfortable seat, and -that was necessary, as chairs were rare and expensive. Inside the -box-seat she had folded her modest store of linen. - -Over the huge fireplace John had put a low, broad mantle, and Dian set -upon the shelf her precious clock, which was one of the few things -owned by her mother that she now possessed. On each side of the clock -were two brass candlesticks polished like gold, and filled with tall, -yellow tallow candles. Most precious of all prized treasures, John -had bought the small melodeon from Bishop Winthrop, who was now in -possession of a new organ for his music-loving family. John loved the -dear old melodeon, out of whose slender case his beloved young wife -would weave great color waves of sound and harmony; while to him alone -she would now sing "Kathleen, mavourneen, the day dawn is breaking!" -Ah, how he loved music and beauty and love! No one but God knew how he -loved them! - -A few chairs, the old-fashioned bed in the corner, a box which they -called a trunk, and which had also an edged cover of white to hide its -plain look, and the modest room was furnished. John had filled in the -fire-place with spicy evergreens from the canyons, and he had searched -the hills for the last columbines, which stood on the mantle shelf, -their creamy whiteness falling into the bright color tone of the pretty -room. - -As John stood within its sacred precincts the night before he was to -be married, he thought how the glorious presence of his beautiful -wife would make it a haven of rest and happiness. He walked into the -neat kitchen, and noted how carefully Dian had arranged their scanty, -pioneer store of dishes, three plates, three cups and saucers, three -bowls and a vegetable dish--all these had been placed up in brave show -against the board he had nailed at the back of the shelves. The small -cook-stove, called a "step stove," he was especially proud of, for it -was a great luxury in those days. It shone with a brilliant lustre, and -the few pots and pans belonging to it were hung upon the wall behind -the stove with housewifely precision. He bent his face over the flowers -in the kitchen windows, and whispered to himself that the delicate -pinks were like Dian's cheeks, and their perfume was her breath. - -As he finished his survey, he turned into the front room, and kneeling -down, he offered, for the last time, his lonely evening prayer. He -prayed that God would make him gentle, and worthy of such happiness, -while he asked earnestly for the strength to love his religion well -enough to put God first, and wife and home after. But even as he -prayed, the voice of inspiration whispered in his soul, that wife and -home, if rightly understood, are religion, and God was pleased with the -man who could be worthy of them. - - - -XLI. - -DIANTHA ENTERS - -If time permitted, it would be pleasant to tell of the merry wedding, -and of the delicately mocking charm with which Diantha held her lover -at arm's length, all that long, happy day. She was as winsome as a -sprite, and as elusive. She had a thousand excuses to leave him to his -own devices, after they had returned from the early morning wedding in -the Endowment House. She must see to the dinner, for they were all at -Aunt Clara's, who had insisted on getting the wedding dinner. So John -folded his arms, after she had slipped from them at last, and quietly -sat down by the window to read his book. She might go, she could never -get away from him now, he reflected with a thrill of delight, and he -could well afford to wait for her sure return. - -Dian peeped in occasionally to see if he was all right, for the company -would be there soon, she said, and she was very anxious to see if his -collar and necktie were perfectly straight. She came in, as she found -that he did not seem to notice her, and playfully ordered him to arise -and let her see if he was in perfect trim. He arose at her bidding, -and stood looking quizzically down upon her, as she took a number of -unnecessary minutes to arrange the already faultless collar and tie -under the long beard. His eyes burned down into her uplifted, mocking -blue orbs, but he said nothing, nor did he offer to touch her. - -"I am very glad, Mr. John, that you have learned to keep your arms from -around me, for at least this afternoon, for you will have to learn, you -great, big, awkward John, that muslin dresses are not to be shaken, nor -are they to be taken in such careless hands as these," and she held his -unresisting hand a moment, then deftly put it about her waist. - -He stooped down, and kissed her gravely upon the tender, red mouth, as -if he found it impossible to resist his own forever. - -Then she drew back, and with a sudden assumption of dignity she said, -"Don't you know that it is very rude to kiss a lady, unless you have -properly courted her, and she has promised to marry you?" - -He laughed out of his eyes at her, and fell to stroking his long beard -in the way she remembered so well. - -"Now, I am going to stay right here, Mr. John, to punish you for not -seeming glad to see me just now." - -She sat down for a moment, but as John made as if to take her in his -arms she sprang up, and with a sudden elusive gesture, she put out her -pretty toe from the front of her dress, and made him a deep curtsy, -saying mockingly: - -"The lady must away to spread the feast of--well, not reason--but beef -and chickens, and to thus assist the flow of--well, not soul, but small -talk. Adieu," and she swept him another low bow, and tripped to the -door, where she paused a moment, and turning back she tossed him a -pretty kiss from the pink tips of her dainty fingers, as she laughed: -"None but the brave deserve the fair," and was gone. - -They had refused to have a dancing party, for both had still a deep, -painful remembrance of the friend they had both loved and lost, and -nothing but a simple gathering of the immediate family would they -invite. As they left Aunt Clara's door that night after every guest had -departed, Aunt Clara put her hands on their two shoulders, and with -a silent tear in her eyes, she bade them, "Be true to God and each -other," and they were alone at last with their wedded love and its -pure, exquisite, heaven-ordained bliss. - -Dian walked very primly down the midnight streets with her young -husband, refusing to allow him to attempt to put his arm about her -waist. - -"You know it is exceedingly bad taste for people to show any affection -in public; and even if you were to offer as an excuse that it is very -late and no one is about, you remember that as children we have learned -that we must do what is right whether there is any one to look at us or -not. Eh?" - -John assented, allowing her to place the merest finger tip on his arm, -and he walked gravely down the moonlit streets between Aunt Clara's -house and their own dear little home, which they were about to enter -for the first time together. - -Dian chatted and laughed nervously, asking and answering all sorts of -questions, sometimes putting into John's mouth words he never would -have uttered, for she said if he would not talk for himself she must do -the talking for both. Presently they reached their own lowly gate; and -he gravely held open the little wicket, for her to pass through. She -stood with beating heart and quiet lips upon the small porch, while he -unlocked the newly painted front door. And then she stood just inside -the door, still silent, while John found and lighted the two candles on -the mantle. - -Then with a quizzical look in the keen loving eyes, he said, softly: -"Sister Stevens, will you come in and take possession of your home?" - -It was the first time she had ever heard herself so called, and she -felt overpowered by all the blessed happiness the name implied. She -stood a moment, and then put up her hands to cover the tears which -would fill and overflow her eyes. The big fellow beside her waited a -moment also, as if to make sure of the source of all these tears, and -then he put his hand gently upon her shoulder and whispered, "You are -not sorry, dear?" - -"Oh, John," she sobbed, throwing her arms close about his neck, "I'm so -happy that I must cry. Don't mind, it is only that I am so grateful to -God for you and your dear love. To think, John, that I am yours, your -true wife, for time and for all eternity," and she sighed with a happy, -half-sobbing sigh, as she ceased her crying, and drew his face down to -her own that she might kiss him on the lips, she said, to begin her -married life aright, giving him always, first and last, her best loving -devotion. - -Then Dian opened the lid of her little organ, and played an evening -hymn, while John watched her shining eyes and tender mouth as she -offered up for them both a hymnal of praise in their new home. After -the last note they both bowed in solemn prayer before the Throne of -Grace! - - - -XLII. - -HOME, SWEET HOME - -The next morning, Diantha began at once with housewifely care to clean -and sweep her treasured dwelling. She scrubbed the kitchen floor, -already white and new; she polished the shining brass candlesticks; -she scoured the new tins, and as she worked she sang with gay abandon. -There was song in her heart, and it could not but bubble up to her lips. - -These small chores were done all too soon; then she dusted and arranged -her modest belongings in the dainty "front room." After everything was -carefully "put to rights," she looked with the happy eyes of ownership -at the box, a plain, darkly-painted one, which had come clear from New -England to Nauvoo, and which held all her husband's belongings. She -would go through that, she said to herself, and see if there were any -little bits of mending to do, for of course John had no mother to take -care of his things. - -She found everything folded with as exquisite neatness and care as -she herself could have given them, and in the small wooden "till" she -discovered many a little treasure. There were his small Bible and Book -of Mormon, which he always carried when out on his trips, with a small -rubber cup, also one of his traveling necessities. There was a box of -needles, pins, and cotton which Dian appropriated gleefully, whispering -to her own happy heart that her dear John should never need to put them -to use again. She carefully brushed and folded away all the modest -stores of clothing, and then she came to a small packet, on the bottom -of the trunk, and wrapped up in a paper which was marked "Private." - -It never occurred to Dian, for she was not much of a novel-reader, -that there was anything mysterious in the packet; she knew her lover -husband too well. She laid that out on the stand under the window, for -she wanted John, himself, to show her all its contents, and she knew he -would. - -Ah, the happiness of that morning, for that blessed girl! Who could -portray the bliss of her soul! It was a simple thing, the opening of -a homely box, filled with homely articles, but they were the precious -belongings of the one man in all creation to that girl-wife, and she -felt that the little act, simple as it was, represented her taking -formal possession of John and all that he could ever own. He was hers -now, as perfectly as she was his. - -John came in and found her on the floor, still dreaming over her future. - -"Well?" he asked. - -"Oh, John, I have just been looking over all your things; and I am so -happy." - -John did not exactly see what there was in so little a thing as that -to give her so much joy, but saying nothing, as usual, he sat down and -held out his arms for her to come to him. Then she brought the little -packet, and with one of his quiet smiles, John unwrapped the little -parcel and showed her his choicest treasures. - -"Oh, yes," she exclaimed, as she held up a small, rather indistinct -daguerreotype of herself and Ellen with their arms fixed primly around -each other. - -"I remember that," and her eyes streamed with sad tears in memory of -Ellen. "I have one just like it. How did you get one? Aunt Clara has -Ellie's." - -"I bought it," laconically answered John. - -Dian cried a moment, and then he gave her the four letters he had put -away as the most precious of all his keepsakes. There was one from the -Prophet Joseph Smith to his dead father, one from President Brigham -Young to himself, one from his sainted mother, and a tiny little note -of her own, written when she was only a girl of fourteen. - -"Why, John, what on earth have you kept that little scrawling note for? -I can just remember writing it to you in school one day, in answer to -your own written invitation to go to a party." - -"It is the only line you ever wrote to me, how can I help keeping it?" - -"John," she said, facing him and looking him in the eyes, "do you mean -to tell me that you liked me away long ago, when I was a little girl?" - -He had never told her the story which he had confided to Aunt Clara. -So he did not answer at once, but at length said, in his most drawling -fashion: - -"Do you think I would ask a girl to go to a party if I did not like -her?" - -"Now, John dear, you are not going to bother me in that way. I want -you to tell just how long you have liked me, you know, loved me, in a -really truly way?" - -It seemed to cost John a little effort to answer, for he loved silence, -especially when he was put upon the witness stand. However, he answered -at last, taking her face between his hands as he spoke, and kissing -both pink cheeks: - -"I think I have loved you, sweetheart, since we sang together with -the morning stars and shouted in unison with our companions when the -foundations of this earth were laid." - -"But on this earth, John; what about this earth?" - -"Well, I can hardly answer. If you were to ask me when I did not -love you, I could tell you--never. Ever since I saw you, a tiny, -silver-haired tot of a girl, I felt that you were apart and separate -from everything human for me, and I loved you." - -John, with his every-day clothes on, was out in the lot daily that -fall, plowing and planting for his little wife. He said little. John -never was a talker; but he proved by his constant labors that no -unnecessary task should be put upon the slender hands of his wife. -Wood, kindlings--why, Diantha used to laugh and say that John was -getting in a supply to last five years. Gentle assistance also he often -silently rendered in her many household tasks. She used to order him -away, but he knew the feet must get weary, after a hard day's work; -and Diantha had much to do, to spin, weave, color and prepare their -clothes for the coming winter. Outside her door, the yard was packed, -and wetted down, and swept, until Diantha declared she could trail her -wedding dress over it without harm. - -It was amusing to see him out at his work, driving his team across and -around the lot; and then, when Diantha came out, as she very often -did, singing as she came, he would stop and look over at her with a -gleam of rapturous love in his eyes, while he would wait until she -threw the dainty kiss she was sure to toss before she went inside the -house. Sometimes he could not resist the spell, and tying up his team -he would saunter after her, and once at the door, stand wiping his brow -meditatively. - -"John Stevens," she would cry, "what have you left your work for, and -what do you want, sir?" - -And then he would go up, and putting his hand under her chin, he would -draw up her face to his own bent lips and kiss her saucy red lips, -while he said sometimes, in answer to her mocking question, "I only -want to look at my wife." - -Then she would be silenced, for that sweet word "wife" always poured -over her soul such a flood of happiness that she could not speak for a -time. At other times John would beg his wife to sing him one song, or -to thread a tune on the mystic ivory keys, and he would let his soul go -out to God and his wife on the sound-waves that beat upon his throbbing -breast. Ah, John had much to thank God for, and he knew it! - -One Sabbath day, as usual, they both dressed in their simple, homely -best, and together walked up to the Tabernacle; Diantha felt as if -she were walking upon air. She looked up at her big, sober, gentle, -masterful and yet tender husband, and she knew there was not his -superior in all Zion. How proudly she sat in the congregation while -John paced his slow way to the stand, for he had lately been appointed -to an important position in the Church. Her heart echoed every word of -the ringing homely hymn, "Do What Is Right," and she thanked God that -she had been helped by His matchless power to follow the simple but -noble advice. - -Elder Orson Pratt, who spoke, dwelt upon some of the peculiar beliefs -of the Saints, and then launched out upon the great topic of marriage, -and spoke with mighty power upon the eternity of the marriage covenant. -Diantha's heart swelled with rapture to know that she and John had been -sealed by the power and authority of the Priesthood for time and for -all eternity. And to think that three short months ago she had been so -full of grave misgivings as to whether John would ever seek her again, -for he had made no sign for the two whole years of his missionary life! -How she had grown in these two years, to love the sound of his slow, -drawling voice, the glance of his keen, beautiful, yet gentle eyes. -How ardently she listened to the mere mention of his name by others. -She would sit with her heart all a-tremble if his name were being -discussed. And now to think he was all her own! For time and for all -eternity! Oh, God, what bliss divine! - -The speaker touched upon the privileges of parents who bear children -under the new and everlasting covenant. What a thrill of joy swept -over her as she thought that she would some day be mother to John's -children! Her heart almost ceased its beating for a moment, it was so -new and so beautiful to think of. She looked up at John as the thought -came, and he must have been led to the same reflection, for he had -turned from the speaker and was looking at her with a love in his eyes -which she could see from where he sat; and she colored, half with joy, -half with modest shrinking, as she dropped her eyes and sat still for a -moment. - -"John," she said, as they were walking home at noon, "what a beautiful -sermon Brother Pratt preached this morning." - -"Yes," assented John. - -"And, John, what a happy thought, that I--that we--that--I, that--" - -John could not speak, he was too full of emotion to say a word; but -when they had entered their own door, and closed themselves from the -gaze of the public, he took her in his arms and held her close to his -own throbbing heart, and said in her ear, "The mother of my children. -For time and in all eternity." - -* * * * * - -Let us leave them now. We like the last view of our friends to be the -brightest and best. This much, however, must be told, that John and -Diantha are as happy today, although in the whitened years of old age -and long experience, as they were in those early days of their newly -wedded love. - -One day when I asked John to tell me about his courting days, he -answered gravely, putting his arms around the motherly shoulders of his -wife: - -"Why, I have just begun to court my wife. It takes a man a long time to -get ready, and then the courting, to be well done, must never end, but -continue throughout the long eternities." - - -Transcriber's Note: - -Some obvious printer's errors have been corrected as seemed reasonable, -such as certain punctuation errors (like omitted periods, periods to -commas or semi-colons to commas, and some mismatched quotation marks). -Some inconsistent or obvious spelling errors or typos within the text -were also corrected (e. g. merily to merrily, cariages to carriages, -we'l to we'll, acording to according, Stevvens to Stevens, Govenor to -Governor, Congresss to Congress, cheeful to cheerful, rythm to rhythm, -etc.). - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's John Stevens' Courtship, by Susa Young Gates - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK JOHN STEVENS' COURTSHIP *** - -***** This file should be named 50312.txt or 50312.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/3/1/50312/ - -Produced by McKayla Hansen, Mormon Texts Project Intern -(http://mormontextsproject.org), with thanks to Renah -Holmes for proofreading - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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