The west shore., March 01, 1889, Page 123, Image 9

THE WEST SHORE.
123
" Oh, Clarissy, I wilL" So Tom brought his wife
back home.
If Bishop Yelkton was a bitterly disappointed
man when he learned of Clarissy's flitting, Silas Dean
was not less so. Moreover, Silas was an old man, and
his defeat was made more bitter by his failure to re
alize his one desire; then, he had to endure the bish
op's anger, which was not pleasant; lastly he had not
the hope of revenge to sustain him, as did the bishop.
Even Time, the great healer, could not sooth away the
sting which rankled in the bishop's memory of this
affair. In secret he held a settled purpose, which
was slowly ripening against the time of its accom
plishmcnt Fortunately for Tom and Clarissy, the good bishop
was called away from Cache on business which took
him to Washington and other places, so that Cache
enjoyed a long absence on his part
For two years Tom and Clarissy lived in almost
perfect happiness. It was true, neither of them could
forget the past That was stamped indelibly upon
their memories, but in the sweet content of their Uvea
it seemed very far away. Uncle Tommy grew old
happily, as good men should. Between Clarissy and
her father there was simply a blank; he turned his
heart against her, and she made no effort to change it
But with all their happiness, there hovered away
off on the horizon of the young couple's life a faint
cloud. It was little, yet, but an unspoken fear. To
Clarissy it came often when she was alone. When it
weighed heaviest on them they would talk of leaving
Utah. There were many things in the way, however.
Uncle Tommy was very feeble, and clung to his home;
then money was scarce; the church scrip, which
passed current in Mormondom, was worthless any
where else. Selling the farm was out of the ques
tion. No one could buy it without knowing why it
owner sold, and it was not easy to leave tho country
openly. Tom was deeply attached to bis farm, and it
was easy for him to persuade himself that tho days
of the Danites were over.
But the Mormon policy of exclusion was being
broken in upon by the incoming of Gentiles, and tho
peculiar people were alarmed. The head of tho church
was not idle at this time, nor did ho let hi hand grow
slack. In the churches and the temples the preach
ers stirred up the people with denunciation against
the godless Gentiles, who were to bo crushed under
foot and given to the elect a their spoil. Especial
ly in the outlying district did tho elders deal strong
meat of the word to their flock. Denunciations
against the faithless, the slack of purpose, grew more
bitter, and there were ominou propbecie of a time
when tho Lord would make a threshing floor of Zion
and winnow out the chaff from the good wheat At
thi time Bishop Yelkton came homo. He wa real
ous in tho cause. The observance of tho divine rov.
elations was enjoined more strictly upon the people,
and among tho Heaven-sent duties was plural mar-
riage.
Tom Baker was a very busy man now, with his
large farm and growing flocks and herds. The now
railroad, the Utah it Northern, had pierced the rock,
walled basin of Cache, and opened a market for farm
produce, which tho thrifty Mormons welcomed eager,
ly. Tom was up eaily and late, and out in tho field,
and Clarissy would havo been lonely at times if Chal.
cy had not given her frequent visits. Chalcy wa a
young lady now, her childish trait softened some,
what by a high conception of what was duo society
from a person of her importance. She rushed io on
Clarissy one day brimming over with pleaiurablo ci
citement. M They's a-goin' to bo a woddin' termorrer night,"
she proclaimed. Your truo ruitio knows no evening,
it is night from early candlo lighting until daybreak.
" Who is it?" aiked Clarissy, with tho plenaod
little flatter with which most womcu hear of a wed.
ding.
" Wal, it's Mams Luther gob' to marry (I cor go
Paulson, an' Mamo sho seut you'uns a invito; an' say,
won't ye go? 'cauao I'm jest plum crizy ter go,"
M Tom's pretty busy," said Clarissy, dubiously.
" Law, ho'll go in a minuto ef you say so," urgtxl
tho girl.
Tom was willing, ho said, but he bad nothing to
say in answer to Cbalry'i rapturous comment. Clar.
issy wa afraid ho was working too hard; it would do
him good to go to the wedding, she thought Ho had
not seemed like himself all summer. No inttinct
warned her of danger. Hho had a strong a faith io
her husband as if plural marrlago had nver Un
heard of. Yet a great temptation wa sitting at the
door of Tom's soul, making it silent appeal to every
fibre of his nature. He would not let it com In and
take poMfuioD, ho would drive it away. Io nothing
does tho wcaknet of our nature and tho subtMy of
our intellect so cunningly work together fur evil to
our Utter selves, as in doviiing plausible reous why
we should do wrong thing. Afterward, whn Tom
looked back on thi period of striving with himself,
he wondered that he ever allowed himself to yield, a
far a he did, to the tempUiion st Ufore him.
Clarissy' wedding, little a it had Wa like a
wedding in all it detail save the rwntial one, wa
a hallowed event to her. It wa inveatd with a sol.
emnity she was sure to ordinary voiding could have.
Something of this filing made her eyr dp atd
lominou a she and Turn were M filing up H to go to
the wedding, Tom became aware that she wa look.