The Lions of the Lord: A Tale of the Old West Page 6

  CHAPTER IV.

  _A Fair Apostate_

  She stood flushed and quick-breathing when the door had shut, he bendingtoward her with dark inquiry in his eyes. Before she spoke, he divinedthat under her nervousness some resolution lay stubbornly fixed.

  "Let us speak alone," she said, in a low voice. Then, to the old people,"Joel and I will go into the garden awhile to talk. Be patient."

  "Not for long, dear; our eyes are aching for him."

  "Only a little while," and she smiled back at them. She went aheadthrough the door by which they had first entered, and out into thegarden at the back of the house. He remembered, as he followed her, thatsince he had arrived that morning she had always been leading him,directing him as if to a certain end, with the air of meaning presentlyto say something of moment to him.

  They went past the rose-bush near which she had stood when he first sawher, and down a walk through borders of marigolds. She picked one ofthe flowers and fixed it in his coat.

  "You are much too savage--you need a posy to soften you. There! Now cometo this seat."

  She led him to a rustic double chair under the heavily fruited boughs ofan apple-tree, and made him sit down. She began with a vivaciousplayfulness, poorly assumed, to hide her real feeling.

  "Now, sobersides, it must end--this foolishness of yours--"

  She stopped, waiting for some question of his to help her. But he saidnothing, though she could feel the burning of his eyes upon her.

  "This superstitious folly, you know," she blurted out, looking up at himin sudden desperation.

  "Tell me what you mean--you must know I'm impatient."

  She essayed to be playful again, pouting her dimpled face near to histhat he might kiss her. But he did not seem to see. He only waited.

  "Well--this religion--this Mormonism--"

  She shot one swift look at him, then went on quickly.

  "My people have left the church, and--I--too--they found things inJoseph Smith's teachings that seemed bad to them. They went toSpringfield. I would have gone, too, but I told them I wanted first tosee you and--and see if you would not come with us--at least for awhile,not taking the poor old father and mother through all that wretchedness.They consented to let me stay with your parents on condition thatCaptain Girnway would protect them and me. He--he--is very kind--and hadknown us since last winter and had seen me--us--several times. I hadn'tthe heart to tell your father; he was so set on going to the new Zion,but you _will_ come, won't you?"

  "Wait a moment!" He put a hand upon her arm as if to arrest her speech."You daze me. Let me think." She looked up at him, wondering at hisface, for it showed strength and bitterness and gentleness all in onelook--and he was suffering. She put her hand upon his, from an instinctof pity. The touch recalled him.

  "Now--for the beginning." He spoke with aroused energy, a little wistfulsmile softening the strain of his face. "You were wise to give me food,else I couldn't have solved this mystery. To the beginning, then: You,Prudence Corson, betrothed to me these three years and more; you havebeen buried in the waters of baptism and had your washings andanointings in the temple of the most high God. Is it not so? Your eyeswere anointed that they might be quick to see, your ears that they mightbe apt at hearing, your mouth that you might with wisdom speak the wordsof eternal life, and your feet that they might be swift to run in theways of the Lord. You accepted thereby the truth that the angel of Godhad delivered to Joseph Smith the sealing keys of power. You acceptedthe glorious articles of the new covenant. You were about to be sealedup to me for time and eternity. Now--I am lost--what is it?--yourfather and mother have left the church, and because of what?"

  "Because of bad things, because of this doctrine they practise--thiswickedness of spiritual wives, plural wives. Think of it, Joel--that ifI were your wife you might take another."

  "I need not think of it. Surely you know my love. You know I could notdo that. Indeed I have heard at last that this doctrine so long gossipedof is a true one. But I have been away and am not yet learned in itsmysteries. But this much I do know--and it is the very corner-stone ofmy life: Peter, James, and John ordained Joseph Smith here on thisearth, and Joseph ordained the twelve. All other churches have beenestablished by the wisdom or folly of man. Ours is the only one on earthestablished by direct revelation from God. It has a priesthood, and thatpriesthood is a power we must reverence and obey, no matter what may beits commands. When the truth is taught me of this doctrine you speak of,I shall see it to be right for those to whom it is ordained. Andmeantime, outside of my own little life--my love for you, which would bealways single--I can't measure the revealed will of God with my littlemoral foot-rule. Joseph was endowed with the open vision. He saw Godface to face and heard His voice. Can the standards of society in itspresent corruption measure and pass upon the revelations of sowhite-souled a man?"

  "I believe he was not white-souled," she replied, in a kind, animatedway, as one who was bent upon saving him from error. "I told you I knewwhy you were sent away on mission. It was because you were my acceptedlover--and your white-souled Joseph Smith wanted me for himself."

  "I can't believe it--you couldn't know such a thing"--his faith made abrave rally--"but even so, if he sought you, why, the more honour toyou--and to me, if you still clung to me."

  "Listen. I was afraid to tell you before--ashamed--but I told my people.It's three years ago. I was seventeen. It was just after we had becomeengaged. My people were then strong in the faith, as you know. Onemorning after you had left for the East, Brigham Young and Heber Kimballcame to our house for me. They said the Prophet had long known me bysight, and wished to talk with me. Would I go with them to visit him andhe would bless and counsel me? Of course I was flattered. I put on myprettiest frock and fetchingest bonnet and set off with them, aftermamma had said yes. On the way they kept asking me if I was willing todo all the Prophet required. I said I was sure of it, thinking theymeant to be good and worshipful. Then they would ask if I was ready totake counsel, and they said, 'Many things are revealed unto us in theselast days that the world would scoff at,' but that it had been given tothem to know all the mysteries of the Kingdom. Then they said, 'Youwill see Joseph and he will tell you what you are to do.'"

  He was listening with a serious, confident eagerness, as if he knew shecould say nothing to dim the Prophet's lustre.

  "When we reached the building where Joseph's store was, they led meup-stairs to a small room and sent down to the store for the Prophet.When he came up they introduced me and left me alone in the little roomwith him. Their actions had seemed queer to me, but I remembered thatthis man had talked face to face with God, so I tried to feel better.But all at once he stood before me and asked me to be his wife. Think ofit! I was so frightened! I dared not say no, he looked at me so--I can'ttell you how; but I said it would not be lawful. He said, 'Yes,Prudence, I have had a revelation from God that it is lawful and rightfor a man to have as many wives as he wants--for as it was in the daysof Abraham, so it shall be in these days. Accept me and I shall take youstraight to the celestial Kingdom. Brother Brigham will marry us here,right now, and you can go home to-night and keep it secret from yourparents if you like.' Then I said, 'But I am betrothed to Joel Rae, theson of Giles Rae, who is away on mission.' 'I know that,' he said--'Isent him away, and anyway you will be safer to marry me. You will thenbe absolutely sure of your celestial reward, for in the next world, youknow, I am to have powers, thrones, and dominions, while Brother Joelis very young and has not been tried in the Kingdom. He may fall awayand then you would be lost.'"

  The man in him now was struggling with his faith, and he seemed about tointerrupt her, but she went on excitedly.

  "I said I would not want to do anything of the kind withoutdeliberation. He urged me to have it over, trying to kiss me, and sayinghe knew it would be right before God; that if there was any sin in it hewould take it upon himself. He said, 'You know I have the keys of theKingdom, and whatever I bind on earth is bound in heaven. C
ome,' hesaid, 'nothing ventured, nothing gained. Let me call Brother Brigham toseal us, and you shall be a star in my crown for ever.'

  "Then I broke down and cried, for I was so afraid, and he put his armsaround me, but I pushed away, and after awhile I coaxed him to give meuntil the next Sabbath to think it over, promising on my life to say notone word to any person. I never let him see me alone again, you may besure, and at last when other awful tales were told about him here, ofwickedness and his drunkenness--he told in the pulpit that he had beendrunk, and that he did it to keep them from worshipping him as a God--Isaw he was a bad, common man, and I told my people everything, and soonmy father was denounced for an apostate. Now, sir, what do you say?"

  When she finished he was silent for a time. Then he spoke, very gently,but with undaunted firmness.

  "Prudence, dearest, I have told you that this doctrine is new to me. Ido not yet know its justification. But that I shall see it to besanctified after they have taught me, this I know as certainly as I knowthat Joseph Smith dug up the golden plates of Mormon and Moroni on thehill of Cumorah when the angel of the Lord moved him. It will besanctified for those who choose it, I mean. You know I could neverchoose it for myself. But as for others, I must not question. I knowonly too well that eternal salvation for me depends upon my acceptingmanfully and unquestioningly the authority of the temple priesthood."

  "But I know Joseph was not a good man--and they tell such absurd storiesabout the miracles the Elders pretend to work."

  "I believe with all my heart Joseph was good; but even if not--we havenever pretended that he was anything more than a prophet of God. And wasnot Moses a murderer when God called him to be a prophet? And as formiracles, all religions have them--why not ours? Your people wereMethodists before Joseph baptised them. Didn't Wesley work miracles?Didn't a cloud temper the sun in answer to his prayer? Wasn't his horsecured of a lameness by his faith? Didn't he lay hands upon the blindCatholic girl so that she saw plainly when her eyes rested upon the NewTestament and became blind again when she took up the mass book? Arethose stories absurd? My father himself saw Joseph cast a devil out ofNewell Knight."

  "And this awful journey into a horrid desert. Why must you go? Surelythere are other ways of salvation." She hesitated a moment. "I have beentold that going to heaven is like going to mill. If your wheat is good,the miller will never ask which way you came."

  "Child, child, some one has tampered with you."

  She retorted quickly.

  "He did not tamper, he has never sought to--he was all kindness."

  She stopped, her short upper lip holding its incautious mate a prisoner.She blushed furiously under the sudden blaze of his eyes.

  "So it's true, what Seth Wright hinted at? To think that you, of allpeople--my sweetheart--gone over--won over by a cursed mobocrat--a fiendwith the blood of our people wet on his hands! Listen, Prue; I'm goinginto the desert. Even though you beg me to stay, you must haveknown--perhaps you hoped--that I would go. There are many reasons why Imust. For one, there are six hundred and forty poor hunted wretches overthere on the river bank, sick, cold, wet, starving, but enduring it allto the death for their faith in Joseph Smith. They could have kept theircomfortable homes here and their substance, simply by renouncinghim--they are all voluntary exiles--they have only to say 'I do notbelieve Joseph Smith was a prophet of God,' and these same Gentileswill receive them with open arms, give them clothing, food, and shelter,put them again in possession of their own. But they are lying out overthere, fever-stricken, starving, chilled, all because they will not denytheir faith. Shall I be a craven, then, who have scarcely ever wantedfor food or shelter, and probably shall not? Of course you don't love meor you couldn't ask me to do that. Those faithful wretched ones arewaiting over there for me to guide them on toward a spot that willprobably be still more desolate. They could find their way, almost, bythe trail of graves we left last spring, but they need my strength andmy spirit, and I am going. I am going, too, for my own salvation. Iwould suffer anything for you, but by going I may save us both. Listen,child; God is going to make a short work on earth. We shall both see theend of this reign of sin. It is well if you take wheat to the mill, butwhat if you fetch the miller chaff instead?"

  She made a little protesting move with her hands, and would have spoken,but he was not done.

  "Now, listen further. You heard my father tell how I have seen thispeople driven and persecuted since I was a boy. That, if nothing else,would take me away from these accursed States and their mobs. Hatred ofthem has been bred into my marrow. I know them for the most part to beunregenerate and doomed, but even if it were otherwise--if they had thetrue light--none the less would I be glad to go, because of what theyhave done to us and to me and to mine. Oh, in the night I hear suchcries of butchered mothers with their babes, and see the flames of thelittle cabins--hear the shots and the ribaldry and the cursings. Myfather spoke to you of Haun's mill,--that massacre back in Missouri.That was eight years ago. I was a boy of sixteen and my sister was ayear older. She had been left in my care while father and mother went onto Far West. You have seen the portrait of her that mother has. You knowhow delicately flower-like her beauty was, how like a lily, with apurity and an innocence to disarm any villainy. Thirty families hadhalted at the mill the day before, the mob checking their advance atthat point. All was quiet until about four in the afternoon. We werecamped on either side of Shoal Creek. Children were playing freely aboutwhile their mothers and fathers worked at the little affairs of apilgrimage like that. Most of them had then been three months on theroad, enduring incredible hardships for the sake of their religion--forhim you believe to be a bad, common man. But they felt secure nowbecause one of the militia captains, officious like your captain here,had given them assurance the day before that they would be protectedfrom all harm. I was helping Brother Joseph Young to repair his wagonwhen I glanced up to the opposite side of Shoal Creek and saw a largecompany of armed and mounted men coming toward our peaceful group atfull speed. One of our number, seeing that they were many and that wewere unarmed, ran out and cried, 'Peace!' but they came upon us andfired their volley. Men, women, and little children fell under it. Thosesurviving fled to the blacksmith's shop for shelter--huddling insidelike frightened sheep. But there were wide cracks between the logs, andup to these the mob went, putting their guns through to do their work atleisure. Then the plundering began--plundering and worse."

  He stopped, trembling, and she put out her hand to him in sympathy. Whenhe had regained control of himself, he continued.

  "At the first volley I had hurried sister to a place of concealment inthe underbrush, and she, hearing them search for the survivors after theshooting was over, thought we were discovered, and sprang up to runfurther. One of them saw her and shot. She fell half-fainting with abullet through her arm, and then half a dozen of them gathered quicklyabout her. I ran to them, screaming and striking out with my fists, butthe devil was in them, and she, poor blossom, lay there helpless,calling 'Boy, boy, boy!' as she had always called me since we werebabies together. Must I tell you the rest?--must I tell you--how thosedevils--"

  "Don't, don't! Oh, _no_!"

  "I thought I must die! They held me there--"

  He had gripped one of her wrists until she cried out in pain and hereleased it.

  "But the sight must have given me a man's strength, for my strugglesbecame so troublesome that one of them--I have always been grateful forit--clubbed his musket and dealt me a blow that left me senseless. Itwas dark when I came to, but I lay there until morning, unable to domore than crawl. When the light came I found the poor little sisterthere near where they had dragged us both, and she was _alive_. Can yourealise how awful that was--that she had lived through it? God bethanked, she died before the day was out.

  "After that the other mutilated bodies, the plundered wagons, all seemedless horrible to me. My heart had been seared over. They had killedtwenty of the Saints, and the most of them we hurried to throw into awell, fearful that t
he soldiers of Governor Boggs would come back at anymoment to strip and hack them. O God! and now you have gone over to oneof them!"

  "Joel,--dear, _dear_ Joel!--indeed I pity and sympathise--and carefor--but I cannot go--even after all you say. And don't you see it willalways be so! My father says the priesthood will always be in trouble ifit sets itself above the United States. Dear Joel, I can't go, indeed I_can't_ go!"

  He spoke more softly now.

  "Thank God I don't realise it yet--I mean, that we must part. You tellme so and I hear you and my mind knows, but my heart hasn't sensed ityet--I can feel it now going stupidly along singing its old happy songof hope and gladness, while all this is going on here outside. But soonthe big hurt will come. Oh, Prue--Prue, girl!--can't you think what itwill mean to me? Don't you know how I shall sicken for the sight of you,and my ears will listen for you! Prudence, Prue, darling--yet I must notbe womanish! I have a big work to do. I have known it with a newclearness since that radiance rested above my head last night. The truthburns in me like a fire. Your going can't take that from me. It must beI was not meant to have you. With you perhaps I could not have had aheart single to God's work. He permitted me to love you so I could betried and proved."

  He looked at her fondly, and she could see striving and trembling in hiseyes a great desire to crush her in his arms, yet he fought it down, andcontinued more calmly.

  "But indeed I must be favoured more than common, to deserve that sogreat a hurt be put upon me, and I shall not be found wanting. I shallnever wed any woman but you, though, dear. If not you, never any other."

  He stood up.

  "I must go in to them now. There must be work to do against the startto-morrow."

  "Joel!"

  "May the Lord deafen my ears to you, darling!" and squaring hisshoulders resolutely away from her, he left her on the seat and went in.

  The old man looked up from his Bible as his son entered.

  "It's sore sad, laddie, we can't have the temple for your sealing-vows."

  "Prudence will not be sealed to me, father." He spoke dazedly, as ifanother like the morning's blow had been dealt him. "I--I am alreadysealed to the Spirit for time and eternity."

  "Was it Prudence's doings?" asked his mother, quickly.

  "Yes; she has left the church with her people."

  The long-faced, narrow-browed old man raised one hand solemnly.

  "Then let her be banished from Israel and not numbered in the books ofthe offspring of Abraham! And let her be delivered over to thebuffetings of Satan in the flesh!"