riders of the purple sage-第19章

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The　women　flocked　around　her　in　welcome。

〃Daughter　of　Withersteen；〃　said　the　Bishop；　gaily；　as　he　took　her　hand；　〃you　have　not　been　prodigal　of　your　gracious　self　of　late。　A　Sabbath　without　you　at　service！　I　shall　reprove　Elder　Tull。〃

〃Bishop；　the　guilt　is　mine。　I'll　come　to　you　and　confess；〃　Jane　replied；　lightly；　but　she　felt　the　undercurrent　of　her　words。

〃Mormon　love…making！〃　exclaimed　the　Bishop；　rubbing　his　hands。　〃Tull　keeps　you　all　to　himself。〃

〃No。　He　is　not　courting　me。〃

〃What？　The　laggard！　If　he　does　not　make　haste　I'll　go　a…courting　myself　up　to　Withersteen　House。〃

There　was　laughter　and　further　bantering　by　the　Bishop；　and　then　mild　talk　of　village　affairs；　after　which　he　took　his　leave；　and　Jane　was　left　with　her　friend；　Mary　Brandt。

〃Jane；　you're　not　yourself。　Are　you　sad　about　the　rustling　of　the　cattle？　But　you　have　so　many；　you　are　so　rich。〃

Then　Jane　confided　in　her；　telling　much；　yet　holding　back　her　doubts　of　fear。

〃Oh；　why　don't　you　marry　Tull　and　be　one　of　us？

〃But；　Mary；　I　don't　love　Tull；〃　said　Jane；　stubbornly。

〃I　don't　blame　you　for　that。　But；　Jane　Withersteen；　you've　got　to　choose　between　the　love　of　man　and　love　of　God。　Often　we　Mormon　women　have　to　do　that。　It's　not　easy。　The　kind　of　happiness　you　want　I　wanted　once。　I　never　got　it；　nor　will　you；　unless　you　throw　away　your　soul。　We've　all　watched　your　affair　with　Venters　in　fear　and　trembling。　Some　dreadful　thing　will　come　of　it。　You　don't　want　him　hanged　or　shotor　treated　worse；　as　that　Gentile　boy　was　treated　in　Glaze　for　fooling　round　a　Mormon　woman。　Marry　Tull。　It's　your　duty　as　a　Mormon。　You'll　feel　no　rapture　as　his　wifebut　think　of　Heaven！　Mormon　women　don't　marry　for　what　they　expect　on　earth。　Take　up　the　cross；　Jane。　Remember　your　father　found　Amber　Spring；　built　these　old　houses；　brought　Mormons　here；　and　fathered　them。　You　are　the　daughter　of　Withersteen！〃

Jane　left　Mary　Brandt　and　went　to　call　upon　other　friends。　They　received　her　with　the　same　glad　welcome　as　had　Mary；　lavished　upon　her　the　pent…up　affection　of　Mormon　women；　and　let　her　go　with　her　ears　ringing　of　Tull；　Venters；　Lassiter；　of　duty　to　God　and　glory　in　Heaven。

〃Verily；〃　murmured　Jane；　〃I　don't　know　myself　when；　through　all　this；　I　remain　unchangednay；　more　fixed　of　purpose。〃

She　returned　to　the　main　street　and　bent　her　thoughtful　steps　toward　the　center　of　the　village。　A　string　of　wagons　drawn　by　oxen　was　lumbering　along。　These　〃sage…freighters；〃　as　they　were　called；　hauled　grain　and　flour　and　merchandise　from　Sterling；　and　Jane　laughed　suddenly　in　the　midst　of　her　humility　at　the　thought　that　they　were　her　property；　as　was　one　of　the　three　stores　for　which　they　freighted　goods。　The　water　that　flowed　along　the　path　at　her　feet；　and　turned　into　each　cottage…yard　to　nourish　garden　and　orchard；　also　was　hers；　no　less　her　private　property　because　she　chose　to　give　it　free。　Yet　in　this　village　of　Cottonwoods；　which　her　father　had　founded　and　which　she　maintained　she　was　not　her　own　mistress；　she　was　not　able　to　abide　by　her　own　choice　of　a　husband。　She　was　the　daughter　of　Withersteen。　Suppose　she　proved　it；　imperiously！　But　she　quelled　that　proud　temptation　at　its　birth。

Nothing　could　have　replaced　the　affection　which　the　village　people　had　for　her；　no　power　could　have　made　her　happy　as　the　pleasure　her　presence　gave。　As　she　went　on　down　the　street　past　the　stores　with　their　rude　platform　entrances；　and　the　saloons　where　tired　horses　stood　with　bridles　dragging；　she　was　again　assured　of　what　was　the　bread　and　wine　of　life　to　herthat　she　was　loved。　Dirty　boys　playing　in　the　ditch；　clerks；　teamsters；　riders；　loungers　on　the　corners；　ranchers　on　dusty　horses　little　girls　running　errands；　and　women　hurrying　to　the　stores　all　looked　up　at　her　coming　with　glad　eyes。

Jane's　various　calls　and　wandering　steps　at　length　led　her　to　the　Gentile　quarter　of　the　village。　This　was　at　the　extreme　southern　end；　and　here　some　thirty　Gentile　families　lived　in　huts　and　shacks　and　log…cabins　and　several　dilapidated　cottages。　The　fortunes　of　these　inhabitants　of　Cottonwoods　could　be　read　in　their　abodes。　Water　they　had　in　abundance；　and　therefore　grass　and　fruit…trees　and　patches　of　alfalfa　and　vegetable　gardens。　Some　of　the　men　and　boys　had　a　few　stray　cattle；　others　obtained　such　intermittent　employment　as　the　Mormons　reluctantly　tendered　them。　But　none　of　the　families　was　prosperous；　many　were　very　poor；　and　some　lived　only　by　Jane　Withersteen's　beneficence。

As　it　made　Jane　happy　to　go　among　her　own　people；　so　it　saddened　her　to　come　in　contact　with　these　Gentiles。　Yet　that　was　not　because　she　was　unwelcome；　here　she　was　gratefully　received　by　the　women；　passionately　by　the　children。　But　poverty　and　idleness；　with　their　attendant　wretchedness　and　sorrow；　always　hurt　her。　That　she　could　alleviate　this　distress　more　now　than　ever　before　proved　the　adage　that　it　was　an　ill　wind　that　blew　nobody　good。　While　her　Mormon　riders　were　in　her　employ　she　had　found　few　Gentiles　who　would　stay　with　her；　and　now　she　was　able　to　find　employment　for　all　the　men　and　boys。　No　little　shock　was　it　to　have　man　after　man　tell　her　that　he　dare　not　accept　her　kind　offer。

〃It　won't　do；〃　said　one　Carson；　an　intelligent　man　who　had　seen　better　days。　〃We've　had　our　warning。　Plain　and　to　the　point！　Now　there's　Judkins；　he　packs　guns；　and　he　can　use　them；　and　so　can　the　daredevil　boys　he's　hired。　But　they've　little　responsibility。　Can　we　risk　having　our　homes　burned　in　our　absence？〃

Jane　felt　the　stretching　and　chilling　of　the　skin　of　her　face　as　the　blood　left　it。

〃Carson；　you　and　the　others　rent　these　houses？〃　she　asked。

〃You　ought　to　know；　Miss　Withersteen。　Some　of　them　are　yours。〃

〃I　know？。。。Carson；　I　never　in　my　life　took　a　day's　labor　for　rent　or　a　yearling　calf　or　a　bunch　of　grass；　let　alone　gold。〃

〃Bivens；　your　store…keeper；　sees　to　that。〃

〃Look　here；　Carson；〃　went　on　Jane；　hurriedly；　and　now　her　cheeks　were　burning。　〃You　and　Black　and　Willet　pack　your　goods　and　move　your　families　up　to　my　cabins　in　the　grove。　They're　far　more　comfortable　than　these。　Then　go　to　work　for　me。　And　if　aught　happens　to　you　there　I'll　give　you　moneygold　enough　to　leave　Utah！〃

The　man　choked　and　stammered；　and　then；　as　tears　welled　into　his　eyes；　he　found　the　use　of　his　tongue　and　cursed。　No　gentle　speech　could　ever　have　equaled　that　curse　in　eloquent　expression　of　what　he　felt　for　Jane　Withersteen。　How　strangely　his　look　and　tone　reminded　her　of　Lassiter！

〃No；　it　won't　do；〃　he　said；　when　he　had　somewhat　recovered　himself。　〃Miss　Withersteen；　there　are　things　that　you　don't　know；　and　there's　not　a　soul　among　us　who　can　tell　you。〃

〃I　seem　to　be　learning　many　things；　Carson。　Well；　then；　will　you　let　me　aid　yousay　till　better　times？〃

〃Yes；　I　will；〃　he　replied；　with　his　face　lighting　up。　〃I　see　what　it　means　to　you；　and　you　know　what　it　means　to　me。　Thank　you！　And　if　better　times　ever　come；　I'll　be　only　too　happy　to　work　for　you。〃

〃Better　times　will　come。　I　trust　God　and　have　faith　in　man。　Good　day；　Carson。〃

The　lane　opened　out　upon　the　sage…inclosed　alfalfa　fields；　and　the　last　habitation；　at　the　end　of　that　lane　of　hovels；　was　the　meanest。　Formerly　it　had　been　a　shed；　now　it　was　a　home。　The　broad　leaves　of　a　wide…spreading　cottonwood　sheltered　the　sunken　roof　of　weathered　boards。　Like　an　Indian　hut；　it　had　one　floor。　Round　about　it　were　a　few　scanty　rows　of　vegetables；　such　as　the　hand　of　a　weak　woman　had　time　and　strength　to　cultivate。　This　little　dwelling…place　was　just　outside　the　village　limits；　and　the　widow　who　lived　there　had　to　carry　her　water　from　the　nearest　irrigation　ditch。　As　Jane　Withersteen　entered　the　unfenced　yard　a　child　saw　her；　shrieked　with　joy；　and　came　tearing　toward　her　with　curls　flying。　This　child　was　a　little　girl　of　four　called　Fay。　Her　name　suited　her；　for　she　was　an　elf；　a　sprite；　a　creature　so　fairy…like　and　beautiful　that　she　seemed　unearthly。

〃Muvver　sended　for　oo；〃　cried　Fay；　as　Jane　kissed　her；　〃an'　oo　never　tome。〃

〃I　didn't　know；　Fay；　but　I've　come　now。〃

Fay　was　a　child　of　outdoors；　of　the　garden　and　ditch　and　field；　and　she　was　dirty　and　ragged。　But　rags　and　dirt　did　not　hide　her　beauty。　The　one　thin　little　bedraggl