The Red Cloud chief., 1888-05-18

one. and would be pleased enough to see
this blue-eyed fayorite pushed from the seat
of preference.
''Come, now, Cistene, I will 60 with you
and see about this trouble" he said, cheer
fully, and she followed him from the tith-
ing-ofice across the yard to the long dwell
ing and through that to the back yard. This
large inclosure was divided into little
squares of ground. into each one of which o
back door entered from an apartment. Here
in these little yards en- attempt was made
to keep the children of each wife separate,
and each wife was forbidden to punish the
children Of another. Back of the yards
were large gardens, and on either side
orchards; beyond the garden were barns
and cOwsheds. and beyond those were past
ures and fields, and in all of these the
wives and older children worked, in large
measure supporting themselves.
Indeed, the keeping Of this establishment
was not nearly so taxing to its head as, to
glance at its proportions, n might sup
pose. Almost every thing consumed by
mouth within its precincts was produced
from the soil by the wives and their of
spring: great ricks of dead timber for fuel
were ''snaked' with oxen from the mount
ain sides without cost; two of the older
wives were supplied with looms upon which
the wool from q large flock of sheep was
woven into cloth, supplying in great part
the apparel of the family, while the Bishop
in handling the tithes had the free permits
sion of the Head of the Church to CONVEX
these large quantities of butter, eggs, grain,
beeves, etc, into cash, and. after turning =
certain sum into the church treasury, to re-
serve the remainder for himself. Thus the
taking of another wife wa to the Bishop OF
small import beyond the act itself, as indeed
with most polygamists among these mount
AIMS owing mainly to the same ignOble
cause.
When Cistene, weepingly, and her lord,
now with a ~thundery front, entered the
back yard an angry scene ensued. a scene
of accusation and denunciatiOn that shall
remain unpicturcd here, save . glimpse as
it closed of a man Selling a woman with
gray hair and faded face by the throat, and
roughly thrusting her backward through a
gateway and slamming it after her, with
it and her mOut closed.
He had loved her once, when she was
young and slender and fair, and had sworn
" lOSC StLu CItdNS W slOuC III tualit DIG.
But had she been faithful: Yes, as only a
woman can be: had crossed 4 continent
through suffering and peril to please him:
had watched with hin in sickness, borne
him children. toiled at the loom to clOthc
children hat were his but no: hers, and
had been worn ont in his cause. yet had
long been cast Of and Spurned about like
al utwor garment.
p,,f Sha .0npnhrv Risbpn bod n1aoatnI
Cistene. and that was the main point: the
light flick upon the ear of her naughty
child by a toil-worn grief-tortured woman.
whose place the child's mother had
usurped. had been avenged. Six times the
first wife had seen her throne in her hus-
bands heart and home taken by a fresh
form. and with each change felt herself
pushed farther and farther into d chasing
service and neglect. Yet she was helpless.
She had no other home, no other shelter:
her life here and. she believed. hereafter,
hung upon the humble endurance Of a per-
petual outrage. In short, hers was the
common lot of elderly women in pOlygamy,
the most sOul-starving. heart-breahing life
that can fall to womankind.
The next morning, which was the second
after Elchard's departure, the Bishop,
clothed in his best apparel and most agree
able cOuntenance. came in through Burl
Hartman's gate and tapped respectfully at
the door. Trean came in response, and
with a start and change of expression be-
trayed her fear and dislike of their visitor.
Very bland and ~ObsequiOus he was. now
ever, as with hat in hand. his black HAIR
plastered smoothly against his temples and
reached up over a narrow forehead, his
wide and bulky person clad in IA heavy ill
fitting suit of brown. and his dark Eyes
twinkling, he stood before her.
''Good mornin'. Miss Hartman. :" he said,
with explosive ~affability, putting out his fat
hand. shows your father"
HE is not very well, thank you.'' said
Trean, but she did not put her land in the
one extended toward her. If the penalty of
refusal had been her life it seemed to her
she could not: no not after Paul Elchard
had held her hand in his loving and unpOl-
luted palm aha kissed it. But she placed a
chair for the Bishop and invited him to be
with what decency Of speech and
she could command.
He accepted 1t without affecting notice of
the affrOnt she had proffered him, but with
a smoky look about the eyes.
"When was Brother Hartman taken
sick!" he inquired.
sabbath morning just before meeting"
"Ah, yes; l remember l did not notice him
He might have added, had it been
interview less charged with a purpose