The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1906-10-25

But the un-American Americans
failed to appreciate the superiority of
domestic st ifs or the beauties OF ma
tive talent and with each rash admis-
sion the warm smile of welcome would
gradually relax until Shalmai saw only
look OF cold disdain--the novelty Of
hearing the truth was too recent an
innovation yet to encourage as a fad
The disillusioned customer would put
away her purse with defrau led air.
and the embryo reformer would fold
up her goods and go on from village
to village along her suburban route.
Three weeks of tribulations suffi-
cient to discourage one to the religion
born, then Shalmai was reduced to her
last rootet "of all evil"
Her employer wondered, then grew
wrothy, and finally anxious, as her re-
ports came from the various towns
she was making such small sales that
one machine could overstock her mar
ket. while she was not realizing
eneugh in profits to provide her with
the essentials of life. Vexed and per.
picked at this sudden turn of affairs.
he was conjecturing whether it was
Shalmai's lack of learning that had
sold his goods so readily before TAX
Ing" or whether it was her over-eth-
lcal education that was losing sales
for them now, when Kernish came
into the office to hear somewhat of
her. and to him the manufacturer of
Illinois oriental embroideries relieved
his mind with regard to his fears for
Shalmai and also his opinion of the
folly of that pledge.
With the eagerness of lover long
ing for pretext to again look on his
adored. Kernish volunteered to go out
as rescue expedition to the too thor
oughly Christianized convert.
Whatever Emory Kernish's original
intentions may have been, they
seemed to undergo a subtle change
on realizing the ravages that her
weeks of hardship had wrought on
Shalmai.
He came upon her as she was drag
ging herself and her pack through the
slush of country road. Her gay gar.
ments were wind and weather frayed;
she was soiled, exhausted, disheveled
she appeared no longer a dethroned
princess Of the house of Judah. With
the furnishing of her fine feathers
| Shalmai lost caste with her sutton
and the expression that came over his
face was neither sanity nor pleasant
to look upon.
| But Shalmai saw only her lover Of
| the mission coming to meet her, and
she fell into his arms with the limp
ness of a rag doll and wept her glad
relief.
"Why, Shalmai!" he exclaimed.
II have kept the pledge, but behold
to what it has brought me-" and she
| hushed her sobs to hear the common.
dation Of her Christian lover. 1t came.
1T was foolish promise to make,
and more foolish compact to keep.
But 1t Is over now. You must leave
the reforming of the world to those
better able to cope with 1t. Your
place is here. safe sheltered in my
arms, beloved, and will care for you
| forever and forever"
Her tears sprinkled him afresh,
like April showers with the sunbeams
shining through, as he kissed the
pomegranate glow back into her cheek
and consoled her with forecasts of a
! future where he and she were soon to
| Journey back to the shores of the
zithern sea and there live just for
each other.
1--WE will have one grand wedding
at the mission" unused Shaimai, with
blssful naivette.
Kernish flushed guiltly, then fai-
tered: 1T won't be necessary-a
marriage just now might be fatal to
my prospects," Shalmais stunned
silence encouraged him and, drawing
her closer, he went on more glibly:
Ceremonies are merely form. Shall
mai Marriage is simply a business
| contract, and no more requires the
services of a preacher than an or
binary partnership requires the in
tervention of an attorney. A coven-
ant between two loving hearts should
he more sacred than the ordained
phrases of the ritual | hereby prom
! Use to love and cherish you with a
| greater consistency than many who re-
quire legal cath to hold Them" and
he stopped to kiss the ripe red
mouth, but Shalmai sprang away
from him in sudden realizing horror,
is this what you Chreestians call
following in His Steps?" she cried
out in sharp pain.
Not exactly in His steps, but in
| the footprints of others less perfect
--Solomon's. Davids, and-be reason
| able-wait, Shalmai!" But Shalmai
had caught up her pack and fed like
a frightened fawn across the fields,
| leaving Kernish much disturbed as to
| the report of him she might carry
back to the mission, and its possible
effect upon his consular expectations.
When safely lost from Kernish in
the shadows OF the early twilight.
| Shalmai sank down on bunch of
| brushwood to think over things and