The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-09-13

uO--it p dDOuI your IdIHeI ana
m0ther-when they were married"
How did YOU know
Il cant tell You now, but I will soon.
Look here, you can believe what
tell you, can't your
Yes, | can do that"
"Wcll, then, You listen. Your father
and mother were married in the right
way. and there wasn't a single bit Of
CrOokedness about it. | wouldn't tell
YOU if | didn't know and couldn't
prove it to you in a little while. Say,
there's one of our wagon trains com.
ing along here toward Salt Lake next
Monday. It's coming out of its way
on purpose to pick me up. I'll promise
to have it proved to you by that time.
Now, is that fair? Can you believe
me?"
She looked up at him, her face
bright again.
"Oh, | do believe you, You don't
know how glad you make me. 1t was
an awful thing-oh, you are a dear"
and full upon his lips she kissed the
aStOunded young man, holding him
fast with an arm about his neck.
you've made me all over newt was
feeling so wretched-and, of course,
| cant see how you know anything
about it, but | know you are telling
the truth" Again she kissed him
with the utmost cordially. Then she
stood up to arrange her hair, her face
full Of the JOY of this assurance. The
young man saw that she had forgot
ten both him and his religious per.
pleWties, and he did not wish her
to be entirely Invested of concern for
him at this moment.
But how about me? Here | am,
lost if ! do and lost if | don't. You
better sit down here again and see
if there isn't some way | can get
that crown of glory"
She sat down by him, instantly so.
bered from her own joy and calmly
gave him a hand to hold.
We'll, I'll tell YOU she said, frank.
ly. You wait awhile. Don't do any.
thing right away. I'll have to ask
father And then as he reached over
to pick up the Book of Mormon
NO, let's not read any more to-day.
Let's sit little while and only think
about things" She was so free from
embarrassment that he began to doubt
If he had been so very deeply clever,
after all, in suggesting the relationship
between them. But after she had
unused awhile, she seemed to perceive
for the first time that he was very
earnestly holding both of her hands.
She blushed, and suddenly withdrew
them. Whereat he was more pleased
than when she had passively let them
lie. He approached the matter Of sal
walton for himself once more.
"Of course, can wait awhile for
you to find out the rights of this thing,
but I'm afraid | cant be baptized
even if you tell me to be--eyen il
you want me to obey the Lord and
marry some pretty little light-com-
plected, yellow-haired thing after
wards-after I'd married my first wife.
Fact is, don't believe | could. Prob.
ably I'd care so much for the first
one that I'd have binders on for all
the other women in the world. She'd
have me tied down with the red rib
bon in her hair" he touched the
red ribbon in her own by way Of IL
lustration-"just like | can tie the
biggest steer you ever saw with that
little silk rag of mine-hold him, two
hind legs and one fore, so he cant
bulge an inch. I'd just like to see
some little, short. kind of plump,
pretty yellow-haired thing cote be-
tween u.s." ,~-.T
For an instant she looked such
warm, almost indignant approval that
he believed she was about to express
an opinion of her own in the matter,
but she stayed silent, looking away
instead with a little movement Of
having swallowed something.
And you, too, if you were my sis.
ter, do you think I'd want you mar.
ried to a man who'd begin to look
around for some one else as soon as
he got you? No, sir-you deserve some
decent young fellow who'd love you
all to pieces day in and day out, and
never SO much as look at this little
yellow-haired girl--even if she was
almost as pretty as YOU"
But she was not to be led into rem
dering any hasty decision which
might affect his eternal salvation.
Moreover, she was embarrassed and
disturbed.
I'VE must 60" she said, rising be.
fore he could help her. When they
had picked their way down to the
mouth of the canyon, he walking be-
hind her, she turned back and said:
"Of course you could marry that little
yellow-haired girl with the blue eyes
first, the one you're thinking so much
about-the little short, fat thing with
a doll.baby face"
But he only answered: ooh, we'll,
If YOU get me into yOur church il