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Show 248 He rose. I hurriedly followed him. Cora was all too evidently on the vere-e of another outburst. We entered the parlour. Chilcott struck a match on his heel and lit four or five of the bracket candles. As he waved me to a chair, the sound of some one breathing excitedly drew my gaze about to the diningroom door. To my dismay, I saw that Cora had followed us into the parlour. Chilcott frowned at her. "Thought you were going to help Mandy," he reproved. She started for the door, only to be stopped by his order : " Hold on. Long as you're here, you might as well stay. We'll want a lively tune to celebrate the coming event. Go and pick out your best piece." I started to follow her to the piano, but Chilcott cau!iht me a friendly clap on the shoulder and pushed me mto a chair. " Sit down," he said. "I want to congratulate you. I don't mind owning that I had more than half figured on taking back my two and old Sister Senby into the bargain. Eleven thousand is a pretty considerable wad. But I don't grudge you your good luck, Dave, seeing that Brigham counselled it. I won't be the loser altogether. My eternal kingdom will be increased by the children you raise up unto me.'' A gasp from Cora drew his attention to her. She was standing beside the piano, her bosom rapidly heaving and her eyes ftashm9. "Hello I What m thunders the matter with you?" demanded Chilcott. " He shall not! " she burst out. " He shall not I " "Not what?" " He shall not marry them! I cannot bear it! I will not have it! For him to have married her firstshe had the right, and I loved her. But those creatures- your cast-off women-he shall not, I say! He shall not I " THE MORMON LION 249 "What d'you mean I " he admonished. "What have you to do with it I You must be crazy." She was, in truth, fairly beside herself. Even his frown could not check her. "What have I to do with it? " she cried-" Everything! everything! You have good as cast me off too! You've forced me to go to Brigham to be freed from you-- " · "I know," he broke in. "You've been to him twice, whining about your afflictions. Go on. What next?" She faltered under his cold stare ; but her emotion was too violent to be suppressed. " Yes, I did ; I did go to him to be freed from you I Why shouldn't II You've despised me-neglected mel-- Never a kind word or look. I loved you! I could always have loved you like your dog-only sometimes you pat your dog I " " I've heard all that before. What next? " "You have tired of me. You want me to go-to be rid of me as you were of the others. You know you do I You've shown it by the way you've treated me all these months I ... And David-he promised to take me- after her ! " Chilcott looked to me for confirmation of the statement. His face was impassive, but there was a steely glint in his blue eyes that forewarned me. "Is that so, Dave? " he asked. " I told her that if Brigham divorced her from you I would take her for my second wife," I answered. ' Had he whipped out his bowie knife and attempted to kill us both I should not have been surprised: There was murder in his eyes. I slipped my han<l: mto my bosom and grasped the butt of my Dernnger. He knew what the movement meant and burst into a hoarse laugh. ' "You seem to find the situation amusing," I remarked, as he fell silent and sat staring at us with eyes half asq uin t. " Yes, it's funny-cussed funny I " he rallied. |
