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Show 220 THE MORMON LION to rile me, these days. To oblige you, I let the woman off easy-and then you turn on me and snap like a mongrel." "I am sorry you took it that way Brother Brigham," I lied. " It was, of course: my fault. I should not have presumed to speak in such a manner I must own that I--" · " That's all right," he interrupted. " I accept your apology. Sit down." As I obeyed, he drew from one of his desk drawers the packet of bank notes and bills of exchange that I had seen in Mr. Sen by's wallet. " Bill says he let you have the watch and loose change- s1:-:ty-four dollars and fifty c.ents-to give to the family. By nghts, It ought to ve come into the Lord's treasury w1th the rest, but we'll let it go. All this, though- twelve hundred m cash and nine thousand and fifty-three in bills of exchange- are forfeited to the Lord because of Brother Sen by's sin of a~ostacy and treason to the Kingdom You see that s nght, Dave." I thought quickly. " Yes, of course it's right unless--" ' "Unless what?" he demanded. "Unless some of the amount belongs to innocent parties. May I ask If It IS known how he raised so iar9e a sum ? " ' H~ sold out his business- stock, fixtures and goodwill- to one of the Gentile merchants. Buyer had to. borrow from others, and Sen by mostly had to ta~e bills of exchang~ in payment." Sold out h1s busmess ? " I exclaimed. " But it was not h1s business-only in part. Dr. Neville's esh1te owns .a seven-thousand-dollar share in it. The assignment IS on record. You will recall that I paid the property-tithe on that amount." Brigham laid his hand on the packet and bent over to consider my move. I rashly told myself that I had ):nm fast. He looked up and admitted it with a readmess that should have forewarned me. THE MORMON LION 221 "You're right, Dave," he said, and he added sanctimoniously : " Far be it for the Lord's vicar on earth to deprive the widowed and orphaned from their just dues." " The widowed too! " I said. " You are generous I You will relinquish her part of the money, as well!" "Theirs, Dave, theirs," he blandly corrected me. " Of course," I agreed. " A slip of the tongue." " Yes," he said. He rubbed his palms together and leaned back, smiling benevolently. " The widows and the orphan. Seems to me the matter can be arranged and the amount turned over-after deducting the property-tithe." "You mean, of course, the tithe from the portion belonging to the widows," I remarked. " Tithe has already been paid on the rest." " Umm-- Guess you've got me there, Dave. However, we'll come to that in a minute. I'm thinking now of them three bereaved widows, left alone with nobody to comfort 'em and raise up children by 'em unto him to who they was sealed for eternity. Chilcott might be persuaded to take back his two- along with their share of the estate." "You'd not do that, Brother Brigham!" I murmured. "You're too kind-hearted to do that!" "Well, Bill is a bit hard on his wimminfolks," he admitted. "Just the same, them widows have all ·got to be provided for. I can't pay over the property mto their hands. Some thief of a Bishop would hornswoggle 'em out of it in two shakes. No, it's got to be Bill for all three of 'em, or else--" "All three? " I cried. " Good Heaven! You'd not force her to marry him ! - to marry the man who--" "Who saved Brother Senby from his sins," blandly completed Brigham as I paused. "I don't see why not, Dave. Still, I admit Bill is a bit rough on his wimminfolks. I'd consider taking one or more of 'em myself, if all this was theirn." He patted the packet,of bills. |
