OCR Text |
Show 254 THE MORMON LION the ascendancy of her soul. Poor lady! I could not now tell her that she was certain of disappointment. For Lucy's sake, I dared not even hint at my intended flight. " But I shall be your first wife, David-say it," she insisted. " I shall be your first wife I " "We must wait and see what the Prophet coun-sels," I evaded. "You'll ask him to Jet me be the first I None other shall come before me I " she cried in passionate protest. " I will not have it! They shall not! " "Not what? " asked Amanda, corning in at the dining-room doorway. "You're making enough fuss, Cora to--" She stopped, transfixed, at sight of us. . "Land's sake! It's you and Dave agm I You wanton-you miserable wanton courtesan 1-you adultress ! I spared you once; and this is what I git for it 1 You shameless thing I And for all these months, ten to one! No wonder you slink back and hide your heads both of you. You've committed the very worst' of all sins. You ought to go to Brigham and beg him to see to the shedding of your blood I Only blood can atone for what you've done- your blood, that the smoke thereof may ascend unto God--else you are damned, eternally damned. Go to the Prophet and confess, you adultress I " "No we have not- have not done it, Amanda!" sobbed 'cora, stricken with superstitiou~ dread. . "Not done it?" shrilled Amanda Ill a fanatical frenzy. "But you've thought it, and that's as bad! ' As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he ' I It's the same of a woman. ' He that Jooketh upon a woman to Just after her has committed adultery 'I It's the same of a woman. In the sight of God you're guilty I Only blood can wipe out your sin!-- Gmltyl guilty! guiltY,!" . . . " Guilty! ' screamed Cora, mflicted With the terrible frenzy. "I am guilty! I shall be damned! Guilty- guilty! I have sinned!" THE MORMON LION 255 She rushed out past Amanda, in an agony of remorse, shrieking and wringing her hands. Amanda continued to beat the air and screech " Guilty! guilty! guilty! " until she fell down in a fit: I dragged her out into the kitchen and flung water in her face. When at last she came to her senses, she started to reproach me. I told her she was a fanatical fool. With that, I went to my room and locked the door. Before I went to bed I put into my belt all my money except two hundred dollars in gold, and I tested and loaded my rifle and revolver. |