Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 1003 — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

18 4 a ee eel a house, but the simple child—she was but little more—had no idea of the strength of the web in which she had been so skill- fully immeshed. Tie door was fastened securely. For a moment Polly was frightened; she uad not expected this; then she flew to the wicdows, but the heavy shutters were fixed solid in their places. Flight was not going to be so easy as she had imagined. ‘‘ At all events they can’t marry me against my will!” she cried, defiantly, ‘‘even if they do succeed in keeping me shut up)” Then she sat down at the table and read the elder’s letter over again; her rage growing fiercer and fiercer ab every word. ‘Oh, the scamp!” she cried, “but I’ pay him up for this!’ One side only of the Mormon’s character had Polly seen. She had always thought hi: to be a dull, well-meaning, good-naturec but rather stupid old man; she had yet to learn that Gideon Biddeman could play the tyrant when he chose, and was far more knave than fool. And now, as Polly sat with angry eyes glaring at the letter, the key turned in the lock, the door opened, and the broad _ figure of the elder was visible. Polly sprung to her feet in an instant, and the elder, fearing that the girl would attempt to escape, closed the door behind him quickly, and placed his broad back against it. Then he surveyed the prisoner with a good-natured grin upon his fat face. ‘‘Oh, you monster!” cried Polly in a rage, really at a loss for words wherewith to fitly express the indignation boiling over witkin her bosom. ; ‘Well, my dear, I fooled you nicely, didn’t I?” and the elder chuckled at the idea, “Come away from that door and let me go home!” Polly cried. ‘‘Home! why you are home now!” the Mormon replied, - Now don’t be obstinate, Polly, but listen to reason like a girl of sense.” “Let me out!” ‘* Oh, no!” “Take care or I'll scratch you well if you don’t let me go.” ‘Ob, no you won't!” and the elder laughed just as if it were ali a joke, ‘“Why won’t 1?” demanded Polly, astonished that her threat | had not produced more effect. “Because, my dear, if you act like a naughty child, I shall have to treat you like one; that is, I shall box-your ears and send you to bed without any supper.” Polly fairly gasped with rage. ‘“-You won’é dare!” she cried. “Qh, won’t 1? Well, you just try it and see,” he retorted. “T want you to understand, Mrs. Biddeman that is to be, that I’m not the sort of man to stand any nonsense. Now if you'll be reasonable, and behave yourself, we’ll get on as nice as pie, but - if you don’t, and try to cut up any didoes, I reckon that I'm the man that can bring you down to your fodder!” “Do you think that I’m going to marry you?” cried Polly, highly exasperated. ‘Why, yes, of course; there isn’t a doubt about it!” he replied, as coolly as possible. ‘Do you think that I would bave taken all this trouble to bring you here, if 1 wasn’t sure in regard to the sulyject?” ‘Well, I never will, and that’s flat)” “Oh, yes, you will, and that’s flatter!” he retorted. ‘‘I’ve tamed just sich young heifers as you are before. We Mormons don’t fool much with women; we know how to deal with them!” “You can’t make me say yes when I mean no!” she cried. ‘‘] don’t care a mountain of cusses whether you say yes or no, or don’t open your pretty little mouth,” he replied, defiantly. ‘‘I reckon we can be j’ined in silence, Brother Brigham says that Ym to have you, and that just settles the matter; you’re my wife now, all rigbt; the Prophet has sealed you to me in spirit, and that’s all that is required. You’ve got tosubmit, and you’d better do it with a good grace, because if you are any ways ugly or contrary, I'll just have you tied hand and foot, and then you + help yourself much. I mean business, I do, and now that ve got you here, I ain’t going to fool much with you!” Polly listened like one petrified to these coarse threats; the mask was removed, now, and she saw the Mormon elder in all his de- formity. “ Just you make up your mind tkat you aro my heifer and . that there ain’t any power in this world that kin take you away from here, and then we’ll get on first rate!” “Stay here with you—be your wife!” cried Polly, suddenly recovering her voice; ‘**why I had rather die!” ‘Ob, yes, ’'ve heered such talk as that before,” the Mormon answered, not at all alarmed by the declaration; ‘‘but you'll get over this nonsense before you’ve been here a week, and then you'll come down to your duty like a good little gal. Why, Polly, 'm going to do thesquare thing by you; I’m going to rig you out like a princess; there won’t be a woman in the Salt Lake valley that’ll cut sucha shine. All I ask is that you'll be good and try and love your old man a leetle.” | ‘‘Love! I hate you!” cried Polly, defiantly. “Ob, you'll get over that,” he returned, placidly; ‘after you’ve been here a few days, you'll be mighty glad to make up with me. Why, do you know what we do with our wives that are ugl See 2 _ “No, I don’t, and I don’t care!” ty _ “Oh, but you will care when your turn comes,” he replied, @ just turn ’em over to the Le ucks for equaws, end a rough’ time they f - uv t Cops, » =~ : * ’ i Dime Library. - -——— — wee ee ee The girl shuddered inevery limb. A fate like that was worse than death, to her mind. The Mormon saw the impression his words had made, and chuckled over it. ‘* So, Polly, if you don’t want to be sent up to the mountains among the reds, just try and make yourself comfortable hera. You'll come to love me after a time, I know you will; so you might as well take it cosey now. Scolding and yelling won’t da the least bit of good, because when I’m sot ’m sot like a rock, and if would take an earthquake to move me!’ Words were powerless to express Polly’s teelings, and so she kept silence and only stared at the speaker. “7 just thought I’d call upon you and kinder ease your mind,” the elder exclaimed, preparing to depart; “I was afraid that you might worry; so good-night, dear. Just try and look at the matter in the proper light and I’m quite sure we'll be as happy as @ pair of turtle-doves together.” Then the Mormon withdrew, taking care to securely lock tho door behind him. And when she was again alone, Polly’s courage deserted her, and sinking upon the bed, she gave way to a flood of tears. The elder descended the stairs, chuckiing to himself. **T’'ll fetch her! Pll fetch her sure!” he muttered. And as he reached the entry below, the front door was thrown open by a strong hand, and John Clark stalked in, CHAPTER XXIII. A FREE DISCUSSION, To say that Biddeman was astonished at the sudden appearance of the Danite chief, would be to mildly describe the man’s sensa- tions. : In his haste to secure the girl the Mormon had neglected te fasten the front door, and so the Danite gained an easy entrance. It was not often that John Clark favored the elder with a visit, and the Mormon, on this occasion, instinctively guessed that the coming of the Duke of Corinne meant mischief. The face of the Danite was grave, somber, es it always waa. _ Few men in the Salt Lake region had ever seen a smile illumi- . nate the dark face of the Danite chief; but now there was an ugly look in his eyes which the elder had never before seen thers. In the main room of the ranch, which was right off the entry, a candle burned upon the table, and its light dimly illuminated the entry. ‘‘Hullo, John! is that you?” the Saint exclaimed, endeavoring to conceal his annoyance and receive his visitor in a friendly - manner. ‘Yes; can I have a word with -you elder?” ‘Certainly; walk right into the room there and help yourself toa chair; there’s some prime whisky in the closet; just excuse me for a moment, I'll be right back.” The Danite stalked into the room indicated. There was‘al- ‘* ways something weird and unearthly about John Clark, but to~ - night he seemed more uncanny and ghost-like than ever. The elder slipped out into the back-room, drew his revolvers y from the holsters which he wore belted to his waist underneath his coat, extracted the old cartridges and slipped new aavs in their places, with a hand that trembled with excitement. © ‘‘There’s going to be trouble,” he muttered. “T kin feel it in ~ my bones, and it won’s do to have a miss-fire; it might cost me ~ my life!” Se Then he put the revolvers back into their places and pull +2 the holsters well around to the front so as to have them handy. And even then, “ well-fixed” for the coming interview, he © Ss > ao! 2 ” - hesitated to re-enter the apartment, and no wonder, for few men, . either in Utah or on its borders, cared to encounter the Danitse chief when the latter was on the war-path. ‘Til kill him!” Biddeman muttered. ‘‘Tll kill bim just aa sure as he crooks his finger at me. No mercy! I'll shoot him down like a dogif he attempts to play the wolf with me! gal is mine, if that is what hes after, and all the powers of — blazes shan’t take her from me,” 3 And so, with his courage screwed up to the sticking-point, for - ¥ ss ‘ The ~ oo the burly elder had a certain amount of bull-dog resolution, Bid. + deman walked into the main room. The Danite sat at the table motionless as a statue. ‘‘ Have you tried the whisky?” asked the Mormon, seating bim. . self on the other side of the table, with his face to the window. + No. ” ‘‘Tt’s in that closet right behind you; get it, won’t you? You're ; nearest,” “ , The Danite did as he was bid and fetched from the closet a bottle of whisky and two glasses. Biddeman took advantage of the turning of Clark’s back to draw a revolver from its holster and hide it in his lap under the table; he was determined to be fully prepared. | ; ‘ , “Help yourself, J ohn,” ordered Biddeman in the true spirit of . hospitality, filling out some of the fluid for himself and then ; pushing the bottle across the table to the Danite. ‘‘No,” replied Clark, shoving back the bottle. ‘‘I’m like an Arab in some things: I can’t eat or drink with ‘a man that a tew minutes after I may have to kill.” This was a very peculiar beginning. = “Eh, John, what do you mean?” cried the elder, in alarm, and his fat right hand stole under the table and clutched the { replied, coldly and de- | - butt of his revolver. ‘‘[ mean exactly what I say,” Clark liberately. ‘I don’t want to drink with you because, in the next ten minutes, I may have to kill you.” ies A “Oh, no, you won't!” the Mormon cried, just @ Little ingly. The touch of the revolverhilt had given him fre: | age; he folt that ho had *the drop” on the Dani V'