oe had arisen to this height,
so perhaps would other young Mormons, have arisen. It needed only the
situation, the climax, to focus these long-insulated, slow-developing
and inquiring minds upon the truth--that one wife, one mother of
children, for one man at one time as a law of nature, love, and
righteousness. Shefford felt as if he were marching with the whole
younger generation of Mormons, as if somehow he had been a humble
instrument in the working out of their destiny, in the awakening that
was to eliminate from their religion the only thing which kept it from
being as good for man, and perhaps as true, as any other religion.

And then suddenly he turned the corner of school-house to encounter Joe
talking with the Mormon Henninger. Elder Smith was not present.

"Why, hello, Ruth!" greeted Joe. "You've fetched Mary some dinner. Now
that's good of you."

"May I go in?" asked Ruth.

"Reckon so," replied Henninger, scratching his head. He appeared to be
tractable, and probably was good-natured under pleasant conditions. "She
ought to have somethin' to eat. An' nobody 'pears--to have remembered
that--we're so set up."

He unbarred the huge, clumsy door and allowed Ruth to pass in.

"Joe, you can go in if you want," he said. "But hurry out before Elder
Smith comes back from his dinner."

Joe mumbled something, gave a husky cough, and then went in.

Shefford experienced great difficulty in presenting to this mild Mormon
a natural and unagitated front. When all his internal structure seemed
to be in a state of turmoil he did not see how it was possible to keep
the fact from showing in his face. So he turned away and took aimless
steps here and there.

"'Pears like we'd hev rain," observed Henninger. "It's right warm an'
them clouds are onseasonable."

"Yes," replied Shefford. "Hope so. A little rain would be good for the
grass."

"Joe tells me Shadd rode in, an' some of his fellers."

"So I see. About eight in the party."

Shefford was gritting his teeth and preparing to endure the ordeal of
controlling his mind and expression when the door opened and Joe stalked
out. He had his sombrero pulled down so that it hid the upper half of
his face. His lips were a shade off healthy color. He stood there with
his back to the door.

"Say, what Mary needs is quiet--to be left alone," he said. "Ruth says
if she rests, sleeps a little, she won't get fever.... Henninger, don't
let anybody disturb her till night."