e criticism of uninformed men? His
judgment of Mormons had been established by what he had heard and read,
rather than what he knew. He wanted now to have an open mind. He had
studied the totemism and exogamy of the primitive races, and here was
his opportunity to understand polygamy. One wife for one man--that was
the law. Mormons broke it openly; Gentiles broke it secretly. Mormons
acknowledged all their wives and protected their children; Gentiles
acknowledged one wife only. Unquestionably the Mormons were wrong, but
were not the Gentiles still more wrong?

. . . . . . . . . . .

The following day Joe Lake appeared reluctant to start for Stonebridge
with Withers.

"Joe, you'd better come along," said the trader, dryly. "I reckon you've
seen a little too much of the Sago Lily."

Lake offered no reply, but it was evident from his sober face that
Withers had not hit short of the mark. Withers rode off, with a parting
word to Shefford, and finally Joe somberly mounted his bay and trotted
down the valley. As Nas Ta Bega had gone off somewhere to visit Indians,
Shefford was left alone.

He went into the village and made himself useful and agreeable. He
made friends with the children and he talked to the women until he was
hoarse. Their ignorance of the world was a spur to him, and never in
his life had he had such an attentive audience. And as he showed no
curiosity, asked no difficult questions, gradually what reserve he had
noted wore away, and the end of the day saw him on a footing with them
that Withers had predicted.

By the time several like days had passed it seemed from the interest and
friendliness of these women that he might have lived long among them.
He was possessed of wit and eloquence and information, which he freely
gave, and not with selfish motive. He liked these women; he liked to see
the somber shade pass from their faces, to see them brighten. He had met
the girl Mary at the spring and along the path, but he had not yet
seen her face. He was always looking for her, hoping to meet her, and
confessed to himself that the best of the day for him were the morning
and evening visits she made to the spring. Nevertheless, for some reason
hard to divine, he was reluctant to seek her deliberately.

Always while he had listened to her neighbors' talk, he had hoped they
might let fall something about her. But they did not. He received
an impression that she was not so intimate with the others