Part 28 (2/2)

It was Evelyn Stone.

”Just for a moment, so that I can talk to you. No one will see us; there.”

Unnoticed by the others, the three girls tip-toed down the aisle to the entrance, where they hid themselves in a recess in the wall.

”I've been over to the annex with father and the florist,” she said. ”I am to be married there to-morrow, you know-at least, I suppose I am.”

The annex was another chapel connected with the Temple.

”Poor Daniel Moore,” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Billie. ”We are awfully sorry for him.

We think he's one of the nicest men we ever knew.”

”Do you?” exclaimed Evelyn, clasping Billie's arm and smiling into her face, as if she herself had been paid a high compliment.

”Indeed we do,” cried Nancy.

”Oh, dear; oh, dear,” exclaimed the girl, beating her hands together.

”It would be a great scandal if I ran away on my wedding day. But I am so unhappy. Oh, so unhappy, and I do want to see Daniel so much. Why, if he wasn't married, didn't he ever come near me?” she added, stamping her foot angrily.

”He tried and tried, and wrote letters, and everything-but he couldn't get near you. Your father--”

”Oh, yes, father, of course,” said Evelyn, pressing her lips together and frowning. ”It's not only that Ebenezer is a Mormon. It's other things-money, I think. Father is involved, I'm certain of it, and Ebenezer is rich-very rich.”

”You needn't run away with Daniel to-morrow,” put in Billie irrelevantly. ”You can run away with-with the Comet, our motor car--”

”Hush,” interrupted Evelyn. ”I'll send you a note to-night. There they come now. Good-by, you dear, kind friends. I feel as if I had known you always.”

The two girls hurried back into the Tabernacle and a little later emerged from another door and were conducted by their small guide to the homes of Brigham Young. And very fine houses they were, ”The Beehive”

especially, with its quaint dormer windows and sloping roof. But somehow, our five spinsters were not deeply interested in these historic homes, and after wandering around the city for another hour, they boarded a small train headed for Salt Lake.

”When people are traveling, they will do anything,” complained Miss Campbell, as she tucked a small black bathing suit under one arm and disappeared in the bath house. ”They will wear hired bathing suits, a thing I never expected to stoop to--” her voice continued from the interior of her compartment.

”And sleep on the ground,” called Elinor from across the pa.s.sage.

”And eat with robbers,” began Nancy, when Mary stopped her.

”Hush, Nancy,” she said. ”How do you know there are not people listening to you?”

A few moments later they strolled out to the pier in their hired bathing suits. A woman attendant looked at them closely and then disappeared into a telephone booth.

Some morbid people with bad digestions have premonitions of approaching trouble, but our four happy young girls and Miss Campbell, youngest and happiest of them all in her heart, had no inkling, on that glorious day, of disasters to come. They sat silently in a row on the beach and gazed enchanted at the wonderful scene. There was not a ripple in the inland sea which stretched before them like a sheet of green gla.s.s. In its bosom were reflected the encircling mountains, mysterious and mystical.

They, too, were like mountains of gla.s.s, in many pale colors, pinks, blues, delicate greens and lavenders.

”It's like a dream picture,” said Mary softly. ”I can hardly believe it's true. No wonder it's called 'the dead sea.' It's so silent and still.”

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