Miss Dividends: A NovelGunter, Archibald Clavering
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Miss Dividends: A Novel
Gunter, Archibald Clavering
Latter Day Saints -- Fiction
This delay is not utterly unbearable to Miss Travenion, because every
day she thinks the incoming stage, or some private buckboard, or light
wagon, will bear into town the man she is looking for--Captain Harry
Lawrence--who, at least, should come filled with gratitude to Ralph
Travenion, though he may despise Bishop Tranyon.
So she passes her time, driving to Silver City, Diamond and Homansville
with her father, who, under the pretence of settling various demands of
business, lingers in Tintic Mining District; now and then reading a
novel, for Ralph has thoughtfully sent to Salt Lake and provided her
with some books. Altogether, she is not uncomfortable, as she has
brought a sufficiency of clothing with her, though most of her trunks
have been left at the Townsend House. Her father, who has never
forgotten his old sybaritic life, sees that their table is supplied with
every luxury which can be obtained in the place, sending Mormon boys to
Utah Lake for trout, and to Payson for late fruits, and securing from
Salt Lake City wines of the best vintages of France.
The air is fresh, and growing colder, and the young lady's cheeks are
very rosy, though they have been browned by the sun. There is some
little excitement in the place, also. The litigation between the Big
Eureka and the King David has come to trial by battle, and these
companies have each imported armed fighters from Pioche, Nevada, the
most ferocious mining camp in the West.
Thus time runs into November, but the girl's heart is getting heavier
and heavier, for the man she is looking for, and who has occupied most
of her thoughts for the last six weeks, has not yet arrived.
Then one day, quite late in the month, she gets a shock, for she hears
he has left the Territory, having sold his mine to an English company
for a large sum of money, and that they have even now come to take
possession of it.
Travenion, having also got the same news, says to her, shortly:
"Generosity did not do much good with young Mr. Harry Ingrate--did it?"
And she, being stung with misery, jeers her father, and herself also,
for that matter, "Yes, the daughter of Tranyon, the Mormon bishop, has
no longer a hold upon the Gentile's heart! Perchance he thinks I should
wed in my own faith?"
Then she falters out of the house, and, alone by herself, among some
pinon-pines that grow on the hillside, tears come into her lovely eyes,
for she feels herself cut off forever from the bright world in which she
once lived, and mutters: "Is this rough mining camp a dream; or were
Newport yachting parties and Delmonico balls hallucinations?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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