Miss Dividends: A NovelGunter, Archibald Clavering
General
Miss Dividends: A Novel
Gunter, Archibald Clavering
Latter Day Saints -- Fiction
"Very well," replies the young lady. "Would you be kind enough to give
orders to this effect, that in case Mr. Travenion calls, or sends for
his letters, that he is to be informed that Mr. Travenion's daughter is
at present at the Townsend House waiting anxiously to see him?"
"Ah, you are Mr. Travenion's daughter," replies the official, as he
shows her politely to the door and puts her in her carriage, a rather
curious expression coming over his face as he gazes after the beautiful
girl as she is driven away; for this bank is a Mormon one, and its
president is well up in the Church of Zion, and knows a good deal of the
counsels and doings of its leaders and nearly every one else in Salt
Lake City.
Then the evening comes, and the whole party go to the old Salt Lake
Theatre, where Mr. Ollie's dress-coat makes a great sensation, such
costume not being usual in the Mormon temple of Thespis; this
gentleman's entrance being greeted by a very audible buzz from the
female portion of the audience.
Here they see the arm-chair that is placed conspicuously in the
orchestra, for the use of the President of the Mormon Church; likewise,
a third of the dress circle, which is his family's private box. This
portion of the auditorium is pretty well occupied by some of his wives
and his numerous progeny, as well as a number of the daughters and
plural help-mates of other leaders and prophets of Zion, who drop in
upon them and pass the compliments of the season and talk of the crops
and Bishop Jenkins's last wife.
The performance on the stage is composed of a couple of light comedies,
very passably given by a Mormon stock company, several of them being
members of President Young's family, one or two of whom have since
emigrated to the Gentile stage and secured recognition upon the boards
of New York and San Francisco.
But this visit to the theatre is not altogether an evening of delight to
Erma; to her astonishment, Mr. Livingston has suddenly changed from the
complacent, passive suitor of former times, to as impetuous a lover as
such a man can make, and his attentions embarrass her. This Romeo
business has partly been brought about by Mr. Ollie's jealousy and
partly by the remarks of his diplomatic mother.
This lady has had an interview with her son, caused chiefly by Miss
Travenion's adventures in Ogden, and has given her offspring the
following advice: "If you do not settle your marriage with Erma during
this trip, she will probably marry somebody else."
"Impossible! She is as good as engaged to me," cries out Ollie, hotly.
"Engaged! Why? Because her father and your father came to some
understanding when you were children?"
"Because Mr. Travenion has settled a million dollars on his daughter!
Why did he put that big sum apart for her sole use and benefit? He
wishes his daughter to take the position that I can give her in New
York."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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