Salt Lake City, Utah

1921

Other books by Nephi Anderson.

“Added upon”—­A story of the past, the present, and the future stages of existence.

“The Castle builder”—­The scenes and incidents are from the “Land of the Midnight Sun.”

“Piney ridge Cottage”—­A love story of a Mormon country girl.  Illustrated.

“Story of Chester Lawrence”—­Being the completed account of one who played an important part in “Piney Ridge Cottage.”

“A daughter of the North”—­A story of a Norwegian girl’s trials and triumphs.  Illustrated.

“John st. John”—­The story of a young man who went through the soul-trying scenes of Missouri and Illinois.

“Romance of A missionary”—­A story of English life and missionary experiences.  Illustrated.

“Marcus King Mormon”—­A story of early days in Utah.

“The boys of Springtown”—­A story about boys for boys and all interested in boys.  Illustrated.

CHAPTER ONE.

Dorian Trent was going to town to buy himself a pair of shoes.  He had some other errands to perform for himself and his mother, but the reason for his going to town was the imperative need of shoes.  It was Friday afternoon.  The coming Sunday he must appear decently shod, so his mother had told him, at the same time hinting at some other than the Sunday reason.  He now had the money, three big, jingling silver dollars in his pocket.

Dorian whistled cheerfully as he trudged along the road.  It was a scant three miles to town, and he would rather walk that short distance than to be bothered with a horse.  When he took Old Nig, he had to keep to the main-traveled road straight into town, then tie him to a post—­and worry about him all the time; but afoot and alone, he could move along as easily as he pleased, linger on the canal bank or cut cross-lots through the fields to the river, cross it on the footbridge, then go on to town by the lower meadows.

The road was dusty that afternoon, and the sun was hot.  It would be cooler under the willows by the river.  At Cottonwood Corners, Dorian left the road and took the cut-off path.  The river sparkled cool and clear under the overhanging willows.  He saw a good-sized trout playing in the pool, but as he had no fishing tackle with him, the boy could only watch the fish in its graceful gliding in and out of sunshine and shadow.  A robin overhead was making a noisy demonstration as if in alarm about a nest.  Dorian sat on the bank to look and listen for a few moments, then he got up again.