“Speak for yourself,” cooed Elvira, “there’s one person out there that isn’t hardened and degraded.”  She looked with reverent eyes at Angel, who was walking at the head of the foremost horse, crooning a psalm; “and, as for me, I still feel myself quite soft, almost pulpy, and on an elevated plane.”

“You could never talk in your irreverent way if you weren’t a good deal hardened and degraded,” persisted Susannah affectionately, “and, as for me, I know that I am.  Is there any instance in history of a people emerging from prolonged persecution with high ideals of love toward their enemies and candour?”

“’Tis commonly said that faith rises from this fire,” said Elvira.

“Faith that gives its body to be burned and has not charity,” said Susannah.

When they reached the vicinity of Diahman and Far West the State elections were about to be held.  It was reported that over all Missouri the stronger party, that of Lilburn Boggs, was threatening to prevent by force the Mormon vote.

Before commencing his mission to the outlying Mormon districts, Halsey, hoping to avoid this contest, stopped in the Gentile town of Gallatin to rest and obtain a fresh outfit.

“But why don’t we pay our respects to ‘Joe’ now we are within reach?” inquired Elvira with pensive inflection.

“The prophet is full of cares.  A man whom I met at the tavern said that his activity on behalf of the Saints in Far West is amazing, and since his public appearance there the Lord has prospered the city exceedingly; but, as for me, I have been commanded to turn aside to those of our people who are not encompassed by a shepherd’s care.”

“If he would but confess it,” said Susannah with a sigh, “my husband was so sorely hurt with the appearances of fraud in connection with the bank—­”

“Suppose you put that appearance of a child down and come and eat this appearance of your breakfast, and then we’ll put on what appear to be our bonnets, and go for what appears to be a walk.”  Elvira’s sunny serenity never deserted her.  “Say rather,” she cried, “that the prophet did defraud, but has repented.”

That day was the 6th of August.  The voting for the State legislature had commenced.  The travellers did not know that there was any number of Mormon landholders in this place, but now they could not extricate themselves from the very contest that they had hoped to avoid.  When the two women strolled through the streets to see the town they became involved in a crowd at one of the polling places.

Penniston, a candidate of the Boggs party, standing on a barrel, was haranguing the crowd, and the two women quickly heard the name of their sect mentioned with contumely.

“Shall we,” cried Penniston, “allow our State to come under the control of Mormon horse-thieves and robbers by allowing these outlaws the civil rights that are intended only for good citizens?”

There was a commotion in the crowd near him.  Susannah, knowing that her husband was abroad, felt a sudden heart-sick prophecy of evil.  The next moment she saw Halsey spring into sight upon a low wall at the side of the crowd.