Read Online The Work and the Glory by Gerald N. Lund - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gerald N. Lund
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anger obvious on his face.
“Yes, Father?” Her voice had turned instantly contrite.
“There’s better things to do than sit in the street and pass on idle gossip.”
“Yes, Father.” She turned, lowering her voice as she passed Joshua. “Saturday afternoon. I’ll see you there.”
Joshua nodded with a quick flush of pleasure.
As Lydia brushed by her father and entered the store, McBride turned to Will Murdock. His voice went suddenly hard. “Unless you boys are planning to buy something, why don’t you move on somewhere else.”
Will swept off his hat and bowed low, but his eyes were burning with resentment. “Why, sure, Mr. McBride,” he said sarcastically. “Ain’t nothin’ in your store we need.” Then to his two companions, but loudly enough for the storekeeper to hear, he added, “Not at your prices, anyway.”
With a laugh he turned and started jauntily away, the other two falling in step beside him. Without slowing he called back over his shoulder, “We’ll be waitin’ for you when you get them gold plates, Joe. You can count on that!”
The storekeeper’s dark eyes swung around to bore into Joshua. Jumping as though he had been burned, Joshua hopped into the back of the wagon as Nathan picked up the reins. “Thank you for the supplies, Mr. McBride,” he said politely.
The balding man merely nodded, then turned and went inside.
They drove in silence, moving west along Main Street until they came to the road that led north across the bridge over the Erie Canal. Finally Joshua could stand it no more. He climbed up to the wagon seat, squeezing in between Joseph and Nathan. He was barely settled before he turned to Joseph. “All right. What’s all this talk about angels and a gold Bible?”
Joseph had picked up a small piece of straw from beneath his feet. Now he pulled it apart slowly, letting the shredded pieces blow away in the breeze. Finally, he turned. He seemed to be choosing his words very carefully. “Joshua, do you really think angels go around showing people where to find buried treasure?”
Joshua snorted in derision. “Of course not.”
“Good. I don’t believe angels do that either.”
“But they were talking about a gold Bible.”
Joseph flipped the straw away, then leaned back, chuckling softly. “When you hear a donkey braying in the barnyard,” he said, his voice suddenly wry, “it’s one thing to listen; it’s something else to assume the donkey’s saying somethin’ important.”
Nathan laughed right out loud. “Well said, Joseph. Well said.”
Joshua shot him a withering look. But it quickly became evident Joseph was not going to say any more. He parried two or three of Joshua’s further questions, then changed the subject and began talking with Nathan.
Joshua sat back, watching out of the corner of his eye the young man who had come to work for them. The Murdocks were clearly less than the salt of the earth, but Joseph had not denied anything they said, just neatly sidestepped Joshua’s questions. Maybe Joseph thought it was over, but Joshua’s curiosity had been piqued. There would be another time with Lydia, and then he would get to the bottom of this.
Joshua, working in tandem with Joseph Smith, snaked the chain under the end of the log and snugged it tight. As Joseph jammed the hook through one of the links, Nathan let the log settle back into its place. He turned to his father. “All right, take her away.”
Benjamin Steed was at the head of the mule team. Hyrum Smith, standing nearby, moved back. “Ho, mules,” Benjamin shouted. “Go!”
The animals lunged forward, hitting the traces. The chain snapped tight, bit into the bark of the log, and the log began to move. Snorting heavily, the mules clawed at the ground. Faster now the trunk slid along the black earth. “Giddyap, mules!” Benjamin called, slapping the near one on the rump.
“I’ll go help him unhook it,” Joseph said, breaking into a trot to follow them.
Hyrum
“Yes, Father?” Her voice had turned instantly contrite.
“There’s better things to do than sit in the street and pass on idle gossip.”
“Yes, Father.” She turned, lowering her voice as she passed Joshua. “Saturday afternoon. I’ll see you there.”
Joshua nodded with a quick flush of pleasure.
As Lydia brushed by her father and entered the store, McBride turned to Will Murdock. His voice went suddenly hard. “Unless you boys are planning to buy something, why don’t you move on somewhere else.”
Will swept off his hat and bowed low, but his eyes were burning with resentment. “Why, sure, Mr. McBride,” he said sarcastically. “Ain’t nothin’ in your store we need.” Then to his two companions, but loudly enough for the storekeeper to hear, he added, “Not at your prices, anyway.”
With a laugh he turned and started jauntily away, the other two falling in step beside him. Without slowing he called back over his shoulder, “We’ll be waitin’ for you when you get them gold plates, Joe. You can count on that!”
The storekeeper’s dark eyes swung around to bore into Joshua. Jumping as though he had been burned, Joshua hopped into the back of the wagon as Nathan picked up the reins. “Thank you for the supplies, Mr. McBride,” he said politely.
The balding man merely nodded, then turned and went inside.
They drove in silence, moving west along Main Street until they came to the road that led north across the bridge over the Erie Canal. Finally Joshua could stand it no more. He climbed up to the wagon seat, squeezing in between Joseph and Nathan. He was barely settled before he turned to Joseph. “All right. What’s all this talk about angels and a gold Bible?”
Joseph had picked up a small piece of straw from beneath his feet. Now he pulled it apart slowly, letting the shredded pieces blow away in the breeze. Finally, he turned. He seemed to be choosing his words very carefully. “Joshua, do you really think angels go around showing people where to find buried treasure?”
Joshua snorted in derision. “Of course not.”
“Good. I don’t believe angels do that either.”
“But they were talking about a gold Bible.”
Joseph flipped the straw away, then leaned back, chuckling softly. “When you hear a donkey braying in the barnyard,” he said, his voice suddenly wry, “it’s one thing to listen; it’s something else to assume the donkey’s saying somethin’ important.”
Nathan laughed right out loud. “Well said, Joseph. Well said.”
Joshua shot him a withering look. But it quickly became evident Joseph was not going to say any more. He parried two or three of Joshua’s further questions, then changed the subject and began talking with Nathan.
Joshua sat back, watching out of the corner of his eye the young man who had come to work for them. The Murdocks were clearly less than the salt of the earth, but Joseph had not denied anything they said, just neatly sidestepped Joshua’s questions. Maybe Joseph thought it was over, but Joshua’s curiosity had been piqued. There would be another time with Lydia, and then he would get to the bottom of this.
Joshua, working in tandem with Joseph Smith, snaked the chain under the end of the log and snugged it tight. As Joseph jammed the hook through one of the links, Nathan let the log settle back into its place. He turned to his father. “All right, take her away.”
Benjamin Steed was at the head of the mule team. Hyrum Smith, standing nearby, moved back. “Ho, mules,” Benjamin shouted. “Go!”
The animals lunged forward, hitting the traces. The chain snapped tight, bit into the bark of the log, and the log began to move. Snorting heavily, the mules clawed at the ground. Faster now the trunk slid along the black earth. “Giddyap, mules!” Benjamin called, slapping the near one on the rump.
“I’ll go help him unhook it,” Joseph said, breaking into a trot to follow them.
Hyrum
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