Riley Tebb is a mormon missionary priest on indigenous land surrounding Salt Lake City occupied by both Hopi and Santa Clara peoples. Father Riley, as he is called in their community, has grown especially close to the Hopi people and shares the gospel with them often. He upsets teh Santa Clara tribe through his association with the Hopi and settles the dispute by marrying a Santa Clara girl. Father Riley already has multiple white wives but has never desired an "Indian wife," until he meets Sari. He asks her to marry him and she says she will only marry him if he takes on a second Indian wife so she is not alone with his wife wives. He agrees and marries sixteen year old Fern first, because she is oldest. He plans so marry Sari next but when he returns home to fetch ehr for their ceremony after Fern's is over, Sari is already gone. He is deeply upset because he liked Sari best and wanted her for his wife. Shortly after, Fern runs away as well, leading the Santa Clara to no longer trust Father Riley. Years later, Father Riley is taking his wagon into Salt Lake City when he sees a Santa Clara woman with a child struggling down the road. He picks her up and finds her oddly familiar. Eventually he recognizes the woman as Fern. Fern tells him she has been waiting for him and is coming back to live with him and his wives. Father Riley thinks about how she ran away and left him and tell sher to get out of the wagon immediately. She tells him the baby will die but he pays her no mind, kicking her out of the wagon and driving away.