The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-12

was dressed .!eli IlitG the spare Cnam-
Der where the couples that was goin' to
stand up with us was waitin'. found
them all right, and finally Hannibal was
ready, and him and me locked arms and
preceded down stairs, follered by the
others. Cousin Tripheny and R'yai
Hunt came fust, then Mandy Plympton
and John Ray, then Cousin Seraphine
and Star Chase. There was six of 'em,
and they made a noble 'pearance, tew.
Jest as we got on to the stairs and
Hannibal and me was most to the bot
tom, all of sudden he claps his hand to
his head and whispers:
Ruth Ann, must go back minute.
You wait right here"
mo, Hannibal" says I, puIlin' him
along, you can't go back-how it would
lookw
But l tell We l must and will" says
he, jerkin' away and turnin' back.
The percession stood stock still on the
stairs, and fust one, then t'other whis-
pered down ter know what was the
matter, and the folks in the parlcr began
ter peak out and buzz. concluded az
longs | couldn't bs married without
Hannibal, might as well go and look
after him. Thinks ter myself, "Who
knows but he means ter put an end to
his miserable odd existencep So when
he rushed up the stairs and pitched head
fust into his room, l want fur behind.
And what did see that great silly dew
but make dive fer the lookin' glass and
go through with the motions of brushin'
his hair, deliberate and arrest, as if
wall, as if he'd had some hair! For he's
most as bald as bedpost, and what
hair he's got lays down Of its own &C
cord as slick as grease, all timesl wus
mad. ! snatched the brush away and
grabbed his arm.
Hannibal Hawkinsw says I, firm and
determined, l tell ye; Hannibal Haw-
kins! You come down stairs with me this
instant; I've had enough O your oddity
fer one day! I've bore all can or will,
and when we're married I'll take some O
this nonsense out On ye, or Tll-rn see!"
says L
He glared at me as if he never'd seen
me before, he was so 'stonished, but
hauled him back down stairs, and we all
went into the parlor at last and took our
places in front Of the minister. But it
did seem as if delays and bitches was to
be the order of the day, for jest as we
got all ready ter begin, the minister was
called to the door on important business
that KEEP him ten minutes or SO, and
there we stood in the middle O the floor
lookin' at one mother and feelin' aWk ard
enough.
Among the folks invited to the we'd
din was old Aunt Betsey Griffin, deaf
as post, and settin' beside her was old
Mis- Potter, and Mis- Potter'd lost her
mind, in a measure, as it were. knew
it would please 'em both ter come, so l
invited 'em. Well, while we was waitin
for the minister and the room was still
as the grave, all of a sudden Mis- Potter
turned to Aunt Betsey and screamed
into her ear loud enough to wake the
dead:
who did you say our Ruth Ann is
goin ter marry" And Aunt Betsey
screamed back Jest as loud, though Mis-
Potter amt deaf a mite:
''Mr. Hannibal Hawknsw
Mis- Potter mods her head contented,
and sets and rocks for about minute;
then she leans over and screams again:
"What did you say his name was?"
Aunt Betsey tells her, and she mods
and rocks as before, but her poor old
head can't hold but one idee at once, SO
she hollers third time, and says she:
"What did you say her name WASP"
and Aunt Betsey answers patient and
loud:
"Ruth Ann Robbins!"
Everybody was laughin' by this time,
and | don't know how long them poor
creatur's would ha' KEEP our names goin'
BACKYARD and for'ard if the minister
hadn't come in jest then and put an end
to it.
The ceremony perceeded along smooth
and proper till Hannibal undertook ter
find the ring to put on my finger. Then
there was trouble. He furnbled fust in
one pocket, then another, took out
cigar, little box O matches, tooth
pick, penknife, horse chestnut that
he alwers carries for rheumatic, and sew
eral other things-took 'em out one to
time, looked at 'em thoughtful and in
quirin', and put en- back agin.
Finally he drove into some place and
took out a little wad O paper, and all
our sperits revived. That looked more
like, but when he ondid it out rolled a
dozen or more sugar coated pills on to
the floor! He let EN- roll and tried agin.
This time he fshed out small card that
peared ter have some writin' on it. q
found out afterward that he'd writ down
on that card where he put the ring for
fear he'd forgit, jest as he had.) When |
he'd read the card what did he dew but |
stoop over deliberate and pull off one O.
EN- dretful boots and shake the ring out
3 the toe ont! Then he put his boot |
back on and Strengthened himself up as
carm as if it was customary and COM |
mon for bridegrooms to carry the ring !
n the toe O their boots, and takin' my |
hand slipped the ring on to my finger as
graceful as you please.
Wall, / was thankful when it was all /
Jver, you'd better believe! It hadn't |
seemed mite as / expected. l supposed |
hat the thought of the great response |
oihty l was assumin and one thing a.
lother would lift my soul and make me
EEL dretful sollum and pious, but / de-
,lare to man l didn't think O nothin' |
rom beginnin' to end but Jest Hanni-
balls odd boots and odd actionsi So lit |
lie does it take to keep woman's mind /
rom soarin'.
After the ceremony we had cake and |