, 1891-07-01

! felt X death, but ! knew wee go
10 make the best Of the sitiwation, so
says:
"Oh, l guess they won't be noticed
But you must be sure and set with you
feet on the floor and drawed well baCl
under your chair, and you mustn't on nc
count cross your legs, or if you dew, be
-Sre and have the right foot on top
Then | had ter leave him. l was all
worked up, but | managed ter finish my
tOilit with my mothers help, and when ]
was dressed / went into the spare cham
Der where the couples that vas goin' 10
stand up with US was waitin' | found
them all right. and finally Hannibal was
ready, and him and me locked arms and
psrceeded down stairs, follered by the
others Cousin Tripheny and R'yal
Hunt came fust, then Mandy Plympton
and John Ray. then Cousin Seraphine
and Star Chase. There was six of EN-,
and they made a noble 'pearance, tew.
Jest rs we got on to the stairs and
Hannibal and me was most to the bot
tom, all Of a sudden he claps his hand to
his head and whispers:
Ruth Ann, | must go back a minute.
You wait right here"
mo, Hannibal" says l. pullin' him
along, you can't go back-how it would
lookl"
But tell We 1 must and | willr' a Y
he, jerkin' away and turnin' back.
The procession 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 parlor began
ter peak out and buzz. | concluded as
longs l couldn't BIS 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 existencei' So when
he rushed up h stairs int pitched head
fust into his room, | want fur behind.
And what did | see that great silly dew
but make a dive fer the lookin' glass and
go through with the motions of brushin'
his hair, deliberate and arrest, as if
wall, rs if he'd had some hairl For he's
most as bald as a bedpost, and what
hair he's got lays down of its own ac-
cord as slick as grease, all timesl l wus
mad. | snatched the brush away and
grabbed his arm.
Hannibal Hawbinsg' says l, firm and
determined, / tell ye; Hannibal Haw-
hnsl you come down stairs with me this
Instant I've had enough o your oddly
fer one dayl I've bore all | can or will,
and when we're married I'll take some o
this nonsense out on ye, or Tll-TH seeI"
says L
He glared at me as if he never'd seen
me before, he was 30 '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,+l4f
tnurr-%e-toOTm r+e-Hrfdale 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 "A post, and settin' beside her was old
Mis- Potter. and Mis- Potter'd lost her
mind, in a measure, rs it were. knew
1t would please EN- both ter come, so |
invited EN-. 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:
MIR. Hannibal Hawkins!"
Mis- Potter mods her head contented,
and sets and rocks for about a minute;
then she leans over and screams again;
What did you say his name was?"
Amt Rafgay tal1a bor ,Dl aIa I'D,
and rocks as before, but her poor old
head can't hold but one idee at once, so
she hollers a third time, and says she:
What did you say her name was?"
and Aunt Betsey answers patient and
loud:
Ruth Ann Robbinsr'
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 preceded along smooth
and proper till Hannibal undertook ter
find the ring to put on my finger. Then
there was trouble, He fumbled fust in
one pocket, then another, took out a
cigar, q little box o matches, a tooth
pick, a penknife, a horse chestnut that
he alwers carries for rheumatic, and sew
eral other things-took EN- out one to a
time, looked at 'em thoughtful and in
quirin', and put EN- back agin.
Finally he drove into some place and
! o OF a little wad o paper, and all
our sperits revived. That looked more
like, but when he ondid it ont rolled a
dozen or more sugar coated pills on to
the floor! He let EN- roll and tried agin.
This time he fshed out a small card that
peared ter have some writin' on it. Il
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
O the toe ont! Then he put his boot
back on and Strengthened himself up as
earn as if it was customary and com
mon for b~ridegrooms to carry the ring
in the toe o their boots, and takin' my
hand slipped the ring on to my finger a,
graceful as you please.
Wall, l wa thankful when it was al
over, you'd better believed 1t hadn'
seemed a mite as l expected. / supposed
that the thought of the great response
bility | was assumin' and one thing a
mother would lift my soul and make m,
feel dretful sollum and pious, but l de
clare to MAJ | didn't think o. nothin
from b~eginnin' to end but Jest Hanni
balls odd boots and odd a%ctionsl SO lit
tie does it take to keep a woman's min,
from soarin'