The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-17

tying it on when Len came hurrying out OF
the house and talked to them minute
They stopped and then everybody began TO
laugh and look up at Dad. Dan Degget Iald
the wrench on the gatepost. laughing nearly
fit TO split; then Len Higgins hurried on
home as fast as he could. Samantha came
hurrying out of the house. looked up at
Dad and laughed and ran over TO Taooy
Benson house Tabby was the dress
maker, and Dad knew Melissa was having
a new white dimity made, but he couldn't
see what that had 20 do with the monkey
wrench. Pretty soon Tabby came out with
a big bundle and hurried over 10 cooper ;,
while Samantha went over to Hen Worley
store. Both women looked up and laughed
the minute they came out of the house. In
little bit Samantha came from Worley 3,
her arms loaded down with bundles, and
Hen came along to carry lot more. Hen
was laughing, too.
BY and by Len came back downtown,
dressed in his store clothes, and went TO the
courthouse. He came out in a little while
with Squire Classy, and they both looked UP
and laughed. Len rushed on up the street
to Preacher Hubbard's and went IN. Nhen
he came out the preacher came to the door
with him and looked up and laughed. And
so il went on all forenoon. Dad was nearly
beside himself with curiosity, and. his shin
giles being all gone tore off pieces of his
shirt and sent down message after message.
Nobody paid the least bit of attention 10
him. though, except to look up and hold
their sides and roar, and. in the meantime.
the whole town seemed TO be as busy as
kicked-over ant hill.
His own house seemed TO be the center Oh
the hill, too. Martha Green, the best cake
baker in the town, ran over with big cake
that cleaned with her famous frosting.
Other women carried glasses of jelly and
cans of peaches and preserves, pickles ana
pickle-liily, and about 3 o'clock Samantha
went out in the yard and chased down four
hers, cut their heads oft, Scalded and picked
them. About 10 o'clock Len H1ggss rather
and mother. his brothers Hank and Sid, and
his sisters Josie and Hattie, all went over
TO COOper's, looking up now and then ana
laughing, and old man Higgs even stopped
and shook his fist up at Dad: 1t nearly
killed Dad because ne had nothing left 30
throw down at old man Higgs.
Melissa flew down TO the front gate, all
dressed up in her new white gown, and
kissed the whole Higgs family. then looked
up and laughed. Dad was nearly bursting
by this time.
Along about noon everybody in town,
dressed up in their Sunday GO to-meetin
clothes, struck out for Coopers. Len
Higgs and the preacher came nearly last
except for Squire Classy and the Dozevllle
string band, and then Dad knew what
was up
There was going to be MONDAY we'd
ding at his housel
overheard and try to land on Curly Ben
sons straw stack, but, all at once, differ
ence in the whirr of the machine made him
stop and listen. The machinery was run
ming down Of its own Accord AS the speed
slackened the airship began TO drop, faster
and faster. Dad held on to the braces ana
got ready to jump. for it seemed certain
that the thing would go smack on to his
own house. There was not soul outdoors
now, and he knew they were getting ready
for the ceremony. He gritted his teeth ana
actually stamped on the machine to try and
make it go down faster, in spite of the
danger.
Bling! The airship came down with a
crash on Dad Coopers front porch and
broke it all to flinders, smashing the
porch into kinding wood. Dad, himself,
however, was not hurt particle, and be
fore the wedding party knew what the
crash meant he was in among them with
blood in his eye. Len and Melissa were
standing up together and the preacher had
just asked
to be your lawfully welded husband?'
Not by a jug fulll' roared Dad as ne
sprang in the doorway.
Then he and Len made dive Tor each
other The women screamed and got out
of doors and the windows, while all the
men moved back tight against the wall and
made a ring The preacher tried TO get
away, but when he saw nobody looking at
him. anyhow, he stayed and enjoyed the
fight. Dad was mighty knotty and wiry
old man and he put up strong battle he:
They hammered and they pounded, they bit
and they gouged. and finally they locked
and went TO the floor. There they Hound
cred and Topped, a haphazard bundle OF
waving legs and humping bodies, TIL hnally
the bundle settled down into strenuous
lump with Len on top, Jabblng the old
man for dear life.
'HOller n0ugn!' yeueu Len.
WON'T grunted Dad, and tried TO land q
blow.
Len pasted him in the eye and the women
outside screamed
''Holler 'noughi' demanded Len.
WON'T" howled Dad, and made another
struggle.
Len hammered him in the other eye.
"'NougfH" asked Len.
"Nope!''
=" 'Nough?'
"No-o-nope!" Dad gave another roll, but
he was getting weaker. Two more bins
won the dispute and Dad said I" 'NoughP'
And was Andy. Jackson better man
than Abe Lincoln?
That was a harder pill to swallow. but
Len argued well and. after another roll oil
two and few more jabs, Dad gave in.
"All right then, We can give away tn
BRIDE said Len, letting Dad up.
That's how a Democrat came to marry
into the Cooper family Dad was game
enough and, with bloody nose, two black
| eyes, a swollen jaw, torn ear, a generally
marred-up countcnance and shredded
| shirt he gave away the bride and afterwarC
| ate chicken and wedding cake till he fell
| asleep.
But he never flew again