Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-02-24

wedding and be It's guest of honor.
'sYou shall be the first to wish Jack
an Echo luck" said Allen "That
means you'll be the next one to mar
~"
The ruddy faced sheriff blushed to
the roots Of his auburn hair
"Much obliged. but l amt fixed up
fer a weddin'." and ne looked down
at his travel stained breeches. tucked
in riding boots white with alkali dust,
and felt of his buttonless waistcoat
and gingham shirt open at the throat,
with the bandanna handkerchief
around his neck In lieu of both collar
and tie.
Polly assured him that he would do
very well as he was; that for her part
she wouldn't want no better dressed
man than him" TO be present at her
own wedding. not even ''the Teller am
goin' to hitch up to-" whereat Slim
| Hoover was greatly set at ease.
Polly was bounding up the piazza
steps to tell Echo of the accession to
her party when Hoover held up his
| hand. A terrifying suggestion had
| flashed through his mind.
| Hold on minuter' he exclaimed.
and, turning to Allen, he asked anx-
| iously, Does this here guest of honor
have to kiss the bride?''
The question WAS SO foreign to the
serious topic which had just been I'M
der discussion that every one laughed
in relief of the nervous tension.
| Aliens fun loving nature at once
dubbed to the surface With an air Of
assumed anger he said to the sheriff:
''Of course; every guest has to do it,
! Then, turning to the cowboys, he
asked. "Is there any one here as holds
out strong objection to kissin' my
daughter?"
''Not me-" laughed Sagebrush. "I'm
here to go the limit
'Pm an experienced kisser, 1 am"
said Parenthesis. Il don't lose no
chance at practice"
"I'll take two. please" simpered
| Fresno.
Show Low interrupted the general
sally which followed this remark. say
ing, 81 strings my chips along with
Fresno"
"Slim's afraid Of females" drawled
Polly provokingly.
ooh, thunderv' exclaimed Slim to
| Polly. No. / amt. nothin' of the sort
I'm a peaceful man. l am. | never
likes to start no trouble
"Get ont, What's enc kiss?" laughed
Allen.
I've seen a III" Jack pot of trouble
opened bv chipnin' IL iu%t one kiss -
wisely remarked thc sheriff,
Sagebrush at this point aHnounced
decisively, The bride has got TO be
kissed"
Slim tried TO break through the
group and enter the house, thinking
that by making such a move he would
divert their attention and that in the
excitement Of the wedding he could
avoid kissing the bride an ordeal
which to him was more terrible than
facing the worst gun fighter in Ari
IONA
81 deputize you to do the kissin' fol
me- Slim said 10 Parenthesis, who
had laid his hand on the sheriff:
shoulder TO detain him.
mo. Stree" the cowboy replied: mo
me. Every man does his own kissin
in this game" Slim halted as if unde
cided. Suddenly he turned On his hee
and started for the corral. 'Pll wal
outside" he shouted
mo. you don't"' cried his compan
ions. Slim turned to face 4 semicircl,
Of drawn reviewers. He looked from
one man to another as If puzzled as t.
what move TO make next. Allen wa:
annoyed by the sheriff's actions, takin:
it as an insult that Hoover would no
kiss his daughter although he ha(
started to twit the sheriff in the be
ginning,
'YOu amt goin' to insult me al
mine that way. No man sidestep
kissin' ONE Of my kids" he said an
grily.
Slim was plaintiveIy Apologize. GO
amt kissed a female since was
yearlin'."
''Time you started" snapped Polly.