Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1948-07-16
MEFICTIONc0R
NTNWMA THE TRAGIC WEDDING
W/<MC BY RAY FULBRIGHT
By RAY FULBRIGHT

7 IBBY'S death was a shock, COM
- ing on her wedding day as it
did. Neighbor folks would be shak-
ing their heads sadly. People liked
Libby. Sort of old-maidish she was,
near 40, but there was kindness and
generosity in her heart
Not that her death would be a
surprise. She was very frail and a
chronic heart sufferer. Doc Hunt
ley had begged her to slip off with
him and have a quiet justice-of-the-
peace wedding and avoid excite
ment. But no. Shed wanted to be
with her family-what family she
had, and such as it was.
With Tightening throat, Doc gazed
down on the thin dark figure in
the blue tulle wedding dress lying
On the quilted bedding She'd fallen
On the rag carpet, they had told
him when he arrived, and one of the
women guests had picked her up
and placed her on the bed and had
removed her stockings to massage
her legs. Doc noticed the heavy
finger marks on the thin ankles
Then his gaze swept to the digitalis
bottle on the dressing table
Libby's heart never had been in
such a bad condition that shot of
heart stimulant hadn't brought her
out of it. But it was obviously a
severe attack. Her face was blush,
her dark eyes bullying, as if from
an exploding heart. A look of alb
iect horror had torn open her
mouth, twisting her pretty face.
"My husband was settin' in the
front room waitin' fer the preacher
and you to come, Doc" Cousin
Laura said-Doc always called her
Cousin Laura, because she was Lib
by's cousin, the only relative Libby
had.
"The first guests were jest COM
in up the road. was in the
kitchen trimmin' up the weddin'
cake. thought I heard Libby
scream. About an hour ago it
was. 1 came in here as quick as
I could wash off my hands, and
there she was a-lyin' there on the
floor, but blue in the face"
Cousin Laura was a big-boned
woman with suspicious, disapprov-
Ing eyes. Her hair was coal black
Cynics had whispered that Laura
had married Grandpappy Boyle, 40
years her senior, for his farm. He
was stone deaf and couldn't lit was
believed at the time) live more
than six months. Grandpappy had
son, Harv Boyle, living with him.
That was the family-Grandpappy
Boyle, Cousin Laura Boyle, Harry
Boyle and Libby.
Doc had always had an uncom-
Portable feeling that Laura hated
him, or at least resented his taking
Libby from the family.
Doc could hear Grandpappy in
the front room yapping away with
the guests. No matter what anyone
said to him, he assumed that they
we're agreeing with him and went
on yapping.
where's Harv?" Doc said.
"Harv's out to the barn sulking,
I reckon-on account of the we'd
ding" Cousin Laura said with evil
suggestion. 'He amt been in all
day-didn't even come in fer his
dinner" Then she became thought
full, her black eyes Sitting. 'Now,
wait minute-I believe I seen him
out on the back porch about an hour
ago. Yeah, did, come to think of
It,"
Doc understood about Harry not
wanting to attend the wedding.
He'd known that Harry Boyle had
loved Libby like man possessed.
He'd threatened half dozen times
to kill himself if she didn't marry
him. And when that didn't work,
he practically threatened to kill her.
On1v yecter6av he'd told Iihbv that