by was cruel, and a forlorn little sob stifled itself in the mite's
pink apron.

"Well, folks," broke in the widow's cheerful voice that somehow
reminded one of peaches and cream, "I come over to-day to get a
little help and encouragement about planning the wedding. I knowed
Miss Elinory would think it up stylish for me and Mis' Mayberry
would lend her head to help fitting notions to what can be did. Mr.
Hoover's clover hay will be laid by next week and he says they ain't
nothing more to keep us back. I've sewed up four bolts of light
caliker, two of domestic, one of blue jeans, and three of gingham
into a trousseau for us all to wear on the wedding trip, and Mr.
Petway are a-going to take measures and bring out new shoes and
tasty hats all 'round, next wagon, trip to town. I think we will
make a nice genteel show."

"Are you-going to take everybody on the trip?" asked Miss Wingate,
roused out of her woe by the very idea of the tour in the company of
the seventeen.

"That we are," responded the widow heartily, "but not all to onct.
We'll have to make two bites of the cherry. The day after the
wedding we are a-going to take the two-horse team, a trunk and the
ten youngest and go a-visiting over the Ridge at Mr. Hoover's
brother's, Mr. Biggers. We won't stay more'n a week and stop a day
or two coming back to see Andy and Carrie Louise. Then we'll drop
the little ones here on you neighbors and pick up the seven big
ones, add Buck for a compliment and go on down to the City for two
days' high jinks. We're going to take 'em up to the capitol and over
the new bridge and we hope to strike some kind of band music going