on somewhere for 'em to hear. We want a photygraft group of us all,
too. We are going to put up at the Teamsters' Hotel up on the Square
and Mr. Hoover have got party rates. He says he are a-going to get
that seven town-broke anyway, if it costs two acres of corn. Now
won't we have a good time?" The bright face of the prospective bride
fairly radiated with joy at the prospect--Miss Wingate could but be
sympathetically involved, and Mother Mayberry beamed with delight at
the plan.

"That'll be a junket that they won't never a one of 'em forget,
Bettie!" she exclaimed with approval. "They ain't nothing in the
world so educating as travel. And you can trust a country child to
see further and hear more than any other animal on earth. I wouldn't
trust Tom to go to town now without coming back pop-eyed over the
ottermobiles," and Mother Mayberry laughed at her own fling at the
sophisticated young Doctor. Another dart of agony entered the soul
of the singer lady and this time the vision of the girl and the
peony was placed in a big, red motor-car--why red she didn't know,
except the intensity of her feelings seemed to call for that color.
She was his patient and courtesy at least demanded that he should
tell her of his intended absence. What could--

"Well, to come out with the truth," Mrs. Pratt was going on to say
by the time Miss Wingate brought herself to the point of listening
again, "it's just the wedding itself that have gave me all these
squeems. Why, Mis' Mayberry, how on earth are we a-going to parade
all the seventeen into the Meeting-house without getting the whole
congregation into a regular giggle? I don't care, 'cause I know the
neighbors wouldn't give us a mean laugh, but I can see Mr. Hoover
have got the whole seventeen sticking in his craw at the thought,