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Youknowyoutoldmeyouwouldgivemeanevenchanceaslongastherewasany.'
"'Mr.Man,'saysMrs.Jessup,turningaroundtoPaisley,'ifyouwastodropintothecelebrationofmineandMr.Hicks'ssilverwedding,twenty-fiveyearsfromnow,doyouthinkyoucouldgetitintothatHubbardsquashyoucallyourheadthatyouarenixcumrousinthisbusiness?I'veputupwithyoualongtimebecauseyouwasMr.Hicks'sfriendbutitseemstomeit'stimeforyoutowearthewillowandtrotoffdownthehill.'
"'Mrs.Jessup,'saysI,withoutlosingmygrasponthesituationasfiance,'Mr.Paisleyismyfriend,andIofferedhimasquaredealandaequalopportunityaslongastherewasachance.'
"'Achance!'saysshe.'Well,hemaythinkhehasachancebutIhopehewon'tthinkhe'sgotacinch,afterwhathe'sbeennexttoalltheevening.'
"Well,amonthafterwardsmeandMrs.JessupwasmarriedintheLosPinosMethodistChurchandthewholetowncloseduptoseetheperformance.
"Whenwelinedupinfrontandthepreacherwasbeginningtosingouthisritualsandobservances,IlooksaroundandmissesPaisley.Icallstimeonthepreacher.'Paisleyain'there,'saysI.'We'vegottowaitforPaisley.Afriendonce,afriendalways--that'sTelemachusHicks,'saysI.Mrs.Jessup'seyessnappedsomebutthepreacherholdsuptheincantationsaccordingtoinstructions.
"InafewminutesPaisleygallopsuptheaisle,puttingonacuffashecomes.Heexplainsthattheonlydry-goodsstoreintownwasclosedforthewedding,andhecouldn'tgetthekindofaboiledshirtthathistastecalledforuntilhehadbrokeopenthebackwindowofthestoreandhelpedhimself.Thenherangesupontheothersideofthebride,andtheweddinggoeson.IalwaysimaginedthatPaisleycalculatedasalastchancethatthepreachermightmarryhimtothewidowbymistake.
"Aftertheproceedingswasoverwehadteaandjerkedantelopeandcannedapricots,andthenthepopulacehikeditselfaway.LastofallPaisleyshookmebythehandandtoldmeI'dactedsquareandonthelevelwithhimandhewasproudtocallmeafriend.
"Thepreacherhadasmallhouseonthesideofthestreetthathe'dfixeduptorentandheallowedmeandMrs.Hickstooccupyittilltheten-fortytrainthenextmorning,whenwewasgoingonabridaltourtoElPaso.Hiswifehaddecorateditallupwithhollyhocksandpoisonivy,anditlookedrealfestalandbowery.
"Aboutteno'clockthatnightIsetsdowninthefrontdoorandpullsoffmybootsawhileinthecoolbreeze,whileMrs.Hickswasfixingaroundintheroom.RightsoonthelightwentoutinsideandIsatthereawhilereverberatingoveroldtimesandscenes.AndthenIheardMrs.Hickscallout,'Ain'tyoucominginsoon,Lem?'
"'Well,well!'saysI,kindofrousingup.'DurnmeifIwasn'twaitingforoldPaisleyto--'
"ButwhenIgotthatfar,"concludedTelemachusHicks,"Ithoughtsomebodyhadshotthisleftearofmineoffwithaforty-five.ButitturnedouttobeonlyalickfromabroomhandleinthehandsofMrs.Hicks."