HER WEDDING OUTFIT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3692, 30 June 1906, Page 4

HER WEDDING OUTFIT.

.Vhat Old Sinn Boggs Thought She Ought to Have. I was standing in front of the Pine Mountain Lumber company’s store, situ* ate on tho upper waters of the Cumberland, when old man Boggs came up from ■ne sawmill on the bank of the river and approached mo with some degree of doubt, 1 thought, from his manner. Seeing no one else around, he became easier and greeted me pleasantly. “How are you, Mr. Boggs?" I said in return for his salutation. “Fineday. Any news up tho mountain?” “I’m tolliblo like, I reckon,” he responded. “Nothin happenin our way—much. But that ain’t what I want to talk to you about, colonel,” he added, relapsing into the manner of doubt I thought I had observed at first. “Well, what is it? Any shooting going on or liable to?”

“Reckon not. M°Bt nv the bo 7 B gone to Loolsville fer witnesses agin them moonshiners, and things is restin some." “Then what troubles you?”

He came up quite close to me and looked over his shoulder to be sure there was no one in hearing distance, except myself. “Air you a married man, colonel?” he asked in a whisper. “I am not so fortunate,” I admitted, with as much gallantry of manner and as pretty a candor as if a dozen women had been there.

“Then I reckon you ain’t much knowm on sich things as havin yer gals gettln married?”

“Hardly,” I confessed, with a smile. “Anyhow,” he said resignedly, “you air old enough to be, and I want you to gimme a lift.” “How do you mean?” I inquired in sup

prise. “Don’t git skoort,” ho grinned. “It’s only my gal Susan.” “Oh,” I said iu a tone of relief. “She’s ;oing to get married, is she?” “Kinder that away. I want to git some wedding flxin’s and don’t want to git ’em frmn the young feller in the store. Won’t you fix ’em up fer me?” ‘‘Certainly,’’ and we went in. “By the way,” I inquired, “is Susan your oldest daughter?” “No; she is tho youngest.” "Isn’t that rather cutting the other* out?”

‘‘ I reckon not, ”ho laughed. “You see, they take attor.mo, and I didn’t git spiked till I was past 40. Susan takes utter her mammy. She got me afore she was SO." He laughed again, and I laughed with him and threw out several pieces of dresi goods on tho counter. “I suppose you want something white,” I said, spreading tho goods out so he could see the effect. ‘ 1 That will be very nice for a bride.”

“What’s tho tax on it?” he asked, without touching it, showing that he was not versed in dry goods. “Two bits a yard.” "Gcemently gosh, colonel 1” he exclaimed, starting back, “I can’t afford no such goods as that. Silks and satings ain’t fer we nns. Hain’t you got some calico?" “Plenty of it, ” I said, and I dumped an armful down on the counter.

"What’s this wuth?” he asked, picking .out a bright yellow piece with a red vine trailing through it. “That’s 10 cents a yard, and it will or/y take ton yards for tho pattern," “That’s sl, ain’t it?" he Inquired, after a moment’s mental calculation. "Exactly.”

“Qlmmo that, colonel. Susan alius had a weakness fer yaller. It kinder matches her freckles, she sayg.” 1 cut off tho amount called for and laid it aside.

“Now,” he said, "show me gomeshoes."

“What kind?” I asked, not oaring to hazard my judgment again. “How do they run in price?"

“From $1.50 up.”

“That’s pretty steep fer a gal that’* been uaeter goiu bav’footed, I reckon,” ho mused, “but a gal don’t git hitched every day, and I s’poso I kin stand it. Jlm’ll have to buy ’em fer her anyhow otter this. Lemmo have one uv them pa’r at a dollar fifty.” “What size?”

“About sevens, I reckon,” he said. “Six is her size in summer time, but gittin married is makiu her kinder proud and she says she’s goin to wear stockln’s, so you see, colonel, wo’d better git ’em a size bigger to ’low fer tho oxtry.” I picked out a pair of No. 7’s, neat, but not gaudy, and laid them beside the calico. “Now,” I said, getting ready to show him a few other articles for a trousseau, “what else?”

“What else is thar to git?” he asked in guileless astonishment. “Ain’t that enough weddin flxin’s fer any gal? Thera oost $3.50, didn’t they?” “Yes, but I thought she might want Bometihng else perhaps.” That remark didn’t begin to express all that was in my mind, but it was the best 1 could do under tho circumstances.

“Likely she does,” ho replied, “but it’s Jim’s turn to do the buyln now. I’v« done my sheer.” “When is tho wedding?” I inquired ns 1 wrapped up tho trousseau I had sold him. “It’s done tuck, ” ho answered as though surprised at my question. I was puzzled to the full extent. “I don’t understand what you mean,” 1 said, “The weddln’a over,” ho explained “It tuck place ylstiddy.” “But what are you getting those thingf for now?” 1 asked, more astonished than ever. “Gaze, now’s the time,” he said, with a short laugh. “You don’t reckon 1 was goln to git all these yer weddin fixin’s aforehand and run the resk uv havin the whole shootin match flash In tho pan, do you? Jim’s stiddy and shore footed, but Susan gits to steppin mighty high and actin frisky when she’s got good clo’s on to her back. She takes atterier mother, Susan does.” 1 hadn’t a word to say, of course, but as Mr. Boggs started out I handed him a bolt of blue ribbon and told him to give it to the bride, with my compliments, without. knowing exactly whether blue ribbon matched yellow calico with a red vine trailing tlirough It or not. '* “v A Strategic Move. “I was iu tho theater when your play was brought out for the llrst time.” “You were there, wore you?” “Yes, and 1 saw you there too. Every bod” was yawning, and to my astonishftj.c.f- you yawned, too, with tho rest.” “i .-<! *•> yawn If I hadn’t, someboih wn'J -v suspect or) me of being the hi 5-L- ---. .- a s:t Anyway. j-W,.'ry offer fit . r. -i.-h him. Tne Jaii-r—but lie’s left town, the ;uoh--WuU, then give ub some o’ ifrggwnn Bfcan MBadnoo*.