“I’ve come to wish ye the blissing av the Lord and all His holy saints, me brave bhoy and gurrul—I mane Misther and Misthress Randolph Hay av Hayti!”
Ran and Judy took each a hand of the old miner and said something inarticulate in kindly thanks. Then, seeing Longman standing behind and towering above Dandy, Ran held up his hand and the colossus came forward and offered his congratulations, which both Ran and Judy received with much hearty feeling.
“I do not forget, Longman, that I never should have lived to see this happy day but for you,” said Ran, warmly pressing his hands, while Judy’s smile expressed all that she also would have said if she could have spoken.
“Come, my young friends,” said Mr. Samuel Walling, approaching the group, “we must not keep the reverend gentlemen waiting; we must go into the vestry room and sign the register.” And he drew Judy’s arm within his own and carried her off, followed by Ran and the rest.
When this form was completed the small company left the church.
There were but two carriages waiting before the door. One was Mrs. Walling’s, in which she had brought the bride to the church; the other was Ran’s, in which he was going to take his wife back.
Mrs. Walling stood until she had seen Ran hand Judy into the clarence and take his seat beside her, when she turned to William Walling and said:
“Well! I would like to give you a seat back to the house; but I want to take in Mr. and Mrs. Stuart. Go up in the street car—that is a good fellow! And while you are at it see after those poor fellows from the mines. Get them into the same car with yourself, so that they won’t miss their way.”
“All right!” exclaimed good-humored Mr. Will. “Where are the bears?”
“There they are!” she said, nodding toward the three men coming from the church door. “Go and introduce yourself to them, and then you will be capable of bringing them up to the house and presenting them to your brother and myself. They are great friends of Ran, you know. One of them saved his life! They came with the colonel’s family and Judy from California. Now be off!” added the lady as she saw her friends, Mr. and Mrs. Stuart, approaching, and went to meet them, saying to Palma: