"'Don't say a word!' says Jim, wavin' his hand. 'You have put the next round on me; but I guess Pete and Maggy has had seriousnesses enough, just as she slides—heh?'
"'You're talkin' blue checks, Jim,' says Maggy, through her apron.
'I don't reckon I'll ever get too gay to hurt me, nor Pete, nuther.'
"'Very well,' says the minister—and we had the weddin'. Charlie High-ball burnt punk that smelled strong but fine, and swung his arms, Jim and the rest of the boys sayin' 'amen' every time there come a stop, and all the proceedin's goin' on grand, till the preacher got to the last of it, and then Pete broke in:
"'I copper that statement,' says he. 'I wouldn't run against you for the world, old man, but here I got to. We ain't "man" and wife, for I ain't never been a man since I growed up: Maggy, she's the man and wife both. Say "husband and wife," to oblige.'
"The preacher looked at Pete mighty kind.
"'Husband and wife,' says he. Then Maggy busted out, 'He's the best man that ever lived!' says she.
"'May you live long and happy years together,' says the preacher, and he had a different look on his face—more's if it was a pleasure instead of business he was attendin' to.
"Whilest we stood there, kinder awk'ard, Charley made a high play. He gathered all his winnings in a heap. 'For laly,' says he, makin' her a bow.
"Maggy, she cried. Everybody'd been so good to her, she said, and she weren't able to turn a hand for her part, and so forth, and we was all kind of pleasantly miserable for a while, till Jim sings out, 'Here, this ain't no weddin' hilarity—guide right to the bar!'
"There we all lined up, Charlie High-ball and all.