“I guess he’ll get over that when he finds out what a pretty little daughter he’s got,” replied Robert, with a fond look into the lovely face of his little bride. “Here we are at home again,” he added, as he drew up before the gate. “Whoa, old Prince, till I help my wife out and take her into mother.”
Old Prince stopped in obedience to the word of command, and Robert helped Dora out just as Mrs. Dupont’s smiling face appeared at the door of the cottage to welcome them home.
Robert, taking Dora gravely by the hand, led her up to her mother, and said:
“How do you do, mother? We’ve had a nice day, and I’ve brought my wife back to you safe and sound.”
Mrs. Dupont laughed a light mocking laugh, as she said, with comic seriousness:
“Happy to see you, little Mrs. Ellerton, and very glad to know you have had such a nice time.”
“Very nice time, indeed, mamma,” replied Dora, with funny dignity; “only the man who married us acted so strangely that I was almost afraid of him. However, he got over it, and it’s all right now.”
“Really, my dear madam,” replied her mother, still willing to humor what she thought was one of their old jokes, “who was the clergyman that married you?”
“Oh, it wasn’t a minister at all, mamma, but Squire Moulton, and he gave me the certificate, and told me I must never part with it, or I couldn’t prove I was Robbie’s wife.”
“Nonsense, Dora, what do you know about a marriage certificate?”