P. S. I have told Will. See him. He will help you with the
'arrangements. E.
Gibbs, poor fellow, was so delighted with the letter that he did
not stop to think of the. absurdity of it; but started immediately
to find Will. Of course I was not hard to find, and had many
suggestions to make which he thought were good. At three
o'clock we parted, he to get ready, and I to see the minister, , and
engage the hotel parlors where the ceremony would take place.
Precisely at ten o'clock that evening he gave three low whistles
before our house, and immediately his Emma came down a side
path and joined him.• She wore a dark walking, suit with veil
and gloves, and seemed rather bashful; but whispered to him that
they had best hurry as Papa was cross as a bear to-night. They,
accordingly, entered a near-by carriage and were soon speeding
away; but, somehow, neither of them could think of anything to
.say, and so they rode in silence. It did not take them long to
reach the hotel, and they went directly to the parlor, but did not
:find anyone there. They had scarcely closed the door, however,
when a knock sounded on it. Gibbs, thinking it was the minister
with the witnesses, stepped back and opened it, when' in filed
eight members of the " Krowd " headed by Mordeau. Then for
the first time Gibbs " smelled a mouse." He turned to look at
.his Emma; but she had removed her veil, hat, and wig, and there
.I stood.
" Well, I'll be hanged," he said somewhat confused, " I guess
this is one on me."
" Why, what does this mean ? " asked Mordeau, feigning sur
prise. "Is this one of your jokes, Gibbs ? I thought it was all
straight, and decided to come in to help eat the feast."
At the mention of the word " feast " we all decided we were
hungry, and strange as it may seem, when we went to the dining
'MOM, the feast was ready and waiting. Gibbs didn't have much
to say, but the rest of us had a big time at his expense, and went
home thinking we had played an immense joke on Gibbs, but,—
The next evening I received a letter from him saying that he
and Emma had left that day on the 4:14 train, and would be mar
ried that night in Pittsburg. He also thanked me, though I
don't know why, for bringing the marriage about so soon,