"
"Nothin' that's right nice is ever right proper," laughed Slim.
"Well, it ain't the way folks does back East," replied Mrs. Allen
tartly, glaring at the Sheriff.
"Blast the East," growled Allen. "We does things in our own way
out here."
With a mischievous smile, Slim glanced at his comrades, and then
solemnly observed: "Still, I hear they does make the two
contractin'-parties sit off alone by themselves--"
"What for?" asked Jack.
"Why, to give them the last bit of quiet enjoyment they're goin'
to have for the rest of their lives," chuckled Slim.
The cowboys laughed hilariously at the sally, but Mrs. Allen,
throwing her arms about Echo's neck, burst into tears, crying:
"My little girl."
"What's the use of opening up the sluices now, Josephine?"
"Let her alone, Jim," drawled Slim; "her feelin's is harrowed
some, an' irrigation is what they needs most."
The outburst of tears was incomprehensible to the bridegroom.
Already irritated by the McKee incident, he took affront at the
display of sentiment.
"I don't want any crying at MY wedding."
"It's half my wedding," pouted Echo tearfully.
"Ain't I losin' my daughter," sobbed Mrs. Allen.
"Ain't you getting my mother's son?" snapped Jack.
The men howled with glee at the rude badinage which only called
forth a fresh burst of weeping on the part of Mrs. Allen, in
which the girls began show symptoms of joining.
Polly sought to soothe the trouble by pushing Jack playfully to
one side, and saying: "Oh, stop it all.
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