known that the services of a New York caterer had
been engaged. Blumenfeldt was decorating the church, Samson Rawdy was
furbishing up all his vehicles and had hired supplementary ones from
New Sanderson.

"No girl has ever went from this town as that Carroll girl will," he
told his wife, who assisted him to clean the carriage cushions.

"I s'pose the folks will dress a good deal," said she, brushing
assiduously.

"You bet," said her husband.

"Well, they won't get no dirt on their fine duds off _your_
carriage-seats," said she. She was large and perspiring, but full of
the content of righteous zeal. She and Samson Rawdy thoroughly
enjoyed the occasion, and he was, moreover, quite free from any money
anxiety regarding it. At first he had been considerably exercised. He
had come home and conferred with his wife, who was the business
balance-wheel of the family.

"Carroll has been speakin' to me about providin' carriages for his
daughter's weddin', an' I dunno about it," said he.

"How many does he want?" inquired his wife. He had sunk on his
doorstep on coming home at dusk, and sat with speculative eyes on the
pale western sky, while his wife sat judicially, quite filling with
her heated bulk a large rocking-chair, placed for greater coolness in
front of the step, in the middle of the slate walk.

"He wants all mine and all I can hire in New Sanderson," replied
Rawdy.

"Lord!" ejaculated his wife. "All them?"

"All them," replied Rawdy, moodily triumphant.

"Well," said his wife, "that ain't the point."

"No, it ain't," agreed Rawdy.

"The point is," said she, "is he agoin' to or ain't he agoin' to pay."

"That's so," said Rawdy.

"He's a-owin' everybody, ain't he?" said the wife.

"Pooty near, I guess."

"Well, you ain't goin' to let one of your cerridges go, let alone
hirin', unless he pays ahead."

"Lord! Dilly, how'm I goin' to ask him?" protested Rawdy.

"How? Why, the way anybody would ask him. 'Ain't you got a tongue in
your head?" demanded she.

"You dunno what a man he is. I asked him the other night when I drove
him up, and it wa'n't a job I liked, I can tell you."

"Did he pay you?"

"Paid me some of it."

"He's owin' you now, ain't he?"

"Well, he ain't owin' much, only the few times their cerridge 'ain't
been down. It ain't much, Dilly."

"But it's something."

"Yes; everythin' that ain't nothin' is somethin', I s'pose."

"And now you're goin' right on an' lettin' him have