from Chicago and were goin' to dance,
that the wedding would cost $5000 which Mr. Bennett had offered to
Nellie in money, or to take it for the cost of the wedding; and she took
it for the wedding.

We climbed over the picket fence near the barn and dodged around past
the bushes until we got up to a window where we kind of scrouched down
and looked through lace curtains. There we saw everybody--all dressed up
and talkin' and laughin'; and there was my pa and ma. Ma was holdin' her
fan and talkin' to a man in a long black coat with all his white shirt
showin', and diamonds in the shirt and a white tie. She looked very
smilin' and different than when she talked to pa. Mitch's pa and ma
warn't there, not bein' invited. The orchestra was playin' wonderful
music; and finally all the people quit talkin'; the room got still, and
the orchestra began to play somethin' very beautiful; and pretty soon
Nellie Bennett came in holdin' the arm of Mr. Bennett, all in her veil
and white satin, but I couldn't see the buckles on her shoes. And then
the man she was goin' to marry--his name was Richard Hedges from
Chicago--stepped out, and they both stepped in front of the minister,
who was from Jacksonville, wearin' a black robe with white sash around
his neck; and the orchestra stopped playin'. But just then we heard a
twig or somethin' snap and we looked around quick and there was Doc Lyon
who read the Bible all the time and acted queer. My pa thought he was
crazy. And he began to say: "She doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians,
her neighbors, which were clothed with blue, governors and rulers, all
of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses. I will take
away thy nose and thy ears; and thy residue shall fall by the sword.
They shall also strip thee of thy clothes and take away thy fair
jewels."

Doc Lyon's voice sounded like he was talkin' out of a cistern, and I
grew sick at my stomach I was so scared. But both Mitch and me forgot
the wedding for the time and turned our heads. And pretty soon we saw
Doc Lyon kind of rolling a pistol over in his hand. We could see it. It
glittered in the light; but Mitch and me were lyin' in the shadow there,
and I don't believe he knew we were there. At least until I kind of lost
my balance and fell over against Mitch and bumped him against the house,
makin' a noise. We were scared to death, for we was afraid Doc Lyon
could now see us, and know us, and would come over to us, and do
somet