e, though, back she come and just put her
head in the door.

"'I'm much obliged to you, Mr. Wingate,' says she. 'I know you mean
well. But you ain't had your fate foretold, same's I have. It's all
been arranged for me, and I couldn't stop it no more'n Jonah could help
swallerin' the whale. I--I kind of wish you'd be on hand at the back
door on Sunday mornin' when Simeon comes to take me away. You--you're
about the only real friend I've got,' she says.

"And off she went, for good this time. I pitied her, in spite of her
bein' such a dough head. I knew what sort of a husband that pool-room
shark would make. However, there wa'n't nothin' to be done. And next day
Cap'n Jonadab was round, madder'n a licked pup. Seems Susannah's lawyer
at Orham had sent for her to come right off and see him. Somethin' about
the suit, it was. And she was goin' in spite of everything. And with
Effie's leavin' at the same time, what was we goin' to do over Sunday?
and so forth and so on.

"Well, we had to do the best we could, that's all. But that Saturday
was busy, now I tell you. Sunday mornin' broke fine and clear and, after
breakfast was over, I remembered Effie and that 'twas her weddin' day.
On the back steps I found her, dressed in all her grandeur, with her
packed trunk ready, waitin' for the bridegroom.

"'Ain't come yet, hey, Effie?' says I.

"'No,' says she, smilin' and radiant. 'It's a little early for him yet,
I guess.'

"I went off to 'tend to the boarders. At half past ten, when I made the
back steps again, she was still there. T'other servants was peekin' out
of the kitchen windows, grinnin' and passin' remarks.

"'Hello!' I calls out. 'Not married yet? What's the matter?'

"She'd stopped smilin', but she was as chipper as ever, to all
appearances.

"'I--I guess the horse has gone lame or somethin',' says she. 'He'll be
here any time now.'

"There was a cackle from the kitchen windows. I never said nothin'.
She'd made her nest; now let her roost on it.

"But at twelve Butler hadn't hove in sight. Every hand, male and female,
on the place, that wa'n't busy, was hangin' around the back of the
hotel, waitin' and watchin' and ridiculin' and havin' a high time. Them
that had errands made it a p'int to cruise past that way. Lots of the
boarders had got wind of the doin's, and they was there, too.

"Effie was settin' on her trunk, tryin' hard to look brave. I went up
and spoke to her.

"'Come, my girl,' says I. 'Don't