top of his bald head.

"You mought care fer dem niggers ef you ties em togedder, Marse John.
But you ain't gwine be able to pertection 'em--not from each yuther,"
Vinegar announced as he slapped at his face with his kerchief. "I
wouldn't be tied to my nigger wife wid a telephone-wire long enough to
conversation de man in de moon. Naw, suh! Dat ole gal would be yankin'
on dat line a catfish all de time. Whoosh!"

"I agrees wid dem religium sentiments," Hitch Diamond rumbled. "Now you
example Goldie, my own wife. Dat little yeller gal's maw is a lunatic,
an' Goldie ain't no lunatic, but she ain't got her right mind. I
wouldn't mind bein' a Dandylion in de lion's den, like de Bible tells
about--dat would gib me a chance to fight fer my gizzard. But chained up
to Goldie--"

Hitch broke off, shook his head in earnest negation, rubbed one giant
hand around his iron-thewed wrist as if he could feel the holy bonds of
matrimony and gave utterance to one expressive word: "Gawd!"

"Hol' on, niggers!" Figger Bush exclaimed. "I don't foller you-alls in
dem sentiments. Now I been married to Scootie gwine on two year an' I
ain't never got too much of dat gal yit. I cherishes de opinion dat
Marse John could tie our heads togedder an' I wouldn't complain none."

"I sides wid Figger Bush," Mustard Prophet grinned. "I been livin' off
an' on wid Hopey fer twenty year, an' dat gal is busted stovewood over
my head off an' on plenty of times, but I don't bear her no grouch. She
kin always make peace by givin' me some hot biskits an' a few sirup."

"You four niggers talk too much," Flournoy grinned. "I want you to get
busy and decorate that Shoofly Church and pull the biggest Tickfall
church wedding ever seen in the social sets of our colored circles. I'll
pay for everything."

"Us fo' niggers will git our wifes an' pull some kind of nice stunt
ourselfs, too, Marse John," Vinegar howled. "We'll fix up a good
send-off fer 'em."

At seven o'clock that evening the Flournoy automobile conveyed the happy
pair to the Shoofly Church. The Rev. Vinegar Atts proceeded with the
ceremony until the bride sported a new ring and the two were pronounced
man and wife with the solemn admonition:

"Whom God hath joined together, let not man put asunder!"

Thereupon Sheriff Flournoy stepped forward and with the ease of long
practice slipped a manacle upon the right wrist of the bride and another
upon the left wrist of the groom and snapped the handcuf