And so, of course, that curbed me in, and I had to let him go on, and cut a full swath in the vittles.  But it wuz some comfort for me to think that most likely he wouldn’t be tempted by a weddin’ supper agin—­not for some time, anyway.  For the Babe wuz but young yet, and we wuz gettin’ along.

Yes, that hull weddin’ went off perfectly beautiful, and there wuzn’t but one drawback to my happiness on that golden day that united them two happy lovers.

Yes, onbeknown to me a feelin’ of sadness come over me—­sadness and regret.

It wuzn’t any worriment and concern about the fate of Isabelle and her husband —­no; True Love wuz a-goin’ out with ’em on their weddin’ tower, and I knew if he went ahead of ’em, and they wuz a-walkin’ in the light of his torch, their way wuz a-goin’ to be a radiant and a satisfyin’ one, whether it led up hill or down or over the deep waters—­yea, even over the swellin’ of Jordan.

No, it wuzn’t that, nor anything relatin’ to the children, or my dress, or anything—­

No, my dress—­a new lilock gray alpaca—­sot out noble round my form, and my new head-dress wuz foamin’ lookin’, but it didn’t foam too much.

No, it wuzn’t that, nor anything about the neighbors—­no; they looked some envious at our noble doin’s, and walked by the house considerable, and the wimmen made errents, and borrowed more tea and sugar, durin’ the preparations, than it seemed as if they could use in two years; but I pitied ’em, and forgive ’em—­

And it wuzn’t anything about the children or Krit.

For the children wuz happy in their happy and prosperous hums, and Krit, they say—­I don’t tell it for certain—­but they say that he come back engaged to a sweet young girl of Chicago—­

Come back from the great New World of the World’s Fair, as his illustrious namesake went home so long ago, in chains—­

Only Krit’s chains wuz wrought of linked love and blessedness instead of iron—­so they say.

I’ve seen her picter; but good land! how can I tell who or what it is?  It is pretty as a doll, and Krit seems to think his eyes on it; but he’s so full of fun, I can’t git any straight story out of him.

But Thomas Jefferson says she is a bonny fidy girl—­a good one and a pretty one, and has got a father dretful well off; and he sez that she and Krit are engaged.  So I spoze more’n like as not they be.

And I also learnt, through a letter received that very day, that Mr. Bolster has led Miss Plank to the altar, or she has led him—­it don’t make much difference.  Anyway, she has walked offen the Plank of widowhood, and settled down onto a Bolster for life.

[Illustration:  Mr. Bolster led Miss Plank to the altar.]

I wuz glad on’t.  She wanted a companion, and he loves to converse, Heaven knows; and he is sure of one thing—­he’s almost certain, or as certain as we can be of anything in this life, that he will have the best pancakes that hands can make or spoons stir up.