He stopped at the gate,got out and opened a door,and the Princess' father stepped down,tall and straight,all in shiny black.He turned around and held out his hand,bowing double,and the Princess laid her hand in his and stepped out too.He walked with her to the gate,made another bow,kissed her hand,and stepped back,and she came down the walk alone.He got in the carriage,the man closed the door,and they drove away.
Sally must have arranged before that the Princess was to come early,for she came straight upstairs.She wore a soft white silk dress with big faded pink roses in it,and her hair was fastened at each ear with a bunch of little pink roses.She was lovely,but she didn't "outdress or outshine"Sally one bit,and she never even glanced at the mirror to see how she looked;she began helping with Sally's hair,and to dress her.When Bess Kuntz prinked so long she made every one disgusted,the Princess said:"Oh save your trouble.No one will look at you when there's a bride in the house."There was a roll almost as thick as your arm of garters that all the other girls wanted Sally to wear for them so they would get a chance to marry that year,and Agnes Kuntz's was so large it went twice around,and they just laughed about it.They put a blue ribbon on Sally's stays for luck,and she borrowed Peter's sister Mary's comb to hold her back hair.They had the most fun,and when she was all ready except her dress they went away,and Sally stood in the middle of the room trembling a little.Outside you could hear carriage wheels rolling,the beat of horses'hoofs,and voices crying greetings."There was a sound of revelry,"by day.Mother came in hurriedly.She wore her new brown silk,with a lace collar pinned at the throat with the pin that had a brown goldstone setting in it,and her precious ring was on her finger.She was dainty and pretty enough to have been a bride herself.She turned Sally around slowly,touching her hair a little and her skirts;then she went to the closet,took out the wedding dress,put the skirt over Sally's head,and she came up through the whiteness,pink and glowing.She slipped her arms into the sleeves,and mother fastened it,shook out the skirt,saw that the bead fringe hung right,and the lace collar lay flat,then she took Sally in her arms,held her tight and said:
"God bless you,dear,and keep you always.Amen."Then she stepped to the door,and Peter,all shining and new,came in.He hugged Sally and kissed her like it didn't make the least difference whether she had on calico or a wedding dress,and he just stared,and stared at her,and never said a word,so at last she asked:"Well Peter,do you like my dress?"And the idiot said:"Why Sally,I hadn't even seen it!"Then both of them laughed,and the Presiding Elder came.
I never liked to look at him very well because something had happened,and he had only one eye.I always wondered if he had "plucked it out"because it had "offended"him;but if you could forget his eye,and just listen to his voice,it was like the sweetest music.He married those two people right there in the bedroom,all but about three words at the end.I heard and saw every bit of it.Then Sally said it was time for me to go to mother,but she followed me into the boys'room and shut the door.Then she knelt in her beautiful silver dress,and put her arms around me and said:"Honest,Little Sister,aren't you going to kiss me goodbye?""Oh I can if you want me to,"I said,but I didn't look at her;I looked out of the window.
She laughed a breathless little catchy sort of laugh and said:
"That's exactly what I do want."
"You didn't even want me,to begin with,"I reminded her.
"There isn't a doubt but whoever told you that,could have been in better business,"said Sally,angry-like."I was much younger then,and there were many things I didn't understand,and it wasn't you I didn't want;it was just no baby at all.I wouldn't have wanted a boy,or any other girl a bit more.I foolishly thought we had children enough in this house.I see now very plainly that we didn't,for this family never could get along without you,and I'm sorry I ever thought so,and I'd give anything if I hadn't struck you and----""Oh be still,and go on and get married!"I said.I could just feel a regular beller coming in my throat."I was only fooling to pay you up.I meant all the time to kiss you good-bye when the others did.I'll nearly die being lonesome when you're gone----"Then I ran for downstairs,and when I reached the door,where the steps went into the sitting-room,I stopped,scared at all the people.It was like camp-meeting.You could see the yard full through the windows.Just as I was thinking I'd go back to the boys'room,and from there into the garret,and down the back stairway,Laddie went and saw me.He came over,led me to the parlour door,put me inside,and there mother took my hand and held me tight,and I couldn't see Leon anywhere.
I was caught,but they didn't have him.Mother never hung on as she did that day.I tried and tried to pull away,and she held tight.It was only a minute until the door opened,people crowded back,and the Presiding Elder,followed by Sally and Peter,came into the room,and they began being married all over again.
If it hadn't grown so solemn my mother sprung a tear,I never would have made it.She just had to let me go to sop her face,because tears are salty,and they would turn her new brown silk front yellow.The minute my hand was free,I slipped between the people and looked at the parlour door.It was wedged full and more standing on chairs behind them.No one could get out there.
I thought I would fail Leon sure,and then I remembered the parlour bedroom.I got through that door easy as anything,and it was no trick at all to slip behind the blind,raise the window,and drop into mother's room from the sill.From there I reached the back dining-room door easy enough,went around to the kitchen,and called Leon softly.He opened the door at once and I slipped in.He had just got there.We looked all around and couldn't see where to begin at first.There was enough cooked food there to load two wagons.
