Part 39 (1/2)
”Dear me, aren't we concerned about Mr. Farvel's breakfast!” exclaimed Mrs. Balcome, mockingly.
”We are.”
”But not a word for this poor boy. One would think you were going to marry Farvel instead of Wallace.”
”But--am I going to marry Wallace?”
Wallace swayed toward her. ”Oh, you can't--you _can't_ turn me down!”
”Ah, Wallace!” she said sadly.
”Mrs. Balcome, _you_ don't think I deserve this?”
”Now don't be hasty, Hattie,” advised her mother. ”Everything's ready.
Our friends are coming. Are you going to send them away?”
”Messages have gone--to tell everyone not to come.”
”Oh!” Wallace turned away, his head sunk between his shoulders.
”What will Buffalo think of you!” cried Mrs. Balcome.
”Buffalo,” answered Hattie, ”will have a chance to chatter about me, and that will give you and dad a rest.”
”Are you going to send back all those beautiful wedding presents?”
Balcome, relieved of his worry over Hattie, had been strolling about, pulling at a cigar. Now he greeted this last question with a roar of laughter. ”Oh, Hattie, can you beat it! Oh, that's a good one!”
Mrs. Balcome fixed him with an angry eye. ”Doesn't he show what he is?” she inquired. ”To laugh at such a time!”
”Beautiful wedding presents!” went on Balcome. ”Oh, ha! ha! ha!”
”No sentiment!” added his wife. ”No feeling!”
Hattie appealed to Wallace. ”Oh, haven't I had my share of quarreling?” she asked plaintively.
”But we wouldn't quarrel!”
”Oh, yes, we would. I'd remember--and then trouble. I'd always feel that you and----”
”Hattie!” warned her mother. ”You can't discuss that matter.”
”Why not?”
”You ask that! Doesn't your good taste--your modesty--tell you that it's not proper?”
”Oh!--I mustn't discuss it. But if Wallace and I were to marry at twelve o'clock today, we could discuss it at one o'clock--and quarrel!”
”Mr. Balcome!” entreated Wallace.
Balcome deposited his cigar ashes on the sun-dial. ”My boy,” he said, ”if a man has to dodge crockery because his wife's jealous about nothing, what'll it be like if she's got the goods on him?”