my order o' thinkin' countin' 'n' swingin' is a pretty frame o' mind
to get a husband in, but so it was, 'n' we was all starin' our eyes off
to beat the band when the little door opened 'n', to crown everythin'
else, out come the deacon 'n Mr. Jilkins, each with a daisy 'n' a silk
hat, 'n' I will remark, Mrs. Lathrop, as new-born kittens is blood-red
murderers compared to how innocent that hat o' Mr. Jilkins looked. Any
one could see as it was n't new, but he was n't new either as far as
that goes, 'n' that was what struck me in particular about the whole
thing--nothin' 'n' nobody was n't any different only for Polly's
foolishness 'n' the daisies.

"Well, they sorted out 'n' begun to get married, 'n' us all sittin'
lookin' on 'n' no more guessin' what was comin' next than a ant looks
for a mornin' paper. The minister was gettin' most through 'n' the
deacon was gettin' out the ring, 'n' we was lookin' to get up 'n' out
pretty quick, when--my heavens alive, Mrs. Lathrop, I never will forget
that minute--when Mr. Jilkins--poor man, he's sufferin' enough for it,
Lord knows!--when Mr. Jilkins dropped his hat!

"That very next second him 'n' Ed 'n' Brunhilde Susan all hopped 'n'
yelled at once, 'n' the next thing we see was the minister droppin' his
book 'n' grabbin' his arm 'n' the deacon tryin' madly to do hisself up
in Polly's veil. We would 'a' all been plum petrified at such goings on
any other day, only by that time the last one of us was feelin' to hop
and grab 'n' yell on his own account. Gran'ma Mullins was tryin' to slap
herself with the seat cushion, 'n' the way the daisies flew as folks
went over 'n' under that clematis rope was a caution. I got out as quick
as I--"

"But what--" interrupted Mrs. Lathrop, her eyes fairly marble-like in
their redundant curiosity.

"It was wasps!" said Susan. "It was a young wasps' nest in Mr. Jilkins's
hat. Seems they carried their hats to church in their hands 'cause Polly
did n't want no red rings around 'em, 'n' so he never suspected nothin'
till he dropped it. 'N' oh, poor little Brunhilde Susan in them short
skirts of hers--she might as well have wore a bee-hive! I will in
confidence remark as I got off easy, 'n' you can look at me 'n' figger
on what them as got it hard has got on them. Young Dr. Brown went right
to work with mud 'n' Polly's veil 'n' plastered 'em over as fast as they
could get into Mrs. Sweet's. Mrs. Sweet was mighty obligin' 'n' turned
two flower-beds in