mouth.
He swung her round and round the smithy, all oblivious of his amused
spectators.

Meantime, Betty kicked and struggled, and finally succeeded in
smacking his face loudly with a free hand.

Sol set her down and rubbed his cheek foolishly, white she stamped her
foot at him.

"You great big--great big--boob!" she cried.

Jim stepped out from the shadow.

"Miss Jornsen,--allow me to introduce you to Mr. Sol Hanson!"

Betty looked at Jim querulously, and then at Sol who was standing
nervously by, gazing at her.

Slowly and shyly she sidled up to the big blacksmith. She put her
hands on the lapels of his ill-fitting coat and slid her fingers down
them tenderly; then she laid her head on his chest, while his big arms
went about her again.

"Come on, Phil!" said Jim, "this is no place for the proverbial
parson's son."

Sol's eyes took on a new light.

"Jim,--by gosh!--maybe it been no place for a parson's son," he
grinned, "but it a dam-fine place for a parson. What you think, eh,
Betty?"

"You fellows wait. We all go together, get it over right now. What you
think, my little Betty?"

"Sure! There ain't no good in waitin'," answered Betty. "And say,
Mister--Mister Langford!--I ain't tryin' to be insultin', nor anything
like that, but if you think you're a better looker than my big Sol,
then you've got another think comin'."

Sol's head went up and his chest went out, as they were entitled to
do, for Jim was considered quite a handsome fellow in his own way.

CHAPTER XVI

The Breakaway

The hour that followed was a busy one. Betty was whisked away by Phil
to Mrs. Clunie's for a good, substantial home-made dinner and a
general overhaul. Sol rushed home for his new, check suit, then off to
the registrar's for the marriage license accompanied by Jim. Phil next
unearthed the valiant Smiler from the basement of a Chinese restaurant
in Wynd Alley where he was busy sampling the current day's bill of
fare, gratis. Phil hauled him off to the barber's for a wash and a
haircut, then to the O.K. Supply Store for new clothes, over and
under, which set the poor dumb little rascal wondering as to what sin
he had committed to warrant the infliction.

The Reverend Anthony Stormer--the venerable old Lutheran pastor--was
next informed of the expected arrivals; and, by the time Jim came
along upholding Sol in a state of nervous prostration, all was in
readiness for the ceremony.

Ten minutes later, Mrs. Clu