don't want any crying at MY wedding."

"It's half my wedding," pouted Echo tearfully.

"Ain't I losin' my daughter," sobbed Mrs. Allen.

"Ain't you getting my mother's son?" snapped Jack.

The men howled with glee at the rude badinage which only called forth a
fresh burst of weeping on the part of Mrs. Allen, in which the girls
began show symptoms of joining.

Polly sought to soothe the trouble by pushing Jack playfully to one
side, and saying: "Oh, stop it all. Look here, Echo Allen, you know
your hair ain't fixed yet."

"An' the minister due here at any minute," added Mrs. Allen.

"Come along, we will take charge of you now," ordered Polly. The girls
gathered in a group about the bride, bustling and chattering, telling
her all men were brutes at time and, looking at the fat Sheriff, who
blushed to the roots of his hair at the charge, that "Slim Hoover was
the worst of the lot." Mrs. Allen pushed them away, and again fell
weeping on Echo's shoulder. "Hold on now, They ain't a soul goin' to do
nothin' for her except her mother," she whimpered.

"There she goes again," said Jack in disgust.

"He's goin' to take my child away from me," wailed the mother.

Tears were streaming down Echo's cheek. "Don't cry, mother," she wept.

"No, no, don't cry," echoed the girls.

"It's all for the best," began Polly.

"It's all for the best, it's all for the best," chorused the group.

"Well, I'll be--" gasped Jack.

"Jack Payson you just ought to be ashamed of yourself," said Polly,
stamping her foot. "You nasty, mean old thing," she threw in for good
measure.

Mrs. Allen led Echo from the room. The girls followed, crying "You
nasty, mean old thing" to the unfortunate bridegroom.

The cowboys enjoyed the scene immensely. It was a bit of human comedy,
totally unexpected. First they imitated the weeping women, and then
laughed uproariously at Jack.

"Did you ever see such darned carryings on," said the bridegroom, in
disgust. "What have I done?"

"Shucks! All mothers is like that," remarked Allen sympathetically.
"They fuss if their girls marry and they fuss if they don't. Why, my
ma carried on something scandalous when Josephine roped me."

All of the men chuckled except Jack.

"I'm appointed a committees," continued the old rancher, "to sit up
with you till the fatal moment."

"I'm game," responded Jack grimly. "I know what's coming, but I won't
squeal."

"You'll git all that's a-comin' to you,"