The crowd was respectful; it would have been quite as much so, even if it had not noted the bulging of the coat tails of the bridegroom. When Abercrombie Morris had pronounced the couple “husband and wife,” Juniper Joe took much apparent delight in introducing his bride to every one in the house he could reach conveniently. When it was through, he made a little speech. “What I has to say, ladies and feller citizens, is: ‘Go and do likewise.’ Thar, on the wall, set in a picture frame which I made to-day myself, is the thing which worked the trick fer me; and any of you can use the same means, and make a copy of it, if you want to do as I did.” He pointed to an advertisement cut from a newspaper, which he had framed and stuck against the wall. “I don’t need to sling no wise advice to the ladies present; fer they aire knowin’ well to the fact that they can each and every one of ’em git married any minute that they say the word. So I directs my remarks to the male sect; which, because it’s out o’ all proportion with the other in this hyer town, don’t have much of a show. In the East, thar’s women so numerous that they fair jostles each other, without half enough men to go round; a condition that is highly prejudicial to the good of society both hyer and thar. Most any o’ them women would jump at a chanct to marry a likely man, ’specially if he could show a good bank account. The hills round this hamlet aire sproutin’ with gold, in pockets, leads, fissure veins, and every other way; every man hyer has got a cinch on wealth, if only he’ll hustle. And that wealth will git him a wife, if he wants one; it’s what brung me mine.” He looked round, beaming, the woman at his side. “That’s all,” he said; “except that the room will now be cleared fer the dancin’. White-eyed Moses has promised to hand out some o’ his choicest toe-ticklin’ selections; and you-all know how he can do it. No firearms er knives to be allowed on the dancin’ floor; no altercations permitted, neither. The first gent that starts one will be bounced.” He swung on round, still smiling, a gaunt figure, in his black clothing. “So,” he finished, “that’s all; git yer pardners.” In order to do that, as there was so few women, some of the men knotted handkerchiefs round their left arms, to indicate that they were “women”; and the dancing began, as White-eyed Moses struck up one of his lively quadrilles. The new Mrs. Juniper Joe--no one could remember that even in the ceremony Abercrombie Morris had called him anything but Juniper Joe!--tried to dance with nearly every man there, when they besieged her for that favor; and only gave over the attempt because the fiddler’s arm took a cramp at last, and he stopped fiddling. The new Mrs. Juniper Joe thus proved that she was certainly of the strenuous type, so far as muscular activity was concerned. As the dancing ended, and there was a rush for the “refreshments,” a thing occurred which threw every one into a flutter of excitement.