"It all passed off beautifully, except for one tragedy. Oh, yes; there's always something to mar these affairs. But this hellish incident didn't come till the very last. After the guests had pretty well et themselves to a standstill, Dave Pickens got up and come back with a fiddle, and stood at the end of the grape arbour and played a piece. "'Someone must have supplied that wretch with another fiddle!' says Mrs. Julia, who was kind of cross, anyway, having been bedded down on a short sofa and not liking champagne for breakfast--and, therefore, not liking to see others drink it. "'Oh, he's probably borrowed one for your celebration,' I says. "Dave played a couple more lively pieces; and pretty soon, when we got up from the table, he come over to Mrs. Julia and me. "'It's a peach of a fiddle,' says Dave. 'It says in the catalogue it's a genuine Cremonika--looks like a Cremona and plays just as good. I bet it's the best fiddle in the world to be had for twelve dollars!' "'What's that?' says Mrs. Julia, erecting herself like an alarmed rattlesnake. "'Sure! It's a genuine twelve-dollar one,' says Dave proudly. 'My old one, that you so kindly raffled off, cost only five. I always wanted a better one, but I never had the money to spare till you come along. It's awful hard to save up money round here.' "'Do you mean to tell me--' says Mrs. Julia. She was so mad she couldn't get any farther. Dave thought she was merely enthusiastic about his new fiddle. "'Sure! Only twelve dollars for this beauty,' he says, fondling the instrument. 'We got down the mail-order catalogue the minute you left that money with us, and had a postal order on the way to Chicago that very night. I must say, lady, you brought a great pleasure into our life.' "'What about your poor wife?' snaps Mrs. Julia. "His poor wife comes up just then and looks affectionately at Dave and the new fiddle. "'He spent that money for another fiddle!' says Mrs. Julia to her in low tones of horror. "'Sure! What did you think he was going to do with it?' says Mrs. Dave. 'I must say we had two mighty dull weeks while Dave was waiting for this new one. He just mopes round the house when he ain't got anything to play on. But this is a lot better than the old fiddle; it was worth waiting for. Did you thank the lady, Dave?' "Mrs. Julia was now plumb speechless and kind of weak. And on top of these blows up comes Aunt Mollie the new-wed, and beams fondly on her. "'There!' says she. 'Ain't that a fine new fiddle that Dave bought with his twelve dollars? And wasn't it worth postponing my wedding for, so we could have some music?' "'What's that?' says Mrs. Julia again. 'Why did you postpone it?' "'Because the fiddle didn't get here till last night,' says Aunt Mollie, 'and I wasn't going to have a wedding without music. It wouldn't seem right. And don't you think, yourself, it's a lot better fiddle than Dave's old one?'