Jim's familiar footstep echoed through the hall, and Mary sprang to the door with a cry of joy. CHAPTER X. THE WEDDING Ella hurried into the kitchenette and busied herself with dinner. Jim's unexpectedly early arrival broke the spell of the tragedy to which Mary had listened with breathless sympathy. Her own future she faced without a shadow of doubt or fear. Her reproaches to Jim were entirely perfunctory, on the sin of his early call on their wedding-day. “Naughty boy!” she cried with mock severity. “At this unseemly hour!” He glanced about the room nervously. “Anybody in there?” He nodded toward the kitchenette. “Only Ella----” “Send her away.” “What's the matter?” “Quick, Kiddo--quick!” Mary let Ella out from the little private hall without her seeing Jim, and returned. “For heaven's sake, man, what ails you?” she asked excitedly. “Say--I forgot that thing already. We got to go over it again. What if I miss it?” “The ceremony?” “Yep----” He mopped his brow and looked at his watch. “By the time we get to that preacher's house, I won't know my first name if you don't help me.” Mary laughed softly and kissed him. “You can't miss it. All you've got to do is say, `I will' when he asks you the question, put the ring on my finger when he tells you, and repeat the words after him--he and I will do the rest.” “Say my question over again.” “`Wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance, in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?'” She looked at him and laughed. “Why don't you answer?” “Now?” “Yes--that's the end of the question. Say, `I will.'” “Oh, I will all right! What scares me is that I'll jump in on him and say `I will' before he gets halfway through. Seems to me when he says, `Wilt thou have this woman to be thy wedded wife?' I'll just have to choke myself there to keep from saying, `You bet your life I will, Parson!'” “It won't hurt anything if you say, `I will' several times,” she assured him. “It wouldn't queer the job?” “Not in the least. I've often heard them say, `I will' two or three times. Wait until you hear the words, `so long as ye both shall live----'” “`So long as ye both shall live,'” he repeated solemnly. “The other speech you say after the minister.” “He won't bite off more than I can chew at one time, will he?” “No, silly--just a few words----” “Because if he does, I'll choke.” Jim drew his watch again, mopped his brow, and gazed at Mary's serene face with wonder. “Say, Kiddo, you're immense--you're as cool as a cucumber!” “Of course. Why not? It's my day of joy and perfect peace--the day I've dreamed of since the dawn of maidenhood. I'm marrying the man of my choice--the one man God made for me of all men on earth. I know this--I'm content.”