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"Right. You control the weather. too," Betsy chimed. "I'm going to town to see Dirk," she called to her father. "By the way," she added as she walked to Mr. Fletcher's car. "he's my guest for the picnic."

She laughed and got in. She drove off too quickly, spitting up gravel.

"I warned her that I wouldn't let her use my car if she drove like that," Mr. Fletcher said furiously. "That girl has gotten more traffic tickets. Its a wonder she hasn't been in a serious accident. I oughta cut off every gray hair in my head, put it in an envelope, and hand it to her with a thank-you card,"

Mama laughed.

He looked at her and smiled. "I'm sorry, Sarah. I shouldn't add a single note of unpleasantness, especially right now, but that girl..." He looked after her.

Mama stepped up beside him and threaded her arm through his.

"She will change," she declared with such certainty, he had to look at her and smile. She nodded. "She will change," she promised.

The wind through the trees seemed to make the branches tinkle as if they were laden with tiny bells.

Baby Celeste heard it and looked that way. Her laugh turned Mama to us and the forest.

But Baby Celeste had turned completely around and was staring at the arch now. When Mama turned to look that way, her smile wilted.

Did she see him?

I saw him.

Like someone waiting. like a spider who had spun his web. Elliot was standing in the middle. smiling gleefully at all of us.

11

A Down-to-Earth Wedding

.

The following day. the Reverend Mr. Austin,

Mr. Bogart's friend, came to our house to revie

w the wedding ceremony with Mama and Mr. Fletcher, His wife. Tani, accompanied him. She was a pleasant, amiable, and talkative little woman, and I learned she was a close friend of Mrs. Bogart's wife's and knew quite a bit about us and our family history.

The reverend was a handsome man of about fifty with light brown hair and aqua eyes. He had a soft, gentle manner and touched your hand or your arm to reassure you whenever he said anything that might in the least way cause concern. He immediately made Mr. Fletcher feel at ease.

"When you had one marriage that failed, you naturally think its your fault and you're naturally afraid of making another commitment," the reverend told him. They had taken a walk together and I overheard it all while I was working in the shed, sharpening my chain saw with a chain-saw file.

Later, when we were all in the house, the reverend said he had a philosophy about marriage, a belief in the joining of kindred spirits.

"It's the fortunate man or woman who finds a soul mate," he said. "Too many of us are blind to the wondrous workings of the human heart. but I believe it is true that for everyone out there, there is someone."

"It was true for us," Tani said. She smiled at me. "And to inherit a fine young and responsible boy like Noble and a child such as Celeste to boot. You are truly a blessed man.-

"I think so," Dave said. The references to me made me blush,

Mama prepared a nice lunch for everyone, then afterward, we all went through the steps of the wedding ceremony. Mr. Fletcher had somehow forced Betsy to attend, even though she would play no role in the formal activities. I thought she. was there simply because she couldn't get her boyfriend to pick her up and take her away.

It took only two rehearsals for Baby Celeste to learn how to walk to the arch and hand Mama the wedding ring for Mr. Fletcher. She had such a serious expression on her face the whole time, too. It brought laughter to everyone's lips but Betsy's.

"What a beautiful and wonderful little girl!" Tani Austin cried.

Anyone could see how proud of herself Baby Celeste was, especially in the way she stepped back beside me, took my hand. and waited patiently for the rest of the wedding ceremony to continue. Betsy, on the other hand, let us know how bored she was by wearing earphones and listening to her music the whole time. I thought it wouldn't surprise me to see her do the same thing during the actual ceremony.

Mr. Fletcher ignored her and concentrated on Baby Celeste.