If asked later, Emeline would not have been able to name the song any more than Barnabas, and even though she was singing along, her voice muted with emotion. Of course, 'Camptown Races' would be the song everyone remembered, and she was sure they would laugh about it later. And hopefully, the erstwhile girl wouldn't play them out with 'Buffalo Gals'!

The music stopped, the final lingering note finally fading, and now it was the good part, the hugging, the kissing, the presentation of the new couple.

Then they could all retreat to the Lickskillet for the reception...she had made a few simple sandwiches and pastries, and Clara had done far more than that, and she was looking forward to what the girl had done for them (although there were rumors that Miss Arabella had pitched in, so there was no telling what they'd find!). Bridget had helped as well, and Emeline was grateful for it all.

Arabella had frowned when Brother Thomas had asked for Come, Christians, Join to Sing - not because she didn’t know it, it was in the Methodist hymnal so of course she knew it, it was just easier to find the music for it by the number. Why couldn’t he have just said “Now, we will render 158”?

Now that the ‘farting’ lower register had been fixed on the harmonium, though, she had to find other ways to have some fun, so she employed her favourite trick. At the end of the second chorus she played a very final sounding coda, then waited a second as people relaxed and closed the hymn books and started to sit down – then she launched into the third and final chorus: eliciting a mass scramble to reopen hymn books and stand back up again.

Praise yet the Lord again:

Alleluia! Amen!

Life shall not end the strain:

Alleluia! Amen!

On heaven’s blissful shore

his goodness we’ll adore,

singing forevermore:

Alleluia! Amen!

Arabella sang beautifully and stridently as she turned and looked at them all balefully, as if they must be a bunch of sinners not to have known there was another part of the hymn. Tut, tut, tut – burn in Hell for that.

She finished the last stanza and watched with some satisfaction how various members of the congregation closed their hymn books and sat themselves down a little bit more gingerly this time. Mission accomplished.

Despite Arabella's childish gimmicky musical accompaniment, Clara thought Emeline's wedding ceremony was beautiful and it was wonderful how Emeline and Pronto took everything in stride. They kept their focus on each other and that was the point of it all.

Once the wedding party retired to the Lick Skillet, it was time for food and relaxation. Clara had decorated both the diner's interior and the yard where they could do some dancing then. There were sandwiches and pastries plus some tea, lemonade, cider, and a bottle of elderberry wine for a bridal toast. For a cake, Clara made a coconut cake from a recipe she had discovered in a Helena newspaper from some New England lady named Emily Dickinson. * It had no fancy decorations on it, Clara wasn't confident enough to try that but the cake was light and tasty.

*Emily Dickinson was actually an excellent baker and this is a real recipe she would make."

Things must have ended, but Barnabas continued holding Em's hands and looking into her eyes. He simply wanted to sweep her off her feet and carry her away, far away, where they would be together and suddenly people were getting up and filing out. Had they been pronounced? He did not know, but assumed as much, he would make it a point to clarify that with the Reverend in private.

He wouldn't want the others to realize that he had been so intent on his bride he missed that part, or the kissing of the bride, which of course would have been his favorite part.

He needed to talk with Em about all this if he could pull her aside for a moment. Suddenly Barnabas 'Pronto' Pike was afraid he had ruined their nuptials. Afraid part of the ceremony that was months in the making, had slipped past him.

"Off to the Lickskillet, I believe?" He asked her, she who was glowing. "This here, with you, is the best moment in my life."

Emeline, as well, was still in a bit of a daze, and would have gladly just run off with Barnabas to a private retreat -- anywhere -- and just be alone, and, well, do things that couples did when alone!

"Off to the Lickskillet, I believe?" He asked her, she who was glowing. "This here, with you, is the best moment in my life."

Gripping his hand tightly, Emeline looked up at him, a huge smile on her face.  "Oh, there will be better, believe me!"  She kissed him then, both chaste and passionate, a promise of things to come.

Squeezing his hand, she gathered up the train of her dress, then hooked her arm into his as they made their way to the cafe.  She was, indeed, happier than she had even imagined she was going to be, and she truly believed that there were far better moments ahead of them.

At the Lickskillet, she stopped, leaning against Barnabas for a moment as she looked over Clara's handiwork.  "She did a good job," she murmured, looking up at her husband (husband!), "she's grown so much.  I just hope she lets herself find a good man some day."

But for now, it was time to go in and greet the guests!

"Filled the place up I'd say." He said, looking at the people that were there. But, this was not they way he had planned for things to go, even though the reception at the Lickskillet had been the plan all along. The fact was, he didn't exactly know what his plan was, nor how it was to have played out. It seemed that somewhere during the ceremony his train of thought was derailed.

"Shore 'nuff did a bang up job, I'd say. Place looks great, the spread looks delicious and you, you look radiant!" He stated. Whatever had been in his mind was long gone. There was a future ahead. The planned honeymoon, his plans for the honeymoon, even if it would be a little ways off, not too far, but, still a couple of weeks away yet.

"Well, that there cake is lookin' like it needs to be cut, wouldn't you say?" He asked with a big smile. Hard to believe that the day had finally come for them, and yet, here it was, and there they were, man and wife.