Then he sent a messenger boy to get the biggest suit of rooms
on the Fall River boat and another one for flowers, and then he put
Mrs. "Regy" Van Arnt into a cab and sent her after the bride, and, as
best man, he got into another cab and carried off the groom.
"I have acted either as best man or usher forty-two times now," said
Van Bibber, as they drove to the church, "and this is the first time I
ever appeared in either capacity in russia-leather shoes and a blue
serge yachting suit. But then," he added, contentedly, "you ought to
see the other fellows. One of them is in a striped flannel."
Mrs. "Regy" and Miss Cambridge wept a great deal on the way up town,
but the bride was smiling and happy when she walked up the aisle to
meet her prospective husband, who looked exceedingly conscious before
the eyes of the men, all of whom he knew by sight or by name, and not
one of whom he had ever met before. But they all shook hands after it
was over, and the assistant organist played the Wedding March, and one
of the club men insisted in pulling a cheerful and jerky peal on the
church bell in the absence of the janitor, and then Van Bibber hurled
an old shoe and a handful of rice--which he had thoughtfully collected
from the chef at the club--after them as they drove off to the boat.
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