ing service to provide more food and to send me the bill for the extras. The shopkeeper thanked me again for 'the hootch'. I smiled and told him he and the town were now invited to the reception. He grinned and wished me luck and happiness in my marriage. I couldn't help myself I kissed him on the cheek as I left.

I am not a religious person, but that night I prayed. I prayed to thank God for being so good to me and to continue to bestow His kindness on me and my new family.

Everybody seemed to be in a panic the next morning as we started dressing for the ceremony. We finally shooed Bert and Jack off to the hotel to finish dressing also so he wouldn't see me in my gown before we got to the church. We were ready finally, and arrived at the church only five minutes late.

—

There was never a happier, more excited, more in love bride that ever walked down the aisle than I — Vivian James Alcott. My vision blurred with tears as I saw Nancy sitting on the groom's side. Sam escorted me to my place, and I thought my heart would burst with joy as I looked at Bert and Jack - so elegant and wonderful in their formal wedding clothes. As Bert took his place alongside me, I couldn't have spoken a word right then if my life had depended upon it. When the time came, Sam also gave me away.

And so we were married. Except for our few close friends, the whole town including the minister never suspected our roles of bride and

groom were reversed.

We drank so many toasts and acknowledged so many congratulations at the reception, I was just a little giddy when I escaped to change into traveling clothes. I changed into an apple green suit with brown shoes and accessories. We managed to slip out without being detected and left for a short honeymoon. Bert had made reservations at a seaside motel for but he wouldn't even tell me where it was until we arrived.

We had dinner at a nice little restaurant where we tried to act like an old married couple but the stars in our eyes and our bubbling-over happiness gave us away. We were too much in love to eat very much anyway, and we returned to our motel early in the evening.

—

Bert and I had never discussed our previous sex lives and what could have been more fitting than to discover we were both virgins? I knew our