Young Thomas was a confirmed bachelor of fifty , and Adelia Williams was forty ; they were not supposed to be even well acquainted , as the Everetts and the Williamses had never been very friendly , although no open feud existed between them . Nevertheless , in view of Julius 's circumstantial statements , the amazing news must be true , and Dan was instantly agog to carry it further . Julius watched Dan and the grey mare out of sight , fairly writhing with ecstasy . Oh , but Dan had been easy ! The story would be all over Valley View in twenty-four hours . Julius laughed until he came near to falling off the gatepost . At this point Julius and Danny drop out of our story , and Young Thomas enters . It was two days later when Young Thomas heard that he was to be married to Adelia Williams in June . Eben Clark , the blacksmith , told him when he went to the forge to get his horse shod . Young Thomas laughed his big jolly laugh . Valley View gossip had been marrying him off for the last thirty years , although never before to Adelia Williams . `` It 's news to me , '' he said tolerantly . Eben grinned broadly . `` Ah , you ca n't bluff it off like that , Tom , '' he said . `` The news came too straight this time . Well , I was glad to hear it , although I was mighty surprised . I never thought of you and Adelia . But she 's a fine little woman and will make you a capital wife . '' Young Thomas grunted and drove away . He had a good deal of business to do that day , involving calls at various places -- the store for molasses , the mill for flour , Jim Bentley 's for seed grain , the doctor 's for toothache drops for his housekeeper , the post office for mail -- and at each and every place he was joked about his approaching marriage .
In the end it rather annoyed Young XXXXX , He drove home at last in what was for him something of a temper .
Adelia Clark Danny Eben Julius Thomas Tom day gatepost toothache