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Well, talk about a wasted afternoon! With all good intentions the whole gang scoured the sandy bottom for hours in the hope of finding Staff‘s teeth. but to no avail. We finally had to admit defeat!
But the story has a not altogether unhappy ending. for on the way home to Port Hill Staff found a kindly dentist in Summerside who fixed him up with a temporary set ofteeth. He must have presented a satisfactory appearance to Connie, for they were soon married, and had a long and happy life together.
Another story in which Staff, marriage, and false teeth were involved comes out ofa wedding Staff solemnised at St. James's Church, Port Hill. The ceremony was proceeding smoothly until Staff put the question to the groom, "Wilt thou have this woman..." whereupon the groom sneezed. His teeth shot from his mouth and landed on the mat. Fortunately, it was an old type of cork matting, and the teeth made a soft landing.
In a flash the best man whipped out his handkerchief, bent over, and with one motion got the teeth back in the groom's mouthjust in time for him to say.
"I will." (Also contributed by Canon SJ. P. Davies)
4. Staff and the Pickled Treasurer.
One Sunday morning, in one ofthe parishes where Staff was the priest, he and Connie were on their way to Church in their car. As they came around a corner they saw the parish treasurer and a pal walking ahead of them, and realised that the two men were not on their way to Church, but were on their way home from a party where they had a little too much of what Ted deWolfe used to call "canned heat." Staff debated whether or not he should pick up the men and give them a ride, but Connie said it would be best to drive them to their respective homes. Once the men were in the car not a word was said by anybody. They were safely delivered to their homes, and Staff and Connie proceeded on their way to Church.
Near the end of Staff‘s homily the treasurer came into the Church, and sat down right up at the front under the pulpit. From time to time he was heard to say out loud, "a fine good samaritan you are!" Staff accepted what he said, and only replied that perhaps he was mistaken. Then the man got up and went out of the Church. Just as the service was about to end, when Staff was about to pronounce the Blessing, he returned, carrying in his arms three pickle bottles filled with the Church money — one for local expenses, one for allotment to the diocese, and the other for some other fund. He made his way to the chancel steps, where he reverently deposited the bottles, and announced in no uncertain terms that he was resigning as Church treasurer. Staffaccepted the bottles, and the ex~treasurer departed.