So now, when the preacher called for little orphans to come
forward, she leaned down and whispered to her nephew, "Go up
to the front, William, and shake hands with the nice kind
preacher."
"Wha' fer?" he asked. "I don' want to go up there; ev'ybody
here'll look right at me."
"Are there no little orphans here?" the minister was saying.
"I want to shake the hand of any little child who has had
the misfortune to lose its parents."
"Go on, William," commanded his aunt. "Go shake hands with
the preacher."
The little boy again demurred but, Miss Minerva insisting,
he obediently slipped by her and by his chum. Walking
gracefully and jauntily up the aisle to the spot where the
lecturer was standing by a broad table, he held out his
slim, little hand.
Jimmy looked at these proceedings of Billy's in
astonishment, not comprehending at all. He was rather
indignant that the older boy had not confided in him and
invited his participation.
But Jimmy was not the one to sit calmly by and be ignored
when there was anything doing, so he slid awkwardly from the
bench before Miss Minerva knew what he was up to.
Pages:
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97