She, too, went sailing down the aisle, her stiff white dress
standing straight up in the back like a strutting gobbler's
tail. She grabbed hold of the man's hand, and was promptly
lifted to the table beside the other "orphans." Tears stood
in the good preacher's eyes as he turned to the tittering
audience and said in a pathetic voice, "Think of it, my friends,
this beautiful little girl has no mother."
Poor Mrs. Black! A hundred pairs of eyes sought her pew and
focused themselves upon the pretty young woman sitting
there, red, angry, and shamefaced. Mr. Black was visibly
amused and could hardly keep from laughing aloud.
As Frances passed by the Hamiltons' pew in her promenade
down the aisle, Mrs. Hamilton leaned across her husband and
made an attempt to clutch Lina; but she was too late;
already that dignified little "orphan" was gliding with
stately, conscious tread to join the others. This was too
much for the audience. A few boys laughed out and for the
first time the preacher's suspicions were aroused.
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