life!

After the ushers, I came in all alone by myself; that is, my shape did.
Mary was really inside the altar looking at me coming up slow and easy,
and Martha was ordering me to keep step to the music. "All right, I'm
doing my best," I was saying to both. And I was, but I was thankful when
I got to where I could stop, for my legs were so excited I wouldn't have
been surprised if they'd turned and run out.

Behind me came Miss Katherine, on her Army brother's arm. He's as nice
as the other isn't. He hasn't got the money-making disease. When Uncle
Parke and Doctor Willwood came out of the vestry-room Uncle Parke gave
me one look, just one, but it was so understanding I winked back, and
then he came farther down and stood by Miss Katherine like she was his
until kingdom come, forever more. Amen.

Then the minister began, and the music was so soft you could hear the
birds outside. The breeze through the window blew right on Miss
Katherine's veil, and I was so busy watching it I didn't know the time
had come to pray, and I hardly got my head bent before I had to take it
up again. Then the minister was through, and I was walking down the
aisle with Doctor Willwood, and in just about two minutes more we were
back at the Asylum, and it was all over--the thing we'd been looking
forward to so long.

The Asylum looked real nice that morning. There were bushels and bushels
of flowers in it, for everybody in town who had any sent them. Flowers
cover a multitude of poverties. The reception was grand. That California
Richness called it a breakfast, but that was pure style. Yorkburg don't
have breakfast between twelve and one, and everybody else called it a