CHAPTER XXV. ANOTHER SCANDAL AND ANOTHER "EXPLANATION"

Faith went early to Sunday School and was seated in the corner of
her class pew before any one came. Therefore, the dreadful truth
did not burst upon any one until Faith left the class pew near
the door to walk up to the manse pew after Sunday School. The
church was already half filled and all who were sitting near the
aisle saw that the minister's daughter had boots on but no
stockings!

Faith's new brown dress, which Aunt Martha had made from an
ancient pattern, was absurdly long for her, but even so it did
not meet her boot-tops. Two good inches of bare white leg showed
plainly.

Faith and Carl sat alone in the manse pew. Jerry had gone into
the gallery to sit with a chum and the Blythe girls had taken Una
with them. The Meredith children were given to "sitting all over
the church" in this fashion and a great many people thought it
very improper. The gallery especially, where irresponsible lads
congregated and were known to whisper and suspected of chewing
tobacco during service, was no place, for a son of the manse.
But Jerry hated the manse pew at the very top of the church,
under the eyes of Elder Clow and his family. He escaped from it
whenever he could.

Carl, absorbed in watching a spider spinning its web at the
window, did not notice Faith's legs. She walked home with her
father after church and he never noticed them. She got on the
hated striped stockings before Jerry and Una arrived, so that for