"Why, didn't you think it was pretty?" asked Mrs. Stout, in surprise.
"It was indecent!" hissed Mrs. Tweedie, as she glared at Barbara.
Everybody was looking and listening, but, excepting Fanny, too astonished to speak.
"Mother, how can you!" she exclaimed, indignantly, but Mrs. Tweedie walked quickly into the dressing-room, and slammed the door.
"Well, of all the tigeresses!" gasped Mrs. Stout.
Barbara was stunned. Fanny led her from the building, and on the way home tried to make amends for her mother's anger. But Barbara understood—the consciousness of her mistake had come like a blow in the face. Oh, if Will were only here, she thought. He had written that he could not come to the performance, but had sent all sorts of good wishes for her success. She needed him now more than she had ever needed a friend before.
The Tweedie family, excepting Tommy, argued long and late that night concerning Barbara and her costume. Mrs. Tweedie was the minority, but she won, and her decision was that Barbara must quit their roof the next day.