"So graciously given to us—"
Aleck caught the words and went on:
"—so graciously given to us by our honored townsman and patriotic citizen, Colonel Richard Butler."
Another pause. Again Miss Grey came to the rescue.
"No words of mine—" she said.
"No words of mine," repeated Aleck.
"Sure, they're no words of yours," said some one in a stage-whisper, far down in the audience.
Suspicion pointed to Elmer Cuddeback, but he stood there against the wall, with such an innocent, sober look on his round face, that people thought they must be mistaken. The words had not failed to reach to the platform, however, and Miss Grey, more troubled than before, again had recourse to her manuscript for the benefit of Aleck, who was floundering more deeply than ever in the bogs of memory.
"—can properly express—"