Still in that dim hot maze, I made my bow and gave the title of my piece, 'Christmas Twice a Year,' and recited it from beginning to end, and heard them clap, all the teachers and scholars and Fathers-and-Mothers-and-Friends-of-the-School. Then, quite dizzied with happiness, I hurried down off the platform and up the aisle. People smiled as I passed them and I smiled back, for once quite unconscious of my jaw. As I neared my seat I prepared to smile upon my mother, but for a moment she didn’t see me. Aunt Emma was saying something to her, something that I didn’t hear, something that made two red spots flame in my mother’s face.
'Isn’t it just like Martha to be a little fool! She’s always doing things like that.'
Aunt Emma was one of those people who assume that you always do the particular foolish thing you have just finished doing.
The red spots died out when my mother saw me. She smiled as though she were very proud—and I was proud too. But before I could settle down to enjoy my satisfaction, Luella’s name had been called and Luella was starting down the aisle. Luella’s golden curls bobbed as she walked: they bobbed over her blue reefer jacket which was buttoned snugly over her plump body.
There was a suppressed exclamation from some one behind me, but Luella kept on. Luella’s jacket was not short in the sleeves, but it was very very tight. Only the hem of her blue and white glory peeped from beneath it, and a little piece of ruffle she had not quite tucked in peeped out from above it.
Luella bowed and spoke her piece. All the teachers and scholars, all the Fathers-and-Mothers-and-Friends-of-the-School applauded.
A queer sound made me look round at my mother and aunt. Their heads were bowed upon the pew in front. Their shoulders were shaking. When I turned around again they were sitting up, wiping their eyes as if they had been crying.
I could not understand then, nor did I understand late that night when my father’s laugh woke me up.
'Poor Emma!' he chuckled. 'What did she say?'
And my mother answered, her voice curiously smothered, 'Why, you see, she couldn’t very well say anything after what she had just said before.'