proceeds of the fish-fry and ice-cream festival had been invested in a
ready-made silk waist. It was not the same shade of lavender as the
skirt, but a gorgeous silver tissue belt blinded one to such
differences. The long kid gloves, almost dazzling in their whiteness,
were new, the fan borrowed, and the touch of something blue was
furnished by a broad back-comb of blue enamel surmounted by rhinestones.
One white glove rested airily on "Mistah Robinson's" coat-sleeve, the
other carried a half-furled fan edged with white feathers.

M'haley and Ca'line Allison waited at the altar, but the bridal couple,
turning to the right, circled around it and mounted the steps leading up
into the pulpit. The mystery of the wooden frame was explained now. It
was not a symbolical doorway through which they were to pass, but a huge
flower-draped picture-frame in which they took their places, facing the
congregation like two life-sized portraits in charcoal.

[Illustration: "'ONE, TWO, THREE--_THROW_!'"]

The minister, standing meekly below them between M'haley and Ca'line
Allison, with his back to the congregation, prefaced the ceremony by
a long and flowery discourse on matrimony, so that there was ample time
for the spectators to feast their eyes on every detail of the picture
before them. Except for a slight stir now and then as some neck was
craned in a different position for a better view, the silence was
profound, until the benediction was pronounced.

At the signal of a blast from the wheezy organ the couple, slowly
turning, descended the steps. Ca'line Allison, in her haste to reach the
aisle ahead of them to begin her posy-throwing again, nearly tilted
forward on her nose. But with a little crow-hop she righted herself and
began her spasmodic whispering, "One, two, three--_throw_!"

After the couple came M'haley and the pompous young minister. Then
Lloyd, who had caught the bride's smile of gratification as her eyes
rested on the white dress and red roses of this guest of honor, and who
read the appealing glance that seemed to beckon her, rose and stepped
into line. The rest of Sylvia's young ladies immediately followed, and
the congregation waited until all the rest of the white folks passed
out, before crowding to the carriage to congratulate "Brothah and Sistah
Robinson."

Lloyd went on to the carriage to speak to Sylvia and give her the
armful of roses to decorate the wedding-feast, before joining the
others, who wer