half past eight
Mortified and unhappy , she avoided her mates during the last week of school , fearing the inevitable question , `` Who 's going to take you , Lyd ? '' The tenth dawned , a lovely June day . Amos had half a day off and was up at daylight , whistling in the garden . The exercises began at ten and by half past eight , Lydia was buttoned into her pretty little organdy , Lizzie was puffing in her black alpaca and Amos was standing about in his black Sunday suit which dated back to his early married days . By nine-thirty they had reached the Methodist church and Amos and Lizzie were established in the middle of the front row of the balcony while Lydia was shivering with fright in the choir-room where the class was gathered . Somebody began to play the organ and somebody else who looked like Miss Towne shoved Lydia toward the door and she led the long line of her mates into the front pews . The same minister who had buried little Patience , prayed and a quartette sang .