After he had been speaking for some time, his voice began to break with emotion.

As he drew near to the most affecting portion he reached to his coat tail pocket to secure his silk handkerchief to brush away the gathering tears.

As his hand left his pocket a smile was on well-nigh every face in the audience, but Belton did not see this, but with bowed head, proceeded with his pathetic utterances.
The audience of course was struggling between the pathos of his remarks and the humor of those dirty socks.
Belton's sweetheart began to cry from chagrin and his mother grew restless, anxious to tell him or let him know in some way.

Belton's head continued bowed in sadness, as he spoke parting words to his beloved classmates, and lifted his supposed handkerchief to his eyes to wipe away the tears that were now coming freely.

The socks had thus come close to Belton's nose and he stopped of a sudden and held them at arm's length to gaze at that terrible, terrible scent producer.
When he saw what he held in his hand he flung them in front of him, they falling on some students, who hastily brushed them off.
The house, by this time, was in an uproar of laughter; and the astonished Belton gazed blankly at the socks lying before him.