Quiet conversations began haltingly, as though none of the guests understood the reason for this gathering.

"For the past two weeks, you've been reading about a bad break," he began haltingly, his voice cracking.

"I came to tell you how sorry I was," he began haltingly.

The fetus was male, he haltingly began his call.

"I didn't know," he began haltingly, trying to frame an apology.

"All the messages on this broadcast are designated for Pasadena," he began haltingly.

"Some men came to my apartment," she began haltingly.

Under this local government a pseudo-democracy began haltingly to function.

"Relationship to time, to development and to evolution," the communication haltingly began.

"My father wanted me to apologize," she began haltingly.