e entrance door and put
up her finger at the young people in the hall. "After the music begins,"
she said, with a shake of the head, "if I hear one sound of giggling or
chattering, I will send every one of you young heathen home. Remember
now! This isn't your party at all."

"But, Clara, dear," said Sue Tenaker (aged fifteen), "if we are very
good and quiet do you think they would play for us to dance a little by
and by?"

"Impudence!" exclaimed Miss Clara, giving the girl's cheek a playful
slap and going back to her place. Miss Verjoos came in and took a chair
by her sister. Mrs. Benson leaned forward and raised her eyebrows at
Miss Clara, who took a quick survey of the room and nodded in return.
Herr Schlitz seated himself on the piano chair, pushed it a little back,
drew it a little forward to the original place, looked under the piano
at the pedals, took out his handkerchief and wiped his face and hands,
and after arpeggioing up and down the key-board, swung into a waltz of
Chopin's (Opus 34, Number 1), a favorite of our friend's, and which he
would have thoroughly enjoyed--for it was splendidly played--if he had
not been uneasily apprehensive that he might be asked to sing after it.
And while on some accounts he would have been glad of the opportunity to
"have it over," he felt a cowardly sense of relief when the violinist
came forward for the next number. There had been enthusiastic applause
at the north end of the room, and more or less clapping of hands at the
south end, but not enough to impel the pianist to supplement his
performance at the time. The violin number was so well received that Mr.
Fairman added a little minuet of Boccherini's without accompaniment, and
then John felt that his time had surely come. But he had to sit, drawing
long breaths, through a Liszt fantasie on themes from Faust before his
suspense was ended by Miss Clara, who was apparently mistress of
ceremonies and who said to him, "Will you sing now, Mr. Lenox?"

He rose and went to the end of the room where the pianist was sitting.
"I have been asked to sing," he said to that gentleman. "Can I induce
you to be so kind as to play for me?"

"I am sure he will," said Mrs. Benson, looking at Herr Schlitz.

"Oh, yes, I blay for you if you vant," he said. "Vhere is your moosic?"
They went over to the piano. "Oh, ho! Jensen, Lassen, Helmund,
Grieg--you zing dem?"

"Some of them," said John. The pianist opened the Jensen album.

"You want