best teachers that can be procured
for her," replied Ruth. "She writes me regularly. Her teachers give her
great encouragement, and she expects to be ready to sing important roles
within the next two years. She adores Jose, and he is delighted with
having so talented a sister."

"She is one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen," said Barbara.
"What a wonderful 'Carmen' she will make."

"Yes; won't she, though," responded Ruth eagerly, "and that is the part
that she particularly looks forward to singing."

The subject of Ruth's and Barbara's conversation was a beautiful gypsy
girl that they had met during their trip along the Hudson. She had
become a protege of Ruth, who had cherished high hopes of sending
Zerlina to a conservatory, but had been forestalled by the appearance on
the scene of Zerlina's handsome half-brother, Jose Martinez. On account
of family differences, Jose and Zerlina had been separated for many
years, but in the end Zerlina was persuaded by him to place herself
under his protection. All of this has been fully narrated in "THE
AUTOMOBILE GIRLS ALONG THE HUDSON."

"What do you think of it, Molliekins?" whispered Ruth over Mollie's
shoulder.

"Think of it?" breathed the golden-haired Mollie. "I'm so happy that I
could scream right out so everybody in the theatre would hear me,"
answered Mollie. "I don't know what I shall do when the music begins."

A wave of laughter rippled over the box at Mollie's quaint way of
expressing her delight.

CHAPTER IV

BATTLE OF THE BULLS AND BEARS

THAT evening at the opera was like a dream to the little Kingsbridge
girls. Mrs. Cartwright visited them between the acts, then they were
introduced to Olive Presby, who came to their box, accompanied by a
young man named Jack Howard, an artist who had just returned from Paris.
These two had been chums since childhood.

Bab thought Olive the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. She could
not keep her eyes off of her, and Olive appeared to be equally attracted
to Barbara, though there was little opportunity for conversation between
them. Olive was fully five years older than Barbara with fair skin,
black hair, and eyes of deep gray, veiled with long, black lashes,
making an unusual and most attractive combination. Olive Presby was a
striking looking girl. All through the second act Bab kept gazing across
at Olive, and it was with a deep sigh of regret that Barbara finally
turned her eyes away unde