grateful letter of thanks which Mrs.
Sherwood received was tossed aside without a word, though the letter had
not failed to touch the mother's heart.

The piano had been a silent rebuke, and Mrs. Sherwood had been pleased to
remove it out of her sight, wishing in her heart that the memories which
troubled her could be as easily banished.

But no other piano could have been half so dear to the heart of Dexie, and
when she sat down before her beloved instrument the first chords she struck
brought happy tears. It was like the greeting of a dear friend long absent.
Little wonder her fingers lingered lovingly over the keys as piece followed
piece.

"Dexie," said Guy, coming over to her side and leaning one arm on the
piano, "do you remember playing for your father and me one evening and
refusing us a certain piece? I have often wondered at the reason of that
refusal. May I ask if you will play it for me now, darling?"

Dexie dropped her hands into her lap and lifted a flushed face to her
husband's gaze.

"Dear Guy, I wish you had not asked me, for I do not think I can."

"What! not for me!" said he, laughing. "Not for your own husband! Come now,
Dexie, have I found a cause to be jealous already?"

Dexie's arms were around his neck in a moment.

"Do not say such words, dearest, not even in jest; you do not know how it
hurts me. Do you think I would have refused to play that piece for papa for
a slight reason, Guy?"

"No, but tell me the reason, wifie. Come, no secrets from your hubby,
mind," looking into her eyes with a teasing glance. "You know you told me
you only played it when you were sentimentally inclined, and you must only
be 'sentimentally inclined' in my direction now, so what is the secret?"
kissing the lips so temptingly near.

"You are welcome to the secret, dearest, if I can put it into words, but
not to the music, I fear, unless you will stand where I shall not see that
you are watching me. There are some things hard to explain, and the effect
of that piece of music upon me is one of them. Had I played it for papa,
it would have grieved instead of pleased him, for it generally makes me
cry; though why it has such power over me I do not quite understand. I have
only played it before one person, and he understood it; so I did not mind."

"Now you have made me more curious than ever, little wife. You have played
it for one person, and that person a gentleman, and yet you cannot play it
for me. Now, Dex