n to tune
it, in self-defense, or we could never have used it. So here goes!--"
And, to Leslie's breathless amazement, she proceeded to tune the
instrument with the most professional air in the world.

"Phyllis, you're amazing!" murmured Leslie, at length. "But, tell
me--what do you intend to do with this wonderful gift you have? Surely
you'll make it your career--or something like that!"

"Well, of course I _want_ to," confided her friend. "To be candid--I'm
crazy to. It's about the only thing I think of. But Father won't hear of
it. He says he will let me have all the advantages he can, for an
amateur, but that's all he's willing or can afford to do. Of course, I'm
only seventeen and I've got to finish high school, at least. But I'm wild
to go afterward to some one of the great European teachers and study for
a year or two, and then see what happens. That, however, would cost at
least two or three thousand dollars, and Father says he simply can't
afford it. So there you are. It's awful to have an ambition and no way of
encouraging it! But I'm always hoping that something will turn up." And
Phyllis returned to her tuning.

"Two or three thousand dollars would be a pretty handy sum to have!"
laughed Leslie. "I've been rather on the lookout for some such amount
myself, but for a somewhat different reason."

"Oh, I'll warrant you have an ambition, too! Now tell me about it!" cried
Phyllis, pouncing on her and ignoring the piano.

"Yes, it is an ambition," acknowledged Leslie, "but it isn't a bit like
you. I hardly think you could call it an ambition--just a _wish_. You
see, it's this way. We're rather a big family at home, four of us
children, and I'm the oldest; and Father's rather delicate and has never
been able to hold a good position long because he's out so much with
illness. We get along fairly well--all but little Ralph. He's my special
pet, four year old, but he's lame--had some hip trouble ever since he was
a baby. He could be cured, the doctors say, by a very expensive operation
and some special care. But we haven't the money for it--just yet. We're
always hoping something will turn up, too, and my plan is to hurry
through high school and training-school and then teach, and save every
spare penny for Ralph. But it seems an awfully long time to wait, and all
the while that little tot isn't getting any better."

There were tears in her eyes as she reached this point, and the impetuous
Phyllis hugged her. "Y