g moment, when all were gazing silently, gave a whistle,
followed by a "Choo, choo, choo!" and "All aboard!" so naturally that no
one could mistake the joke, especially as another laughing voice added,
"Now, then, No. 11!" which brought down the house and the curtain too.

Frank was so angry, it was very difficult to keep him on his perch for
the last scene of all. He submitted, however, rather than spoil the
grand finale, hoping that its beauty would efface that ill-timed
pleasantry from the public mind. So, when the agreeable clamor of hands
and voices called for a repetition, the Minute Man reappeared, grimmer
than before. But not alone, for grouped all about his pedestal were
Washington and his generals, the matrons and maids, with a background of
troops shouldering arms, Grif and Joe doing such rash things with their
muskets, that more than one hero received a poke in his august back.
Before the full richness of this picture had been taken in, Ed gave a
rap, and all burst out with "Hail Columbia," in such an inspiring style
that it was impossible for the audience to refrain from joining, which
they did, all standing and all singing with a heartiness that made the
walls ring. The fife shrilled, the horn blew sweet and clear, the fiddle
was nearly drowned by the energetic boom of the drum, and out into
the starry night, through open windows, rolled the song that stirs the
coldest heart with patriotic warmth and tunes every voice to music.

"'America!' We must have 'America!' Pipe up, Ed, this is too good to end
without one song more," cried Mr. Burton, who had been singing like
a trumpet; and, hardly waiting to get their breath, off they all went
again with the national hymn, singing as they never had sung it before,
for somehow the little scenes they had just acted or beheld seemed
to show how much this dear America of ours had cost in more than one
revolution, how full of courage, energy, and virtue it was in spite of
all its faults, and what a privilege, as well as duty, it was for each
to do his part toward its safety and its honor in the present, as did
those brave men and women in the past.

So the "Scenes from the Life of Washington" were a great success, and,
when the songs were over, people were glad of a brief recess while they
had raptures, and refreshed themselves with lemonade.

The girls had kept the secret of who the "Princess" was to be, and,
when the curtain rose, a hum of surprise and pleasure gre