but it seemed not quite the right thing for the heroic drummer
boy.

Upping, the trainer, talked to one and another: "Lily's all right for
girl parts," he insisted, "but you've got to get a girl with some ginger
in her for this. Thea's got the voice, too. When she sings, 'Just Before
the Battle, Mother,' she'll bring down the house."

When all the members of the club had been privately consulted, they
announced their decision to Tillie at the first regular meeting that was
called to cast the parts. They expected Tillie to be overcome with joy,
but, on the contrary, she seemed embarrassed. "I'm afraid Thea hasn't
got time for that," she said jerkily. "She is always so busy with her
music. Guess you'll have to get somebody else."

The club lifted its eyebrows. Several of Lily Fisher's friends coughed.
Mr. Upping flushed. The stout woman who always played the injured wife
called Tillie's attention to the fact that this would be a fine
opportunity for her niece to show what she could do. Her tone was
condescending.

Tillie threw up her head and laughed; there was something sharp and wild
about Tillie's laugh--when it was not a giggle. "Oh, I guess Thea hasn't
got time to do any showing off. Her time to show off ain't come yet. I
expect she'll make us all sit up when it does. No use asking her to take
the part. She'd turn her nose up at it. I guess they'd be glad to get
her in the Denver Dramatics, if they could."

The company broke up into groups and expressed their amazement. Of
course all Swedes were conceited, but they would never have believed
that all the conceit of all the Swedes put together would reach such a
pitch as this. They confided to each other that Tillie was "just a
little off, on the subject of her niece," and agreed that it would be as
well not to excite her further. Tillie got a cold reception at
rehearsals for a long while afterward, and Thea had a crop of new
enemies without even knowing it.

X

Wunsch and old Fritz and Spanish Johnny celebrated Christmas together,
so riotously that Wunsch was unable to give Thea her lesson the next
day. In the middle of the vacation week Thea went to the Kohlers'
through a soft, beautiful snowstorm. The air was a tender blue-gray,
like the color on the doves that flew in and out of the white dove-house
on the post in the Kohlers' garden. The sand hills looked dim and
sleepy. The tamarisk hedge was full of snow, like a foam of blossoms
drifted over it.