-and then off went the talk to the big bear at the Washington
"Zoo" where the President was to send the boy.

Then, after a little; "Now, Curtis, see those men over there in that
room. They've travelled from all parts of the country to come here at
my invitation, and I've got to make a little speech to them, and I'll
do that while you go off to see the bear."

And then the hand came forth to say good-by. The boy put his in it,
each looked into the other's face, and on neither was there a place big
enough to put a ten-cent piece that was not wreathed in smiles. "He
certainly is all right," said the boy to the father, looking wistfully
after the President.

Almost to the other room had the President gone when he, too,
instinctively looked back to find the boy following him with his eyes.
He stopped, wheeled around, and then the two instinctively sought each
other again. The President came back, the boy went forward. This
time each held out both hands, and as each looked once more into the
other's eyes a world of complete understanding was in both faces, and
every looker-on smiled with them.

"Good-by, Curtis," came at last from the President.

"Good-by, Mr. President," came from the boy. Then, with another
pump-handly shake and with a "Gee, but he's great, all right!" the boy
went out to see the cinnamon-bear at the "Zoo," and to live it all over
in the days to come.

Two boy-hearts had met, although one of them belonged to the President
of the United States.

CHAPTER XVIII

ADVENTURES IN MUSIC

One of the misfortunes of Edward Bok's training, which he realized more
clearly as time went on, was that music had little or no place in his
life. His mother did not play; and aside from the fact that his father
and mother were patrons of the opera during their residence in The
Netherlands, the musical atmosphere was lacking in his home. He
realized how welcome an outlet music might be in his now busy life. So
what he lacked himself and realized as a distinct omission in his own
life he decided to make possible for others.

_The Ladies' Home Journal_ began to strike a definite musical note. It
first caught the eye and ear of its public by presenting the popular
new marches by John Philip Sousa; and when the comic opera of "Robin
Hood" became the favorite of the day, it secured all the new
compositions by Reginald de Koven. Following these, it introduced its
readers to new compositions by Sir Arthur