The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Second Violin, by Grace S. Richmond

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Title: The Second Violin

Author: Grace S. Richmond

Release Date: August 17, 2004 [EBook #13209]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SECOND VIOLIN ***

Produced by Kevin Handy, John Hagerson, and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team.

THE SECOND VIOLIN

BY GRACE S. RICHMOND

Author of
"Red Pepper Burns," "Mrs. Red Pepper,"
"The Indifference of Juliet," "With Juliet in
England," Etc.

A. L. BURT COMPANY
PUBLISHERS NEW YORK

Copyright, 1905, 1906, by
Perry Mason Company.

Copyright, 1906, by
Doubleday, Page & Company
Published, September, 1906.

* * * * *

CONTENTS

BOOK I The Second Violin
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X

BOOK II The Churchill Latch-string
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X

* * * * *

BOOK I

THE SECOND VIOLIN

* * * * *

CHAPTER I

Crash! Bang! Bang! "_The March of the Pilgrims_" came to an abrupt end.
John Lansing Birch laid down his viola and bow, whirled about, and flung
out his arms in despair. "Oh, this crowd is hopeless!" he groaned.
"Never mind any other instrument, providing _yours_ is heard. This march
is supposed to die away in the distance! You murder it in front of the
house. That second violin--"

Here his wrath centered upon the red-cheeked, black-eyed young player.

The second violin returned his gaze with resentment. "What's the use of
my playing like a midsummer zephyr when Just's sawing away like mad on
the bass?" she retorted.

The first violin smiled pleasantly on the little group. "Let's try it
again," she suggested, "and see if we can please John Lansing better."

"You're all right," said Lansing, with a wave of his hand at Celia,