y a little
concert this evening. Would you like to hear the Birch-Churchill
orchestra?"

"Orchestra? How lovely! Indeed I should!" cried Evelyn, with a display
of enthusiasm quite unusual. "What do you play?"

"Strings. We're badly out of practice, but there are always a few old
things we can get up fairly well at a minute's notice. The truth is, we
haven't played together since long before my wedding-day, and I resolved
the minute we were married we'd begin again. We will begin, this very
night. I know they'll all be glad."

The performers did, indeed, show their pleasure by arriving early,
flannel-shrouded instruments under their arms. Doctor Churchill came in
just as they were tuning. Since Lanse had been away, Andy, who was
something of a violinist had taken up Lanse's viola, and was now able to
occupy his brother-in-law's place. Celia, however, had been chosen to
fill the vacant role of leadership.

"The rest of us are only imitators," Jeff declared to Evelyn, as he
stood near her, softly trying his strings. "Charlotte's the best, and
Andy's very good indeed; but it's only Celia who goes to hear big music
and sits with the tears rolling down her cheeks, while the rest of us
are wondering what on earth it all means."

Evelyn, leaning back among the pillows of the wide couch, called Lucy
softly, motioning her to a seat by her side.

Lucy came quickly, pleased by Evelyn's notice. She in her turn had been
regarding Evelyn as a monopolist of everybody's attention and had made
up her mind not to like her. But now she sank into the place by Evelyn's
side, and accepted the delicate touch of Evelyn's hand on hers as
recognition at last that here was another girl fit to make friends with.

"Don't they play well?" whispered Evelyn, as the music came to a sudden
stop that Celia might criticise the playing of a difficult passage.

"She doesn't think so," called Just, softly, having caught the whisper.
He indicated his elder sister. "She won't let me boom things with my
viol the way I'd like to. What's the use of playing the biggest
instrument if you can't make the biggest noise?"

"Solo, by the double-bass!" cried Andy; and the whole orchestra, except
the first violin of the leader, burst into a boisterous rendering of a
popular street song, in which Just sawed forth the leading part, while
the others kept up a rattling staccato accompaniment. Evelyn and Lucy
became breathless with laughter, and Mr. and Mrs. Birch, wh