companiment to some of these new jazz
records is more fun than I've ever had all the rest of my life."

"I'm sure it must be," says Vee. "Do play once for us, Mr. Garvey.
Couldn't I come in on the piano? Let's try that 'Dardanella' thing?"

And say, inside of ten minutes they were at it so hard that you'd most
thought Arthur Pryor and his whole aggregation had cut loose. Then they
did some one-step pieces with lots of pep in 'em, and the way Garvey
could roll the sticks, and tinkle the triangle, and keep the cymbals and
base drum goin' with his foot was as good to watch as a jugglin' act,
even if he does leak a lot on the face when he gets through.

"You're some jazz artist, I'll say," says I.

"So will the neighbors, I'm afraid," says Mrs. Garvey. "That will sound
nice, won't it?"

"Oh, blow the neighbors!" says Garvey. "I'm going to do as I please from
now on; and it pleases me to do this."

"Then we might as well nail up the front door and eat in the kitchen,
like we used to," says she, sighin'.

But it don't work out that way for them. It was like this: Austin Gordon
was pullin' off one of his puppet shows and comes around to ask Vee
wouldn't she do some piano playin' for him between the acts and durin'
parts of the performance. He'd hoped to have a violinist, too, but the
party had backed out. So Vee tells him about Garvey's trap outfit, and
how clever he is at it, and suggests askin' him in.

"Why, certainly!" says Gordon.

So Garvey pulls his act before the flower and chivalry of Harbor Hills.
They went wild over it, too. And at the reception afterwards he was
introduced all round, patted on the back by the men, and taffied up by
the ladies. Even Mrs. Timothy Garvey, who'd been sittin' stiff and
purple-faced all the evenin' in a back seat was rung in for a little of
the glory.

"Say, Garvey," says Major Brooks Keating, "we must have you and Mrs.
Ballard play for us at our next Country Club dinner dance after the fool
musicians quit. Will you, eh? Not a member? Well, you ought to be. I'll
see that you're made one, right away."

I don't know of anyone who was more pleased at the way things had turned
out than Vee. "There, Torchy!" says she. "I've always said you were a
wonder at managing things."

"Why shouldn't I be?" says I, givin' her the side clinch. "Look at the
swell assistant I've got."

CHAPTER VIII

NICKY AND THE SETTING HEN

Honest, the first line I got on this party with the st