glow through
its pleated Swiss oval. She looked more sweet and little-girlish than
ever, and he felt a strong desire to take her in his arms and tell her so,
only he feared, from something he saw in those wide, sweet eyes, that she
might take alarm and run away too soon, so he only smiled and said that
his business with her husband could wait until another time, and meantime
he had called to fulfil his promise to play for her.

She took him into the darkened parlor, gave him the stiffest and
stateliest hair-cloth chair; but he walked straight over to the
instrument, and with not at all the reverence she liked to treat it, flung
back the coverings, threw the lid open, and sat down.

He had white fingers, and he ran them over the keys with an air of being
at home among them, light little airs dripping from his touch like dew
from a glistening grass blade. Marcia felt there were butterflies in the
air, and buzzing bees, and fairy flowers dancing on the slightest of
stems, with a sky so blue it seemed to be filled with the sound of lily
bells. The music he played was of the nature of what would be styled
to-day "popular," for this man was master of nothing but having a good
time. Quick music with a jingle he played, that to the puritanic-bred girl
suggested nothing but a heart bubbling over with gladness, but he meant it
should make her heart flutter and her foot beat time to the tripping
measure. In his world feet were attuned to gay music. But Marcia stood
with quiet dignity a little away from the instrument, her lips parted, her
eyes bright with the pleasure of the melody, her hands clasped, and her
breath coming quickly. She was all absorbed with the music. All
unknowingly Marcia had placed herself where the light from the window fell
full across her face, and every flitting expression as she followed the
undulant sounds was visible. The young man gazed, almost as much pleased
with the lovely face as Marcia was with the music.

At last he drew a chair quite near his own seat.

"Come and sit down," he said, "and I will sing to you. You did not know I
could sing, too, did you? Oh, I can. But you must sit down for I couldn't
sing right when you are standing."

He ended with his fascinating smile, and Marcia shyly sat down, though she
drew the chair a bit back from where he had placed it and sat up quite
straight and stiff with her shoulders erect and her head up. She had
forgotten her distrust of the man in what seeme