t she could have heard such chords, for she had never attended a
church service in her life and such intervals formed no part of her
vocal instruction.

Afterward, I read Ecclesiastes to her, and she did the same thing with
it, saying that it was the most beautiful thing she had ever
heard--she did not care for Shakespeare, by the way, then or later.
Tip Elder came to us for a week at that time, and the tears stood in
the honest fellow's eyes as Margarita, her head thrown back, her own
eyes fixed and sombre, her rich, heart-shaking voice vibrating like a
tolling bell, sent out to us in her lovely, clear-cut enunciation the
preacher's warning.

_Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil
days come not...._

Oh, the poetry of it, the ageless beauty!

_Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken...._

Her voice was grave, like a boy's, and yet how rich with subtle
promises! It was mellow, like a woman's, but not mellow from
bruising--the only way, Mme. M----i told me once. Those poor women!

_Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit
shall return unto God who gave it._

I can see her now ... there are those, I know, who have guessed my
poor secret, and who wonder that I do not "console myself," in the
silly phrase of the day. How could I? The twitter of the Hawaiian
girls is like that of the beach-birds in my ears, after that
golden-ivory voice!

It was in October, I think, that she began to grow restless. Roger was
full of plans for the coming winter, and had even gone so far as to
all but complete the formalities of renting a house in New York, when
she startled us all by inquiring of me when I intended to start for
Italy.

"For I am coming with you," she concluded placidly.

"I'm afraid not, _cherie_," said Roger, "I must get to work, you know.
You can take lessons in New York, all you want."

"But I do not care to go to New York," she returned quietly. "I like
Paris better. I need not nurse the baby, now, and I can sing a great
deal. Jerry can take me."

"Mr. Bradley means he must be in New York to continue his professional
career, dear Mrs. Bradley," Miss Jencks interposed, "and you must go
with him, of course."

"Why?" asked Margarita.

"Because a wife's place is by her husband," said Miss Jencks, after a
pause which neither Roger nor I volunteered to fill.

"But why?" Margarita inquired again. "_I_ cannot do Roger's
pro--professi