triumphantly
over the difficult spots where he had been afraid he should slip.

"If only his father could hear him!" sighed Mrs. Whitney in the midst of
her joy, longing as she always did for the time when the father could
finish those trips over the sea, for his business house.

Polly had made Jasper consent, which he did reluctantly, to give his
recitation before she played; insisting that music was really better for
a finale. And she listened with such delight to the applause that he
received--for ever so many of the audience said it was the gem of the
whole--that she quite forgot to be nervous about her own performance;
and she played her nocturne with such a happy heart, thinking over the
lovely evening, and how the money would be, oh, such a heap to take down
on the morrow to the poor brakeman's home, that Jasper was turning the
last page of her music--and the entertainment was at an end!

Polly hopped off from the music stool. There was a great clapping all
over the room, and Grandpapa called out, "Yes, child, play again," so
there was nothing for Polly to do but to hop back again and give them
another selection. And then they clapped harder yet; but Polly shook her
brown head, and rushed off the stage.

And then, of course, Grandpapa gave them, as he always did, a fine party
to wind up the evening with. And the camp chairs were folded up and
carried off, and a company of musicians came into the alcove in the
spacious hall, and all through the beautiful, large apartments festivity
reigned!

"Look at the old cat," said Tom in a smothered aside to Joel, his next
neighbor in the "Sir Roger de Coverley." "Isn't she a sight!"

"I don't want to," said Joel, with a grimace, "and it's awfully mean in
you, Tom, to ask me."

"I know it," said Tom penitently, "but I can't keep my eyes off from
her. How your grandfather can stand it, Pepper, I don't see."

And a good many other people were asking themselves the same question,
Madam Dyce among the number, to whom Mrs. Chatterton was just remarking,
"Cousin Horatio is certainly not the same man."

"No," replied Madam Dyce distinctly, "he is infinitely improved; so
approachable now."

"You mistake me," Mrs. Chatterton said angrily, "I mean there is the
greatest change come over him; it's lamentable, and all brought about by
his inexplicable infatuation over those low-born Pepper children and
their designing mother."

"Mrs. Chatterton," said Madam Dyce--she could b