s."

He regarded her more tenderly. "You are near me," he said and kissed
her. "Poor little thing," he muttered to himself. "I suppose I am
selfish," he said aloud, "but you'll have my money some day. Surely
that should give you a great deal of comfort!"

Helene smiled sadly. Her father seemed incapable of understanding her.
She could only shake her head and say, "That's nothing, nothing!"

"You'll find it a great deal, my girl," he said.

That afternoon when her music master came he was astonished to find her
pensive and downcast instead of joyful and happy, as he expected.
"There has been a lovers' quarrel," he said to himself. "Little missie
wanted her way and young master wanted his. It is nothing," he
decided, as he opened the music books.

"Have you studied your lesson?" he asked.

"No," replied Helene, without thinking.

"Well, do the best you can," he said. To his utter astonishment she
played the whole exercise through without looking at the music, without
any effort and without playing a single false note.

To say that Von Barwig was astounded is putting it mildly. He simply
gasped for breath.

"Gott in Himmel, Fraeulein! Ach, du lieber Gott! what style, what
touch, what progress! Ah," and then it came to him all at once, "your
father has come back; you want to show him progress, is it not? You
have practised on the sly, eh? Ah--" and he shook his finger
reproachfully at her.

Helene looked at him and laughed. "If father was only like you," she
thought.

"Yes," she said aloud. "I suppose I wanted to show my father the
progress I have made, so I practised on the sly."

"Let us continue," said Von Barwig, who was now very anxious to see
what new surprise his pupil was going to give him.

"Have you arranged with Mrs. Cruger about giving her nieces lessons?"
asked Helene, carelessly striking a few chords on the piano.

"Not yet," replied Von Barwig, "I am to go next week." Then he added
with a little laugh, "The young ladies postpone me as long as possible."

Here they were interrupted by the entrance of Denning, the
under-butler, who informed Miss Stanton that her father wished to see
her in the library. Von Barwig saw a downcast expression on Helene's
face as she left the room. "Perhaps he does not approve of the
marriage, this Mr. Stanton. Well, I do!" he said with emphasis. "I
do, and I am determined that she shall marry the man of her choice. He
is a splendid fellow, fu