ghted with electricity, and the statuary and the decorations of the
walls did not seem like pieces of foolishness. The marble appeared pure,
white, and the big pictures most interesting. She walked the length of
the hall and slowly read the titles of the statues and the names of the
pupils who had donated them. She speculated on where the piece Elnora's
class would buy could be placed to advantage.

Then she wondered if they were having a large enough audience to buy
marble. She liked it better than the bronze, but it looked as if it cost
more. How white the broad stairway was! Elnora had been climbing those
stairs for years and never told her they were marble. Of course, she
thought they were wood. Probably the upper hall was even grander than
this. She went over to the fountain, took a drink, climbed to the first
landing and looked around her, and then without thought to the second.
There she came opposite the wide-open doors and the entrance to the
auditorium packed with people and a crowd standing outside. When they
noticed a tall woman with white face and hair and black dress, one by
one they stepped a little aside, so that Mrs. Comstock could see the
stage. It was covered with curtains, and no one was doing anything. Just
as she turned to go a sound so faint that every one leaned forward and
listened, drifted down the auditorium. It was difficult to tell just
what it was; after one instant half the audience looked toward the
windows, for it seemed only a breath of wind rustling freshly opened
leaves; merely a hint of stirring air.

Then the curtains were swept aside swiftly. The stage had been
transformed into a lovely little corner of creation, where trees and
flowers grew and moss carpeted the earth. A soft wind blew and it was
the gray of dawn. Suddenly a robin began to sing, then a song sparrow
joined him, and then several orioles began talking at once. The light
grew stronger, the dew drops trembled, flower perfume began to creep out
to the audience; the air moved the branches gently and a rooster crowed.
Then all the scene was shaken with a babel of bird notes in which you
could hear a cardinal whistling, and a blue finch piping. Back somewhere
among the high branches a dove cooed and then a horse neighed shrilly.
That set a blackbird crying, "T'check," and a whole flock answered it.
The crows began to caw and a lamb bleated. Then the grosbeaks, chats,
and vireos had something to say, and the sun rose higher