ing room
door. In a moment, to her surprise, Mr. Dauntrey opened it.

"Good afternoon," said he. "Now, I shall have the pleasure of
listening to you play, I hope."

"Mr. Ludlow said that I was to come here at four o'clock. I think he
wants me to play my selections over for him," answered Dorothy.

"Yes, you are right," said Mr. Ludlow, from his large easy rocking
chair by the open window, which overlooked a court. "Yes. Stand over
there and start in at once."

Dorothy, thus enjoined, took up her violin and began playing. She
finished her first piece without any interruptions on the part of Mr.
Ludlow. She was about to start the second piece when he called to her
to stop.

"Play the introduction to that piece again and a little louder, also a
little firmer," he ordered.

She did as she was told.

"That's a little better," he said, when she had finished. "But I
should play the introduction still louder, so as to make a marked
contrast when the melody proper starts in, by playing that very
softly, like someone singing way off in the distance. And one more
thing; in the last part, when you have that staccato melody, play that
sharper. Now, try the piece all over again."

Dorothy answered, "Yes," and then played again, trying to do just as
Mr. Ludlow asked her to, and when she finished she stood still,
saying nothing, just waiting to hear what Mr. Ludlow would say. If she
expected a word of praise she was to be disappointed.

"Very well, try the next one," was all Mr. Ludlow said.

So the girl once more took up her violin, and filled the room with
melody. This time she played her piece, so she thought, very poorly,
in part, because of Mr. Dauntrey. She seemed to feel his eyes on her,
and it made her nervous.

"Very well," said Mr. Ludlow, much to her surprise. "That will be all
for this afternoon. And, Miss Dorothy, try not to get nervous or
excited to-night. I expect you to do your very best."

"I will try," smiled back Dorothy. "Good afternoon."

Just as she reached the door, she saw Ruth, who stepped back into the
shadow of the hall.

Ruth questioned, "Is he cross? And is Mr. Dauntrey there?"

"Mr. Ludlow isn't cross, but he's very business-like. And Mr. Dauntrey
is in there, and I wish he hadn't been," answered Dorothy.

"Oh, dear," exclaimed Ruth, "I just know he will be so cross with me,
for if Mr. Dauntrey is in there I just can't sing. He thinks I am a
wonderful singer, and I know that I'm not. S