he slowly raised the instrument, and sounded a vibrant, resonant,
minor tone, measured, full and magnificent. Each listener sank back
with a sigh.

Jinnie knew the mysteries of the forest as well as a singer knows his
song, and she had not presented ten notes to the imagination of
Theodore's friends before they were carried away from the dainty room
in which they sat--away into a dense woodland where, for a few
minutes, she demonstrated the witching wonders of it. Then she slipped
the bow between her teeth and struck the violin strings with the backs
of her fingers. The vibrations of impetuous harmony swept softly
through the lighted room. Louder and louder was heard the awful fury
of approaching thunder, while twinkling string-touches flashed forth
the lightning between the sonorous peals.

Jinnie never knew how the fiddle was capable of expressing the
cautious tread of the terrified king of beasts in his isolated
kingdom, but her listeners beheld him steal cautiously from the
underbrush. They saw him crouch in abject terror at the foot of a
wide-spreading, gigantic tree, lashing his tail in elemental rage.
Then another scintillating flash of lightning, and the beast caught
it full in the face. The slender hand of the little player was poised
above the strings for a single vibrating moment, during which she
stood in a listening attitude. Then, with the sweep of three slender
fingers, the lion's scream cut the air like a two-edged sword.

Death came on rapidly in deep, resounding roars, and the misery of the
cringing, suffering brute was unfolded--told in heart-rending
intonations, until at last he gave up his breath in one
terror-stricken cry.

Jinnie dropped her hands suddenly. "He's dead," she said tremulously.
"Poor, poor lion!"

She turned tear-wet eyes to Theodore King.

"Shall I play any more?" she asked, shyly.

The man shook his head, not permitting himself to speak.

"Miss Grandoken has given us a wonderful entertainment," said he to
his friends; then turning to her, he held out his hand, "I want to
thank you, Miss Grandoken."

Many people crowded around her, asking where and how she had learned
such music.

Molly the Merry, the mystified expression still on her face, drew
near.

Again Jinnie smiled at her, hoping the lovely lips would acknowledge
their former acquaintanceship. But as another person, a man, stepped
between her and the woman, Jinnie glanced up at him. He was very
handsome, but i