suddenly. For a
long time she had known absolutely no one, and once, in her intense
longing for some one to speak to, she had obeyed an ardent impulse and
run across the street to a house where a young girl and her mother
lived, the former keeping a day-school for small children, and had
begged the little teacher to come over and spend the evening with her.
Out of this a friendship had sprung, which had been for a long time her
only resource. Her husband's habit of going to some place of amusement
in the evening seemed to be an inveterate one, though he cared little,
apparently, for what he saw. She wearied through a great many evenings
with him, and then got out of the habit of accompanying him. It was
evident he cared little whether she went or stayed.

One Sunday afternoon the little school-teacher persuaded her to go
with her to a great church near by. They were given seats close to
the choir, and when a familiar piece of music began Christine, in utter
self-forgetfulness, lifted up her voice and sang. When the service was
over the conductor of the singing came up to her, and pleading the
common bond of music, introduced himself and begged that he and his wife
might be allowed to call on her to enlist her interest and services in
a great charity entertainment which he was getting up. Christine agreed,
with the feeling that it would be ungracious to decline, and the next
day they called.

The outcome of the visit of Mr. and Mrs. Jannish was an engagement on
the part of Mrs. Dallas to sing the leading role in an opera which had
become a cherished wish among some of the best amateur musicians of the
city. The scheme had halted only for want of a soprano capable of taking
the responsibility of the most difficult part. Jannish was an authority
in this musical set, and he knew that the acquisition he had made for
their scheme would be not only approved, but rejoiced over. It was such
an infinite improvement upon the idea of securing the services of a
professional--a thing that they had almost been compelled to resort to.

Mrs. Dallas qualified her consent by the securing of her husband's
approval, though she said she felt sure he would not withhold it. He
was out at the time, but before the visitors left he came in. He was
called and introduced and the request put to him by Jannish, in his most
elaborate and supplicatory style. Consent was immediately given, with an
air of slightly impatient wonder at being dragged into