more the
cliffs of Nanatuk looming through fog and heard clearly, booming across
the ice, the great, familiar baritone.

The notes of the organ ceased. Tisdale stirred like a man roused from
sleep. He turned and started through to the gallery. A woman's voice,
without accompaniment, was singing Martha's immortal aria, _The Last Rose
of Summer_. It was beautiful. The strains, sweet and rich, flooded the
hall and pervaded the upper rooms. Looking down from the railing, he saw
Elizabeth and the lieutenant at the entrance below. The men who had
installed the organ, were listening too, at the end of the hall, while
beyond the open door the crew of the _Aquila_ waited to carry the master
aboard. As he reached the top of the stairs, Mrs. Feversham appeared,
seated near the invalid in the center of the hall, and finally, as he came
to the first landing, there was the diva herself, acknowledging the
applause, sweeping backward with charming exaggeration from the front of
the stage.

"Bravo!" shouted Frederic. "Bravo! Encore!" She took the vacant seat at
the organ, and the great notes of the _Good-night_ chorus rolled to the
rafters. Responding to her nodding invitation, the voices of the audience
joined her own. It was inspiring. Tisdale stopped on the landing and
involuntarily he caught up his old part.

"Tho' no prayer of mine can move thee
Yet I wish thee sweet good night;
Now good night, good night, good night!"

She looked up in quick surprise; her hands stumbled a little on the keys
and, singing on, she subdued her voice to listen to his. Then, hesitating
a little over the first chords, she began the final prelude, and Tisdale,
waiting, heard her voice waver and float out soft and full:

"Ah, will Heaven indeed forgive me."

Her face was still lifted to him. It was as though her soul rose in direct
appeal to him, and in that moment all his great heart went down to her in
response.

It was over. Morganstein's heavy "Bravo!" broke the silence, followed by
the enthusiastic clapping of hands, Mrs. Weatherbee rose and started down
the hall to join Elizabeth and the lieutenant, but Marcia detained her.
"It was simply grand," she said. "I hadn't believed you had the reach or
the strength of touch. This organ was certainly a fine innovation."

"Sure," said Frederic hazily. "It will make old Seattle sit up and take
notice. Great idea; your schemes always are. Confess though, I had my
doubts, when it came to this org