Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-11-27

groaned the tenor as he went to got
his hat, and the bass said things 10
himself In dark corner
! The soprano invited them in, and
they found her mother sitting up In
a big chair, and they had tea and muf-
fins served by the angelic hands of the
soprano, who seemed more desirable
than ever in this setting of domestic
ity.
I'VE might as well meet it like men,"
the bass told the tenor as they went
home afterward 1--WE both love her,
and II we are ever going to get a
chance to ask her one of us will have
to stay away next Sunday night. and
the other one can take her home.'
Well" the tenor agreed, "but how
shall we decide who will take herr"
"Pll toss nickel" said the bass.
Heads l VIM And he forthwith
Tipped one, and it turned up tails.
Just my luck" said the bass gloom
lily, shut if you have the good looks
I have the brains, and l shall know
how to plead my case when the time
comes"
The tenor was jubilant.
81 shall have first chance" he said.
When he talked to the contralto on
Sunday morning the bass was not san.
guine. THE tenor is young and hand.
some, and l won't be in it,
The contralto comforted him.
IF / had the choosing should pick
you out" she said, and something in
her voice made the bass turn and look
at her. She had on her new summer
hat, and her hair was prettily brown
where it had grown out, and there was
about her an effect of youth and
jauntiness that belied her forty years,
and that made the bass, with his
weight of forty-fve, feel old.
you are always my good friend"
he said and squeezed her hand ever
so slightly as he rose to sing a duet
with the tenor
In the solo part the tenor's voice rang
out with such note of triumph that
the soprano caught her breath rs she
heard it. 1t was as if he sang, ~ love,
love, lover and yet the words were
sacred. Within the breast of the little
soprano something new stirred, some
thing that was touched with the breath
OF divinity, so that it seemed no sac
rilege for her TO think of it in church.
How beautifully he singsr' she said
to the contralto, and the contralto
agreed, 'Yes, DEAR" but her eyes were
on the bass, who now took up the
strain.
When the tenor sat down, the So
prano whispered in the shelter of the
curtain, How beautifully you sangr'
And the tenor said, II sang to YOU"
and between them flashed glance
that made the bass groan, and he MUIR
INJURED to the contralto: THE game is
up. l have lost. They are talking
love in church"
ITS as good place as any," said
the contralto. There's nothing half
so sweet in life as loves young dream"
She wiped her eyes as she said it, and
the bass found himself asking,
'Do you really think that young love
is as steadfast as the love of old
friends?"
"Have you just found that out,
Billy the contralto questioned.
"You have helped me to find it out"
said the bass and squeezed her hand
under the hymn book
And under the hymn book of the so
prano the hands of the two young low
erS met
'The beautiful part is that you todd
me in church" said the soprano, with
her blue eyes lighted with divine fire.
Yes, that is the beautiful part"
said the tenor is, regardless of the
contralto and the bass, he kissed her
beneath the green baize curtain.