The Yale expositor., 1908-03-27

star, Hotel du Nord, rose from the
satin-tapestried chair and drew her
slipping furs up over her shoulders.
THE poor old creatures have so few
treats, you know" Miss Radford and
Miss Lockwood, pianist and accom-
PIANIST, rose also, and looked their
sympathy
81 think it's good of you, Miss Van
cohver, to go to so much trouble in
preparing treat for them. And
what shall we play?" asked Miss Rad
ford. moving toward the door with
their guest.
"Oh, something good, you know
Something classical and-er-reli-
gious, / suppose. That's the kind OF
music old ladies generally like, isn't
it? They're all real old, you know,
and i'll, some of them, and they've
really seen better days, poor things,
and will appreciate good music.
Then I'll say you'll come directly
the afternoons performance is over
she said. IT'S so good of you; / hard
~ dared dream you'd come. Two such
famous performers"
Its not so long since we were in
famous performers" laughed Miss
Lockwood, land, anyway, we're al
ways glad to do anything of the sort.
You'll let them know"
'I'll go straight there now. 1t will
be their dinner hour and I'll tell them
to assemble in the parlor ats it
four o'clock"
THAT will do nicely"
Il shan't be able to be there myself
at that hour, and I'm awfully sorry,
for I'd love to hear you, but I've an
engagement a week old for four. You
won't mind? The matron will take
care of you"
Four o'clock found half a dozen old
ladies, out OF a membership of so,
gathered in the big parlor of the
| home.
Where's Mrs. Brainerd?" asked
one. she's generally the first down
when anythings going on"
she said" volunteered another
quavering voice that she wasn't
coming. She said they always sang
anu pldytu the SdlhC Olu lhluSS, anu
she's tired of them"
Another, leaning upon a cTutch,
paused in the doorway and looked in.
Il had half mind" she said, not to
come down the stairs for it, ] thought,
though, beings they're from the stage
maybe they'd play something little
different"
The matron passed along an upper
hall and, noting the many occupants
of rooms who were not taking advan-
tage of the invitation asked the rea-
son.
Wen hear all we want up here"
one informed her It's sure to be
'high-class' music, such as Miss Van
couver considers good for the COM
| fort and elevation of our old souls,
and l, for one, can hear all / want
! from here Others voiced the same
! opinion in different manners, and
when, punctual to the minute, the
Misses Radford and Lockwood ap-
peared with music roll and violin box,
but few more than the original half
| dozen met them.
THE Angels Serenade." most soul
fully and exquisitely executed by Miss
Alicia Radford, opened the program.
and while upstairs one old head nod
ded to another as if to say, Il told you
SO" and here and there door was
closed, not too quietly, the parlor au.
dience greeted the finale with polite
! IL mild enthusiasm. The Holy City"
and Jerusalem" followed, and their
conclusion found three out of eight
| asleep.
awoke the slumberers, and the pierre
ing sweetness Of it's wall drew tears
from eyes whose brilliancy had long
since been washed away. Poor old
Anna Tanning, weak of intellect and
gentle of heart, crept TO a stool in the
hall and sat wiping her eyes with her
apron and sobbing softly.
For heavens sake, let's play some
thing more lively" whispered Miss
Radford TO her accompanlst, and
broke into a gay little mazurka which,
to her relief, had the effect of dlspel-
| ling, to some extent, the gloom, and
moved old Anna Tanning to hitch her
stool a step nearer the door.
lis there anything in particular
you'd like us to play?" asked Miss
Radford, gently, when the mazurka
was finished. For few moments no
one spoke, and then one. more rotund
| of body and brighter Of eye than the
others, ventured her desire.
do you-can you-play Hiawatha?"
she asked timidly
The girls looked at one another and
smiled. Hiawatha was a bit old and
not exactly in their line, but they
could play 1t. They were also, to tell
the truth, somewhat amazed. They
had not been led to suppose that the
old ladies of the Vancouver home
were acquainted with, or had a taste
for popular music.
However, they played Hiawatha,
and played II with vim and spirit
that brought faint flush to the still
rounded cheek OF the old lady who
had proffered the request. and caught