The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-06-17

T know you are" he answered sim ply. his big body a-thrill with half
 holy joy at her touch. What's the one you're playing now with your other hand. Ain't so very long. but ft's 1 kind of sprightly."
 | It's Siegfried's horn call. See how It changes to four-time and loses all | its buoyancy. in the Goetterdaemmer- ! ung funeral march,
 Solennly. hopelessly, the transform ed. distorted horn-can crashed out.
 ed just now. is it?'' he asked in doubt. sounds sort of like the toons the | bands play at Masonic funrals" Same notes. Different tempo. One through the forest of life sounding 1oy-chal1enge to everything and every body The other is woven into the dead hero's mourning chant: In Goet- terdaenmerung. you know"
 On. yes l remember now" said Caleb. hastily. 'Itd just slipped my | mind for the minute. I've got so many | things to think of. you know" Caleb Conoveri"
 Down came both little hands with reproying bang on the keyboard. as the girl started out of her rhapsody. Caleb Conover. you're being that
 way againi And after all I've told you. How am I going to cure you of pretending?"
 But. Dey.", he declared. Honest I T thought did"
 1oo AhOW very well yOu were pre- tending. You don't know whether Goetterdaemmerung is a dog. a bird. or natent medicine. Now confess. Do you?"
 From the sound" f1oundered Caleb, in all seriousness, 'Td put my money on the dog. But then. maybe" Desiree leaned back and laughed long and Helightedly.
 I going to do with you? Are you never going to grow up?'
 Not so long as my making a fool If myself can get such 8 sweet-sound- ''Rut. honest. Dey. how can you ex- pect me to know them things about horn an Dutchmen an spinnin'. an all that. when you never tell me be- play? When you're doin' those piano stunts. I always feel like you was travelin' through places where the No Thoroughbred signs hung out for me. Then when I make b'lieve Pm keepin' up with you.-just so as I won't get to feelin' too lonesome.--you find it out somehow am call me down. What's that thing you're playin' now?"
 tender hopelessness of parting, the notes sobbed out into the little room: then stopped abruptly.
 That's all I know of it." she said. 'I only heard it once. |I In New York. winter before last. It's the third act duet between Mimi and Rodolfo in 'Boheme.' Where they say goodbye in the snow. at the Paris barrier. I wish I remembered the rest of it.''
 Why thought those people was in the play you told me about. You see do remember some things like that. Weren't they the ones that was in love an the feller said the girl was his Youth an when she died-''
 Yes. It's an opera with the same sort of story. It's queer you remem- bersit. That's the second time youve GY1n v1o0 Q T.Q heme.' How funny that a big. matter of-fact business man like you should be interested in sentimental stories of Youth and Love and Death! Comei" rising from the music stool and losing the unwonted dreaminess that had stolen over her. "I'm going to talk to you now about the Standishes' dinner. Have you any idea how to behave. or what to do?"
 well" drawled Caleb. 'T guess it's morn three years now since you loored me from the simple Jefersonian joys of eatin' with my knife. An I know chin. an not maxim noises like a swimmin' pool while I'm eatin' soup. An'-an I mustn't touch the butter with my fork. You see I've learnt a lot by often. guess there afn't any more things to remember. are there? The part about the butter will be hardest. but"
  Desiree. ''So there's one less tempta- ton for you to grapp1e with"
 Then I'll be albright about the eat in'.'' replied Conover. Knife. soup napkin. butter. Anything else?"
 "Only about fifty more things" an- swered Desiree. pessimistically. "Oh youD' eagerly.
 How sillyI At the eleventh hour l? Of course I don't. hardly know them. Besides I'm going to the musicale do something you ought not to. You won't. will you?"
 Most likely I will" confessed Caleb. l ruefully. But I bought book to- little. I've got one or two pointers Napkins are servy-serv-" (''Serviettes ?' suggested Desiree. 'But | no one nowadays calls them" jagged. put your hand. with a. care 1 less. .debbynair movement he quoted. l ." Over the top of whichever glass the ! serv'nt is offerin to fll.' How's that?" that measly book ev'ry night till Fri day. By that time I'll be-
 You'll be so tangled up you won't sbs S ''Now listen to me: I'm going to crowd into one inspired lecture all can think Of about dinner etiquette and other social chores. for you to use that evening. And when you go home. burn that book up."
 She forthwith launched upon a dis quisition of such difficulties as lay be- fore him on his debut as a diner. and how each might be bridged. After the | first few sentences. Caleb's attention E strayed from her words to her voice. Its sweetness. it's youth and a peculiar childlike quality in it always fasci- mated kim. Now. with the added didac- tic touch. bTed of the lesson she was seeking to teach. he found it alto gether wonderful
 Listening with rapt, almost worship ping attention. yet noting no word, the giant sat huddled up in an awkward, happy bunch at the feet of the youth ful Gamallel- A bar of lamplight from the opposite side of the street filtered the swaying window curtains, her half-hidden head with its dusky crown of hair into vague relief. From under the shadowy brows. her great eyes glowed in the dim light.