Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-12-16

door of the parish house adjoining a
dignifed old church.
Perhaps she sings in the choir" he
thought.
A few minutes after she. had en-.
tered the door he, too, sought admit
lance.
as this practise night?" he asked
in the lower hall of the building.
Sure" replied the boy. Who'd
you want to see?"
Are you a choir boy?" asked
George, with another stroke of de-
tective genius.
Sure" said the boy noncnalantly.
do you have women in the choir?"
asked George. with an attempt at in
difference.
YES" exclaimed the boy in sur
prise. Didn't you ever hear this
choir? They sing the solos and we
do the rest. You see they can read
the notes better than we can, and
they aren't so likely to get scared and
chokey on Sundays"
And the cnoirmaster," George In
terrupted without Disgusting his eager
ness. Where's he?"
"Oh. he's trying out the new fell
lows upstairs. Practise doesn't begin
for a few minutes yet"
For the next five minutes George,
spurred on by the thought of the girl,
took the only course that presented
itself of making her acquaintance.
I'm very anxious to get some prac-
tise In choir drill" George explained
a few minutes later when he had been
admitted into the choirmaster's pres
ence.
YES" replied the other, with dis
c%ouraging Indifference. IF you have
only a fair voice | really can't take
the time to hear you. / have more
applications now than l know what
to do with"
George thought with momentary
regret Of the many chances he had
thrown away to practise with his col
lege glee clubs. A lusty and ready
voice he had always had when it
came to less formal singing.
We'll, 1t isn't what you'd call a
trained voice." he admitted, but If
you'll let me practise with the choir
and help me out a little I'll be glad
to make 1t worth your while"
1t was two weeks later and George
Upper sat In the little apartment
sitting room laboriously singing to
himself from a score which he held
before him.
Say, old man." broke in Edwin
Carey from his chair, IF you don't
give up that choir of yours, you'll
have to find some one else to live
with. You're away from home three
or four evenings a week and the resi-
of the time you drive me out. Honest.
old man, | can't stand it,"
George went on with his singing un.
daunted.
"How's the girl across the street
coming on?" asked Edwin teasingly,
Your time limit is almost up"
George paused briefly 10 reply
"Oh, she's all right, | guess. She's
one of your languid, southern beau
ties. But how on earth is a man 60
ing to sing decently and think about
half a dozen things besides" Here
he paused and sang a few more notes.
You've no idea," he went on, how
absorbing 1t is. 1t just gets hold of
you and makes o forget every
thing else. Even the little fellows
tend to business. You ought to hear
us sing that new anthem, Edwin. It's
a rouser!"
But what about the girl?" persist
ed Edwin.
"Oh, pshaw!' exclaimed the singer,
out of patience. THAT Miss Pen
rose"
Miss Penrose," echoed the other.
She's Clara Penrose." He was
standing over his companion, looking
at him with an unwonted show of
eagerness in his eyes. 81 knew she
had come north to study music, and
when you spoke about her being a
languid sort of a girl l had a half
suspicion. She is a beauty, isn't
she?" he asked, feelingly, and then
not waiting for a reply, (which
house is it, George-the one right op-
poster"
Two hours later George Upper
was still singing to himself from a
score before him. He had spent the
evening alone after Edwin's sudden
departure to the house across the
street, and was beginning to feel t
little anxiety as to the probable
course which events had taken.
She's just the sort of a girl to make
a man like Edwin go through fire and
water he thought to himself, and
then. as the door of the apartment
opened and Edwin appeared. his INK
t@A.,