The Washington herald., 1914-07-26
Eyes ?" said Mary Morfe.

About Mr. Loggerheads," said Eva.
and stared straight at Mary Morfe.
About Mr.. Loggerheadsl" Mary
Morfe echoed, and stared back at Eva.
And the atmosphere seemed to have
been thrown into strange pulsation.
Here, perhaps, l ought to explain that
it was not the popularity of MIR. Log
gerheads' name that produced the odd
effect.
I'm told" said Eva, ''that he's going
HIto the Hanbridge Choir"
Mr.. Loggerheads was the principal
tenor of the Bursley Glee and Madrigal
Club. And he was reckoned one of the
finest "after-dinner tenors" in the Five
Towns. The Hanbridge Choir was a
rival organization, a vast and powerful
affair that fascinated and swallowed
promising singers from all the choirs
of the vicinity. The Hanbridge Choir
had sung at Windsor, and since that
event there had been no holding it. All
other choirs hated it with a homicidal
hatred. I'm told" Eva proceeded,
that the Birmingham and Sheffield
Bank will promote him to the cashier
ship of the Hanbridge branch on the un-
derstanding that he joins the Hanbridge
Choir. Shows what influence they have |!
And it shows how badly the Hanbridge
Choir wants him"
(Mr. Loggerhesds was cashier of the
Bursley branch of the Birmingham and
Sheffield Bank)
WHO told you?" asked Mary Morfe.
"Oh" said Eva Harracles. Its all
about. Every ones talking of it"
"And do they say Mr.. Loggerheads.
has accepted" Mary demanded.
YES" said Eva.
WELL" said Mary, "it's not trueI A
mistake!" she added.
How do you know it isn't true?" Mr..
Morfe inquired doubtfully.
Since you're so curious" said Mary
defantly. Mr.. Loggerheads told me
himself"
"When?"
The other day"
you never said anything to me-"
protested Mr. Morfe.
1T didn't occur to me-" Mary replied
We'll, I'm very gladl" remarked Eva
Harracles. But l thought l ought to
let you know at once what was being
said"
Mary Morfe's expression conveyed
the fact that in her opinion Eva Har-
racles' evening call was a vain thing,
too lightly undertaken and conceivably
lacking in the incest discretion. Where
upon Mr.. Morfe was evidently struck
by the advisability of completely chang
ing the subject And he did change it.
He began to talk about certain difficult
ties in the choral parts of Havergal
Brian's Vision of Cleopatra" a work
which he meant the Bursley Glee and
Madrigal Club to perform, though it
should perish in the attempt. Growing
excited, in his dry way, concerning the
merits of this composition, he rose from
his easy chair and went to search for it
Before doing so he looked at the clock,
which indicated twenty minutes past
nine.
Am all right for time?" asked Eva.
'Yes, you're all right" said he, IF
you go when that clock strikes half past,
and take the next car down, you'll make
the connection easily at Turnhill. I'll
put you into the car"
"Oh, thanks" said Eva.
Mr.. Morfe kept his modern choral
music beneath a broad seat under the
bay window. The music was concealed
by low curtain that ran on a rod-in-
genious device of Mary. He stopped
down to find "The Vision of Cleopatra"
and at first he could not find it. Mary
walked toward that end of the drawing
room with a vague notion of helping
him, and then Eva did the same, and
then Mary walked back, and then Mr.. |
Morfe happily put his hand on the
Vision of Cleopatra"
He opened the score for Eva's inspec-
tion, and began to hum passages and to
point out others, and Eva also began to
hum, and they hummed in concert, at in
tervals exclaiming against the wanton-
ness with which Havergal Brian had in
vented difficulties.
Eva glanced at the clock.
You're all right" Mr.. Morfe as
sured her, somewhat impatiently. And
he, too, glanced at the clock: You've
still nearly ten minutes"
And he proceeded with his critical
and explanatory comments on the "Vis-
ion OF Cleopatra"
He was capable of becoming almost
delirious about music. Mary Morfe had
seated herself in silence.
At last Eva and Mr.. Morfe approach
ed the fire and the mantelpiece again.
Mr.. Morfe shut up the score, dismissed
his delirium, and looked at the clock,
quite prepared to see it pointing to
tHventy-r1ine and = baIf ,,;,,,... 49,.