“Yes,” nodded Harry. “I heard her tell them. Elmer Barry told me that there is to be a Christmas play, or something, and these boys are going to sing.”
“I wish I was going to be in it,” sighed Teddy wistfully. “I wouldn’t be afraid to sing in public. My mother says I have a good voice.”
“Maybe Miss Verne will ask you to be in the entertainment,” suggested Harry kindly, noting Teddy’s wistful look.
“How can she when she doesn’t even know I can sing? I’m not going to tell her, either. She’d think I was crazy about myself. Oh, I guess I’ll live if I don’t have a chance to show off,” ended Teddy philosophically.
Nevertheless, that morning as Company A filed into the room used as a gymnasium and seated themselves in the rows of chairs arranged for them, Teddy could not help cherishing a faint hope that Miss Verne would notice him and ask him to sing in the Christmas entertainment. There was small chance of that, he reflected, for this was to be their last morning in school until after the holiday rush was over. School closed that Saturday, not to open again until after New Year’s.
“Now, boys,” began Miss Verne, after Company A had sung several songs of her suggesting, “I am going to teach you such a pretty, new song this morning. You’ll like it, I’m sure. Listen while I play and sing the first verse for you.” After a rollicking introduction on the piano, she began a delightful little popular song that had just recently been published and was fast gaining popularity. Although Miss Verne frequently chose popular music for the boys to sing, she was extremely careful in her choice of songs, and never presented any which could be classed as vulgar or over-sentimental.
She played and sang the verse to the boys three times, then said brightly, “Now, boys, you try it.”
With the quick ear for music possessed by the majority of children, the boys took up the first two or three lines of the song at once. They wavered on the fourth line, and at the fifth there was only one boy singing in perfect time with the accompaniment. But that boy was well worth listening to. His clear, soprano voice sang on, growing stronger and surer with every breath. The song ended with a gay little run up to a fairly high note. The boy took the run exquisitely, holding that note for an instant. Miss Verne’s hands dropped from the piano. “Come up here,” she commanded, beckoning to the boy who had sung so sweetly.
With his freckled face only a shade paler than his hair, Teddy Burke reluctantly ascended the platform. In spite of his boastful denial that he wouldn’t be afraid to sing in public, Teddy was decidedly embarrassed. He had not meant to sing a solo. As it happened, the song was one which he had heard his mother practising for the past week to sing at a club entertainment. It had appealed to Teddy from the moment he had first heard it, and happy in the love of letting out his voice in sweet sounds he had sung on, wholly unconscious of singing alone, until the end of the song. The dead silence which followed it, and Miss Verne’s command to come to the piano had awakened him to what he had done.
“What’s your name?” asked the pretty little woman abruptly.