She laughed a little nervously.
“You needn’t. I’ve got to ask her to sing at the concert on Friday. Emily told me she had a lovely voice, and it’s got around that she’s a sensation—a beauty, you know. Mrs. Payson and Mrs. Barbour made me promise to ask her to sing. It’s for the Carters’ church, anyway, so of course it’s all right.”
“You mean that concert to pay the church debt off?” The colonel looked thoughtful a moment; then suddenly he guffawed. “Going to ask her to sing in a Sunday-school hall—before all those strait-laced people—a girl from Paris? I reckon I’ll go, Jinny!”
“I hope you will, and pay five dollars for a front seat. It’s really going to be very good, grandpa. Caraffi—the pianist, you know—is going to play. He’s expected Friday morning. His manager, a man called Corwin, came over to arrange for it yesterday. I’m very glad that I don’t have to deal with him again!” she added with a shudder.
The colonel gave her a quick look.
“Why?”
She laughed.
“Oh, for no reason—except that he’s terrible! A—a person!”
“What sort of a person?”
“Showy. He wears a huge diamond ring and very sporty clothes. He’s got a perfectly beautiful mustache and sparkling eyes, and—well, he’s just terrible!”