Books › The Red Book 1908-02: Vol 10 Iss 4, 1908 › scan 41
Scan 41
The Red Book 1908-02: Vol 10 Iss 4, 1908
30 lines. Read by computer on 14 September 2026. Printed page 474. See the scan on archive.org.
1laughingly echoed the bravo. Carlton bit his lip, scowling at the man irritably. He was Theodora's father.
3Short and heavy, old Moses Galbraith was seated incongruously in a dainty gilt chair, the spidery legs of which he was endangering by tilting backwards. With a thumb stuck in an arm-hole of his waistcoat, he twisted his pudgy countenance from side to side, inviting compliments on his daughter's performance. His evening-clothes were wrinkled, his shoes were dingy, and the buckle of his cheap necktie was slipping into view on a suspiciously glossy collar.
5A newspaper-humorist took a seat next to Moses. The amused faces of the bystanders told young Carlton what was going on. Carlton remembered with shame that he himself had sought Galbraith's favor by leading the father on to talk long and loud in public of Theodora's skill.
7"You're right; she's a wonder!" vociferated Moses. "The greatest wonder ever! Who's to beat her?"
9The humorist nodded gravely, winked at Carlton, and returned to his prey, but Theodora began a Hungarian rhapsodie and compelled him to desist.
11After the rhapsodie Carlton went across the studio to the congratulatory circle which surrounded Miss Galbraith.
13"Will you tell father I'm ready, Stephen?" she found a chance to ask him.
15"Not leaving, Miss Galbraith!" protested Hamlin heartily. "Rugini hasn't come yet—the big European concert-manager, you know. There's his secretary. Rugini is wild to hear you, everybody says."
17At the name, Theodora caught Carlton's eye and shrugged her bare shoulders uneasily.
19"Thank you, Mr. Hamlin," she said. "I really must go, I'm afraid."
21Stephen found Galbraith conversing with a bearded Italian.
23"Theo, that was Rugini's secretary," announced Moses excitedly, as he and Stephen escorted Theodora to the carriage. "Get in, Carlton. The secretary says Rugini's out of town—won't be in New York till next week You'll be filling those Western dates then, Theo. But we'll fix it to play for Rugini before he sails. The secretary avows it will be a cinch for you to make a hit with him. And it means a year's engagement—probably longer—Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Roosha—the whole darned map. Do you hear, Theo?"
25"Yes," said Miss Galbraith thoughtfully.
27Her violin-case lay across her knees, and she rested an elbow on it and peered out of the carriage-window. Stephen Carlton, sitting opposite, tried vainly to read her face in the darkness.
29"Say, Carlton," proposed Mr. Galbraith, "come up to the flat and have a snack. I couldn't eat that fancy lunch of Hamlin's. I'd have swapped the whole mess for a doughnut and a glass of cider."
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.