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A STRANGE RAILROAD WRECK
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that when one of the guests wished him to play, he arose reluctantly and asked Mercedes what it should be.

"'Narcissus' is something I never tire of," she replied.

After listening to Joe Fleming's rendition of this beautiful composition, Miss Morris felt that she had never really heard it before. The player followed this by a more difficult composition, one of Liszt's famous Hungarian raphsodies, and then arose from the chair and walked across the room to where Miss Morris sat. Mrs. Barr expressed her surprise, as her roomer usually sat at the piano at least an hour every time he was asked to play; in fact, he had always seemed to enjoy music more than conversation. But it was evident that the girl was more to him that evening than anything.

Later, when the guests were leaving, Ethel Barr, who was a particular friend of Miss Morris, met her in the hall and remarked teasingly:

"A case of love at first sight, isn't it, Mercedes?"

"He has a beautiful character, unless he is an adept at acting, and I don't believe he is," Mercedes said.

"You might also add that he has a strikingly handsome face, as well as a beautiful character," laughed Miss Barr.

"Yes, that is true; in fact, I do not think the word