``I had an exciting evening, I doctored myself
before I went to bed, and three or four times in the night.
I found, this morning, that I could sing.''
And it was so. Never had she sung better. ``Like
a true artist!'' he declared with an enthusiasm that had
a foundation of sincerity. ``You know, Miss Stevens,
you came very near to having that rarest of all gifts--
a naturally placed voice. If you hadn't had singing
teachers as a girl to make you self-conscious and to teach
you wrong, you'd have been a wonder.''
``I may get it back,'' said Mildred.
``That never happens,'' replied he. ``But I can
almost do it.''
He coached her for half an hour straight ahead,
sending the next pupil into the adjoining room--an
unprecedented transgression of routine. He showed
her for the first time what a teacher he could be, when
he wished. There was an astonishing difference
between her first singing of the song and her sixth
and last--for they went through it carefully five
times. She thanked him and then put out her hand,
saying:
``This is a long good-by.
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