There were enough Soprani in this one Plant to keep Maurice Grau stocked
up for a Hundred Years. Every one thought she was the Particular One who
would sooner or later send Melba back to Australia and drive Sembrich
into the Continuous. Lutie was just about as Nifty as the Next One.

When she was at Home she would suck Lemons and complain about Draughts
and tell why she didn't like the Other Girls' Voices. She began to act
like a Prima Donna, and her Mother was encouraged a Lot. Lutie certainly
had the Artistic Temperament bigger than a Church Debt.

Now before Lutie started in to do Things to her Voice she occasionally
Held Hands with a Young Man in the Insurance Business, named Oliver.
This Young Man thought that Lutie was all the Merchandise, and she
regarded him as Permanent Car-Fare.

But when Lutie began to hang out at the Studios she took up with the
Musical Set that couldn't talk about anything but Technique and Shading
and the Motif and the Vibrato. She began to fill up the Parlor with her
new Friends, and the first thing Oliver knew he was in the Side Pocket
and out of the Game.

In his own Line this Oliver was as neat and easy-running as a Red Buggy,
but when you started him on the topic of Music he was about as light and
speedy as a Steam Roller. Ordinarily he knew how to behave himself in a
Flat, and with a good Feeder to work back at him he could talk about
Shows and Foot-Ball Games and Things to Eat, but when any one tried to
draw him out on the Classics, he was unable to Qualify.

[Illustration: LUTIE]