both music-mad, the father having had in early youth a thorough musical
education, the boy possessing musical talent of a high order. Such
training as was his he had received from his father, but it was confined
to one single instrument, the violin. To this instrument, upon which his
father had received the tuition of a really excellent master, the son
devoted long hours of study and practice during his boyhood years, and
his attainments were such as to give promise of something more than
an amateur's mastery of his instrument. His college work, however,
interfered with his music, and to his father's great disappointment and
regret he was forced to lay aside his study of the violin. On the piano,
however, the boy developed an extraordinary power of improvisation and
of sight reading, and while his technique was faulty his insight, his
power of interpretation were far in excess of many artists who were his
superiors in musical knowledge and power of execution. Many were the
hours the father and son spent together through the long evenings of
the western winter, and among the many bonds that held them in close
comradeship, none was stronger than their common devotion to music.

Long after his son had departed to his meeting the father sat dreaming
over his 'cello, wandering among the familiar bits from the old masters
as fancy led him, nor was he aware of the lapse of time till his son
returned.

"Hello! Nine-thirty?" he exclaimed, looking at his watch. "You have
given them an extra dose to-night."

"Business meeting afterwards, which didn't come off after all," said
his son. "Postponed till next Sunday." With this curt announcement, and
without further comment he sat down at his desk.