the whole, so well, as had been done there. Still, it was strange to
have plenty of elbow room, and to see the waiters moving leisurely up
and down the long halls; no one in haste, no one kept waiting.

As they rose from table, a gentleman passed through; they had passed
each other every day for a week; they had no idea what his name was, and
I suppose he knew as little about them. But he paused before them:

"Good-bye," he said. And held out his hand, "I hope we shall all meet at
the assembly up there!"

"Good-bye," they answered, and they shook hands. None of them smiled,
none of them thought it strange; though they had never been introduced!
It was the Chautauqua brotherhood of feeling. But after two weeks of
experience and much practice in that line, it was impossible to rid
onesself of the feeling that one must hurry down to the stand in order
to secure seats; so they hurried, and had a new experience; they were
among the first twenty on the ground.

"The audience will be utterly lost to-night in this immense array of
seats;" Flossy said in dismay. "Doesn't it feel forlorn?" But they took
their seats, and presently came Miss Ryder and seated herself at the
piano in the twilight, and the tunes she played were soft and tender and
weird.

"Every note says 'goodbye,'" said Ruth, and she gave a little sigh.
Presently, the calcium lights began to glow, as usual, and meantime
though everybody was supposed to have left; still, the people came from
somewhere; and at last, dismayed voices began to say: