On this bright and cheerful Tuesday morning he walked with a blithe step unhesitatingly down the main street to "Thurston's," and entered without any show of repugnance the door next to the window wherein, flanked by dangling banjos and key-bugles built in pyramids, was displayed the sign, "Pianos on the Instalment Plan."He was recognized by some responsible persons, and treated with distinguished deference.They were charmed with the intelligence that he desired a piano, and fascinated by his wish to pay for it only a little at a time.
They had special terms for clergymen, and made him feel as if these were being extended to him on a silver charger by kneeling admirers.
It was so easy to buy things here that he was a trifle disturbed to find his flowing course interrupted by his own entire ignorance as to what kind of piano he wanted.
He looked at all they had in stock, and heard them played upon.
They differed greatly in price, and, so he fancied, almost as much in tone.It discouraged him to note, however, that several of those he thought the finest in tone were among the very cheapest in the lot.
Pondering this, and staring in hopeless puzzlement from one to another of the big black shiny monsters, he suddenly thought of something.
"I would rather not decide for myself," he said, "I know so little about it.If you don't mind, I will have a friend of mine, a skilled musician, step in and make a selection.
I have so much confidence in--in her judgment."He added hurriedly, "It will involve only a day or two's delay."The next moment he was sorry he had spoken.What would they think when they saw the organist of the Catholic church come to pick out a piano for the Methodist parsonage?
And how could he decorously prefer the request to her to undertake this task? He might not meet her again for ages, and to his provincial notions writing would have seemed out of the question.And would it not be disagreeable to have her know that he was buying a piano by part payments?