round music box, covered with a frock which came down nearly to the end of the stick. When one twirled the stick the frock stood out very stiffly and the doll appeared to be dancing and humming a tune. The tune was a little German folk-song, and it was this rather mournful melody which had attracted me; it somehow chimed in with my spirit of persistent melancholy.
"What 'ave y' got there, dearie?" asked Mr. Harding, looking down at the doll. The day, I remember, was not particularly bright, and he strained his eyes to look. I stopped crying and smiled wanly as I slowly twirled the dancing doll. The sweet sadness of the music seemed to fill the silent room. Mr. Harding smiled and took the doll out of my hands. "Sh! darling,—they can hear out there in the hall."
I suggested that we go into the ante-room. There Mr. Harding sat in the corner of the couch and faced the window. I could observe his face here, and I exclaimed, "Why, honey, what a terrible cold you have!" His eyes and nose were red from it, his face was deeply lined as I had never before seen it, and his drooping body expressed a dejection which was shocking to see. "Believe me," I told him, "if I had my way I'd see that you got into bed until you are rid of that cold." "Can't do it, dearie," he said briefly, "got to keep going—why, right now I am the cynosure of the whole world—'the President of the United States, with a sick wife'!"
"How is Mrs. Harding, anyway?" I inquired. But, though the First Lady of the Land lay not a block away, the subject of discussion, as Mr. Harding said, of the whole world, in my world her fate did not even seem to touch me. You see, my own problems eclipsed those of anybody and everybody.
"About the same," Mr. Harding replied to my query.
"Oh, dear!" I exclaimed, "I do hope she gets better and is able to go to Florida!" Mr. Harding smiled and bent over to kiss me. "I do, too, dearie!" he replied with an attempt at cheeriness. But the attempt was a failure. In truth, the whole atmosphere of that visit was one of finality. I felt a presentiment of much evil. I could not shake off the uncanny feeling I was
