The Choir Invisible

"So she'll be there, he'll be there, I'll be there, we'll all be there--but

your John can hear about it in the morning." And O'Bannon arose slowly, but

unexpectedly sat down again.

"You think I won't be there," he said threateningly to Peter.

"You think I'm drunk. I'll show you! I'll show you that I can walk--that I

can dance--dance by myself --do it all--by myself--furnish the music and do

the dancing."

He began whistling "Sir Roger de Coverley," and stood up, but sank down

again and reached for the bottle.

"Peter," he said with a soft smile, looking down at his gorgeous swan's-down

waistcoat and his well-shaped dove-coloured legs: "ain't I a beauty?"

"Yes, you are a beauty!" said Peter.

Suddenly lifting one of his bare feet, he shot O'Bannon as by the action of

a catapult against the printing-press.

He lay there all night.