“Lord! they never did; but they ’ve experienced a change of heart.  You see, Lizzie took to it like a duck to water—­she was the baby, the kid, you know—­and, by thunder, the little girl made good.  She ’s got ’em coming and going, and the pater is so proud of her he wears a smile on him that won’t come off.  It ’s simply great just to see him beau her around downtown, shedding real money at every step.  Nothing is too good for Lizzie just now.”

“And she is the Star?”

“Sure, and the lassie is going to have an ovation, unless all signs fail.  Society has got a hunch, and that means a gorgeous turnout.  The horse-show will be a back number.  Lord, man, you can’t afford to miss it!  Why, you ’d never see anything like it in Denver in a thousand years.”

Winston laughed, unable to resist entirely the contagious enthusiasm of his friend.

“You certainly make a strong bid, Bob; but really if I did remain overnight I ’d much prefer putting in the hours talking over old times.  With all due respect to your sister, old boy, I confess I have n’t very much heart for the stage.  I ’ve grown away from it; have n’t even looked into a playhouse for years.”

“Thought as much; clear over the head in business.  Big mistake at your age.  A night such as Lizzie can give you will be a revelation.  Say, Ned, that girl is an actress.  I don’t say it because she ’s my sister, but she actually is; they ’re all raving over her, even the critics.  That’s one reason why I want you to stay.  I ’m blame proud of my little sister.”

“But I have n’t my evening dress within a thousand miles of here.”

“What of that?  I have no time now to run out to the house and get into mine.  I ’m no lightning change artist.  Lizzie won’t care; she ’s got good sense, and the others can go hang.  Come on, Ned; we ’ll run over to the Chicago Club and have a bite, then a smoke and chat about Alma Mater; after that, the Grand.”

* * * * * *

The great opera house was densely crowded from pit to dome, the boxes and parquet brilliant with color and fashion, the numberless tiers of seats rising above, black with packed, expectant humanity.  Before eight o’clock late comers had been confronted in the lobby with the “Standing Room Only” announcement; and now even this had been turned to the wall, while the man at the ticket window shook his head to disappointed inquirers.  And that was an audience to be remembered, to be held notable, to be editorially commented upon by the press the next morning.