Page:Indiscretions of Archie.djvu/262

 It's a long way back to mother's knee,

Where I used to stand and prattle

"With my teddy-bear and rattle:

Oh, those childhood days in Tennessee,

They sure look good to me!

It's a long, long way, but I'm gonna start to-day!

I'm going back,

Believe me, oh!

I'm going back

(I want to go!)

I'm going back—back—on the seven-three

To the dear old shack where I used to be!

I'm going back to mother's knee!"

Wilson Hymack's voice cracked on the final high note, which was of an altitude beyond his powers. He turned with a modest cough.

"That'll give you an idea of it!"

"It has, old thing, it has!"

"Is it or is it not a ball of fire?"

"It has many of the earmarks of a sound egg," admitted Archie. "Of course"

"Of course, it wants singing."

"Just what I was going to suggest."

"It wants a woman to sing it. A woman who could reach out for that last high note and teach it to take a joke. The whole refrain is working up to that. You need Tetrazzini or someone who would just pick that note off the roof and hold it till the janitor came round to lock up the building for the night."

"I must buy a copy for my wife. Where can I get it?"

"You can't get it! It isn't published. Writing music's the darndest job!" Wilson Hymack snorted fiercely. It was plain that the man was pouring out the pent-up emotion of many days. "You write the biggest thing in years and you go round trying to get someone to sing