"Your name, if you please?" said Mrs. Van
Kirk, having for awhile measured her visitor
with a glance of mild scrutiny.
"Halfdan Bjerk."
"Half-dan B----, how do you spell that?"
"B-j-e-r-k."
"B-jerk. Well, but I mean, what is your
name in English?"
Halfdan looked blank, and blushed to his
ears.
"I wish to know," continued the lady
energetically, evidently anxious to help him out,
"what your name would mean in plain English.
Bjerk, it certainly must mean something."
"Bjerk is a tree--a birch-tree."
"Very well, Birch,--that is a very respectable
name. And your first name? What did
you say that was?
"H-a-l-f-d-a-n."
"Half Dan. Why not a whole Dan and be
done with it? Dan Birch, or rather Daniel
Birch. Indeed, that sounds quite Christian."
"As you please, madam," faltered the victim,;
looking very unhappy.
"You will pardon my straightforwardness,
won't you? B-jerk. I could never pronounce
that, you know."
"Whatever may be agreeable to you, madam,
will be sure to please me."
"That is very well said. And you will find
that it always pays to try to please me. And
you wish to teach music? If you have no
objection I will call my oldest daughter. She is
an excellent judge of music, and if your playing
meets with her approval, I will engage you,
as my husband suggests, not to teach Edith,
you understand, but my youngest child, Clara."
Halfdan bowed assent, and Mrs. Van Kirk
rustled out into the hall where she rang a bell,
and re-entered.
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