Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-29

y, ieIer Don make fun Of mo.
Ilcase. And you hurt me so :" she re-
proached him. 'Iou know I'll never
want 10 change my mind ever, ever
world"
He laughed, drew her face down 10
his and whispered. Beth, dear. I
inew you wouldn't want to-but [ |
just wanted to hear you say it,"
well, have saiG it. And I don't
want you ever to say such a thing |
again, AS if I cared for anytbin'-.
nnythin' but you."
He kissed her on the lips and she
Strengthened.
Il wanted to hear you say that. |
too,' he snid with lnugh.
And then, after silence which they
Goth improved by gazing Mt each other
mutely, But YOU don't seem very curl
Gus about who am
Beth pressed his fingers confidently.
What he was to her mattercd n grcnt
deal-and she realized that nothing else
did. But she knew that something was
required of her. And so, "Oh, ycs. In
! deed I am, Pctcr-awfully curious"
she said politely.
"Well, you know. Beth. I'm not
really so poor rs l seem to Oc. I've got
II lot of securities in 4 bank in Russia
because nobody knew where they were
and so they couldn't take them"
And they would have taken your
money, too?"
Eyes. When this cousin of mine
his name was NichoIas-when Nicholas
was Killed.
''They killed him! Who?"
''The Bolshcviki-thcy killed Mich
olas and his whole family--his wife.
son and four daughters"
Peter" Beth started up and stared
Mt him in startled bcwildcrmenr, as she
remembered the talks she had had with
him about the Russian Revolution.
! "Nichol as-n' she graspcd. "IIis
Observation-Disclosures He had tho
same name os---as the Czar--!" And
as her gaze met his again she sCcr.,d to
guess. - = Peter" she gaspcd. What
what do you mcan?
II mean that it was the Little Fa-
thCr-the CZar--whO was my cousin,
Beth"
She stared at Peter in awe and n
kind Of fear of this new element in their
relations.
"And-and you-? You're----?'
T'm just Peter Nichols-," he
said with laugh.
"But over thcrc-'
"I'm nothing They chuckcd us all
out, the Rolsheviki-cvcry last enc OF
US that had handle to his namc.'
"a handle--?'
Eyes. used to be Grand Duke
Peter Nicho!oevitch of Zukovo and
GalitZin--'
SC Grand Duke Peter ~ she whis.
rcrcd in daze. And then. "Oh--how
how could you?' she gaspcd.
Peter laughed.
II couldn't help it, Beth. I was born
that-way. But you will forgive me,
won't y0u?'
"Forgive--? Oh--it--it makes
such difference to frd--you're not you
but somebody else--'
"No. / anime. I'm not anybody
else. But I had to tell you-some time.
You don't think any the less of me, do
;ou. Beth?"
Il don't know what to think. I'm
sO-you're So--'
| "Whnt?'
"Grand-and I'm-'
Peter caught her hands and made her
look at him.
You're the only woman in the world
I've ever wanted-the emily one-and
you've promised me you'd marry me"
you've promised, Beth.
Her fingers moved gently in his and
her gaze, wide-eyc sought his.
"And It won't make any diheF-
mo, Beth. Why should you think
that?"
II was afraid--it might" she
Caspcd. And then for while Peter
held her hands, whispering, while Beth
still abashcd answered in monosylla-
blaS pnllin0 from time to time.
Later the nurse entered, her glance
on her wrist wNtch.
Times up" she said And Beth
rose as one in n dream ana moved
slowly around the foot of the bed TO
the door.
Jonathan X. Mcclure had been as
much astonished rs Beth at the reVeia :
tion of Peters identity. and the service
that Peter had rendered him made him
more than anxious to show his Rppre-
citation by doing everything he could Tor
the wounded mans comfort and happl :,
ness. He visited the bedside daily ana
fold Peter Of his conversation WITH
Beth and of the plans that he was
making for her futurc-which now, II
seemed, was Peters future also. Peter
told him something Of his own history
and how he had met Jim Coast on the
, Bermudian. Then Mcclure related the
, story Of the suppression OF the out.
; break at the lumber camp by the Shrrih
, and men from Mays Landing, and the
arrest OF Flynn and Jacob on charge
of assault and incendariSm. some Of
4 the men were to be- tepOrted as dan
gerous Reds" Briefly had ocrn ten,
porarily put in charge at the mills ano
e Jesse brown. now much chastened' wa
helping Mcclure to restore order. Sha'
Wells was technically under arerst; TO
: the Coroner had viewed" the bod!
of the Russian committeeman before /
/. had been removed by his friends an'
Il buried, and taken the testimony, Bu
i McCuirc had given bail and arrange
for hearing both ns TO the shooting
r and the death of Hawk Kennedy, whel
Peter was we'll enough to 60 to May
;, The death of Hawk had produced
= remarkable change in the character an.
personality of the owner OF the Blac
v Rock Reserve. His back was straighter
!. his look more direct, and he entere
/, with avidity into the business OF bring
4 ing order out of the chaos that had re
h suited from the riot: His word car
I ried some weight, his money more
o and with the completion, of his ar
Il rangements with Beth { eron, h
- 5-.-, a0ai. tba breath nf man,