Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-30

| .e r. ~. ouCn ulStlngulShcd marks
or favor and had rejoiced In the celeritv
with which the intimacv Ind bcen as ),
tablished, The thought that the Princess
Gailtzin had known all the while that
the grand duke was living incoRnito Mt
BLACK Rock and had merely used peggy
as means to bring about this visit
was not pleasant one to Peggy. hut
the fact was now quite obvious. She
nau peen making convenience of her.
ana what was now to be the result Of
this visit? The princess did not vet
know OF the engagement of bis bjob.
% ness to the scullery maid. Who was to
The snobbish little heart of Peggy
McGuire later gained some consolation.
Tor Anastasie Galitzin emerged from
her room refreshed and invigorated
ana lent much grace to the dinner
taoie' telling father and daughter some
thlns OF the early life of the GONZALES
cent, exRibiting warm friendship
winch could be satisfied with nothing
less than visit on the morrow m The
sick room. And his highness, now very
much on the mend. sent word, with the
Doctors permission, that he would be
charmed to receive the Princess Galitzin
at 10 in the morning.
What happened in the room of the
conValescent was never related TO Peter
Mcclure. But Anastasie emerged with
her head erect, her pretty face wear
ing the fixed smile of the eternally
bored. And then she told Peggy TINT
she had decided to return to New York.
80 after packing her belongings, she
got into Peggy's car and was driven
much against the will Of her hostess to
the Bergen cottage. Peggy wouldn't
get out of the car, but Anastasie went
to the door and knocked. Beth came
out with her sleeves rolled above her
elbows, her fingers covered with -four.
The Princess Galitzin vanished inside
and the door was closed Her call lasted
ten minutes while Peggy cooled her
heels. But whether the visit had been
prompted by goodness of heart Or
whether by curiosity to study the lady
OF Peters choice Mt close range, no one
will ever know. Beth was very polite
to her and though she identified her
without difficulty as the heliotrope-
envelope lady, she offered her some of
the Cookies that she had made for
Peter, and expressed the warmest
thanks for her kind wishes. She saw
Anastasie Galitzin to the door, mark
ing her heightened color and wonder.
ing what her fur coat had cost. Beth
couldn't help thinking. whatever her
motive in coming, that the Princess
Galitzin was very beautiful lady and
that her manners bad been lovely. But
1t was with sigh of relief that she saw
the red car vanish down the road in a
cloud of dust.
His convalescence begun, Peter re-
covered rapidly and in three weeks more
he was himself again. In those three
weeks many interesting things had hap
pened.
Jonathan X. Mcclure had held
series of important conferences with
Peter and Mrs. Bergen, who seemed to |
have grown ten years younger. And |
one fine day after a protracted visit to
New York with Mrs. Bergen, he re-
end boxes, and stopped at the door of
the cottage, where Peter was taking a
lunch Of Beth's cooking.
1t was n beautiful surprise. Mrs.
Bergen whispered In Beth's ear and
Beth followed her into the kitchen,
where the contents of one or two of the
boxes were exposed to Beth's astonished
gaze. Peter, Of course. being in the
secret. kept aloof. awaiting the result of
Mrs. Bergen's disclosures. But when
Beth came back into the plush covered
parlor, he revealed his share in the con-
spiracy by producing, with the skill
IF conjurer taking a rabbit from q
silk hat, minister and marriage H.
rense, the former having been hidden
IN the house of ncighbor. And Jona-
han X. Mcclure, with something of
IN air. fully justified by the difficulties
le had been at to secure it, produced
1asteboard box, which contained an
,ther box of beautiful white velvet,
which he opened with pride, exhibiting
ts contents. On the soft satin lining
vas brooch, containing ruby as
arge as Beth's thumbnail.
With gasp Of joy, she gazed at it,
or she knew just what 1t was, the fam
ly jewel that had been sold to the
,urser of the BermudiAn. And then
he threw her arms around McGuire's
leck and kissed him.
Some weeks later Beth and Peter
at at dusk in the drawing room Of
Slack Rock House. for Mcclure had
urned the whole place over to them
or the honeymoon. The night was
hilly, n few fakes Of snow had fallen
turing the afternoon, so log fire I
urned in the fireplace. Peter sat at
he piano playing the Romance" Of
Iibelius, for which Beth had asked, but
rhen It was finished his fingers, i'm
elled by a thought beyond his own
ontrOl, began the opening rumble OF
he Revolutionary Etude." The mu-
ic was familiar to Beth and 1t stirred
er always because it was this gorgeous
laint of hope and despair that had
t the very first sounded depths In her
wn self the existence of which she
ad never even dreamed But tonight
'eter played 1t as she had never heard
i'm play it before, with all his soul
/ his finger tips. And she watched
Is downcast profile as he stared at va
ancy while he played. 1t was in mo-
lents like these that Beth felt herself
roping in the dark after him, he was
o far away. And yet she was not
fraid, for she knew that out OF the
reams and mysticism of the half of
i'm that was Russian he would come
ack to her-just rs Peter Nichols.
He did presently, when his hands
ell upon the last chords and he sat
;ith head still bowed until the last
remor had died. Then he rose and
urned to her. She smiled at him and
q ioined her on the divan. Their
ngers intertwined and they sat for
,ng moment looking into the fire. But
,eth knew of what he was thinking and
'eter knew that she knew. Their
,oneymoOn was over. There was work
D do In the world.
The EN-