Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-10
CHAPTER XIV


she had been his Czarina and went V nmt
So" CHAPTER XIV 4
Super1nan
vi course Beth Cameron knew moth.
ing OF Russia's grand dukes. The onlv
Duke that she had ever met was In Tho
pages of the novel she had read in
W, winch the hero was named Alrernon
Inat Duke was of the English variety.
proud crusty. and aged, and had onlv
made an unpleasant impression unon
her because she had liked Algernon.
VINO mad fallen in love with the daugb.
.er OF thc Duke, and the Duke had been
very horrid to him in consequence or
~ reason OF that mishap. When she
nso SAID to Peter that he reminded her
or Aigernon she had meant 1t, nnd that
Mus really very nice of her, because she
.nougnt Aigernon all that self re
specting hero should be- 1t was true
ma, ZIG. refer though mostly an English
ha m, dldnt play polo and ride to
order people about, because he was roo
living. ~ "'fA lor n's
But he did remind her of Alpernon
somehow. He had way with him. as
tn9ugh II there had been buffers and
yalets at Black Rock he could have
swaggered and ordered them around IL
ne q had mind TO. He was good look
ing, too. She had noted that even from
the very first when she found him lug
ging his suitcase down on the road from
I,ickerel River. Then. too, he did saw
things to her, nicer things than any
ieIlow had ever known how to saw 70
her before. and he was much more polite
than she had ever believed It possible
Ior any one to be without seeming
queer.
But when eavesdropping at Nc.
CURES she had heard Peter play the
piano, she felt herself conducted into 4
new world which had nothing Mt all to
Even the sartorial splendor of Miss
Peggy Mcclure paled into insignificance
beside the new visions which the music
or Peter Nichols had invoked. He
hadn't just lied to her. He was a
musician. He could play. She had
never heard anybody bring from piano
sounds like these. And he had said hs
wanted her to sing for him.
Beth had sung always-just MS she
had always breathed-but she had
never heard any good music except on n
talking machine at the boarding house
at Glassboro-an old record of Madame
Melba's that they played sometimes.
But even that song from an opera
LAY Boheem" they called it,, mutt
lated as it was. had shown her that
there was something more wonderful
than the popular melodies that the
other people liked. Beth's taste for
good music, like her taste for nice peo
pie, was instructive. And she had
found that in her walk of life the one
was about as difficult to find as the
other. She had had her awakenings
and her disillusionments, with women
as well as men, but had emerged from
ner experiences Of two winters in a
factory town with her chin high and
her heart pure-something of an
achievement for one as pretty as Beth.
All in all. she had liked Shad Wells
better than any of the men she had
met. He was rough, but she had dis
covered that good manners didn't al
ways mean good hearts or clean minds.
1t was this discovery that had made
her look askance at Peter Nichols when
he was politer than anybody she had
ever met. If her philosophy was to be
consistent this new superintendent
would need watching. But his music
disarmed her and captured her imagin-
alton. And then came the incident of
the jealous Shad and the extraordinary
outcome of Mr.. Nichols championship
of her rights. She had witnessed that
hight from the shelter of the bushes. 1t
had been dreadful but glorious Peters
chivalry appealed to her-also his
strength. From that moment he was
superman.
Then had followed the long, wonder
full weeks of music at the cabin, in
which she had learned the beginnings
OF culture and training. Her music
master opened new and beautiful vistas
for her, told her of the great musicians
and singers that the world had known.
described the opera houses of Europe.
the brilliant audiences. the splendid
ballets, the great orchestras. and prom
ised her that If she worked hard she
might one day become part of all
this. She had learned to believe him
now. for she saw that as time went on
he was more exacting with her work,
more sparinS in his praise of her, and
she had worked hardin despair at
times, but with slowly growing con-
tidence in her star of destiny.
And all the while she was wondering
why Peter Nichols was doing this for
her and what the outcome of it all was
to be. He spoke little of the future
except to hint vaguely at lessons else
where when he had taught her all that
he knew. The present 1t seemed was
sufficient for them both. His moods of
soberness, of joy, of enthusiasm, were
all catching and she followed him
blindly. aware of this great new ele-
ment in her life which was to make
the old life difficult, If not impossible.
He treated her always with respect, not
even touching her arms or waist in
passing---an accepted familiarity of
men by girls of her social class. Beth
Understood that it was Il consideration
due to delicate situation, the same
consideration which had impeiled her
always to call him Mr.. Nichols:
And yet it was this very consideration
of Peters that vexed her. 1t wasn't an
uir of superiority, for she couldn't have