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

Peter passed q troublous evening and
nlfht--a night Of self revelations.
Never that he could remember had he
40 deeply felt that sting of conscience.
He. the Grand Duke Peter Nicholae.
With. In love with this little rustic!
Impossible! 1t was the real Peter:
tired of the sham and make believe OF
SELF restraint and virtue, who had
merely kissed country girl. he was
no anchorite, no saint. Why had ne
It'd himself to such a duty from u
motive of silly sentimentnlismf .
He WINGED at the word. was II that
Eentimentalism. He had shown her the
best side Of him-shown it persistently'
rather proud Of his capacity for self
control. which had ridden even with his
Temptations. Why should 1t matter SO
much to him what this girl thought OF
him2 What had he said to her? Moth
Ing much that he hadn't said to other
women. 1t was the fact that he had
said It to Beth that made the difference.
The things one might say to other
women meant something different to
Beth--the things one might do.
BE had been q fool and lost his head,
handled her roughly, spoken to her
WILDLY, words only intended for gentle
moods, softer purposes. Shrewd little
Beth, whose wide, blue eyes had seen
right down into the depths of his heart.
He had been clumsy, if nothing else,
and he had always thought that clumsi-
ness was inexcusable. He had a guilty
sense that while Beth was still the little
lady to her finger tips, born to n natu-
nl nobility. he, the Grand Duke Peter,
had been the boor. the vulgar prole-
tartan.
The look in her eyes had shamed him
as the look in his own eyes had shamed
her. She had known what his wooing
meant and it hadn't been what she
wanted. The mention Of love on lips
that kissed as his had done was bias
phemy.
Yes, He cared what she thought Of
him-and he vG'inly cast about for n
way In which to justify himself. To
make matters worse Beth still believed
Nat this was the payment he exacted
y, what he had done for her, what he
aad proposed to do for her, that he
measured her favors in terms of value
received. What else could she think
ut thatT Every hour Of his devotion
70 ner music DETAINED her.
ihe situation was intolerab'c. In
tae morning he went seeking her Mt
ner home. The house was open. No
one In Black Rock village locked doors
py day or night. Beth was not there
neighbor said that she had gone
early alone into the woods and Peter
Snderstood. II she hadn't cared for
alm she wouldn't have needed to go
me woods to be alone. OF course,
Ie aldn appear at the cabin the next
and Peter searched for hcr--frut-
,Twaly' She weighed on his conscience,
e Sin unshrived. lie had to find
M -, 10 explain the unexplainable, to
~ her what her confidence had meant
nun, to recant his blasphemy of her
"Vn IN gentleness and repentance.
@ ne tailed to find her, he wrote her
uole asking her forgiveness, and, stuck
tne mirror of the old hatrack in
e nail Many women In Europe and
NV A.,WGere, ladies of the great world
s"",s peth had only dreamed about,
%Sau SS.u nave given their ears (since ear
no, were IN fashion) to receive such
not. WY from Peter. 1t was a beautiful
cont, ,ttesldes-manly, gentle, breathing
Ssra,i!o aTition and self .reproach. Beth
d ~ pSs, ignored 1t. Whatever she thought
lou,ss 'sr ' she wanted to deliberate a
rs.a 90 another music lesson hour
ohir while Peter sat alone in the
w.. waiting. That night two letters
ues brought to him. The superscrip-
Aana %e one was scrawled In n boyish
~ al. Inc other was scented, dainty,
landss lavender, and bore a familiar
"uhs and q familiar coronet.