Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-10
=. nroINs rHE STORY

qsbe Is o, oi;as jim Coast, a man
kenneoR, pefer had tcorked rs
rite w.,b ~, fbs ship that brought them
roifeT Toast tells Peter Of a murder
ever; md committed IN the West.
ucuGnn..,s story made Coast the
hssrey hcOssny Peter belieces MoGu're;
,;ofim Wus a. man named
TM ,on. father Of Beth Cameron,
I'm ,shom Peter has fdllen ~ ,ooe.
Tr.s,r resolves to crcumpeht Coost
IL N oyotcot his employer oy p'dvng
~" come little deeper hdn 'hd' ol
tAc blookmdiler. >,,,,,s
or COURSE he. now had the advan'
u ,,se of knowing the whole of Nc
- side of the story, while Kennedy
~ ,s not believe the old man would have
.a 20 tell. And to hold these cards
y. .neeessfully it would be necessary to
.,,nne In Kennedy's mind the belief
~. w. peter did not share McGuire's
sderce. 1t would also be necessary
peter to cast in his lot, apparently,
,s,h kennedy against Mcclure. 1t was
.a,,,v business at best, but he meant
! carry it through il he could, and get
=. signed agreement from the black
| mailer. ~ old
.,,.t that Jim Coast had always car
IA He had seen 1t after Coast had
-, aims of paper FROM 1t and showed
uAen V 90 Peter-newspape clippings,
lns ,o. from inamoratas and the like'-Dut
~ wsonrse never the paper now IN ques-
a. y. And IL he had carried 1t all these
uvn where was it now? In the vault
!! .omo hank or trust company. prob
W. and this would make Peters task
Ga;cult, IL not impossible
petor cot ND and pated the hoor,
.,;rLing deeply of all these things In
Ma;r relation to Beth. And then at
,... no went out into the night, his foot
s,sns impelled toward the village. After
Iii tbe thoughts uppermost In his mind
@ @.s,s % Of Beth herself. Whatever the
.ost of his pride, he would have to make
Ns neace with her. He knew that now;
WHY otherwise did his restless feet lead
MIN out into the pasture back OF the
little postofice toward the rear OF MIS-;
Bergen's house? Yet there he FOUND
himself presently, smoking his cornc9o
pIpe for comfort, and staring at tne
rsnt;tary light in Tillie Bergen's par
lor which proclaimed its occupant. Mrs.
Rereen's house stood az little dis
tsnee from its nearest neighbor, and
Icter stole slowly through the orchard
A. the rear OF the window. 1t was then
FRAT he heard the music for the first
fine the "harmonium' wailing softly,
while sweet and clear above the accom-
napiment (worked out painstakingly but
ioyinply BY the girl herself) came Beth s
voice singing the "Elegie.'
Peter came closer until he was just
st the edge of the shadow outside the
window. He knew that her back would
b turned to him and SO he peered
around the shutter at ner unconscious
back. She sang the song through until
the end and then after pause sang 1t
again. Peter had no ear now for the
phrasing, for faults in technique. or in
accuracies in enunciation. What he
heard was the soul of the singer call
Ing. All that he had taught her in the
hours in the cabin was In her voice
and something more that she had
learned elsewhere Her voice was
richer--deeper, child's voice no
longer, and he knew that she was sing
Ing Of his mad moment in the woods,
which had brought the end of all things
that had mattered in Der life. 1t was
no girl who sang now, but a woman
who had learned the meaning of the
song, the plant of birds once joyous,
Of woodland flowers once gay-at the
memory of a spring that was no more.
He had told her that she would sing
that song well some day when she
learned what it meant. She would
never sing it again as she had sung it
tonight. All the dross that Peter had
worn in the world was stripped from
him In that moment, all that was petty
and gnoble in his heart driven forth,
and he stood with bowed head, in shame
for what he had been. and in gentle
mess for this dear creature whose idols
be had east down.
AT the end of the second verse her
fingers slipped from the keys and fell to
her sides while she bowed her head
and sat for n moment immovable. And
then her shoulders moved slightly and
tiny smothered sound came from her
taroat Suddenly her head bent and
ne fell forward on her arms upon
the muted keys.
Noiselessly he passed over the low
windowsill and before she even knew
tnst he was there, fell to his knees be-
Beth" he whispered, Don't
chld-don'tv'
She Strengthened. startled and in
eredulous at the sight of him, and
uied to move away, but he caught one
81 Is, her hands and with bent head gently
ia,d his lips upon it.
n ,ao Don't r1,, BE hBeth-Please. I can't bear
,.I-im not crying" she N-ammered
aslplessly; while she winked back her
--stomachache.
one tried to laugh-failing dismally
pred. WIS
II can't help tiff live got
PAIN she evaded him.
nut can" he murmurcd. cts in
Ginr. GtS"r neart. Beth. I'm sorry for every
There's nothing to forgive"
PLEASE :" e'S'
There's nothing to forgive" she
,pnyated DULY. But she had con-
Eymed her voice now and her fingers
r .W ns were struggling for release.
h,. was brute, Beth. I'd give every
EH 10 nave those moments back. |
Suian ou IN hurt you for the world. See
kow changed I am"
lishHne released her fingers and turned
n. I'm I'm changed, too, Mr.. Nichols"
w. NO. You mustn't be. Beth. And
nj got to have you back. You've
~. rr, no come back to me. Beth"
"YynlhgS cant be the same now."
,,l,S-Just the same---"
40. Something's gone"
pla.nn nu' u something else has taken its
Nothing Can"
S0mNthing oraotor ;,