The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-06-06

er had some object in remaining near
Peter and keeping him under ohser-
| walton. And what other object than
| a political one? The trail he had
| followed had begun with the look of
recognition in the Pennsylvania sta
ton in New York. And. where could
that look of recognition have sprung
| from unless he had identified Peter
| Nichols as the Grand Duke Peter
| Mich ola evitch? 1t seemed incredible,
| but there could be no other explana-
| ton. The man had seen him some
where perhaps in Russia, perhaps in
Paris or London, or perhaps had
| only identified him by his portraits
| which had been published frequently
| in the Continental magazines and
| newspapers But that he had really
| identified him there could not be the
| slightest doubt and Peters hope that
he would have been able to lose ms
| identity in the continent of America
| and become merged into a different
| civilization where he could work out
! the personal problem of existence in
| his own time, by his own efforts and
| in his own way, seemed destined to
| failure.
| If the stranger knew that Peter was
| in New Jehsey there was no doubt
that there were others who knew it
| in whose interests he was working
| Who? The same madmen who had
| done Nicholas to death and had killed
| one by one the misguided Empress,
| Olga, Tania, the poor little Czarevitch
| and the rest Did they con-
| slider him.. Peter Nichols lumber
| Jack extra ordinary, as a possible fu-
| ture claimant to the throne of Rus
| STA? Peter smiled grinlly. They were
a a w In
the camel
And If they feared him, why didn't
they strike? The stranger had al
ready had ample opportunity to
murder him if he had been so dis
posed, could still do it during Peters
daily rides back and forth from the
cabin to the camp and to the upper
reserve.
All of these thoughts perco1ated
slowly, as a result of the sudden in
SEPARATION at the clubhouse which had
liberated new train of Id cas- begin
| ming with the Identification of the
Isussja an characteristics of the new
umberman, which were more clearly
defined under the beard and work
mans shirt than under the rather
modish gray SLOUGH hat and American
clothing in which Peter had seen him
earlier And Peter had merely let the
man go. He had no proof Of the fell
lows purposes and If he had even dis
covered exactly what those purposes
were, there was no recourse for Peter
but to ask for the protection of
Washington, and this he had no de-
sire to do.
If the man suspected from the
quickly spoken Russian sentence that
Peter now guessed his mission, he
had given no sign OF it But that
meant nothing. The fellow was
clever. He was doubtless awaiting in
structions. And unless Peter took
his case to the Department of Justice
he could neither expect any protec-
ton nor hope for any security other
than his own alertness.
At the cabin Beth was waiting for
him. These hours of music and Beth
were now as much part of Peters
day his breakfast or his dinner
And he had only failed her when the
pressure of his responsibilities was too
great to permit of his return to the
cabin, The hour most convenient for
him was at the close Of the day, and
though weary or discourage d, Peter
always came to the end of this agree
able hour rested and refreshed and
with a sense of something definitely
achieved For whatever the days
brought forth of trouble and disap-
pointment. down at the logging camp
or the mills, here was Beth waiting
for him. full Of enthusiasm and self
confidence, a tangible evidence Of sue
cess.
The diligence with which she ap-
piled his instructions, the ease with
which she advanced from one step to
another, showed her endowed with an
intelligence even beyond his early ex-
pectations. She was singing SIMPLE
ballads now. English and French. and
already evinced a sense of interpreta-
ton which showed the dormant ar
fist. He tried at first. of course, to
eliminate all striving for effect, con-
tent to gain the purity of tone for
which he was striving, but she soaned
beyond him sometimes, her soul de-
flying limitations, liberated into an
empyrean OF song. II anything, she
advanced too rapidly, and Peters
greatest task was to restrain her OPP
timism and self-confidence by i'm
posing the drudgery OF fundamental
principles And when he found that
she was practicing too long. he set
her limits of half-hour periods be-
yond which she must not go. But
she was young and strong and only
once had he noted the slightest symp-
tom of wear and tear on her vocal
chords. when he had closed the piano
and prohibited the home work for AZ
hours.
AS to their personal relations, Peter
had already noticed a difference in
his own conduct toward Beth, and in |
hers toward hina-a shade of restraint
in Beth's conversation when not on
the topic Of music. which contrasted
rather strangely with the candor of
their first meetings Peter couldnt
help smiling at his memories for now
Beth seemed to be upon her good be-
hav!or, repaying him for her earlier
contempt with a kind of awe at his
attainments He caught her soma
times in unguarded moments looking
at him curiously, as though in won
der at a mystery which could not be
explained And to tell the truth
Peter wondered little, too, at his
complete absorption in the task he
had set himself.
He tried to believe that it was only
the music that impelled him, only the
love of an accomplished musician in
the discovery OF g. budding artist, but
he knew that it was something more
than these. For reducing the the
orem to different terms. he was oblig-
ed IN c0rfaSS that rha ~ hal teer