The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-06-07


 Jonathan K. Mcclure. It is their
 duty to see that no stranger
 reaches the house. Peter becomes
 interested in a girl who lives in
 the neighborhood and gives her
 singing lessons, much to the an-
 noyance of Shad Wells, her
 cousin, and one of the guards.
 Music means happiness, she says,
 and sorrow, too. ''Not sorrow to
 those who hear you sing, Beth," .
 he says 'fDo you really think
 that, Mir. NichoIs?" she asks, joy
 ously.
 AND HERE TT CONTINUES She had never been persuaded to call him by his Christian name though Peter would have liked it. The Mr. was the tribute of pupil to master. born also of a subtler instinct of which Peter was aware.
 Yes" he replied generously you'll sing that very well in time-''
 When I've suffered?' she asked quockly.
 He glanced up from the music in his hand, surprised at her intuition.
 'I don't like to tell you so-1'
 But I think I und erstand. Mo- body can sing what she doesn't feel what she hasn't felt Oh. I know she broke off suddenly. 'I can sing songs of the woods-the water-the pretty things like you've been givin' me. But the deep things-sorrow, pain, regret-like this-Tm not up to them."
 Peter sat beside her. pufing con- tentedly.
 Don't worry he muttered. Your voice will ripen.''
 And will I ripen. too?'
 He laughed. '1 don't want you ever to be any different from what you are-'
 She was thoughtful a moment, for Peter had always taken pains to be sparing in personalities which had nothing to do with her voice.
 "But don't want always to be what am," she protested, "just growth close to the ground like a pumpkin Or a squash.'
 He laughed. You might do worse.''
 "But not much. Oh, I know. You're teachin' me to think-and to feel that I can make other people do me. But it don't make me any too happy to think of bein' a-a squash again."
 Perhaps you won't have to be-" said Peter quietly.
 '.And the factory-I've got to make some money next winter. I can't use any of Aunt Til1fe's savin's. But when I know what I might be doin', it's not any too easy to think of gofn' back there!"
 Perhaps you won't have to go," said Peter again.
 Her eyes glanced at him quickly looked away, then returned to his face curiously.
 'I don't understand what you mean"
 1T mean,~ said Peter, that we'll tru +n fin Ho of the glass factory-to keep on with the music''
 ''But how? I can't be depend ent on" She paused with a glance at him. And then quickly, with her characteristic frankness that always probed straight to her point, ''You mean that you will pay my way?"
 Merely that I'm going to find the Rnoney-somehow"
 But she shook her head violently "Oh, no, couldn't let you do that MT. Nichols. I couldn't think of it" v"But you've got to go, Beth. I've made up my mind to that You'll go pretty fast. It won't be long before you'I1 know all that can teach you And then I'm going to put you under the best teacher of this method in New York. In a year or so you'll be earning your own way-''
 But can't let you do this for rNme You're doin' too much as it is-too much that can't pay back
 we won't talk of money. You've given me a lot of enjoyment. That's my pay"
 But this other-this studvtn. in New York. No. I couldn't let you do that. cou1dn't-I can't take a cent from you or from any man-woman either, for that matter. I'll find some way-workin' nights. But I'm not goin' back she added almost fiercely between her teeth, mot to the way was before. I won't. I can't"
 Good. That's the way great ca reers are made. I don't intend that you shall. I'm going to make a great singer of you, Beth
 She colored with joy
 Are you, MT. Nichols? Are you? Oh, I want to make good-indeed, I do-to learn French and Italian-' And then, with a sharp sign. 70 Lord. if wishes were horses-," She was silent again. regarding him wistfully.
 Don't think I'm not grateful. I'm afraid you might am grateful. But sometimes I wonder what you're doin' it all for. MT. Nichols And whether-'
 As she paused again Peter finished for her.
 Whether it wouldn't have been 
 -er," he grinned, "a peach. let's say? Well. I'll tell you, Beth" he went on, laying his pipe aside. q came here, without a friend, to a strange job in a strange country.
 'T found you. Or rather you found me-lost like babe in the woods You made fun of me. Nobody had ever done that before in my life, but ] rather liked it I liked your voice, too. You were worth helping. you see. And then along came Shad. couldn't have him ordering you about, you know-not the way he did tiff he hadn't any claim on you. So you see, had a sense of resp ponsibility for you after that About you, too
 -" he added, as though thinking aloud
 His words traiIed off into silence while Beth waited for him to explain about his sense Of responsibility. She wasn't altogether accustomed to have anybody responsible for her. But as