The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-06-10
THIS BEGINS THE STORY

THIS BEGlNS THE STORY
 Peter NichoIaevitch, Russian
 Grand Duke. eXiIed by revolution,
 comes to this country as Peter
 Nichols, and goes to work on the
 estate of Jonathan K. Mcclure.
 Mcclure beng bounded by
 bIackmaiIer Hawk Kennedy,
 alias Jim Coast, Kennedy says
 McGuire killed a man named
 Cameron in the West. Mcclure
 says Kennedy did the killing.
 Peter believes McGuire Cameron
 was the father of Beth Cameron,
 a girl with whom Peter has
 fallen in love, and to whom he is
 giving singing lessons. Because
 Cameron was killed for gold he
 had discovered Peter evolves
 plan to save Mcclure and get
 Beth the money rightly belong
 ing to her Peter hasn't made up
 his mind to marry Beth. This is
 due to caste. He is d Grand
 Duke. But his heart tugs at him.
 Beth notes an air of superiority
 about him that annoyS her. Well,
 not quite superiority, perhaps,
 but
 AND HERE IT CONTINUES
 It was just discretion. maybe, or something else, she couldn't decide what. But Beth didn't want to be put in a glass case like the wax flow CTS at home. Her voice was a. mere mechanical instrument, as he had taken pains so often to tell her, but he seemed to be making the mistake of thinking her a mechanical instru- ment, too. She wasn't. She was very much alive, thingling with vitality, very human under her demure aspect during the singing lessons and it had bothered her that Peter shouldn't know 1t. His ignorance, his tndiffer- ence affronted her. Didn't he see what she looked like? Didn't he see that she might be worth making love to just a little, very little once in a whiIe2
 The clouds had broken suddenly, almost without warning. when he had talked like a professor-about sen tfn1ent-ap ologized- was what he had done-apologized for not making love to her! Ohi
 And then things had happened swiftly - incredible, unbelievable things. The lightning had flashed and it had shown an ugly MT. Nichols "a different MT. Nichols from any thing that she could have imagined of him. The things he had said to her his kisses shameful things9 A hundred times she had brushed them O. like the vision of him from her mind. And still they returned. warm and pulsing to her lips. And still the vision of him returned-remained. He had been so nice to her before
 
 Now Beth sat in the big chair oppo- site Peter in the cabin by the log fire (for the evenings were getting cooIi while he finished telling her about the death of Ben Cameron. of the murder and of Jonathan K. McGuire's share in the whole terrible anaIr. II was with some misgivings, even after swearing her to secrecy, that he told heB what he had learned through Kennedy and Mcclure. And she had listened, wide-eyed. Her father of course, was only the shadow of q memory to her, the evil shade Nn half-forgotten dream, and therefore it was not grief that she could feel, not even sorrow for one who in life had been so vile, even if his miserable death had been so tragic-only hor- TOT and dismay at the thought of the perpetrator of the infamy. And not until Peter had come to the end of the story did she realize what this revelation meant, that the very foun- dation of McGuire's great fortune was laid upon property which be- longed to her.
 Out of all this evil must come some good, Beth,' he finished soberIy copper I1lne was yours MC- Guire took it and he is going to pay you what he owes"
 Beth had already exhausted all the explosives of horror and amazement and now for a moment this last in formation staggered her and she stared at him unbelieving.
 Pay me? I can't believe-"
 Tt was your property by every law of God and man. and I mean that Ia smiled softly. You see, Beth, you won't need to depend on me now for your training"
 "oh-then this was what you meant"
 What I meant when I said that you should owe me nothing-that I | But will owe you-everything l shall still owe you everything'' And | then, wonderingly. And just to think | of my Twin here all this time so near l the man-and not knowin' about" Her words trailed off into silent as- | tonishment. ''Yes- And to think of his making his fortune on money that belonged | to you. Millions. And he's going to i pay you what he got out of the Tar antula mine-every dollar with inter- | est. to date"
 But how can you make him do , that?" she cried eagerly. What proof | have you got?''
 He smiled grinlly into The fire as | he poked a fallen log into the blaze.
 "Blackmail is an ugly word. Beth But it shouldn't be blackmail if sf- 1 fence is the price of getting what | really belongs to you. Mcclure is using your money-and he must give :t to you. It's your moaey-uot ms If he won't give il to you of his own free will he will give it against his will"
 1 But how can you make him do ! that" asked Beth timidly. | By saving him from Hawk Kan
 Es y0y priee-and yeurs." [
 " r e4a seeS'' [
 --ss. Know. Two got to fight Kennedy with his ow-4 weapons- outwit him And I've thought out a plan"
 But he's dangerous. You mustn't take any further risks with a man like that for me-
 Peter only smiled.
 Ut will amuse me. Beth. And pc I