The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-05-13
THIS BEGINS THE STORY.

 Grand Duke with decidedly dem ocratic Ieanings, is driven from home by revoIutioniStS arrives in America as Peter Nichols, and gets job as forester on the New Jersey estate of Jonathan K. Mc- Guire, after refusing to enter somewhat shady career with a Jim Coast, whom he meets on board ship. Mcclure is a West erner, who has apparently done hard work in his time. He is very much afraid of somebody or something, and Peter wonders about it, although he has already had an intimatiOn of some mys- terious clement from Beth Cam eron, a beautiful girl residing in the vicinity of Black Rock, Mo Guire'S home. She is endowed with natural talents which have never been given a chance to de- veIop, and amuses Peter. Later Peter takes up the systematic pO- Heinz of the estate to protect McGuire from any unwanted viS- itors, for he is convinced that the source of danger will be a nat uraI, rather shan 8 supernatural one. He also realizes that he has incurred the dislike of some of the men already engaged in guarding the place.
 AND HERE IS CONTINUES: It was the quality of his terror that was disturbing. Peter was well ac- quainted with the physical aspects of fear-that is. the fear of violence and death. That kind of fear made men restless and nervous, or silent and preoccupied; or like liquor, 1t accen- tuated their weaknesses of fiber in sullenness or bravado. But it did not make them furtive. He could not be- lieve that it was the mere danger of death or physical violence that blessed his employer. That sort of danger perhaps there might be. but the fear that he had seen in Me Guire's fanatical gray eyes was born of something more than these. What ever it was that Mcclure feared, il reached further within-a threat which would destroy not his body alone, but something more vital even than that-the very spirit that lived within him.
 Of his career. Peter knew nothing more than Shelton, Senior, had told him-a successful man who told noth- ing of his business except to the Treasury Departure a silent man. with a passion for making money. What could he fear? Whom? What specter out of the past could conjure up the visions he had seen dancing between McGuire's eyes and his own? :? The questions it seemed were not to be answered and Peter, as he sat down at the supper table, put them resolutely from his mind and ad- dressed himself to the excellent meal provided by the housekeeper. For the present, at least, fortune smiled up> on him. The terrors of his employer could not long prevail against. the healthy appetite of siX-and-twenty.
 But it was not long before Peter discovered that the atmosphere of the room upstairs pervaded the dining room, library and halls. There were 8 cook and housemaid. he discovered, neither of them visible.
 s-ne housekeeper, if attentive. was silent and the man who had opened the front door, who seemed to be a kind of general factotum, as well as personal bodyguard to MT. McGuire, crept furtively about the house in an unquiet manner which would have been disturbing to the digestion of one less timorous than Peter.
 Before the meal was finished this man came into the room and laid a police whistle. a large new revolver and a box of cartridges beside Peters dish of strawberries.
 These are for you. sir,'' he whis- pered sepulchra1ly. ''Mr. Mcclure asked me to give them to you-for tonight"
 Thanks" said Peter. "and I'm stryker. sir. Mir McGuire's valet"
 "Oh!"
 Peters accent of surprise came from his Inability to reconcile Stryker with the soiled shirt and the three days growth of beard on the man upstairs, which more tahn ever testi- fled to the disorder of his mental condition.
 And as Stryker went out and his footsteps were heard no more. the housekeeper emerged cautiously from the pantry.
 "Is everything all right. MT Nichols?" she asked in a stage whis- per.
 Right as rain. Delicious! Tn very much obliged to you" q mean-er-there ain't anythin else ye'd like?''
 Nothing, thanks" said Peter. talk ing up the revolver and breaking it He had cut the cover of the cartridg box and had slipped a cartridge into the weapon when he heard the vcice of the woman at his ear.
 Dye think there's any danger sir?" she whispered. while she ner vously eyed the weapon.
 I'm sure I don't know. Not tt you, I'd say" he muttered, still put ting the cartridges in the pistol. A. an ex-military man, he was taking great delight in the perfect mechan ism of his new weapon.
 What is it"? I mean. dy'' think" she stammered. "dit Nr Mcclure say-iust what is it he' afraid off"
 'sNo." said Peter, "he didn't" Ant then with a grin. DO you know"
 No, sir. I wish t God did. The1 there'd be somethin' to go by
 Pm afraid can't help you
 '.TilHe Bergen. I've been house keeper here since the new wing wa put on-
 .'Oh yes'' said Peter. pausing owe