The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-06-02
THIS BEGINS THE STORY

Grand Duke, exiled by revolution,
 comes to this country as Peter
 Nichols and takes charge o6 q
 group of men on the estate of
 Jonathan K. McGuire. They are
 there to keep strangers from ap-
 proac1dnG the house, but the
 man Mcclure fears breaks
 through the guard, leaves sa
 warning and appoints a time and
 place of meeting. Peter meets
 the man for McGuire and is sur
 prised to find that he is Jim
 Coast, a man of many aliases,
 with whom he had worked on
 board ship. Circumstances lead
 him to the belief that Coast is the
 father of Beth Cameron, girl
 who interests him, and he goes to
 McGuire's housekeeper, her aunt,
 to get additional data.
 AND HERE IT CONTINUES
 Instead of going directly up the lawn to the house Peter went along the edge of the woods to the garage and then up the path, as Coast must have done a few nights before. The housekeeper was in the pantry and there Peter sought her out He noted the startled look in her eyes at the moment he entered the room and then the line of resolution into which her mouth was immediately drawn. So Peter chose roundabout way or coming to his subject.
 T wanted to talk to you about Beth, Mrs. Bergen,'' he began cheer fully. She offered him chair, but Peter leaned against the windowsilI looking out into the gray morning. He told her what ne had discovered about her niece'S voice, that he himself had been educated in music and that he thought every opportunity should be given Beth to have her voice trained.
 He saw that Mrs Bergen was dis armed for the moment as to the real purpose of his visit and he went on to tell her just what had happened at the Cabin with Shad Wells the day before and asking her, as Beth's only guardian, for permission to carry out his plan to teach her all that he knew, after which he hoped ot would bepossible for her to go to New York for more advanced training.
 Mrs. Bergen listened in wonder, gasping at the tale of Shad Wells un- doing, which Peter asked her to keep in confidence. From Mrs. Bergen 8 comments he saw that she took little stock in Shad, who had been bother ing Beth for two years or more, aud that her own love for the girl amount ed to a blind adoration which could see no fault in anything that she might
  ed with the opportunities Peter of fered. for she had always known that Beth sang '-prett1er than anybody in the world" As to going to the Cabin for the lessons, that was nobody's bus mess but Beth's. She was 22-and able to look out for herself.
 I'm an old woman, MT. Nichols" she concluded timidly. "an' I've seen a lot of trouble. one kind or another. r N-,w 4,76 menfs- know Beth She ain't no body's fool And if she likes you. you ought to be glad of it. If she's wilIin' to come to your cabin, I'm wdllin' that she should go there-nO matter who don't Hke it or why. She can look after herself-aye, better than I can look after her" She sighed And then with some access of spirit, You're different from most of the nothtn' wrong with you If you say you want to help Beth, Pm wiI1in' to believe you But if I thought you meant her any harm-r
 She broke off and stared at him with her mild eyes under brows meant to be severe
 ~T hope you don't want to think that. ArsL Bergen" said Peter gently.
 NO. I don't want to. Beth don't take up with every Tom Dick and HarY. And if she likes you. reckon she knows what she's about
 T want 10 help her to make some thing of herse1f.' said Peter calmly. And know can Beth is a very unusual Strl~
 Don't yon suppose I know that? She always waA She asn-t the same always wanted to learn Even nov when she's through school. she's a1- ways readtn'-AfwayE.~
 That's it. She ought to complete frer education. That's what I mean. I want to help her to be a great singer can do it if 1ou'u let me"
 Where's the money conatn' from 7'' sighed Mrs. Berg@u-
 No need to bother about that. yet. I can give her a beginning, if you ap- prove Afner tfat- Peter paused a moment and then. wen eee,'' he finished
 He was somewhat amazed st the length to which his suso-eonscloas thought was carr71nS htm. for his spoken words ooa1c infer nothing Less than hSs undertaking at his own ex- pence the completion of the sir1's ed- ncatton. The hoasea3eepeFs exea7nna- lion Of his meaning.
 You Inean-thaS you-.'' she halted and looked at him oyer hes glasses in wonder.
 YeS~ he sasd bland1ys aware of an 9rrevocab1e step. 'I dc. Mrs. Ber- gem
 My 1aadt~ she ezS1aimed And then again As thosg& h echo My 1andf~
 That's one of the reasons why I've come hers to you todav,S he went on qaickN. T want to help Beth and want to help you, I know that ev- eryrhtng isn't going right for you at Black Rock House. I've been drawn more deeply fnto-into McGuirs's af- fairs than expected to bs and I've learned 6 great many things that arsuk any business Of mine, And one of the things Eve learned Is that