The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-05-24
CHAPTER TX
Shad Is Unpleasant

Peter returned from New York on Thursday night, having accomplished his curious mission He had first in tercepted Beth on her way to the kitchen and sworn her to secrecy, ad- vising her to say nothing to Mrs. Der ben about the events of the previous night. And she had agreed to re- spect his wishes. On the way to New Y York he had sat in the rumble of the low red runabout, Miss Peggy Mo Guire at the wheel, driving the fash ionalble Freddy. Miss Mcclure, after having yielded, the night before, to the musical predilections of Miss Del aplane, had apparently reconsidered Peters social status and had waved him to the seat in the rear with a mere gesture and without apologies. And Peter, biting back a grin and touching his hat, had obeyed. The familarities tolerable in such a will derness as Black Rock could not, of course, be considered in the halls of the fashionable hotel where Miss Peggy lived in New York, and where, by dint of great care and exclusive ness, she had caught a hold of the fringe of society. But Peter sat up very straight, trying not to hear what said in front. If he could only have worn his colonors uniform and dec
  and have folded his arms, the irony would have been perfection.
 He had gone to Sheldon. Senior, in the morning and in return for Nc Guire's check had been given cash in the shape of 10 virgina1 $500 bills This money had been put into an en- ve1ope and was now folded carefully in Peters inside pocket. Sheldon. Senior, to be sure, had asked ques- J1,14 ol n+a had evaded him. Dick Sheldon was out of town, so Peter put in the re- maining period before his train-tirne in music store where he spent all the money that remained of his sal ary on books, a, few for the piano but must of them for Beth. Peter had wasted, as he had thought, two per fectly good years in trying to learn to sing. But those two years were not going to be wasted now-for Beth was to be his mouthpiece. He knew the beginnings of a training-how to give her the advantage of the in struction he had received from one of the best teachers in Milan. He was lucky enough to find books on the Italian method of voice produc- ton and on the way back to Me Guire's. armed with these, he stopped off at the Bergen house in Black MOCK Nll4aSe dIlu TeluTLeo oelh call.
 There he found Shad Wells. in his shirt-sleeves, smoking a pipe in the portico, and lookinng like a thunder cloud. In response to Peters query. he moved his right sh builder half an inch in the direction of the door, and then spat in the geranium bed. So Peter knocked at the door, softly at first. then loudly. when Beth emerg- ed, her sleves rolled to her shoulders and he arms covered with soapsuds.
 why Shad," shesaid witheringly, after she had greeted Peter. you might have let me know! Come in, Mir Nichols, Excuse my appearance. l waShday," she explained, as he fol- lowed her into the dark interior.
 q can't stop said the visitor, '.I just came to bring these books-''
 For me!'' she exclaimed. hurried ! ly wiping her ans on her apron.
 'I got them in New York; |
 She pulled up the shade at the side | letting in the sunlight, an act permis- ] s.bIe in the parlors of Black Rock | only an state occasions. for the sun light Gas every one knew) was not kind to p1ush-covered furniture.
 For mel" Beth repeated softly. ''I didn't think you meant it.
 Tone production-Exercises ex- pIained Peter, 'fand here's one on The Lives of the Great Composers I thought you might be interested in reading it.''
 "oh. yes. am will be. Thank you ever so much-''