The Vagrant Duke

n the woods and were disturbed at the trick their ears had played upon them. But Peter didn't tell them the truth. If listening

eviated by the poor condition of the trees under which Peter passed. It was primeval forest even here, with valuable trees stunted and poor ones vastly overgrown according to nature's law which provides for the survival of the fi

windows of the room were opened wide to the sunlight which streamed into the room, revealing its darkest corners. McGuire himself seemed to

ire closed the heavy doors of the steel

," he said more cheerfully. "

he man who got through the guards and

gasped

myself. I wanted to show Shad Well

f course. Very good. An

ave to pot me if they could. But I th

a cigar. I'm glad you've com

ut this very guard. I-I'm afraid you'll have to k

er c

nt her, but she's coming. I couldn't stop her. She doesn't know anything about this-er-this guarding the house. And I don't want her to know. S

r. "You don't want her to know anything about the

Nichols. They talk too much." He paused "It's-er-necessary that none of her friends in New York or mine should know o

hink

what they're there for. In the daytime they must be given something to do about the place-trimming the lawns, pruning trees or weeding the driveway. Pay 'em

floor slowly looking at Pet

and intelligence-and of course anybody can see you're a

ke me to go

lost my oldest girl and her boy with the 'flu.' Her husband's still in France. And Peggy's got a will of her own, Peg has," he finished in a kind of admiring abs

en, was the weak spot in the armor of this relentless millionaire-his daughter. The older one and her child wer

this at once, then.

on emerging from the trees. A man in the road was holding up his hands in signal for the machine to stop and had barely time to leap aside to avoid being run down. The car roared up to the portico, the breathless man, who was Sh

" he muttered,

fway up the drive, when at a signal and shout from McGuire

nds of voices and presently the quick patter of feminine footste

, dau

lo,

e and straggling brown hair, qu

arth--" be

And the hotel's full of a convention of rough necks. I brought Freddy with me

rself audible in a crowd. Peter was ready to revise his estimate that her

n McGuire, "not more than over night-w

the woods look prettier. We came by La

e suddenly espied Peter who wa

new superintendent and forester.

with a quick glance that took in his flannel shirt, cordu

n this girl was very particula

n the driveway," she wen

s, I've told them to ke

me off! I suppose he'll be tryin

Peter, paying as little attention to his prese

own," she said indicating Peter

nce. And I'd like to arrange to look over part

n. And then significantly-"But remember what I've

s,

afterwards learned that his last name was Mordaunt, that he was a part of Peggy's ambitions, and that he had been invalided home from a camp and discharged from the

igenous. Personally, he didn't mind what sort of people he met, but he seemed to be aware that a new element had come to Black Rock which was to make disquietude for Jonathan K. McGuire and difficulty for himsel

ls, who informed him that night

' the dark. 'Tain't nateral. 'Frai

our orders. And the thing he fe

ur

r dark he has probably had his warnin

g to prepare the ground for an endurable relation between them. Like Beth Cameron Shad had sneered at the word "forester." He was the average lumberman, only interested in the cutting down of trees for the market-the commercial aspect of the business-heedless of the future, indifferent to the dangers of deforestation. Peter tried to explain to him that forestry actually means using the

here, Mister-enough f

showed him what trees should be marked for cutting and wh

system for fighting th

s a fire we go and try to

the fire

the deer season. Railroads

ep no watch

uld we wa

built-with telephone con

old man will s

to. It's i

O

e, "that a good 'crown' fire and a high gale, wo

ver happ

d-by to your jobs-and to

k can stand it, if

ork in the German forests that he had observed before the war. Shad had now reached the point of listening and asking questions as the thought was more and more borne into his mind that this new superintendent was not merely talking for talk's sake, but because he knew more about the wood

tory to returning toward Black Rock when they both heard a sound,-away off to t

ling eye. And then carelessly

she be doing in h

the road. It's the sh

," fro

your way back alone, Nichols

"I reckon I can

direction of Heaven. "That way!" he muttered a

d disappeared, tracing him for a while through the moving foliage,

lmost defenseless Russians. Here all was so quiet. The world was a very beautiful place if men would only leave it so. The voice of the girl was silent now. Shad had probably joined her. Somehow, Peter hadn't been able to think of any relationship, other than the cousinly one, between Shad Wells and Beth. He had only known the gir

finding his way home, for he had a pocket compass and the road could not be far distant. He liked this place. He would build a tower here, a hundred-foot tower

oice in his dream.

s, aware of the smoking cigar

Shad Wells against. He smeared the smoking stub out i

s dream, almost at his ear. "T

dropping intonation at its en

e provoked him more! Behind her he saw the

said Peter, get

en't burnt to death. Then ho

owed after the d

" he muttered, aware of

ich way were you thi

pointed vaguely, and

nd in Egg Harbor,

ectious and Peter

ith us. Shad asked me to come

l and grinned, recalling his desertion and

ou both," said Peter diplomatically.

ou can't. I've known people to spend the nigh

dn't min

sponsibility if you didn't turn up fo

ht her small; to-day she seemed to have increased in stature-so uncertain is the masculine judgment upon any aspect of a woman. But his notions in regard to her grace and loveliness were only confirmed. There was no concealing them under her absurd garments. Her flanks were long and lithe, like a boy's, but there was something feminine in the way she moved, a combination of ease and strength made manifest, which could

nd walked toward Black Rock, Beth in the

ut what you said yester

out

aven," she said promptly awa

eated Peter, "y

ce of you-and y

led Shad. "He ai

've a voice like an angel. You

on't," he sn

amused if he hadn't thought

giance and he had no wis

d. "Then it was you the

Peter. Shad said nothing in reply but he put every sha

th gasped. "Whe

here I live," sa

O

he part of both of his c

e the tension, commenting on the

ggy's name Beth show

uire! Her

ing. Do yo

n her. I think sh

hy

utiful clothes and-

that's your defini

hair over their ears-I tried it, but it looked funny. Is she going to be here long? Has she got a

me this mornin

u're going to look like

them went different ways. What a rogue she was! And poor Shad Wells who was to h

regeneration. And Shad's blind adoration was merely a vehicle for her amusement. It would have been very much better if she hadn't used Peter's complimen

a creature good to look at, in spite of her envy of the fashionable Miss Peggy McGuire with her modish hats, cerise veils and ear puffs, her red roadsters and he

apparel, in which he could not imagine her, for the other girls of Black Rock had not so far blessed his vision. Aunt Tillie Bergen had told him, over his late breakfast, of the difficulties that she and Beth had had to keep their little place going a

s careful injunctions in regard to McGuire. It was still early and the supper hour was seven, so Peter unpacked his small trunk which had arrived in his absence and then, carefully shutting door and windows, sat at the piano and played quietly at first, a "Reverie" of Tschaikowsky, a "Berceuse" of César Cui, the "Valse Triste" of Jean Sibelius and then forgetting himself-launched forth into Ch

ondered, it rang again. Of course-the telephone. He found the instrumen

?" it asked in an

s,

dark, what have you

" said Peter smiling

house is open. I can't shut it with these people here. Your men wi

I thin

h me-you understand. Yo

s,

ould you mind putting on a dress suit--

id Peter. "Tha

ks. You'll

es

od-

ployer last night. But it seemed as though McGuire were almost as much in awe of his daughter as of

al attention, when he was aware of a feeling of discomfort-of unease. In the mirror something moved, a shadow, at the corner of the window. He waited a moment, still fingering his cravat, and then sure that his eyes had made no mistake, turn

outed Peter crisply.

in the undergrowth. Peter fired twice at t

ew moments a more distant crackling advised him that his visitor had gotten well away. And so afte

he had seen at the window was that of the stranger who had stared at him so curiously-the man of the soft hat an