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The Story by Chapters.
Copyright, 1918 by Moffat, Yard and Company.
Chapter I.—What Betty Rover*
Wrote to Anny de Peyster.
Chapter II. Her Woman'*
Will Hi* Man'* Way.
Chapter III.—When the Bird*
Came Home.
Chapter IV.—When the Violin
Man Came.
Chapter V. Where Betty
Went.
Chapter VI.—What Peter Did.'
Chapter VII.—When the West
Called to the East.
Chapter VIII.— Betty'* Cart*
d* Visite.
Chapter IX.—Whet Peter Saw
Pa Ming Hi* Door.
Chapter X.—Where Little Pe
ter Found the .Key.
Chapter XI.—What Peter Van
Zandt Saw.
Chapter XII.—When the Lit
tle Master Unlocked "the Door."
Chapter XIII.— Little Peter's
Mistake.
Chapter XIV.—Peter and the
Little Marquis Make a Secret.
Chapter XV.—Two "Days Be
fore Christmas.
Chapter XVI^-"And a Little
Child Shall Lead Them."
CHAPTER 1.
What Betty Revere Wrote to
Anny Do Peyster.
HRISTMAS eye In the morn
ing, at Willard's hotel. Wash
ington, D. C. My Dearest
Girl—I am sitting up with
ten pillows at my back. It's only 6
o'clock a. m., but I can't sleep another
wink, not that I have slept, for 1
haven't, not a moment, since lay
down at 2 a. m. four hours ago, back
||:S from the crush at the White House.
"Before I go on another line, Merry
Christmas, dear, a thousand of them.
I sent you a wee bit of a gift by post last
week, but I just had to light five can
dies on my dressing table (you know
how I dislike gas) and give you the
news. Oh. yes, there is news, Nan, glo
rious news too! Dad is to go positively
to Limoges as consul general. Don't
pout, for I. who have always longed to
live in France, shall remain here in the
States. Why? 1 bear you ask. Be-
cause I am engaged—yes!—to marry,
whom do you think? Mr. Peter Van
Hasty, you Bay. Yes. I sup
pose so. We bad never met until six
weeks ago. when at the British embas
ay we did. It waa a case of—no. no.
not love, but liking at first sight and
the very next morning hi* card came
up with some flowers, and the next
and the next and all the mornings
since, and he himself every day. He
is stopping at this hotel, too, and last
night at the White House, in a certain
corner of th» conservatory. Betty Re
vere capitulated. and I'm happier than
~-l quite understand.
"As for Mr. Van Zandt well, be
says be Is in heaven. Ifs to be a late
autumn wedding. Peter says so, and
maybe It'll have to be in France: 1
don't know yet But what do yon
think? Tou remember the big brick
double bouse on the corner of the
•quaro—tho house with two front
dolors, one on Washington park, the
other around the corner? The house
we used to pass on our way to school
at No. 1. with the sliver plate on the
door on the square, and *Dr. Van
Zandt' on It? Well, that Is to be my
tepe Peter lathat Dr. Van Zandfs
Ip, and that queer old delicious dou
ble house was built that double way
so thatl^e doctor's patients should not
dlsturbmbe doctor's family. They tell
me it's exactly two oeporate establish
ment* except for a single wide folding
door ofroach floor.
"So nSm not to live abroad, and we
•'•ball not be separated, And yon will be
ay first brldeataaid. and 1 know Peter
wtyl like you and yon Pet*r. and I do
wish his name wasn't Peter! 1 can
(Mrver cell him that He's not Ilk* a
Peter: JieVbandsome and Mf and tali
and strong and a bit stern and very
tender and immensely courtly, and I
think we'll never become too Intimate:
too Intimate man must be frightful
to be married to. Ifs 7 o'clock now:
«y chocolate will be coming op soon.
Ne been engaged, let m« see, seven
koun nsctly. became 1 know It was
iiwt ^nldnlgbt when Peter, In vecy
jUMterfnl way I most
my,
toon poe-
Momtonand dipped his great Mg ring
^JgjftJIinger until be can fetjsh me a
be mid.
m$rr^r^'77""^"^*^
V'^1
5
"Oh, Nan. dear. I wish you could see
the flowers Peter has just sent me—a
great basketful, dripping over, witb
little bridal roses and carnations! And
the foolish fellow says in his note, 'Not
as red as your mouth, not as sweet as
your kiss, not as fair as your face.'
And in the heart of one of the roses
was such a ring! Nan. so brilliant and
beautiful:- a constellation, not a soli
taire. 1 don't like solitaires. I wonder
how Peter knew. 1 suppose Peter has
Instincts some men have. Now 1
must dress for round of calls, then
dinner here. Peter is to dine with us.
Then the Christmas eve dance at the
Madisons*. No one in the whole world
knows about Peter and me but you.
dear. I am to wear the pink over the
blue with the mother of pearl fringe
and ribbon rows, you remember? And
I wish you were here witb all my
heart.
"Later: Ob, Nan, such a ball there
never was, with such charming sur
prises! One was a big tissue papei
balloon, red white and blue, bung be
tween the folding doors. After suppei
Captain Ashleigh. the military attache
was blindfolded mid armed witb a
wand. His object was to strike the
balloon. He failed. In fact, four meu
failed. Then Mr. Van Zandt's eyes
were bandaged and the wand given to
hiin. with all the company on the qui
vlve. I can assure you. for it was a
novelty to all of us. and we were sur
mising what that balloon contained
when Peter (oh, bow I wish bis name
were not Peter!) struck the fatal blow,
and we were all showered witb flour,
and witb such a multitude of trinkets
of silver and silk and velvet as never
before was seen, some labeled, some
not the men all scrambling to get the
prettiest things for their especial girls,
the girls grasping at the prettiest mas
culine things for the especial man. It
seems It Is a German custom, and cer
tainly It was jolly and charming. Pe
ter, while we were dancing the cotil
lion (be led and did it to perfection),
said that we should have a balloon like
that one at the double bouse our first
Christmas there. I wonder
if
deftptee
we will!
"Now, denr Nan, I must close. Write
me here at Willard's for the next fort
night. Our movements are uncertain.
Dad beard at tbe state department
that be wonld be called upon to leave
for his post almost immediately ow
ing to tbe death of his predecessor
In office at Limoges, and tbe vice is ill.
so 1 don't know bow things may shape
themselves Peter, not engaged but
a
few hours if you please, is already
quite presumptuous in his remarks ap
proving of early marriages. I am not
so 8ure. Peter Is only twenty-one. I
am—I mean I will be—eighteen soon.
Perhaps it would be nicer to wait a
few years. 1 shall suggest tbe wis
dom of this to Peter tomorrow when
we are going for a ride together. Cap
tain Ashleigb Is loaning us mounts
Oh. 1 forgot to tell yon that the de
lightful little carriage bouse and sta
ble built at tbe end of tbe garden-of
the double bouse is not empty. Peter
has two enchanting. I'm sure they are
so from their names, horses. Poppet
and Peacock. They are eleven and
twelve years old. strawberry roans,
and a coupe which is to be done over
in white cloth for—a bride! And there
are two wonderful old servants. Quite
old. but still very Immensely service
able. Peter says. Sbaddle, a butler
be Is almost thirty-five—and Supple
her first name is Bridget—who Is ac
tually twenty-eight Don't call me a
fiy away, although who knows bat
that I am! Dad always calls me that
He told Peter—now. Nan. what do
you think dad told Peter? In tbe first
place, what do you think Peter told
dad? Nothing less than this: 'Colonel
Revere.: I am going to marry your
daughter if I can win her.' That was
said the first time Peter ever saw me
Dad only told me today.
"And dad answered. 'Well. sir. your
audacity Is not. displeasing. Take care,
though. My daughter is like quicksil
ver. only she is gold, and I sometimes
think no man will ever capture ber If
be gives her time enough to change her
mind. Her mind Is her own. sir, and
she takes surprising liberties with It'
"1 wonder If I do?
"Well. dear, an revoir. Write me
about Ned Davies. Are yon still as
cruel to Um as ever? And believe me
to be witb sweetest thoughts of yon
at Bloomlngdale as ever. BBTTf.
"p. S.—If my letter seems mora frag
mentary and disjointed than usual put
It down to tbe fact that eome ml*
guided being in a room near our suit
baa a violin and plays on It or witb It
In. tbe moat excruciatingly horrible
way whenever I am in. Ton know
Dow I loathe violins save wben played
by competent artiste, and tbls pemon Is
evidently amateur, au bout dee ongles
A man, of coarse be draws, a strong
bow. I
men who are musical
I mean men wbo pl$r on violins and
ptanoa and Autea.. BtftTf."
CHAPTER U.
Her Woman's Will His Man's
Way.
S Betty bad written to ber
closest friend, Anny De Pey
ster. Mr. Peter Van Zandt
was inclined to be master
ful at tbe same time he was ex
ceedingly young, a combination wbicb
is not rare, it is true, but which, leav
ened as it was in bis case with a fund
of patience and a sense of humor, ren
dered Van Zandt. even at tbe early
age of oue-and-twenty, ratber of a per
sonage in his particular circle. He
was, as Betty, beautiful, willful, per
haps spoilt Betty had written, a hand
some man: tremendously well set up
one of the men who were always well
groomed, well dressed unobtrusive,
but distinctly there an obvious, unmis
takable' factor in whatever position or
environment he found himself. It is
not too much to say that he bad
thought, reasoned and reached about
as many conclusions as one-and-twenty
of the masculine gender can. He was
something of a man already, Just as
Betty, laughing out her seventeen
years and the fraction, was a good
deal of a. woman.'
On tbe afternoon of tbe day Betty
had written to Anny De Peyster, she
went with Peter for the ride. Peter
had, later, a stag dinner on at the
club some man .who was going to be
tied up the following week, but hp
managed to break away from this and
got back to Willard's by 9:15. Word
came down that Miss Revere was in
disposed word went back, hastily
Mr. Van Zandt Was the Man With the
Violin.
scribbled, that be "must see ber be
couldn't get on at all unless be did
that it was four hours now 6ince be
had, etc." Word came back by pencil
that "a headache was raging."
Peter went to bis room and scribbled
again. "Let me come I can cure it"
He- waited considerable time for
the answer While he waited be strove
to melt time away by playing upon bia
violin.
Certainly Peter Van Zandt was the
man with the violin.
Then. Just as be was in tbe midst
of a very especially fortissimo pas
sage. Betty's reply reached. It ran
this way: "I have got up and Into
a frock. My bead is splitting. It is
all the fault of some wretch whe
plays tbe violin in a room below us
or above, or near by. At least be
thinks he plays, but the noise is fright
ful. I wish I could murder him. Tou
can come in tbrec minutes. Daddy
is writing letters in his room. I am in
the parlor. BETTY."
Wben Peter had read the note be
smiled, laid the violin on the dressing
table and in less than one minute was
in the parlor witb Betty.
"He has stopped!" she exclaimed
with a delicious little pout as she con
trived not to have Mr. Van Zandt kiss
•her.
"Who bas stopped, dear?"
"Tbe violin man. Did yon—you
didn't really stop him?" with very
wide, almost frightened, eyes.
"Yes. I stopped him."
"Oh! How did you do it? Was be
angry? is be yonng or old? What did
be say?"
"He wasn't angry. He Is young: I
didn't say anything."
"Peter!"
"I simply took the vollln and laid It
away from him."
"But—didn't he want to thrash you?"
"No."
"But it must have been an insult**
"Not exactly," Peter laughed. "How's
the headache, little sweetheart?"
"It's better."
"Let me smooth It There—so. Per
haps 1 Inherit some of my father's
cugative power."
"Who Is tbe violin man, Peter?"
Betty always pronounced the name
with hesitation and reserves of disap
proving taste.
"Oh. he's not a bad chap."
"A friend of yours?" XVr
"Not an enemy, I trust"
"Tou must know him quite well to
have ventured to go Into his room and
take his violin from blm."
Miss Betty's tone was Indicative of
a lively interest and an uncurbed cu
v4
rioalty. .. i. si a
"Pretty well."' 'tit ^4
"Tell me bis name, please."
"Ob. dear little girl. bow can II
Why should If This, man has Incurred
yoordispleaaare. cauMdyoo pain. dis
tress"—his warm lips were on tier
forehead—"why should I glva up bis
Identity to yon?"
"Why not?" Tbe eternal feminine
wlsbritDluiow St any hasard. And to
ber tnOre seemed none at aiL.
"Becanan. dear, you are. likely to
moot hlmsome day, and won't It be
more agreeable not to know—until be
himself wishes to tell you—whose vio
lin It Was tbst distressed your
Betty* sighed witb a contentment
born of a llne of reasoalng tbat was
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VL
not without its seductions and its Im
plications of ber own supremacy.
"I suppose so. Will I like him?" sbe
asked, wide eyed and ufter a pause.
"1 bope-so."
"You will not be Jealous of blm.
then?" with no attempt to conceal tbe
suspicious note.
"No. 1 tbiuk not"
"Don't you know?"
"Not exactly. I might be jealous of
even him."
Betty breathed more freely. "Do yon
like tbe violin yourself, Peter?"
"It at her a favorite Instrument of
mine."
"Yes. to be sure, wben well played."
"Yes. IMty darling."
"Well?"
"Can't you let go tbe violin, dear, and
just tbfciU of me?"
"No. Peter, I can't And I bate to
bave your name 'Peter.' 1 do indeed!
It doesn't match witb you."
"What would match with me?" be
looked deeply, indulgently, fondly into
tbe lovely face.
Tben Betty laughed and hid ber
eyes and murmured, "Just I."
And tbere was tbe laughter of love
between them.
"And now youH forget the violin
man. wou't you, sweetheart?" be asked.
Sbe shook ber bead doubtfully. "I'm
not so sure. You see, you say I'm
likely to meet bim. being sucb a
friend of yours, and then will be want
to fetch bis violin to—to"—
"Our bouse?" finished her lover. "Eh,
Is that what you want to know, dear?"
Betty nodded, looking at bim square
ly with ber wonderfully blue eyes.
"Yes," Peter Van Zandt answered,
"tbe violin man will want to fetcb bis
violin to our bouse," his kiss was on
ber red lips, "and be will want to play
for you."
"t couldn't stand It I bate musical
men—I mean men who play on musical
Instruments they're always very ef
feminate." Betty rose.
"Are they?" Peter Van Zandt In
stinctively glanced at bis own band,
wbicb was as powerful as a stonecut
ter's sledge bammer for all Its white
ness of flesh and pinkness of nail.
"Yes, 1 aui sure of it Peter, if you
were a musician of any sort or kind I'd
send you flying. I certainly would. It
would spoil all tbe rest of you."
"Would it?" Peter had risen, too, of
course, and bad his arms around his
little love. "Ah. no, my own, if you
loved me and If I were musical yon
would still love. Is it not so?"
Betty withdrew her black brows
contracted, her starry eyes were dim
med almost as if witb tears.
"No, It's not so, Peter, at all. 1 may
be queer and silly, but. after all"—
tben she laughed for ail tbe world as
April might laugh at January and
clapped ber hands, and tben laid them
softly upon Peter's shoulders and took
a
deep -breath, adding, "You're not
a
musical man, and so why should we
diBturb ourselves about your friend of
the violin?"
He prisoned ber face between bis
palms. He prisoned her glance in his.
"And would, you really cast me off if.
well, say, if I were tbe violin man?"
Betty, with bewitching smiles and
gay little curves and flutes of mirth,
nodded her Imprisoned bend and said.
"Yes. I would."
Again he-kissed her. halted, made to
speak out 'held bis peace and laughed
with tbose. reservations of prophecy
which even very young men allow
tbemseives In connection with tbe girl
they love.
(Continued next week.)
FARM
4Nb
F.ETRIGG
REWISTEK.
ROCKTORD.IA.
CNCC
30LICITE0
[Thla matter must not be reprinted with
out special permission.]
It: is said to require 45,000.000 tons
of ice in a single season to keep the
food and drinks of tbe people of tbe
United States cool.
Some men are known by the com
pany they keep and others by tbe kind
of a lantern tbey carry around wben
they are doing chores.
Twenty-flve, thousand boats are em
ployed in tbe English fisheries indus
try, which gives employment to more
than 100,000 men and boys.
A pound of mutton can be produced
at a less cost than any other kind of
meat, and In spite of tbls It Is seldom
aeen In the average small town mar
'*•*.: ..
Wrapping cabbages in paper and
placing them. In paper sacks In a dry
place in the collar Is said to be an ex
cellent method of keeping them In
toed condition through tbe winter.
Two bundred dollars waa refused for
tbe priae winning Rbode Island Bad
cock at thf ^American Royal show re
awtlr Held at Kansas CSttar. Tbls bird
:baa iron flrst in every sbow in wbicb
bo baa besn entered aiff belongs to a
fir. fitter
of Kaneas City.
'^TSllfe
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Washburn, N. D.
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Phone No. 2J
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Washburn,
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