“But let Wassili first go for a priest,” said Peter. “And do not cry, my love—we shall both say farewell forever to the Valley of Despair, and our journey’s end shall be America—our America.” “America!” she whispered, looking through the window as if her eyes saw behind the fog-banks a strange land. “What a wonderful country America must be!” “You cannot know till you have seen,” said Peter. “I know now,” she replied, smiling through her tears, “I know now, Peter Petrovitch.” “How can you know, my love?” “Because—I know a Russian who became an American—the son of a bootmaker—a bootmaker who was an unfortunate—a poor boy——” “Hush, hush!” he said, and put his arms about her again, seeing where her thoughts were straying—to the fresh brown mound on the bleak hillside by the ruin of the old prison. “They are together, your father and mine. Because of that, we shall not forget our Holy Russia. Would not they both be happy—are they not both happy, knowing what they must know now, and seeing what the dead must see? We living think we would do one thing, but is it not that the dead guide us, knowing better than we what is before us and what we shall do before we have finished? Truly, as the wise say, from evil good—my love was here but I did not know it—and now I have found her.” And as the fog shrouded them from the street, there was nothing to prevent him from kissing her once more. THE END ------------------------------------------------------------------------ APPLETON’S RECENT FICTION =THE VAGRANT DUKE= By GEORGE GIBBS The author of “The Splendid Outcast” has here written another smashing adventure novel. A Russian Duke, fleeing the Bolsheviki, must work his way in America. Mystery and romance are what he finds as superintendent of a queer old multi-millionaire’s estate. =THE INNOCENT ADVENTURESS= By MARY HASTINGS BRADLEY A family of the Italian nobility are hard up and as a solution send their youngest daughter to search for a husband, wealthy, in America. She is a brave and attractive little thing, and the author of “The Fortieth Door” has known how to make her adventures truly exciting. =THE RAPIDS= By ALAN SULLIVAN A novel of the vigorous north, which tells the story of a man who seeks to transform a simple village into a mighty city. In the voice of the rapids he hears the urging towards his ambition and the great love which comes to him. =THE COUNSEL OF THE UNGODLY= By CHARLES BRACKETT A diverting comedy of society life. Peter Van Hoeven, an old society man who finds himself penniless, takes a position as butler to a very new-rich lady. Unusual and dramatic situations ensue. =THE SLEUTH OF ST. JAMES’S SQUARE= By MELVILLE DAVISSON POST This master of mystery detective stories has found a new method of constructing them that is a big contribution to detective fiction. These tales carry one to all parts of the world, to strange crimes and mysteries.