| Show AF I 1 ure shor mum W N SYNOPSIS CHAPTER I 1 on her way to a position in loftland Lost land academy academe janet mercer young professor of anglish literature and rhetoric after ienir a letter from gordon haskell proprietor of the academy meets meet on the train a young man whom she b learns la 13 arthur fleming also on his hl way to the tb academy as j professor of mothe mathematics matics and chem gitry they reach made blade railroad station nearest to their destination and there meet mrs mr denver ca en gazed as matron of the th at th e school tho the group croup li Is struck by an air lr of mystery the h lonely alc plc 10 1 0 haskell welcome them W wilton F iton payne teacher of py pay Cholo cholod cho lory 7 completes the faculty she bhe recognized it aa arthur Flern fleming Ings yes in about a quarter of an hour ill be waiting at the end of the th passage when she joined him he stood by a window in the morning light with hamlet 11 who seemed deep in bis he and arthur both looked at her curiously well how do you feel about it now arthur asked why do you ask payne and I 1 are wondering tt if we ought to let you stay on here you really think theres dan ger tes fi what kind just lt it payne remarked we dont know I 1 hate to use a misused used word but I 1 am what Is IB called psychic or at least I 1 am sensitive enough to scent a sort of menace in this house the gods of destiny are here she said listen to my ad adventure ventur e she told them the story of her visit to the schoolroom ali ah you have gone down there it was dangerous I 1 payne said gravely you should have asked me I 1 saw at once that the figures were wax why you tell me why alarm you but fleming and I 1 talked half the night about it ILI do you remember what the old farmer said that it would be aas ler to come here than get away I 1 what did he mean payne shook his head bead theres I 1 something queer about the place that he knows and we dont 1 well have to talk this over later arthur said looking at hla his watch let us stop at mrs den vers tees door and tt if ashes ready go I 1 downstairs together janet knocked mrs denver she said gently there was no answer they knocked louder a draught from the window perhaps swung the door it softly opened the occupant of the room was not there let us go down too payne fald its a quarter to eight I 1 should think hungry pupils would be waiting breakfast the silence reigning over the great house was profound really arthur remarked this Is 1 getting on my nerves they descended the main staircase and stood uncertainly in the hall then janet looked through the glass door of the study room th tha figures were absent ali ah breakfast turning they saw their principal with a fresh flower in his buttonhole and an air of amiable concern for their health did you sleep well the first night in a now new place Is always trying miss mercer you look somewhat pale A cup of coffee I 1 prescribe for you at once he led them to a really bright and pretty breakfast room flooded with the morning sunshine the alte white paneled walla and bright chintzes chint zes were like a guarantee of normality orm allty even wilton began to If wonder forider it if they had not been over midway of the meal janet put flown down her fork with a sudden cudden uon tion on oh where Is mrs denver hits haa alai ahe breakfasted long agot agol she Is 1 a very sol eol aler that little woman I 1 foresee forese C r reveille str at six bix taps nt at nine mr wilton payne more coffee haf H aye you la in your psychology studies tabulated the effects of ca caffeine freine and other drugs upon human conduct tor for example the actions of the same person begun on a day without coffee feea personally I 1 should not be responsible for my actions on a day initiated without this wonderful coffee bean I 1 more eggs miss mercer they were all feeling better half ashamed of their suspicions are all new teachers favored with breakfast with the principal on the first morning janet ventured to ask where la Is the gen cral call dining room of the faculty oh miss mercer wo we are the fal fac olty we wc cozy four I 1 am a linguist a historian ive delved deep into the ancient ramifications of the unfolding spirit of man you teach E slash nalls h literature and rhetoric my good 9 00 ff friend wilton fildon 1 fayne V alfi e psychology logy arthur fleming mathematics mathematic and chemistry are not all the art and sciences at least by proxy represented 0 of course with receptive pupils pupil four teachers can do wonders arthur commented tut but wo we are very anxious to meet our pupils P I 1 you speak of pupils sir fleming in this respect also the academy Is ahead of the times what would you consider the most important element in education arthur reflected for a moment quite intent on the honesty of his hi own answer regardless regard les of consequences quen ces 1 I should say sir devel of character the mating making of splendid citizens and you miss mercer her had find the fleeting lovely quality of a wood nymph pausing to answer an intruder Intrude i from 1 a dead and settled world 1 I should say all education should make people more enchanting an and den d en enchanted chanted As she nhe uttered the words worda her eyes met arthurs Arthur 3 in one of those glances between two young people which are like a dissolving scene in the theater almost they held their breath with the tha wonder of it they were to be here together through the long autumn days hidden bidden from the world with an extraordinary chief and education turned perhaps into real magic the education of the heart beart as well as the head enchanting and enchanted the schoolmaster repeated aahl ahl you show your own theory in yourself miss mercer now payne education a drawing forth of the soul educe duce lead forth how bow shy souls arel are 1 I congratulate myself on my discernment cern ment in choosing three young people of such advanced views I 1 in n education now has anyone any objection to teaching a handful of day scholars who come from the neighboring farms it Is a most beautiful charity I 1 assure you for the young things belong as a rule to families too poor to send them the to high school or colleges find and they are avidly eager for an education certainly we would be only too glad payne answered quite sure that he spoke for all of them to have students eager for education a teachers mind exactly but there Is one pupil of of another class berenice bracebridge the youngest daughter of the late doctor jethro bracebridge he paused impressively as it if the announcement must change their entire conception of the state of affairs in loftland Lost land academy it Is chiefly chaeny for her that this whole arrangement exists I 1 am her gua adian and the sole trustee of the estate and under the terms of her f will she Is to receive her education at loftland Lost land academy until she comes into control of her own fortune at twenty one I 1 have undertaken much of her education myself with the aid of various governesses to comply with the spirit of the will if not the letter but lately she has demanded certain subjects on which I 1 have no hesitancy in saying I 1 am not an authority now you bee the reason for your high salaries I 1 really could 1 I ask specialists on these subjects to bury themselves in these hills bills for the sake of one young girl lovely and intelligent as she Is and since you are in loftland Lost land d I 1 wanted the farmers children to share the advantages which you are bringing to berenice janet felt acute remorse that she had so BO misjudged this man who could throw open the doors of the old academy to boys and girls stranded on these hills bills 1 11 I think that Is most kind and generous of you lie he waved his hand band to indicate that it did not signify you wilt will not find berenice difficult though of course con roe slie she has had very little of the usual life of young girls may I 1 ask a quest question joia sir this from arthur As many as you like are you a relative of miss bracebridge no tile the fact Is I 1 was the adopted son of mrs henry haskell of california and I 1 took her name when I 1 was about twenty seven my adopted mother became the second ife of doctor jethro bracebridge and stepi stepmother nother to his bis five children of whom berenice was the youngest and then four years old I 1 was waa an instructor in a western college but my adopted mothers marriage led to my iny taking a position as teacher of foreign languages in this academy which thirteen years yearn ago wali in a very flourishing condition he ind looked about the circle with Us kb awn r eyes 1 I 1 I presume there were then a number of deaths payne said yes doctor Brace bridges long illness and a number of deaths doctor bracebridge did me the honor to rely on me to trust me hence lt he smiled rather wearily this strange situation I 1 A rather lonely girl to be educated in a great academy t to 0 co comply amply with tho terms of a rather singular will thoi ifilL of c course all 11 wills will s are singular r to some so me one As trustee I 1 do noi not receive enough to keep this great place in order II 11 but you turn it into what it was in the days of its glory no theres an obstacle he said stubbornly he looked at his watch well any more questions do your pupils ever study by moor moonlight llight sir he turned quite pale oh ill explain that circumstance very slight very odd yet it has held up the whole situation here not now its after nine and I 1 think I 1 heard the day pupils coming in the side entrance As they cannot pay much they tend the vegetable garden in the summer and two are told ox oly to look after the two furnaces and to bring coal up to the cook in winter now it Is nine and we begin work at nine he continued you take the study with the glass door miss mercer and mr payne you will turn down the hall to the right as you face the staircase and the first door you come to will be your schoolroom and next nest mr flemings we have thirty pupils each of you will have ten for one hour and teach three hours at a stretch at noon you will have recreation until one and the students a study hour at one lunch will be served here for the three of you at two the students who have their lunch in another dining room will begin beg n three forty five minute shifts of reciting back to you what you taught them in the morning and you will give out tasks to be done in cheeve the evening in their homes and by beronice berenice here that will bring us to about in the afternoon or allowing for inevitable delays four making about five teaching hours a day F from rom four on 01 your time Is your own where Is the Ilbra ry asked payne across the hall from here PU show you he ele led the way vay to a room which janet thought gloomy to in the extreme but it was veil ell stocked with books which payne examined eager ly then they ent to their respective classrooms to be continued |
