Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1934-11-01
CHAPTER CONTINUED

,
The farmer continued gazing at
Them; then. as II this were none Of his
BUSINESS, he chirped to his horses and
The wagon moved ponderously for
! ward. At the same moment they heard
The distant chug Of motor, and a car
swung into view from around a curve.
Behind 1t, gathering and swaying,
appeared an open wagon, drawn by
;wo bony white horses. The poor
beasts evidently had been whipped
DOWN the mountain, and Janet, now
seeing singularity in the most obvious
circumstances, felt that even the
horses in this wild region looked like
The horses in miracle pageant, lean
and Scared and foam-fecked, with
long, thin necks protruding toward
scenes in which, animal-like, they
scented disaster.
The man who drove the car was a
septuagenarian in appearance; his
companion, directing the white horses,
youngish fellow with rather sullen
air.
"The new teachers?" he asked with
a kind Of leer toward the imperturb-
able old man on the front seat.
"Yes-and as you have but one
train day here, it seems to me you
ought to be able to meet 1t promptly"
Fleming remarked, conscious that his
structures were not altogether logical.
The man laughed and began putting
the baggage in his wagon and adjust
ing tarpaulin over 1t, with the COM
ment that 1t was likely to rain. The
old driver Of the car indicated by q
wave Of the hand that they were to
get in; Mrs. Denver and Janet, both
secretly rather unhappy and nervous.
took their places. But when the car
began Its journey into the hills the
three newcomers lost for the time
their anxiety in wonder over the view
which every height or curve unfolded
to their eyes.
"How far Is it?"
"About FIVE miles,"
els 1t near village"
ut used to be-we're comm to the
fuins-a genuine deserted village. It
was called Lostland, too. In the old
days"
Where do you get your supplies?'
From the city-from Oteaga."
There was no time for further dis
cussion; for now they were entering
road protected from curious visitors
by high iron gates-newly painted,
spanned by an iron grille bearing in
letters once gilded the words Lost
land Academy"
They now beheld great mansion
looming beyond the immense pines.
which were shaking in the wind. Built
massively in the shape Of Greek tenn
pie, Its high porch columns reached
to the roof and supported a tympanum
on which was bleaching a Latin motto
In tall, black, faded letters which
Fleming at Janet's request translated
as the Biblical text, UNLESS the Lord
build the house. their labor is in vain
that build it."
From the central body of the build
Ing, which was of brick, warm and
time-toned and superimposed upon q
basement Of granite blocks, two wings
Of the same material jutted out; the
whole covered with huge metallic
green patches Of English Ivy care
fully cut away from the long, narrow
Georgian windows filed with small
James Of glass flashing purple and
violet iridescence. Lilac bushes almos
as tall as trees partially hid some o.
hush was over the place. so deep, 81
profoundly unbroken by human voice,
or sounds, that the three passenger
spoke in whispers as II not to intro
duce a dlsccrdant note. An evergreen
walk, outlined by enormous. century
old box bushes. stretched to a far per
spective. In that walk tall man wa,
pacing with a cloak over his shoulder
He looked both unhappy and reliable
The car stopped before a majesti
front door with fan and side-light,
filled in with delicate iron tracery
Shoe scrapers in ancient iron fianke,
the stone steps. Down these a maj
about forty years of age came t,
greet them; tall, clean shaven. witt
bright, restless eyes and an over
solicitous manner, he seemed more lik
q very keen financier than a school
master. He was fastidiously dresse,
in a nearly new suit of leaf brown
his neat, dark-maroon tie held scarf
pin which Janet noticed at once,
cameleon carved in the shape OF
tiny deaths head. In his buttonhol
he wore a gardenia, strangely reminis
cent Janet thought. both of funeral
and festivities.