Curriculum Leadership: Strategies for Development and Implementation 5th Edition, (Ebook PDF) 2024 scribd download
Curriculum Leadership: Strategies for Development and Implementation 5th Edition, (Ebook PDF) 2024 scribd download
https://ebookmass.com
https://ebookmass.com/product/curriculum-
leadership-strategies-for-development-and-
implementation-5th-edition-ebook-pdf/
https://ebookmass.com/product/curriculum-leadership-strategies-for-
development-and-implementation-fifth/
testbankdeal.com
https://ebookmass.com/product/etextbook-pdf-for-dyad-leadership-and-
clinical-integration-driving-change-aligning-strategies/
testbankdeal.com
https://ebookmass.com/product/core-curriculum-for-maternal-newborn-
nursing-e-book-5th-edition-ebook-pdf/
testbankdeal.com
https://ebookmass.com/product/formulation-and-process-development-
strategies-for-manufacturing-biopharmaceuticals/
testbankdeal.com
https://ebookmass.com/product/effective-training-systems-strategies-
and-practices-5th-edition-ebook-pdf-version/
testbankdeal.com
https://ebookmass.com/product/etextbook-pdf-for-curriculum-
foundations-principles-and-issues-7th-edition/
testbankdeal.com
https://ebookmass.com/product/etextbook-pdf-for-creative-activities-
and-curriculum-for-young-children-11th-edition/
testbankdeal.com
https://ebookmass.com/product/international-marketing-strategy-
analysis-development-and-implementation-9th-edition-robin-lowe/
testbankdeal.com
Detailed Contents
Preface
PART I FOUNDATIONS OF CURRICULUM
Chapter 1 The Nature of Curriculum
The Concept of Curriculum
The Types of Curricula
The Recommended Curriculum
The Written Curriculum
The Supported Curriculum
The Taught Curriculum
The Tested Curriculum
The Learned Curriculum
Components of the Curriculum
Curricular Policies
Curricular Goals
Fields of Study
Programs of Study
Courses of Study
Units of Study
Lessons
The Mastery, the Organic, and the Enrichment Curricula
The Hidden Curriculum
The Constants of the Hidden Curriculum
The Variables of the Hidden Curriculum
Summary
Applications
Case Study: Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice
The Challenge
Key Issues or Questions
Webliography
References
Chapter 2 Curriculum History: The Perspective of the Past
Academic Scientism (1890–1916)
The Predominant Trends
The Exemplary Leaders
Progressive Functionalism (1917–1940)
The Predominant Trends
The Exemplary Leaders
Developmental Conformism (1941–1956)
The Predominant Trends
The Exemplary Leaders
Scholarly Structuralism (1957–1967)
The Predominant Trends
The Exemplary Leaders
Romantic Radicalism (1968–1974)
The Predominant Trends
The Exemplary Leaders
Privatistic Conservatism (1975–1989)
The Predominant Trends
The Exemplary Leaders
8
Technological Constructionism (1990–1999)
The Predominant Trends
The Exemplary Leaders
Modern Conservatism (2000–2009)
The Predominant Trends
The Exemplary Leaders
Technological Functionalism (2010–Present)
The Predominant Trends
The Exemplary Leaders
A Century Plus of Curriculum Trends in Retrospect
Summary
Applications
Case Study: Curriculum Approaches Can Challenge Administrators
The Challenge
Key Issues or Questions
Webliography
References
Chapter 3 Curriculum Theory
The Nature and Function of Curriculum Theory
Curriculum as Praxis
Linear Thinkers
Holistic Teachers
Laissez-Faire Advocates
Critical Theorists
Leadership in Curriculum Theory
Classifying Curriculum Theories
Structure-Oriented Theories
Value-Oriented Theories
Content-Oriented Theories
Process-Oriented Theories
A System for Examining Curricular Processes
Alternative Curriculum Approaches
Curriculum as Transmission of Information
Curriculum as End Product
Curriculum as Process
Curriculum as Praxis or Awareness
Organizational Leadership Models
Burke–Litwin Model
Research Theory Into Practical Application
Melding Theory and Research Into Best Practice
On-the-Ground Connections
New and Aspiring Teacher–Leaders as Partners
Changing Curriculum: Theory Into Practice
Complex Issues Involving Accountability
Socioeconomic Challenges, Tolerance, and Cultural Capital
Technology as a Catalyst of Change
The Theoretical School of the Future
Summary
Applications
Case Study: Integrating Curriculum Theory
The Challenge
Key Issues or Questions
9
Webliography
References
Chapter 4 The Politics of Curriculum
Myths About U.S. Schools
Political, Cultural, and Socioeconomic Realities
An Overview of the Curriculum Influence Process
The Role of the Federal Government
Scholarly Structuralism (1957–1967)
Romantic Radicalism (1968–1974)
Privatistic Conservatism (1975–1989)
Technological Constructionism (1990–1999)
Modern Conservatism (2000–2009)
Technological Functionalism (2010–Present)
Common Core State Standards
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
State Role in Curriculum
Education Is Becoming a State Function
The Role of Professional Organizations
National Accreditation and Teacher Preparation
Guiding Preservice Teachers
Increasing Role of the Courts and Congress
Local Education
A Principal’s Political View of Schools
The Classroom Teacher
Internal Pressures
External Pressures
Technology and Elements of Change
Summary
Applications
Perceptions Regarding Curriculum Influence in Your State
Case Study: Building a Political Firewall
The Challenge
Key Issues or Questions
Webliography
References
PART II CURRICULUM PROCESSES
Chapter 5 Curriculum Planning
Goal-Based Model of Curriculum Planning
Locus of Planning Decisions
Organizational Structures
District Curriculum Advisory Council
Local School Advisory Council
Curriculum Task Forces
Community Participation–Cultural Awareness
Identification and Allocation of Leadership
Importance of Integrity
Alignment of Educational Goals
Formulating a Curriculum Database
Planning a Calendar
Conducting a Needs Assessment
Organization and Evaluation of Resources
Teacher-Powered Professional Learning
10
Creating Teacher-Led Professional-Learning Strategies
The Rule of Three
Early-Out Time for Students
Send Pairs of Individuals to Workshops and Seminars
Substitute Rotation
Free Consulting Services
Schedule Adjustment
College and University Preservice Programs
School, University, or College Partnerships
Curriculum and Technology Cooperatives
Community Resources
Management Planning Matrix
Global Connections: Research and Practice
Summary
Applications
Case Study: Involving Community and Teacher-Leaders
The Challenge
Key Issues or Questions
Webliography
References
Chapter 6 Improving the Program of Studies
Reconceptualizing Programs of Study
Interdisciplinary Courses
Restructured Programs of Study
Improving the Program of Studies
Improving Low-Performing Schools
Using Pacing Guides
Closing the Achievement Gap
Developing Dynamic Knowledge
Developing Learner Interaction and Curriculum Integration
Operationalizing Change and Reform
Developing Balanced Assessments
Using Standards and Outcome Statements
Aligning District Goals and the Curriculum
Correlating Curricula
Analyzing Resources Allocated to Curricula
Importance of Data Analysis in Assessment
Assessing Learner and Cultural Needs
Improving the Program of Studies
Assessing Constituent Satisfaction
Global Connections
Finland’s Model
Summary
Applications
Case Study: Data Before Concepts
The Challenge
Key Issues or Questions
Webliography
References
Chapter 7 Improving a Field of Study
Reconceptualizing Fields of Study
Diagnostic–Prescriptive Models
11
Elective Models
Role of Collaborative Leadership
Improving the Field of Study
Rationale for a Teacher-Centered Process
Student-Centered Process
Prepare to Teach Culturally Diverse Classrooms
Establish Educational Project Parameters
Orient for Mastery
Mapping the Desired Curriculum
Refine the Map
Developing and Selecting Curriculum Materials
Suggest Time Allocations
Ensuring Curriculum Change
Summary
Applications
Case Study: Providing Diverse Teaching Strategies
The Challenge
Key Issues or Questions
Webliography
References
Chapter 8 Processes for Developing New Courses and Units
The Technological Process of Curriculum Planning
Determine Course Parameters
Assess the Needs of the Learners
Identify Course Objectives
Sequence and Cluster Course Objectives
Identify Learning Activities
Select Instructional Materials
Identify Assessment Methods
Develop the Curriculum Guide
The Technological Model Summarized
The Naturalistic Process of Curriculum Planning
Assess Alternatives: Academic, Cultural, and Social
Stake Out the Territory
Develop a Constituency
Build the Knowledge Base
Plan Quality Learning Experiences
Develop the Course Examination
Develop the Learning Scenarios
The Naturalistic Model Summarized
The Inverse Design Process of Curriculum Planning
Preparing Schools for New Beginnings With Technology
A Three-Dimensional Assessment Matrix
Global Connections: Dual Systems in Korea
Summary
Applications
Case Study: When Trivial Becomes Tragic
The Challenge
Key Issues and Questions
Webliography
References
PART III CURRICULUM MANAGEMENT
12
Chapter 9 Supervising the Curriculum: Teachers and Materials
Supervising the Taught Curriculum: Current Approaches
Hunter’s “Essential Elements”
Farrell’s “Backwards Model”
Glickman, Gordon, and Ross-Gordon’s “Developmental Supervision”
Costa and Garmston’s “Cognitive Coaching”
Elements of Supervision
Understanding Change
Differentiated Professional Development
Professional Learning
Informal (Walk-Throughs) Observations
Instructional Rounds: The Art and Science of Teaching
What Teachers Can Learn
Revitalization
Rating
Individual Development
Maslow’s Theory of Human Needs
The Interrelationship of Processes
Supervising the Supported Curriculum
Determine How Teachers Will Allocate Space
Board Policy
Appoint the Textbook Adoption Committee
Prepare the Committee
Textbook Adoption Committee Involving Distance Learning
Provide the Committee with Selection Resources
Determine How Teachers Will Use the New Materials
Supporting Culturally Revelant Teaching
Supporting Teaching and Learning With Technology
Supporting Digital Solutions for 21st-Century Learning
Global Connections: French Partnership
Summary
Applications
Case Study: Teacher-Leaders as Instructional Coaches
The Challenge
Key Issues or Questions
Webliography
References
Chapter 10 Curriculum Development and Implementation
Developing a Program Philosophy and Rationale Statement
Procedure
Sample: English Language Arts Program Philosophy
Sample: English Language Arts Program Rationale Statement
Methods for Choosing Teacher Representation
Developing a Scope and Sequence, Program Goals, Objectives, Learning Outcomes, and
Authentic Tasks
The Committee Structure
Samples: Program Scope and Sequence, Program Goal, Exit Outcomes Met, Objectives,
Learning Outcomes, and Authentic Tasks
Primary Grades
Elementary Intermediate Grades
Middle Level or Junior High
High School
13
Global Connections: Narrowing the Achievement Gap
Leadership Truths for Curriculum Leaders
Summary
Applications
Case Study: Building Consensus by Committee
The Challenge
Key Issues or Questions
Webliography
References
Notes
Chapter 11 Aligning the Curriculum
A Rationale for Curriculum Alignment
Philosophy Statement
Role of the Principal
Aligning Curriculum With State Standards
Role of Common Core State Standards
Assessment and State Standards
Curriculum Design
Goal-Based Design
Unit and Lesson Design
Designing Preassessments
Organizing the Alignment Project
Organizational Strategies
Identifying Mastery Objectives
Developing Curriculum-Based Assessments
Focusing on Culture and Social Diversity
Correlating the Mastery List and Instructional Materials
Developing Instructional Planning Aids
Making a Yearly Planning Matrix
Developing a Management Planning Matrix
Creating a Unit-Planning Guide
Utilizing Research for Curriculum Alignment
Using Data-Driven Programs
Monitoring and Evaluating Curriculum Alignment
Summary
Applications
Case Study: Making Adjustments Via Alignment
The Challenge
Key Issues or Questions
Webliography
References
Chapter 12 Curriculum and Teacher Evaluation
The Goals of Curriculum and Teacher Evaluation
Evaluation Models
Tyler’s Objectives-Centered Model
Stufflebeam’s Context, Input, Process, Product Model
Scriven’s Goal-Free Model
Stake’s Responsive Model
Eisner’s Connoisseurship Model
Bradley’s Effectiveness Model
Developing an Eclectic Approach
Evaluating a Field of Study
14
Preparing for the Evaluation
Assessing the Context
Identifying the Evaluation Issues
Developing the Evaluation Design
Measuring Effectiveness Versus Developing Teachers
Leadership and Evaluation
Role of the Principal in Evaluation
The Principal and Evaluation Design
Understanding Effective Teaching
Measuring for Success
Bridging Cultural Knowledge
Assessing Teaching and Learning
Focusing on Student Performance
Value-Added Models
Evaluation Program Guidelines
Evaluation Checklist
Evaluation Strategies for Success
Setting Goals and Indicators
Identifying Target Populations
Educational Research Centers
Implementing the Evaluation Design
Technology and Evaluation: The Final Piece of the Puzzle
Connectivity
Integrated System Assessments
Technology and Student Achievement
Digital-Age Learning
Digital-Age Teaching
Digital-Age Leadership
Data Collection
Technology Plan Assessment
Professional Learning and Evaluation
Classroom Technology Environment
Equity Issues
Global Connections: Evaluation and Accountability
Summary
Applications
Case Study: Teaching to the Test
The Challenge
Key Issues or Questions
Webliography
References
PART IV CURRENT TRENDS IN THE CURRICULUM
Chapter 13 Current Developments in the Subject Fields
Developments in English Language Arts, Reading, and Writing
English Language Arts
Trends in English Language Arts
English Language Arts Common Core State Standards Literacy Checklist
Critical Literacy
Realities in Reading
Trends in Reading
Recommendations for Curriculum Leaders
Expanding a Culture of Writing
15
Visit https://ebookmass.com
now to explore a rich
collection of eBooks and enjoy
exciting offers!
Writing to Learn
Trends in Writing Across the Curriculum
Dual Immersion Programs in English Language Arts
History–Social Studies
Revised National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies
Trends in History–Social Studies
Mathematics
Trends in Mathematics
Key Strategies
The Equity Principle
Science
Trends in Science
Foreign Language
Trends in Foreign Language Education
Education in the Arts
Trends in Art Education
What Students Should Know and Be Able to Do in the Arts
Physical Education and Health
Trends in Physical Education
A New Vision for Physical Education
Multicultural Education
Technology and Exponential Change
Summary
Applications
Case Study: What Is Taught Versus What Should Be Taught
The Challenge
Key Issues or Questions
Webliography
References
Chapter 14 Current Developments Across the Curriculum
Thinking Skills
Effective Schools Process
Improving Listening Skills
Improving Speaking Skills
English Language Learner Education
Leadership for Socially Diverse Groups
Accommodating Diversity
Innovation and 21st-Century Learning
Technology and Pedagogy
Redefining the Culture of School
Technology Linked to Student Achievement
Impact of Technological Advances
Professional Learning and Technology
Setting Priorities
Global Connections: Canada’s Shifting Minds Model
Strategies for Success
Successful School Technology Strategies
Summary
Applications
Case Study: Developing and Sharing Strategies
The Challenge
Key Issues or Questions
16
Webliography
References
Chapter 15 Individualizing the Curriculum
Differentiated Instruction
Types of Individualized Instruction
Elective Courses
Curriculum Tracking
Minicourses
Open Classrooms
Self-Paced Instruction
Personalized Learning
National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education
Adaptive Learning Environments Model
Learning Styles Models
Cooperative Learning Models
Mastery Learning Models
Enhancing Teaching and Learning
Special Needs: Accommodations and Modifications
Section 504
Cross-Cultural Comparisons in Special Education
Adaptive Programs for the Gifted
Parallel Curriculum for the Gifted
Compacting
Discovery Method
Special Pace: Acceleration
Special Curricula
PreK and Early Childhood
Value-Added Early Learning
Early Intervention Programs
Reading Test
Spelling Test
Reading Recovery
Response to Intervention
Social and Economic Considerations
Focusing on Social Media and Ethical Issues
Social Ramifications of Cyberbullying
Digital Citizens
Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship
Global Connections: Third Culture Kids
Applications
Case Study: Response to Intervention Issues
The Challenge
Key Issues or Questions
Webliography
References
Glossary
Index
About the Authors
17
18
19
Preface
Curriculum Leadership: Strategies for Development and Implementation (5th edition) is intended for those presently
functioning as curriculum leaders and those preparing for such roles. Its central intent is to provide such readers
with the knowledge and the skills needed to exercise leadership in curriculum at several levels and in many roles.
To that end, it begins by exploring the foundations of the field in the first part—Foundations of Curriculum—so
that decisions are made from a broad perspective and with deep knowledge. The first chapter establishes the
central concepts used throughout the work, explaining the general concept of curriculum and explicating its
essential elements; the goal of this chapter is to provide the reader with a set of conceptual tools. The second
chapter reviews the past 100-plus years of curriculum history so that decision makers can see the problems and
solutions of the present from an informed historical perspective. The third chapter surveys the several types of
curriculum theory, since good theory provides deeper insight about the complex relationships involved in all
curriculum work. The final chapter of the “foundations” section examines the politics of curriculum work—the
way that power and influence affect curriculum decision making at the federal, state, and local levels.
The second part, Curriculum Processes, turns to procedures. The general goal of this section is to help the reader
acquire skills needed to bring about major curriculum change. The section begins with an overview of curriculum-
planning process. Then, separate chapters deal with the more specific processes involved in improving and
developing the three levels of curricula—programs of study, fields of study, and courses and units of study.
The third part of the book, Curriculum Management, is concerned with the management of curriculum. If
curricula are to be truly effective, they must be managed well. Chapter 9 suggests specific ways in which the leader
can supervise both instructional processes and the selection and use of materials—the “supported” and the
“taught” curriculum—to use the constructs employed in this work. Chapter 10 presents a how-to in developing
and implementing a districtwide curriculum for the subject areas. Chapter 11 provides a rationale for and explains
the processes used in aligning the curriculum—ensuring that the written, the taught, the tested, and the learned
curricula are brought into closer alignment. Chapter 12, Curriculum and Teacher Evaluation, reviews several
models for evaluating the curriculum and makes specific suggestions for developing and implementing a
comprehensive evaluation form.
The book closes with Part IV on curricular trends—Current Trends in the Curriculum. Chapter 13 examines
trends in the subject fields, and Chapter 14 looks at trends across the curriculum, including the use of technology.
The book ends with an examination of current approaches to individualize instruction and to adapt the
curriculum for learners with special needs.
20
New to the Fifth Edition
A sample of the changes for the fifth edition of Curriculum Leadership: Strategies for Development and
Implementation are based on the recommendations and revisions suggested by the reviewers. In addition to
reference and webliography updates throughout, responses to the case study challenges and key issues and
questions by the students were added to the applications in each chapter.
Chapter 1 emphasizes the value of later school start time, a description for effective teaching and teaching
the whole child, the concept of learning to remember, and essential critical 21st-century skills.
Chapter 2 was condensed, with clarification of all the educational eras that influenced curriculum.
Chapter 3 emphasizes teacher leadership for curriculum development and implementation.
Chapter 4 added an introduction of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and state requirements. Also,
the value of mobile technology is addressed.
Chapter 5 establishes a curriculum framework for the development of professional communities.
Chapter 6 highlights the implications of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Chapter 7 provides further commentary on ensuring curriculum change.
Chapter 8 assesses the processes for developing new courses and units.
Chapter 9 further accentuates the supervision of the taught curriculum by introducing a case study on
teacher-leaders and instructional coaches.
Chapter 10 provides clarification of authentic tasks.
Chapter 11 assesses the need for a close fit between the written curriculum and the taught curriculum.
Chapter 12 discusses the purpose of curriculum and teacher evaluation and presents an example of
measuring teacher effectiveness.
Chapter 13 highlights approaches for a unit of study.
Chapter 14 expands on a more balanced approach to curriculum planning and redefining the culture of
schools.
Chapter 15 offers a renewed focus on personalized learning and third-culture kids.
21
Acknowledgments
We benefited greatly from reviews by Dr. John R. Morton, Emporia State University; Dr. Ramona A. Hall,
Cameron University; Dr. Jo Nell Wood, Saint Louis University; Timothy J. Frederiks, EdD, Centenary
University; Mary Kropiewnicki, EdD, Cabrini University; and Amy N. Farley, University of Cincinnati.
Special thanks must go to Elizabeth You, editorial assistant at SAGE, for her continuing dialogue, assistance, and
constant willingness to help with the production of the fifth edition of Curriculum Leadership: Strategies for
Development and Implementation.
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Dr. Charat N. Khattapan, Instructional Designer III at
Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, Florida, for his guidance and assistance in technology. We also
acknowledge the supportive help received from Dr. Marlys Ann Boschee and Charlotte Whitehead. They helped
us give meaning and coherence in an age in which change and flux in education reign supreme. Also, a special
thanks goes to Dr. Bonni F. Boschee for her continuing contributions made from her experience as a public school
teacher, school administrator, professor, and graduate coordinator for online courses.
22
This book is dedicated to Dr. Allan A. Glatthorn (1924–2007), who believed deeply in sharing his love of
education and curriculum. His unique understanding of leadership and curriculum processes continues to be a
key for successful leaders today. As coauthors of Curriculum Leadership: Strategies for Development and
Implementation, we hope this edition will continue to provide completeness in curriculum thought and
theory and enhance positive changes for the future.
—Floyd Boschee
—Bruce M. Whitehead
—Bonni F. Boschee
23
Part I Foundations of Curriculum
Curriculum planners have tried to characterize curriculum with very little guidance. The purpose of Part I is to
present an overview of curriculum so that curriculum planners can begin to comprehend the essential elements for
curriculum development and implementation and gain a fundamental foundation on which to firmly build a
sound curriculum.
24
Visit https://ebookmass.com
now to explore a rich
collection of eBooks and enjoy
exciting offers!
1 The Nature of Curriculum
25
Questions Addressed in This Chapter Include the Following:
What is the concept of curriculum?
What are the types of curriculum?
What are the components of curriculum?
What are mastery, organic, and enrichment curricula?
What is meant by the hidden curriculum?
This introductory chapter provides curriculum leaders and teachers with a general overview of the curriculum field
and a set of concepts for analyzing the field. The discussion that follows focuses on the following outcomes:
defining the concept of curriculum, examining the several types of curricula, describing the contrasting nature of
curriculum components, and analyzing the hidden curriculum. Some fundamental concepts essential for
understanding the comprehensive field of curriculum can be established at the outset.
26
Random documents with unrelated
content Scribd suggests to you:
fixed gravely upon him. In a moment the gentleman in blue serge
who had manifested so much feeling over the governor’s absence
strode again into the room.
“Ah, Miss Osborne, so you are back!”
He bowed over the girl’s hand with a great deal of manner, then
glanced at once toward the door of the private office.
“Hasn’t your father come in yet? I have been looking for him since
eight o’clock.”
“My father is not home yet, Mr. Bosworth.”
“Not home! Do you mean to say that he won’t be here to-day?”
“I hardly expect him,” replied the girl calmly. “Very likely he will be at
home to-night or in the morning.”
Griswold had walked away out of hearing; but he felt that the girl
purposely raised her voice so that he might hear what she said.
“I must know where he is; there’s an important matter waiting—a
very serious matter it may prove for him if he isn’t here to-day to
pass on it. I must wire him at once.”
“Very good. You had better do so, Mr. Bosworth. He’s at the Peach
Tree Club, Atlanta.”
“Atlanta! Do you mean to say that he isn’t even in this state to-day?”
“No, Mr. Bosworth, and I advise you to telegraph him immediately if
your business is so urgent.”
“It isn’t my business, Barbara; it’s the state’s business; it’s your
father’s business, and if he isn’t here to attend to it by to-morrow at
the latest, it will go hard with him. He has enemies who will construe
his absence as meaning——”
He spoke rapidly, with rising anger, but some gesture from the girl
arrested him, and he turned frowningly to see Griswold calmly intent
upon an engraving at the farther end of the room. The coloured
woman was dozing in her chair. Before Bosworth could resume, the
girl spoke, her voice again raised so that every word reached
Griswold.
“If you refer to the Appleweight case, I must tell you, Mr. Bosworth,
that I have all confidence that my father will act whenever he sees
fit.”
“But the people——”
“My father is not afraid of the people,” said the girl quietly.
“But you don’t understand, Barbara, how much is at stake here. If
some action isn’t taken in that matter within twenty-four hours your
father will be branded as a coward by every newspaper in the state.
You seem to take it pretty coolly, but it won’t be a trifling matter for
him.”
“I believe,” replied the girl, rising, “that you have said all that I care to
hear from you now or at any further time, Mr. Bosworth, about this or
any other matter.”
“But, Barbara——”
Miss Osborne turned her back and walked to the window. Bosworth
stared a moment, then rushed angrily from the room. Griswold
abandoned his study of the picture, and gravely inclined his head as
Bosworth passed. Then he waited a minute. The girl still stood at the
window, and there was, Griswold felt, something a little forlorn in her
figure. It was quite time that he was off if he caught his train for
Richmond. He crossed the room, and as he approached the window
Miss Osborne turned quickly.
“It was kind of you to wait. That man is the state’s attorney-general.
You doubtless heard what he said to me.”
“Yes, Miss Osborne, I could not help hearing. I did not leave,
because I wished to say——”
The associate professor of admiralty in the department of law of the
University of Virginia hesitated and was lost. Miss Osborne’s eyes
were brown, with that hint of bronze, in certain lights, that is the
distinctive possession of the blessed. Health and spirit spoke in her
bright colour. She was tall and straight, and there was something
militant in her figure as she faced Griswold.
“I beg to say, Miss Osborne, that if there is any way in which I can
serve you, my time is wholly at your disposal.”
“I thank you. I fear that you have already given yourself too much
trouble in stopping here. My father will wish to thank you on his
return.”
Her lips trembled, and tears were bright in her eyes. Then she
regained control of herself.
“Mr. Griswold, I have no claim whatever on your kindness, but I am
in very great distress. I don’t see just where I can turn for aid to any
one I know. But you as a stranger may be able to help me—if it isn’t
asking too much—but then I know it is asking too much!”
“Anything, anything whatever,” urged Griswold kindly.
“Mr. Bosworth, the attorney-general, warns me that if my father does
not use the power of the state to capture this outlaw Appleweight,
the results will be disastrous. He says my father must act
immediately. He demanded his address, and, and—I gave it to him.”
“But you must remember, Miss Osborne, that the attorney-general
probably knows the intricacies of this case. He must have every
reason for upholding your father; in fact, it’s his sworn duty to advise
him in such matters as this.”
“There’s another side to that, Mr. Griswold,” and the girl’s colour
deepened; but she smiled and went on. It was quite evident that she
was animated now by some purpose, and that she was resolved to
avail herself of Griswold’s proffered aid. “I have my own reasons for
doubting Mr. Bosworth’s motives; and I resent his assumption that
my father is not doing his full duty. No one can speak to me of my
father in that way—no one!”
“Certainly not, Miss Osborne!”
“This whole matter must be kept as quiet as possible. I can appeal to
no one here without the risk of newspaper publicity which would do
my father very great injury. But if it is not altogether too great a
favour, Mr. Griswold, may I ask that you remain here until to-night—
until my father returns? His secretary has been ill and is away from
town. The other clerks I sent away on purpose this morning. Father
had left his office keys at home, and I came in to see if I could find
the papers in the Appleweight case. They are there, and on the top
of the packet is a requisition on the governor of North Carolina for
Appleweight’s return.”
“Signed?”
“Signed. I’m sure he had only deferred acting in the case until his
return, and he should have been back to-day.”
“But of course he will be back; it is inconceivable that he should
ignore, much less evade, a duty as plain as this—the governor of a
state—it is preposterous! His business in Atlanta accounts for his
absence. Governor Osborne undoubtedly knows what he is about.”
“My father is not in Atlanta, Mr. Griswold. He is not at the Peach Tree
Club, and has not been. I have not the slightest idea where my father
is!”
The echoing whistle of the departing Virginia express reached them
faintly as they stood facing each other before the open window in the
governor’s reception-room.
CHAPTER III.
THE JUG AND MR. ARDMORE.
Mr. Thomas Ardmore, of New York and Ardsley, having seen his
friend Griswold depart, sought a book-shop where, as in many other
book-shops throughout the United States, he kept a standing order
for any works touching piracy, a subject which, as already hinted,
had long afforded him infinite diversion. He had several hours to wait
for his train to New Orleans, and he was delighted to find that the
bookseller, whom he had known only by correspondence, had just
procured for him, through the dispersion of a Georgia planter’s
valuable library, that exceedingly rare narrative, The Golden
Galleons of the Caribbean, by Dominguez y Pascual—a beautifully
bound copy of the original Madrid edition.
With this volume under his arm, Ardmore returned to the hotel where
he was lodged and completed his arrangements for leaving. It should
be known that Mr. Thomas Ardmore was a person of democratic
tastes and habits. In his New York house were two servants whose
sole business it was to keep himself and his wardrobe presentable;
yet he preferred to travel unattended. He was by nature somewhat
secretive, and his adventurous spirit rebelled at the thought of being
followed about by a hired retainer. His very wealth was, in a way, a
nuisance, for wherever he went the newspapers chronicled his
movements, with speculations as to the object of his visit, and dark
hints at large public gifts which the city honoured by his presence at
once imagined would be bestowed upon it forthwith. The American
press constantly execrated his family, and as he was sensitive to
criticism he kept very much to himself.
It was a matter of deep regret to Ardmore that his great-grandfather,
whose name he bore, should have trifled with the morals of the red
men, but he philosophized that it was not his fault, and if he had
known how to squeeze the whisky from the Ardmore millions he
would have been glad to do so. His own affairs were managed by
the Bronx Loan and Trust Company, and Ardmore took little personal
interest in any of his belongings except his estate in North Carolina,
where he dreamed his dreams, and had, on the whole, a pretty good
time.
When he had finished packing his trunk he went down to the dinner
he had ordered to be in readiness at a certain hour, at a certain
table, carefully chosen beforehand; for Ardmore was very exacting in
such matters, and had an eye to the comforts of life, as he
understood them.
As he crossed the hotel lobby on his way to the restaurant he was
accosted by a reporter for the Atlanta Palladium, who began to
question him touching various Ardmores who were just then filling
rather more than their usual amount of space in the newspapers.
Ardmore’s family, with the single exception of his sister, Mrs.
Atchison, bored him immensely. His two brothers and another sister,
the Duchess of Ballywinkle, kept the family name in display type a
great deal of the time, and their performances had practically driven
Thomas Ardmore from New York. He felt keenly his shame in being
brother-in-law to a dissolute duke, and the threatened marriage of
one of his brothers to a chorus girl had added, he felt, all too great a
burden to a family tree whose roots, he could not forget it, were
soaked in contraband rum. The reporter was a well-mannered youth,
and Ardmore shook his hand encouragingly. He was rather curious
to see what new incident in the family history was to be the subject
of inquisition, and the reporter immediately set his mind at rest.
“Pardon me, Mr. Ardmore, but is it true that your sister, the Duchess
of Ballywinkle, has separated from the duke?”
“You may quote me as saying that while I am not quite sure, yet I
sincerely hope the reports are true. To be frank with you, I do not like
the duke; in fact, strictly between ourselves, I disliked him from the
first,” and Ardmore shook his head gravely, and meditatively jingled
the little gold pieces that he always carried in his trousers pockets.
“Well, of course, I had heard that there was some trouble between
you and your brother-in-law, but can’t the Palladium have your own
exact statement, Mr. Ardmore, of what caused the breach between
you?”
Ardmore hesitated and turned his head cautiously.
“You understand, of course, that this discussion is painful to me,
extremely painful. And yet, so much has been published about my
sister’s domestic affairs——”
“Exactly, Mr. Ardmore. What we want is to print your side of the
story.”
“Very decent of you, I’m sure. But the fact is”—and Ardmore glanced
over his shoulder again to be sure he was not overheard—“the fact
is——” and he paused, batting his eyes as though hesitating at the
point of an important disclosure.
“Yes, Mr. Ardmore,” encouraged the reporter.
“Well, I don’t mind telling you, but don’t print this. Let it be just
between ourselves.”
“Oh, of course, if you say not——”
“That’s all right; I have every confidence in your discretion; but if this
will go no further, I don’t mind telling you——”
“You may rely on me absolutely, Mr. Ardmore.”
“Then, with the distinct understanding that this is sub rosa—now we
do understand each other, don’t we?” pleaded Ardmore.
“Perfectly, Mr. Ardmore,” and the perspiration began to bead the
reporter’s forehead in his excitement over the impending revelation.
“Then you shall know why I feel so bitter about the duke. I assure
you that nothing but the deepest chagrin over the matter causes me
to tell you what I have never revealed before—not even to members
of my family—not to my most intimate friend.”
“I appreciate all that——”
“Well, the fact is—but please never mention it—the fact is that his
Grace owes me four dollars. I gave it to him in two bills—I remember
the incident perfectly—two crisp new bills I had just got at the bank.
His Grace borrowed the money to pay a cabman—it was the very
day before he married my sister. Now let me ask you this: Can an
American citizen allow a duke to owe him four dollars? The villain
never referred to the matter again, and from that day to this I have
made it a rule never to lend money to a duke.”
The reporter stared a moment, then laughed. He abandoned the
idea of getting material for a sensational article and scented the
possibilities of a character sketch of the whimsical young millionaire.
“How about that story that your brother, Samuel Ardmore, is going to
marry the chorus girl he ran over in his automobile?”
“I hope it’s true; I devoutly do. I’m very fond of music myself, and,
strange to say, nobody in our family is musical. I think a chorus girl
would be a real addition to our family. It would bring up the family
dignity—you can see that.”
“The wires brought a story this afternoon that your cousin, Wingate
Siddall—he is your cousin, isn’t he?”
“I’m afraid so. What’s Siddy’s latest?”
“Why, it’s reported that he’s going to cross the Atlantic in a balloon.
Can you tell us anything about that from the inside?”
“Well, the ocean is only four miles deep; I’d take more interest in
Cousin Siddy’s ballooning if you could make it a couple of miles
more to the dead men’s chests. And now, much as I’d like to prolong
this conversation, I’ve got to eat or I’ll miss my train.”
“If you don’t mind saying where you are going, Mr. Ardmore?”
“I’d tell you in a minute, only I haven’t fully decided yet; but I shall
probably take the Sambo Flyer at 9.13, if you don’t make me lose it.”
“You have large interests in Arkansas, I believe, Mr. Ardmore?”
“Yes; important interests. I’m searching for the original fiddle of the
Arkansaw Traveller. When I find it I’m going to give it to the British
Museum. And now you really must excuse me.”
Ardmore looked the reporter over carefully as they shook hands. He
was an attractive young fellow, alert and good-humoured, and
Ardmore liked him, as, in his shy way, he really liked almost every
one who seemed to be a human being.
“I’ll tell you what I’ll do with you. If you’ll forget this rot we’ve been
talking and come up to Ardsley as soon as I get home, I’ll see if I
can’t keep you amused for a couple of weeks. I don’t offer that as a
bribe; my family affairs are of interest to nobody but hostlers and
kitchen-maids. Wire me at Ardsley when you’re ready, throw away
your lead-pencil, then come on and I’ll show you the finest collection
of books on Captain Kidd in the known world. What did you say your
name is? Collins—Frank Collins? I never forget anything, so don’t
disappoint me.”
“That’s mighty nice of you, but I don’t have much time for vacations,”
replied the reporter, who was, however, clearly pleased.
“If the office won’t give you a couple of weeks, wire me, and I’ll buy
the paper.”
The young man laughed outright. “I’ll remember; I really believe you
mean for me to come.”
“Of course I do. It’s all settled; make it next week. Good-bye!”
Ardmore ate his dinner oblivious of the fact that people at the
neighbouring tables turned to look at him. He overheard his name
mentioned, and a woman just behind him let it be known to her
companions and any one else who cared to hear that he was the
brother-in-law of the Duke of Ballywinkle. Another voice in the
neighbourhood kindly remarked that Ardmore was the only decent
member of the family, and that he was not the one whose wife had
just left him, nor yet the one who was going to marry the chorus girl
whose father kept a delicatessen shop in Hoboken. It is very sad to
be unable to dine without having family skeletons joggle one’s elbow,
and Ardmore was annoyed. The head waiter hung officiously near;
the man who served him was distressingly eager; and then the voice
behind him rose insistently:
“—worth millions and yet he can’t find anybody to eat with him.”
This was almost true, and a shadow passed across Ardmore’s face
and his eyes grew grave as he humbly reflected that he was indeed
a pitiable object. He waved away his plate and called for coffee, and
at that moment a middle-aged man appeared at the door, scanned
the room for a moment, and then threaded his way among the tables
to Ardmore.
“I heard you were here and thought I’d look you up. How are you,
Ardy?”
“Very well, thank you, Mr. Billings. Have you dined? Sorry; which way
are you heading?”
The newcomer had the bearing of a gentleman used to
consideration. He was, indeed, the secretary of the Bronx Loan and
Trust Company, whose business was chiefly the administration of the
Ardmore estate, and Ardmore knew him very well. He was afraid that
Billings had traced him to Atlanta for one of those business
discussions which always vexed and perplexed him so grievously,
and the thought of this further depressed his spirits. But the
secretary at once eased his mind.
“I’m looking for a man, and I’m not good at the business. I’ve lost him
and I don’t understand it, I don’t understand it,” and the secretary
seemed to be half-musing to himself as he sat down and rested his
arms on the table.
“You might give me the job. I’m following a slight clue myself just at
present.”
The secretary, who had no great opinion of Ardmore’s mental
capacity, stared at the young man vacantly. Then it occurred to him
that possibly Ardmore might be of service.
“Have you been at Ardsley recently?” he asked.
“Left there only a few days ago.”
“You haven’t seen your governor lately, have you?”
“My governor?” Ardmore stared blankly. “Why, Mr. Billings, don’t you
remember that father’s dead?”
“I don’t mean your father, Ardy,” replied Billings, with the
exaggerated care of one who deals with extreme stupidity. “I mean
the Governor of North Carolina—one of the American states. Ardsley
is still in North Carolina, isn’t it?”
“Oh yes, of course. But bless your soul, I don’t know the governor.
Why should one?”
“I don’t know why, Ardy; but people sometimes do know governors
and find it useful.”
“I’m not in politics any more, Mr. Billings. What’s this person’s
name?”
“Dangerfield. Don’t you ever read the newspapers?” demanded the
secretary, striving to control his inner rage. He was in trouble, and
Ardmore’s opaqueness taxed his patience. And yet Tommy Ardmore
had given him less trouble than any other member of the Ardmore
family. The others galloped gaily through their incomes; Tommy was
rapidly augmenting his inheritance from sheer neglect or inability to
scatter his dividends.
“No; I quit reading newspapers after the noble Duke of Ballywinkle
didn’t break the bank at Monte Carlo that last time. I often wish, Mr.
Billings, that the Mohawks had scalped my great-grandfather before
they bought his whisky. That would have saved me the personal
humiliation of being brother-in-law to a duke.”
“You mustn’t be so thin-skinned. You pay the penalty of belonging to
one of the wealthiest families in America,” and Billings’s tone was
paternal.
“So I’ve heard, but I’m not so terribly proud of it. What about this
governor?”
“That’s what troubles me—what of the governor?” Billings dropped
his voice so that no one but Ardmore could hear. “He’s missing—
disappeared.”
“That’s the first interesting thing I ever heard of a governor doing,”
said Ardmore. “Tell me more.”
“He’s had a row with the Governor of South Carolina, at New
Orleans. I was to have met him here on an important matter of
business this afternoon, but he’s cleared out and nobody knows
what’s become of him. His daughter even, who was in New Orleans
with him, doesn’t know where he is.”
“When was she in New Orleans with him?” asked Ardmore, looking
at his watch.
“She—who?” asked Billings, annoyed.
“Why, the daughter!”
“I don’t know anything about the daughter, but if I could find her
father I’d give him a piece of my mind,” and the secretary’s face
flushed angrily.
“Well, I suppose she isn’t the one I’m looking for, anyhow,” said
Ardmore resignedly.
“I should hope not,” blurted Billings, who had not really taken in what
Ardmore said, but who assumed that it must necessarily be
something idiotic.
“She had fluffy hair,” persisted Ardmore to this serious-minded
gentleman whose life was devoted to the multiplication of the
Ardmore millions. Ardmore’s tone was that of a child who persists in
babbling inanities to a distracted parent.
“Better let girls alone, Tommy. Mrs. Atchison told me you were going
to marry Daisy Waters, and I should heartily approve the match.”
“Did Nellie tell you that? I wonder if she’s told Daisy yet? You’ll have
to excuse me now, for I’m taking the Sambo Flyer. I’d like to find your
governor for you; and if you’ll tell me when he was seen last——”
“Right here, just before noon to-day, and a couple of hours before I
reached town. His daughter either doesn’t know where he went or
she won’t tell.”
“Ah! the daughter! She remains behind to guard his retreat.”
“The daughter is still here. She’s a peppery little piece,” and Billings
looked guardedly around the room. “That’s she, alone over there in
the corner—the girl with the white feather in her hat who’s just
signing her check. There—she’s getting up!”
Ardmore gazed across the room intently, then suddenly a slight smile
played about his lips. To gain the door the girl must pass by his table,
and he scrutinized her closely as she drew near and passed. She
was a little girl, and her light fluffy hair swept out from under a small
blue hat in a shell-like curve, and the short skirt of her tailor-made
gown robbed her, it seemed, of years to which the calendar might
entitle her.
“She gave me the steadiest eye I ever looked into when I asked her
where her father had gone,” remarked Billings grimly as the girl
passed. “She said she thought he’d gone fishing for whales.”
“So she’s Miss Dangerfield, is she?” asked Ardmore indifferently;
and he rose, leaving on the plate, by a sudden impulse of good
feeling towards the world, exactly double the generous tip he had
intended giving. Billings was glad to be rid of Ardmore, and they
parted in the hotel lobby without waste of words. The secretary of the
Bronx Loan and Trust Company announced his intention of
remaining another day in Atlanta in the hope of finding Governor
Dangerfield, and he was so absorbed in his own affairs that he did
not heed, if indeed he heard, Ardmore’s promise to keep an eye out
for the lost governor. Like most other people, the secretary of the
Bronx Loan and Trust Company did not understand Ardmore, but
Thomas Ardmore, having long ago found himself ill-judged by the
careless world, lived by standards of his own, and these would have
meant nothing whatever to Billings.
Ardmore’s effects had been brought down, and were already piled
on a carriage at the door. In his pocket were his passage to New
Orleans and a stateroom ticket. At the cashier’s desk Miss
Dangerfield paid her bill, just ahead of him.
“If any telegrams come for my father, please forward them to
Raleigh,” said the girl. The manager came out personally to show
her to her carriage, and having shut the door upon her, he wished
Ardmore, who stood discreetly by, a safe journey.
“Off for New Orleans, are you, Mr. Ardmore?” asked the manager
courteously.
“No,” said Ardmore, “I’m going to Raleigh to look at the tall
buildings,” whereat the manager returned to his duties, gravely
shaking his head.
At the station Ardmore caught sight of Miss Dangerfield, attended by
two porters, hurrying toward the Tar Heel Express. He bought a
ticket to Raleigh, and secured the last available berth from the
conductor on the platform at the moment of departure.
Ardmore did not like to be hurried, and this sudden change of plans
had been almost too much for him, but he was consoled by the
reflection that after all these years of waiting for just such an
adventure he had proved himself equal to an emergency that
required quick thought and swift action. He had not only found the
girl with the playful eye, but he had learned her identity without, as it
were, turning over his hand. Not even Griswold, who was the
greatest man he knew—Griswold with his acute legal mind and
ability to carry through contests of wit with lawyers of highest repute
—not even Griswold, Ardmore flattered himself, could have
managed better.
The stateroom door stood open, and from his seat at the farther end
of the car Ardmore caught a fleeting glimpse of Miss Dangerfield as
she threw off her jacket and hat; then she summoned the porter,
gave him her tickets, bade him a smiling good-night, and the door
closed upon her. The broad grin on the porter’s face—a grin of
delight, as though he had spoken with some exalted deity—filled
Ardmore with bitterest envy.
He went back to smoke and plan his future movements. For the first
time in his life he faced to-morrow with eager anticipations, resolved
that nothing should thwart his high resolves, though these, to be
sure, were somewhat hazy. Then, from a feeling of great satisfaction,
his spirit reacted, and he regretted that he had been deprived of the
joy of prolonged search. If he could only have followed her until, at
the last moment, when about to give up for ever and accept the
frugal consolations of memory, he met her somewhere face to face!
These reflections led him to wonder whether he might not have been
mistaken about the wink after all. Griswold, with his wider knowledge
of the world, had scouted the idea. Very likely if one of those blue
eyes had actually winked at him it had been out of mere playfulness,
and he would never in the world refer to it when they met. Billings
had applied the term peppery to her, and he felt that he should
always hate Billings for this; Billings was only a financial automaton
anyhow, who bought at the lowest and sold at the highest, and bored
one very often with strangely-worded papers which one was never
expected to understand. He did not know why Billings was so
anxious to find Miss Dangerfield’s father, but as between a man of
Billings’s purely commercial instincts and the governor of a great
state like North Carolina, Ardmore resolved to stand by the
Dangerfields to the end of the chapter. He was proud to remember
his estate at Ardsley, which was in Governor Dangerfield’s
jurisdiction, and had been visited by the game warden, the state
forester, and various other members of the governor’s official
household, though Ardmore could not remember their names. He
had never in his life visited Raleigh, but far down some dim vista of
memory he saw Sir Walter covering a mud-puddle with his cloak for
Queen Elizabeth. It was a picture of this moving incident in an old
history that rose before him, as he tried vainly to recall just how it
was that Sir Walter had lost his head. He wondered whether Miss
Dangerfield’s name was Elizabeth, though he hoped not, as the
name suggested a town in New Jersey where his motor had once
broken down on a rainy evening when he was carrying Griswold to
Princeton to deliver a lecture.
Ardmore smoked many pipes, and did not turn in until after midnight.
The car was hot and stuffy, and he slept badly. At some hour of the
morning, being again awake and restless, he fished his dressing-
gown and slippers out of his bag and went out on the rear platform.
His was the last car, and he found a camp-stool and crouched down
upon it in a corner of the vestibule and stared out into the dark. The
hum and click of the rails soothed him, and he yielded himself to
pleasant reveries. Griswold was well on his way back to Virginia, he
remembered—“Dear old Grissy!” he murmured; but he resolved to
tell Griswold nothing of the prosperous course of his quest. Griswold
would never, he knew, countenance so grave a performance as the
following of a strange girl to her home; but this would be something
for later justification.
Ardmore was half-dozing when the train stopped so abruptly that he
was pitched from the camp-stool into a corner of the entry. He got
himself together and leaned out into the cool moist air.
The porter came out and stared, for a gentleman in a blue silk
wrapper who sat up all night in a vestibule was new to his
experience.
“What place is this, porter?”
“Kildare, sah. This place is wha’ we go from South C’lina into No’th
C’lina. Ain’t yo’ be’th comfor’ble, sah?”
“Perfectly, thank you.”
Kildare was a familiar name, and the station, that lay at the outskirts
of the town, and a long grim barracks-like building that he identified
as a cotton mill, recalled the fact that he was not far from his own
ample acres which lay off somewhere to westward. He had
occasionally taken this route from the north in going to Ardsley, riding
or driving from Kildare about ten miles to his house. In this way he
was enabled to go or come without appearing at all in the little village
of Ardsley.
The porter left him. He felt ready for sleep now, and resolved to go
back to bed as soon as the train started. Just then a dark shadow
appeared in the track, and a man’s voice asked cautiously,—
“Air y’u the conductor?”
The questioner saw that he was not, before Ardmore could reply,
and hesitated a moment.
“The porter’s in the car; you can get aboard up forward,” Ardmore
suggested.
“Be Gov’nor Dangerfield on this train?” asked the man, whom
Ardmore now saw dimly outlined in the track below.
“Certainly, my friend. The governor’s asleep, but I’m his private
secretary. What can I do for you?”
“Well, hyeh’s somethin’ fer ’im—it’s confidential. Sure, air ye, th’
gov’nor’s in they?”
The man—a tall, bearded countryman in a slouch hat, handed up to
Ardmore a jug—a plain, brown, old-fashioned American gallon jug.
“It’s a present fer Gov’nor Dangerfield. He’ll understand,” and the
man vanished as mysteriously as he had appeared, leaving Ardmore
holding the jug by its handle, and feeling a little dazed by the
transaction.
The train lingered, and Ardmore was speculating as to which one of
the Carolina commonwealths was beneath him, when another figure
appeared below in the track—that of a bareheaded, tousled boy this
time. He stared up at Ardmore sleepily, having apparently been
roused on the arrival of the train.
“Air y’u the gov’nor?” he piped.
“Yes, my lad; in what way can I serve you?” and Ardmore put down
his jug and leaned over the guard rail. It was just as easy to be the
governor as the governor’s private secretary, and his vanity was
touched by the readiness with which the boy accepted him in his
new rôle. His costume, vaguely discernible in the vestibule light,
evidently struck the lad as being some amazing robe of state
affected by governors. The youngster was lifting something, and he
now held up to Ardmore a jug, as like the other as one pea
resembles another.
“Pa ain’t home, and ma says hyeh’s yer jug o’ buttermilk.”
“Thank you, my lad. While I regret missing your worthy father, yet I
beg to present my compliments to your kind and thoughtful mother.”
He had transferred his money to his dressing-gown pocket on
leaving his berth, and he now tossed a silver dollar to the boy, who
caught it with a yell of delight and scampered off into the night.
Ardmore had dropped the jugs carelessly into the vestibule, and he
was surveying them critically when the train started. The wheels
were beginning to grind reluctantly when a cry down the track
arrested his attention. A man was flying after the train, shouting at
the top of his lungs. He ran, caught hold of the rail, and howled,—
“The gov’nor ain’t on they! Gimme back my jug.”
“Indian-giver!” yelled Ardmore. He stooped down, picked up the first
jug that came to hand, and dropped it into the man’s outstretched
arms.
The porter, having heard voices, rushed out upon Ardmore, who held
the remaining jug to the light, scrutinizing it carefully.
“Please put this away for me, porter. It’s a little gift from an old army
friend.”
Then Mr. Ardmore returned to his berth, fully pleased with his
adventures, and slept until the porter gave warning of Raleigh.
CHAPTER IV.
DUTY AND THE JUG.
Mr. Thomas Ardmore, one trunk, two bags, and a little brown jug
reached the Guilford House, Raleigh, at eight o’clock in the morning.
Ardmore had never felt better in his life, he assured himself, as he
chose a room with care, and intimated to the landlord his intention of
remaining a week. But for the ill luck of having his baggage marked
he should have registered himself falsely on the books of the inn; but
feeling that this was not quite respectable, he assured the landlord,
in response to the usual question, that he was not Ardmore of New
York and Ardsley, but an entirely different person.
“Well, I don’t blame you for not wanting to be taken for any of that
set,” remarked the landlord sympathetically.
“I should think not!” returned Ardmore, in a tone of deep disgust.
The Guilford House coffee was not just what he was used to, but he
was in an amiable humour, and enjoyed hugely the conversation of
the commercial travellers with whom he took his breakfast. He did
not often escape from himself or the burden of his family reputation,
and these strangers were profoundly entertaining. It had never
occurred to Ardmore that man could be so amiable so early in the
day, and his own spirits rallied as he passed the sugar, abused the
hot bread, and nodded his approval of bitter flings at the inns of other
southern towns of whose existence he only vaguely knew. They
spoke of the president of the United States and of various old world
monarchs in a familiar tone that was decidedly novel and refreshing;
and he felt that it was a great privilege to sit at meat with these blithe
spirits. Commercial travellers, he now realized, were more like the
strolling players, the wandering knights, the cloaked riders
approaching lonely inns at night, than any other beings he had met
out of books. It was with the severest self-denial that he resisted an
impulse to invite them all to visit him at Ardsley or to use his house in
Fifth Avenue whenever they pleased. When the man nearest him,
who was having a second plate of corn-cakes and syrup, casually
inquired his “line,” Ardmore experienced a moment of real shame,
but remembering the jug he had acquired in the night, he replied,—
“Crockery.”
“Mine’s drugs. Do you know Billy Gallop?—he’s in your line.”
“Should say I did,” replied Ardmore unhesitatingly. “I took supper with
him in Philadelphia Sunday night.”
“How’s trade?”
“Bully,” replied Ardmore, reaching for the syrup. “I broke my record
yesterday.”
The drug man turned to listen to a discussion of the row between
Governors Osborne and Dangerfield precipitated by one of the
company who had fortified himself with a newspaper, and Ardmore
also gave ear.
“Whatever did happen at New Orleans,” declared a Maiden Lane
jewellery representative, “you can be quite sure that Dangerfield
won’t get the hot end of the poker. I’ve seen him, right here at
Raleigh, and he has all the marks of a fighting man. He’d strip at two
hundred, and he’s six in his socks.”
“Pshaw! Those big fellows are all meat and no muscle,” retorted the
drug man. “I doubt if there’s any fight in him. Now Osborne’s a
different product—a tall, lean cuss, but active as a cat. A man to be
governor of South Carolina has got to have the real stuff in him. If it
comes to a show-down you’ll see Dangerfield duck and run.”
This discussion was continued at length, greatly to Ardmore’s
delight, for he felt that in this way he was being brought at once into
touch with Miss Dangerfield, now domiciled somewhere in this town,
and to whom he expected to be properly introduced just as soon as
he could devise some means to that end. As he had not read the
newspapers, he did not know what the row was all about, but he
instinctively aligned himself on the Dangerfield side. The Osbornes