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-By Anna MoClure Sholl Copyright by W. O. Chapmjm WNU Servlc# ? CHAPTER I As the one-traln-a-day pursued Its course through a sparsely settled hill country, Janet Mercer was conjectur ing why parents should send their boys and girls to school In such a lonely region. From her bag she had taken more than once the clipping, of an advertisement, pinned to the letter which hnd so greatly aroused her interest and had resulted In her burning her bridges and coming to this unfamiliar region to teach English literature and rhetoric. The advertisement had first caught her attention because of Its odd word ing: fc' "Lostland academy. Famous In Its rtlme In the Flngerlake region. It still adheres to classical education ; and re gards an acquaintance with Horace as a prlvllego to be sought, not evaded, in the Interest of urbanity. A new fac ulty Is being brought together; and the honor of aiding in its composition His open to early applicants. College graduates only need apply. A teacher of English literature and rhetoric Is needed ; also a teacher of mathematics and chemistry." The letter, signed Gordon Haskell, ' was more circumstantial : "My Dear Miss Mercer : "Your letter of application for the post of teacher of English literature and rhetoric In Lostland academy pleased rue greatly. You seem well qualified for the position, and I should Judge that you were a young lady not easily disturbed or excited, and fully, equipped mentally to earn the generoi^T salary of three hundred a month fo> the eight teaching months, which is the standard salary for my teachers. I believe that if you desire talent you must bo willing to pay for it; and the noble work of educating our future citizens should never be underpaid. "To reach Lostland academy you must change cars at Oteaga and take a branch line. We have but one train a day, which leaves Oteaga at 10 a. m. and arrives here at 4. Unfortunate ly it has neither pullmnn nor dining r>car, so you would do well to bring a ^"station lunch box. You will be met at Blade ? perhaps there will be an other member of tho faculty travel ing down at the same time." Janet had looked her fellow-passen gers over several times in the hope of Identifying "another member of the faculty" ; but, no one fitting in her pre conception, she chose a man about twenty-seven years old. In whose coun tenance she thought She detected abil ity to solve mathematical problems. He, too, had brought a station lunch box ; and about noon he examined Its contents ; but he ate mechanically, and then settled to the examination of a letter. After a time ho made a Jour ney down the rocking aisle of tho train to the water tank, where he had Infinite difficulty In clawing out a paper cup, then in shaping it and con veying the nicked rim to h is lips. With an air of relief and some water on his vest he came down the aisle. The train was rocking and rattling over the curved track as If apprehen sive that it would never reach its destination. As tho train turned a curve, the young man passed Janet's seat, and was nearly precipitated into it. Simul taneously he regained his balance and saw the letter outspread on her lap. "I'm so sorry," he apologized in a delightful voice. "And will you think me very Impertinent? May 1 Inquire If you are on the way to Lostland academy?" "Yes. I am the teacher of English literature and rhetoric." "And I'm slated for mathematics and chemistry." "Won't you ? sit down?" "Thanks." He smiled boyishly as If really grateful to her for tho* Invita tion. Benoath the smile she read a certain bewilderment, mingled, when his eyes were turned toward her, with frank and friendly admiration. He was thinking that she was very pretty. He liked her blue serge suit and her close little velvet hat from under which her eyes regarded him kindly. "Rather strange landscape," ho ven tured. "But It's all strange ? my sud den coming? tho letter ? tho largo sal ary ? and every one on tho sarno " basis." '/"Yes, It Is apparently a standardized ?um. I wonder how many teachers are on the faoulty? Mr. Haskell's ex penses must be very heavy? but then he probably has a great many stu dents." Arthur Fleming was regarding her .With meditative, admiring eyes. "Some how It all seems rather Ideal? tho lone ly country? a number of people with a common purpose marooned among these hills. I don't like cities. I am looking forward to cross-country walks ?skating. I)o you skate?" "Yes? I am very fond of outdoor pptots." "Amd 1 suppose you love your sub jects; or you would scarcely bo teach them." "English literature, especially. I feel as If I were a mistress of cere monies, and should I wave a wand, a blind man with beautiful thoughts and visions would enter; or a melancholy pbet with the h?>rt of a child and a great fear about his salvation, or a stern and passionate young woman whose son), I am sure, still haunts the purple heather In Yorkshire." "Milton, Cowper, and Emily Bronte," he commented with a smile. "I am a great lover of Dickens. I want to go to London before all his haunts have vanished. I should like to see Dover as David Copperfleld did. You remember he Imagined his mother coming down the shining road of the sea. Mine died when I wus three." "My mother Is dead, too; and my father married again." "I am so glad ? you are to be on the faculty." His color rose a little and his clear boyish eyes were directed ngaln to the flying hills. "There was another strange thing," she ventured. "I did not And Lost land academy listed In any of the educational directories." "I looked for It, too ? then I thought It might possibly have a new official name; and be unregistered. I wish we were there. I want to have all my questions answered." "What time Is It?" "Just three. One hour more." Blade proved to be a flag station, j No one but himself and Janet Mercer and a middle-aged woman In black alighted from the train. The three stood uncertainly on the rough un palnted platform ; and then the woman In black approached them, a shade of anxiety In her kindly, sensible face. "I am Mrs. Denver," she said, "the new matron at Lostland academy. I expected to be met, but I do not see anyone. Are you acquainted here?" "No, we are strangers. This is Mr. Fleming, one of the new teachers ; and I am Miss Mercer." "I am glad you are goln? there, too!" Mrs. Denver exclaimed with unmistak able relief. "This seems such a lone some place." Undeniably It did. The hills, vast and grayish-green In color as If from outcropplngs of granite, rose with threatening abruptness immediately back of the little station. From thw "May I Inquire if You Are on the Way to Lostland Academy?" station roof n rotting sign hung bear ing In faded crimson letters tlie word "Blade." Some one long ago had em phasized the name by drawing In with crimson paint the rough outline of a dagger held In a gaunt fist. For some unknown reason the eyes of the three people were drawn to this symbol. "What an odd location for an acad emy," Janet commented, beginning to feel rather homesick and lonely ? and thankful that Mrs. Denver was there, i with her obvious good balance and her ; kindly, concerned lace. Fleming did | not answer her comment, but Janet I saw tOat he was puzzled, and that he shared the dismay of his companions. The silence about them was Intenso ? except for the moaning of the wind In the telegraph wires. The country had a wild, almost a savage aspect. "I Imagine Haskell relies an much > on fresh air as on the urbanities of Horace to bring his pupils forward; and considering that he knew three of us were arriving on this one train ft day, It seems strange he didn't send somo kind of a conveyance for us." '^lere comes a farmer with a load , of apples," Mrs. Denver said. "Let's ask him." The creaking old wagon was still severfU hundred yards away ; and they watched Its slow progress with Impa tience. A wizened old man was hunched In the driver's seat, and the j slack reins hung almost to the ground. I Ilehlnd him was a mound of greenish apples, and his gray hair blew In tho I mountain wind. As he drew near, Ar- i thur hailed him. "Can you tell us how to get to I.ost- ( land academy, and how far It Is from 1 here?" The slack rein was drawn up, but ? the inquiries were not answered Im mediately. The driver stared with ft curious expression at them as If they woro In somo way marked and Identi fied by their connection with thla academy as destined for no ordinary experiences. "I know the plnce ? ought to? it't been thero more'n a hundred years. He'll send for you, all right ? mebbo will bo easier to get thero than to come away." "Why do yoti say that?" Arthur do manded. "Is there anything wrong with .tho place?" Tho countryman's manner beennw secretive, almost shy. "I dunno ha there Is ? I never heard nothln'. 'Twn? ft hi* school In Doctor Bracebrldge'l day. Ilaskeiril send for you, at right." TO nil OONTINUttD* IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY I chool Lesson (Br HSV. P. B. riTZ WATER. D. idembor of Faoulty, Moody Dibit Inatltut* ?( Chicago.) ? by Waatern Nawapapor Unlom. Lesson for July 29 MICAIAH SPEAKS THE TRUTH LESSON TEXT? 1 Kings 22:1-40/ GOLDEN TEXT? And Micalah said. At the Lord Uveth, what the Lord salth unto me, that will I apeak. I Kings 12:14. PRIMARY TOPIC ? A Man Who Told the Truth. JUNIOR TOPIC ? A Man Who Dared to Tell the Truth. INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP IC ? Telling tho Truth Under Difficul ties. VOUNO PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP IC ? Courageous Truth-Telling. I. A League Between Two Kings (vv. 1-4). 1. Who these kings were (v. 2). a. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Ho was for the most part a good king, having done much to put down Idol atry and restore the worship of the true God. b. Ahab, king of Israel. He was a weak and wicked king. 2. The occasion (v. 2). It was on a visit of Jehoshaphat to Ahab, perhaps for the cultivation of a friendly rela tionship In case of an attack by the Syrians, or It may have been because of a soclnl relation Incident to the mar riage of Jehoshaphat's son to Ahab's daughter, the wicked Athallah. 3. The purpose of (vv. 3, 4). It was a merger for the purpose of conquest The fortified city of Hamoth-gllead had been ceded to Ahab as the result of a previous war, but'lt had not been actually turned over. Jehoshaphat pledged unreservedly the support of his people, without seeking the mind of God. II. Advice From the Lord Sought (vv. 5-28). fcven though the merger had been formed Jehoshaphat whs unwilling to go Into bnttle without Inquiring of the Lord. 1. Through a group of prophets (v. 0; 9-12). Some four hundred prophets responded to the call of Ahab. Who those prophets were we are not told. Evidently they were not prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:19); neither were they true prophets of the Lord. They knew Ahab'e wish and therefore sought to curry favor with him by encouraging him to follow out his desire. Zedeklah, their leader, symbolized the success of the Joint campaign by the use of horns of Iron. Jehoshaphat sensed the falsenesa of these prophets. 2. A message from the Lord's proph et desired (v. 7). Tho king of Judah was unwilling to carry out his contract with Ahab without knowing the mind of God as to the matter. This he should have sought before consenting to the merger. 3. Mlcaiah speaks the truth (vv. 13-28). a. He first speaks In irony (v. 15). The king's messenger who brought Micalah from prison advised him to speak that which would he pleasing to the king, but Mlcaiah was not a man server but God's faithful servant. He courageously declared that his message would be what God told him to say (v. 14). Regardless of result he would do only as God directed. b. Mlcaiah speaks plainly (vv. 10 28) A ha I) detected the prophet's Ironic speech and demanded of him the plain truth. To this demand Mlcaiah re sponded by making clear the peril which awaited them. He also told Ahab that through lying spirits he would be lured to a place of death. This faithfulness on the part of God's prophet was rewarded by flouting and smiting by the false prophets and with Imprisonment from the king. The true prophet will speak God's word regard less of consequences. From Allcaiah's experience we Bhould learn : (1) The Inevitable opposition be tween God's message and the purposes of evil men. This explains why true prcachers of the Word of God are un popular, nrul nre called narrow Rnd glum. (2) The folly of the attitude of hatred against those who truly wit ness against them. Ahab hated Ml caiah because Micalah told him what would come to him for such a course of action. God's prophet did not make tho evil but only mado It known. III. The Doom of Ahab (vv. 29 40). 1. He went forth to bnttle In spite of MIcnlnh'R warning. The Issue proved that Micalah was right. 2. He disguised himself as a com mon soldier. Ho thought to escape the predicted fate through disguise, but an arrow from tho onoiny pierced him In spite of his armor. Ahab died ss predicted and his blood wan licked by tho dogs as Klljah had said (I Kings 21:19). There Is a bitter end coming to those who will not heed God's warning. The only way to es cnpe doom is to turn away from sin. lUpplnen There Is only one thing greater rhan happiness In the world, and that Is holiness, and It Is not In our keoiv Ing ; but what God has put In our pow er Is tho hnpplnoss of those about us, and that Is largely to ho secured by our being kind to them. Promts* of Cod I would sooner walk In the dark, and hold hard to n promise of my God, than trust In tho light of the brightest day that ever dawimd. -O. H Rpurgeon. Studying Washing Effect of Unbuilt Dam ,? -v ?. . . i . t i ? L'rof. Liftrold A. Thomas of the Carnegie Institute of Technology using a one-elghtleth scale model of the pro jected Tygart River dam, key project In the Pittsburgh flood control plan for the Motiongahela and Ohio rivers, for an exhaustive study of the washing effect of the rushing waters. The dam will be part of a flood control plan to cost about $12,000,000 which is already under way in the hands of United States army engineers. Historic Old Fort Niagara Has Been Restored Governmental, military and ecclesiastical personages dramatic commemoration of two centuries of heroic warfare day "Three-Nation celebration," financed by the federal, to be held at Niagara Fallsr and at nearby Old Fort Niagara pletely restored to Its Seventeenth century plcturesqueness unveiling upon Its lake-front redoubt of a memorial to the frontier has remained unfortified for 110 years, will Bupply view 9 1 the old fort Is shown above. from both sides of the Atluntlc are to participate In a and more than a ce^tmy of perfect peace during the four state and Niagara Falls municipal governments, which Is September 3 to 0. Dedication of Old Fort Niagara, com after seven years' labor and at a cost of $500,000, and the Rush-Bagot treaty, under which the American-Canadian the occasion's contrasting motifs of war and peace. An air Rockefeller Scion and His Fiancee Mr. and Mrs. .John Krencli ot New York and Greenwich, Conn., have mode formal announcement of the engagement of their (laughter-, Mary French, to Laurance Hpelman Rockefeller, son of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The wedding will take place In August. Yonng Rockefeller, a graduate of Princeton university, has just completed liln first year at Harvard law school. Miss French is a graduate of Rosemary hall, and has attended Vassnr college. Roper Welcomed by the Blackfeet Secretary ot Commerce I'nnlol <5. Kopor on n visit to (llncMor Nntlonnl pnrk wns Rrootod hy Wensel Krrttlior n ! (loortco Ruftchlld, Hlnekfoot chlofn. In tho photograph t hoy nrp Hnylnff, In tho sign In ritcon "\V>lcom?" and "Wo nro hrothfipg." THEODORE ROOSEVELT Col. Theodore Iloosevelt la the newly elected president of the National Re publican oluh. In accepting the office lie snld: "The Republican organization must he re-made Into h new party? a virile, fighting unit, liberal In the real meaning of the word ? an opposition party that will oppose where the real Interests of the nation call for op position and that will support the President wholeheartedly in all con structive measures." ELECTED BY MEXICO (Jon. Lnzflro CardoniiB. who wna ph'ctort president of Mm reptibllc of Mexico by nn overwhelming plurality.