"There is no mistaking that look in a man's eyes," Dr. Fenneben thought
as he watched the two pass through the rotunda and out of the great
front door. "I have guessed Joshua's plan easily enough, but I've
only half guessed him out. Why did he mention his money matters to me?
There is enough merit in him worth the shaping Sunrise will
give him, however, and I must do a man's part, anyhow. As for Elinor,
there's a ready-made missionary field in her, so Joshua warns me.
But he is a poor judge sometimes. I wish I might have begun with her sooner.
I cannot think she is quite as mercenary as he represents her to be."

Through the window he saw a pretty picture. Outlined against the dark
green cedars of the north angle was Professor Burgess, tall, slender,
fair of face, faultless in dress. Beside him was Elinor Wream, all dainty
and sweet and white, from the broad-brimmed hat set jauntily on her dark
hair to the white bows on the instep of her neat little canvas shoes.
A wave of loneliness swept over Dr. Fenneben's soul as he looked.

"It must have been a thousand years ago that I was in love and walked
in my Eden. There are no serpents here as there were in mine."

Just then his eyes fell upon the wide stone landing of the campus steps.
At the same moment Elinor gave a scream of fright. A bull snake,
big and ugly, had crawled half out of the burned grasses of the slope
and stretched itself lazily in the sunshine along the warm stone.
It roused itself at the scream, emitting its hoarse hiss, after the
manner of bull snakes. Elinor clutched at her companion's arm,
pale with fear.

"Kill it! Kill it!" she cried, trying to force her slender white