She hesitated, but
some of her enthusiasm had caught Miss Daphne, and she immediately
succumbed to the whim of the moment.

"Why, I think, my dear, that I'll go with you. The Dean has taken up so
much of my time that I've rather lost my interest and activity in affairs.
You go down with Rex, and I'll join you presently."

The Dean's desk stood in a wide square bay window which overlooked the
driveway. He had settled down to his morning's portion of labor and was
blocking out a curriculum of study for Kit, when he happened to glance up,
and beheld the trio passing happily out through the gates. Certainly they
did not realize, nor did he at that moment, that already the leaven of
youth was at work in the old shadowy house behind the sentinel pines.

CHAPTER X

THE DEAN'S OUTPOSTS

The first budget of family letters arrived the following week. Kit fairly
pounced on them when the mail carrier came up the walk, for she had been
watching anxiously at each delivery. After all, it was the first time she
had been away from home, and after the first excitement and novelty had
worn off, her heart, she told herself laughingly, "harked back to Dixie."

It seemed the Dean had written to her father on the night of her arrival,
and this was a surprise to Kit.

"It is a great relief to us all to know that you have made such a
favorable impression," Mr. Bobbins' letter read. "After all, it was
somewhat of an experiment, and I confess that I was rather sceptical of
the result, knowing the Dean as I do. Try to adapt yourself as much as
possible to the home conditions there, Kit. You know, we have always
lived somewhat of an easy-going life so far as discipline and set routine
go, and consequently you girls have been brought up in a happy-go-lucky
fashion. Do you remember what Emerson had inscribed over his study door?
'Whim.' The old Concord philosopher and Thoreau have been close pals of
mine, and I fear that I adopted at an early age the same motto. Be
considerate of all the Dean's notions, and make yourself as useful and
lovable as you can while you are with them, dear.

"The rebuilding of the house is going along splendidly, and we hope to
have our Christmas there. I have followed the old plan, but with some
improvements, I think, putting in a good furnace, and enlarging the
dining-room and kitchen. The veranda also will extend around three sides
of the house instead of two, and we are building the supports of field
st