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Contents

Preface ix
About the Authors xiii
Acknowledgments xiv

Part I Administration 1

CHAPTER 1 The Director: A Broad View 3


A Brief History of Child Care in the United States 5
Child Care Today 5
Program Administration 6
The Director as Leader 7
The Director as Manager 10
The Director-Manager as Delegator 14
The Director-Manager as Organizer 16
The Director-Manager as Planner 17
The Director-Manager as Communicator 18
Ethical Management Practices 21
Professional Development 23
Evaluating Director Competencies 24
The Director’s Relation to Boards of Directors 28

CHAPTER 2 Diversity and Early Education 34


The Changing Face of America 35
The Need for Culturally Aligned Services 36
Pathways to Cultural Competence 37
Why Is It Important to Preserve Diversity? 39
Becoming a Culturally Competent Organization 40
The Administrator’s Role 40
A Guide for Administrators 42
Clarifying Your Vision and Mission 43
Classrooms That Respect Diversity 44
Managing Conflict 45

CHAPTER 3 Choices: Schools and Programs 52


Child Care Today 53
Types of Programs—Characteristics 54
Military-Based Child Care 63
Inclusive Programs: Including Children with Diverse Abilities 66
School Age Care 66
Foster Care 67
Infant-Care Programs 68

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vi Contents

Part II Planning: Program and Environment 73

CHAPTER 4 Administering Program Plans 75


Program Planning 76
Goals 78
Curriculum 83
Assessment 88
Policies and Procedures 93

CHAPTER 5 Planning: Infants and Toddlers 100


Brain Research 101
Infant-Toddler Development 102
Characteristics of a Developmentally Appropriate Infant-Toddler Program 105
Responding to Families in Culturally Sensitive Ways 113
Program: Infant and Toddler Activities 115
Space: Infant-Toddler Environment 116
Specific Areas 118
Adaptations for Infants and Toddlers with Special Needs 124

CHAPTER 6 Planning: Preschool-Age Children 129


Preschool Development 130
Characteristics of a Developmentally Appropriate Program 134
Supporting a Developmentally Appropriate Program 139
Program Space 147
Diversity in the Program 151
Planning Program Spaces by Area 153
Outdoor Areas 159
Adaptations for Children with Special Needs 161

CHAPTER 7 Planning: School-Age Children 166


School-Age Programs 167
School-Age Children 168
Characteristics of a Developmentally Appropriate Program 172
Supporting Developmentally Appropriate Programs 174
Space 178
Planning Space for Specific Areas 180
Outdoor Environment 185

CHAPTER 8 Family Child Care 190


Family Child Care: An Overview 192
Regulation of Family Child Care 194
The Choice of Family Child Care 195
Provider Characteristics 197
The Family Child Care Provider as Administrator 198
The Future of Family Child Care 201

Part III Staff Administration 209

CHAPTER 9 Staff Selection/Personnel Policies 211


Staff Turnover 212
Staff Selection 212
Staff Recruitment 216

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Contents vii

Application Information 218


Selection Process 219
Evaluating 224
Personnel Practices 226
Personnel Records 235
Classroom Substitute Personnel 237

CHAPTER 10 Staff Supervision and Training 241


Director as Supervisor 242
Evaluation of Staff Performance 243
Professional Development 248
Planning Effective Meetings 253
Burnout 256
Staff Turnover and Retention 258

PART IV Management 265

CHAPTER 11 Budget 267


The Budget 268
Development of the Budget 268
Expenses — Personnel 273
Expenses — Variable 273
Fixed Expenses 274
Income 275
Summary of Budget Cycle 277
Budget Analysis 278
Keeping Budget Records 279
Other Sources of Income 280

CHAPTER 12 Nutrition, Health, and Safety for the Program 288


Nutrition 289
Cooking Experiences for Children 295
Food Purchasing 297
Food Preparation 298
Food Safety 298
Food Service for Children 299
Physical Activity 300
Health 300
Safety 309

CHAPTER 13 Beginnings: A New Program/A New Year 321


A Business Plan 322
Location 322
Finances 328
Staff Selection 333
Working Checklist 334
Planning for Opening Day 334
Enrollment 336
Parents 341
The New School Year 344
Retaining Families 348

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
viii Contents

Part V Beyond the School Itself 353

CHAPTER 14 Including Families and the Community 355


Changing Roles of Families 356
Parent Involvement 356
Community Involvement 363
Parent Education 364
The School and the Community 371

CHAPTER 15 Maintaining the Quality of Child Care 381


Upgrading the Quality of Programs 382
Child Abuse 387
Laws and Issues Pertaining to Child Care Settings 393
Directors as “Gatekeepers to Quality” 395
Leading with a Vision 396

APPENDIX A  AEYC’s Code of Ethical Conduct: Guidelines for Responsible Behavior in Early
N
Childhood Education 401

APPENDIX B Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving
Children from Birth through Age 8 408

Glossary 429
Index 433

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
Preface

Rationale
Administration of Programs for Young Children was first published in 1976, when interest
in the education of very young children was just beginning. Today the importance of those
early years is well established, and there is universal recognition that quality programs
must have well-trained and knowledgeable teachers, as well as leaders or directors who can
meet the challenges of operating these programs. Each year, new research offers additional
insight into the needs of young children. The job of an administrator is so multifaceted that
it is imperative that every leader be well versed in the latest information. Therefore, the
availability of courses and up-to-date training materials is essential. This book can serve
that purpose. The text is appropriate for a course at a 2-year college, a 4-year university,
or at the graduate level. It can also be a source for working directors, planners of training
programs, or people who want to start a child care program.

Organization
The organization of this edition reflects a logical progression of information needed by a
director. It is divided into five sections with chapters containing relevant information.
Part I—Administration, includes the general responsibilities of a director and
­discusses the different kinds of settings. Chapter 1 emphasizes the importance of creating
a democratic or collegial environment for staff members. Chapter 2 is new to this edition
and explains the importance of incorporating diversity into an early education program.
Chapter 3 discusses the different kinds of programs and how the responsibilities of the job
of administrator change according to the needs and scope of each program type.
Part II—Planning: Program and Environment, details the process for establishing,
organizing and designing a specific, well thought-out child care program. Chapter 4 dis-
cusses how to plan and organize a curriculum by setting creating a vision and mission and
then setting goals to achieve the desired results. The reader is taken through the steps that
lead to the development of goals, and then shown how to take action to provide excellent
curriculum. Chapters 5 to 7 document planning for three age levels: infants and toddlers,
preschool children, and school-age children. Each highlights developmental milestones
and then discusses how to plan a developmentally appropriate programs and curriculum
with emphasis on domain-specific activities. In each chapter, examples of program stan-
dards are discussed (e.g. health, safety, developmentally appropriate practice etc), along
with specific guidelines and suggestions for activities and areas to include in both the
­indoor and outdoor environment. This enables the reader to get a complete picture of how
to plan for each age level. Chapter 8 discusses family child care and describes the adminis-
trative details for this unique family setting.
Part III—Staff Administration, covers hiring staff and developing personnel ­policies
that encourage staff retention. Chapter 9, Staff Selection/Personnel Policies, takes the
­director through the process of determining staff qualifications, recruiting, and selecting.
There are also sections on developing personnel policies, preventing staff turnover, and
writing a personnel manual. Chapter 9 also has a section on managing substitute person-
nel. Chapter 10, Staff Supervision and Training, suggests effective methods of supervising
and evaluating staff, as well as planning for staff development and training activities.

ix

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x Preface

Part IV—Management, includes the tasks that are needed to successfully ­operate a
program. Chapter 11 details the process of putting together a budget, which includes a
break-even budget, and operating a program using effective business practices. The new
Chapter 12 discusses how to maintain a safe environment, ensure the health of ­children,
and operate a good nutritional food program that is also economically feasible and
­sensitive to cultural differences. Chapter 13, Beginnings: A New Program/A New Year,
­discusses the processes that are needed to start a new program or begin a school year after
a summer break.
Part V—Beyond the School Itself, takes the reader outside the facility to consider
external influences. Chapter 14, Including Families and the Community, considers the role
of families in early childhood education and how the surrounding community can impact
the program. The final chapter, Maintaining the Quality of Child Care, addresses the issues
of how to determine quality, how to measure it, and how to maintain it. This chapter also
contains a discussion of the laws and issues that pertain to personnel and families, as well
as a discussion of liability insurance coverage.
Appendix A contains the complete National Association for the Education of Young
Children (NAEYC) Code of Ethical Conduct.
Appendix B contains the complete NAEYC position paper on technology and
interactive media in early childhood programs.
This new edition of the text addresses requests by reviewers for the most current
­information and responds to their concerns and requirements. However, these updates
may not always meet the needs of each group of students or individual instructors. That
said, each chapter has been written to allow instructors to change the order in which the
chapters are presented to best align with their course objectives.

Features
An important new feature of this edition is the placement of the NAEYC icon within each
chapter to indicate where the text addresses specific NAEYC Standards for ­Professional
Development. The Standards covered in each chapter are listed on the chapter opening
page, along with the chapter objectives and key terms.
Another new feature in this edition is the inclusion of TeachSource Videos. This award-
winning video series captures in-the-classroom footage of early childhood ­programs, care-
givers, teachers, and children. Each chapter features one to two video call-out boxes with
questions for readers to think about as they watch the videos. Questions can be assigned
or merely used to focus readers’ attention on specific topics. Videos can be viewed on the
Education CourseMate at CengageBrain.com.
New Digital Downloads also have been added throughout the book. The reader will
find Digital Download icons next to Figures that show samples of forms used in ­program
administration. These forms can be downloaded from the Education CourseMate at
­CengageBrain.com, adapted, and used by students and instructors as a practical tool in
early childhood programs.
A final new feature, “Did You Get It?” quizzes, can now be found at the end of ­every ­major
section of the chapters. These questions will spur readers to check their ­understanding of what
they just read and encourage them to visit the Education ­CourseMate at CengageBrain.com
to take the full quiz.
The instructors will still find the vignettes “A day in the life of . . .” in this edition.
These snapshots of a director’s activities give the student an opportunity to glimpse what it
is like to be a program leader. They sometimes provide a bit of humor to spark interest in
the content as examples of “real life”—not to suggest appropriate practices.
Each chapter ends with a Case Study and Helpful Websites. The case study poses
­questions that foster critical thinking; the websites provide access to additional informa-
tion if the student chooses to pursue it.

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
Preface xi

Internet Disclaimer
The authors and Cengage Learning affirm that the website URLs referenced herein were
accurate at the time of printing. However, due to the fluid nature of the Internet, we cannot
guarantee their accuracy for the life of this edition.

New to This Edition


This edition reflects the changes that are taking place in early childhood education. The
following topics have either been expanded or added to this edition.
• Emphasis on the leadership role of the administrator.
• More attention to the professional development of a program administrator.
• Focus on standards, including NAEYC Professional Development Standards in
e­ very chapter.
• Up-to-date references throughout the text.
• Focus on program and quality improvement, including the Program Administrator
Scales.
• Increased information on planning that includes mission and vision statements, as
well as goals.
• A brand new Chapter 2 on diversity within the early childhood program.
• More extensive information on curriculum delivery systems.
• Greater emphasis on developmentally appropriate activities.
• Focus on technology and interactive media.
• Health, safety, and nutritional information combined in one concise chapter.
• Updated “Selected Further Reading” at the end of each chapter.
• Detailed information on the newest trends within early child care and education.
• Updated information on marketing your program.

Resources for Students


Education CourseMate
Education CourseMate brings course concepts to life with interactive learning, study, and
exam preparation tools that support the printed textbook. CourseMate includes an inte-
grated eBook, Did You Get It? quizzes, flashcards, videos, and more. Visit CengageBrain.com
for access.

TeachSource Video Cases


The TeachSource Video Cases feature footage from the classroom to help students relate
key chapter content to real-life scenarios. Critical-thinking questions, artifacts, and bonus
video help the student reflect on the content in the video.

Resources for Instructors


Online Instructor’s Manual with Test Bank
An online Instructor’s Manual accompanies this book. It contains information to assist the
instructor in designing the course, including sample syllabi, discussion questions, ­teaching

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
xii Preface

and learning activities, field experiences, learning objectives, and additional ­online
­resources. For assessment support, the updated test bank includes true/false, multiple-
choice, matching, short-answer, and essay questions for each chapter.

PowerLecture with ExamView


This one-stop digital library and presentation tool includes preassembled Microsoft®
­PowerPoint® lecture slides. In addition to the full Instructor’s Manual and Test Bank,
­PowerLecture also includes ExamView® testing software with all the test items from the
printed Test Bank in electronic format, enabling instructors to create customized tests in
print or online, with all of your media resources in one place, including an image library
with graphics from the textbook itself and TeachSource Videos.

How to Use This Text


The sequence of chapters provides the student with a logical progression of topics that have
been field-tested by many instructors using the text. The order can be adopted as is or
changed to suit the needs of a particular setting. Review questions and activities at the end
of each chapter also make it applicable to a self-study plan by individual readers.
A significant resource for students is the list of websites at the end of each chapter.
Many students have computers and are comfortable searching for information on the
­Internet. The instructor can assign topics or pose questions to be answered by logging on
to one of the sites. Additionally, the premium website provides the instructor with ways to
enhance students’ learning. Downloadable forms can be used as worksheets for in-class
discussions or reproduced as transparencies to accompany lectures. The case studies are
a rich source for augmenting learning. Students can read and discuss the cases online or
in groups during class time. The author has posed questions at the end of each case and
­welcomes the instructor to pose additional ones.

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
About the Authors

Phyllis Click obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of
­California at Berkeley in psychology and child development. Throughout a long career, she
worked in various settings with both children and adults. She taught in preschools, worked
in summer camps, and developed and taught in a program for autistic children. She then
began working with adults, teaching college students, administering grant programs, and
designing a curriculum for a private college for prospective teachers.
Upon retirement, she served as a consultant, helping others start or administer
­programs, and published widely. Her publications included another textbook, articles in
­professional journals, and ancillary materials for other authors’ texts.

Kimberly Karkos was awarded a bachelor’s degree in child development and family rela-
tions from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree in early childhood educa-
tion from the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut. She received a
Director’s Administrative Credential from the National Institute of Childcare Management
in 2004. She has been an administrator for various early childhood programs, a consultant,
and a child development specialist for over 40 years. Ms. Karkos is a professor of Child
Development at Ventura College in Ventura, California and the University of LaVerne. She
belongs to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, is a member
of the ­Ventura County Child Care Planning Council, and serves on several other advi-
sory boards. In 2013, she was awarded a Community College Early Childhood Education
­Fellowship from the Simms/Mann Institute for Education and Community Development.

Cathie Robertson, who extensively revised information in Chapters 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, and


12, received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from San Diego State University and did
much of her undergraduate work at California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo.
She is a professor of Child Development and Family Studies at Grossmont College near
San Diego, California. A number of her students are directors so she is very familiar with
the issues they face. She has taught child development and childhood nutrition courses
for more than 25 years and is now semi-retired and teaches mainly online. Ms. Robertson
has made numerous national, state, and local professional presentations and has been the
recipient of a number of grants. She is a long-time member of the National Association
for the Education of Young Children. Ms. Robertson volunteers regularly in several early
elementary classes to keep current. She is married, the mother of three adult children and
one elementary school-age child, and a grandmother to eight.

xiii

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Acknowledgments

Our thanks to those who generously gave of their time to make this edition of Administra-
tion of Programs for Young Children an effective tool for both new and experienced admin-
istrators. Our special thanks to Mark D. Kerr, Acquisitions Editor, and Caitlin Cox and
Linda Stewart, Developmental Editors. We want to express our appreciation for the other
Cengage Learning staff members who carried the project from one step to another until
the final pages were put together.
A special thanks to the reviewers who took the time to read the previous edition and
offer excellent suggestions for changes and additions to this edition:
Teresa Clark Cedarville University
Debra Dyer Keuka College
Deb Farrer California University of Pennsylvania
Colleen Fawcett Palm Beach State College
Jamie Harmount Ohio University
Barbara June Baker College
Karri Kerns Iowa State University – Child Development ­
Laboratory School
Maureen O’Neil Tallahassee Community College
Dianne Russom College of the Desert
Barbara Tamialis Saddleback College
Kresha Warnock Ball State University

xiv

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Nenov Brothers Images/Shutterstock.com
Part 1

Administration

CHAPTER 1 The Director: A Broad View

CHAPTER 2 Diversity and Early Education

CHAPTER 3 Choices: Schools and Programs

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
C h apte r

1
© Cengage Learning

Objectives
After reading this chapter, you should
be able to:
• State the responsibilities of a
director.
• Describe management styles
and methods.
• Describe leadership qualities.
• Identify ways a director allocates

The Director: •
school resources.
Discuss the role of a director as a

A Broad View
communicator.
• Devise and use a self-evaluation
tool.
• Discuss the relationship of a
­director to a board of trustees.
A Day in the Life of . . .
A Director of a For-Profit Center Standards
The following NAEYC Standards
6:30 a.m. Arrive to open center. One parent waiting; the first teacher is late. The phone for Early Childhood Professional ­
Preparation Programs are
is ringing: it’s a sick teacher. Child and I go to classroom to set out a few materials. ­addressed in this chapter:
­Finally a teacher arrives. Standard 1: Promoting Child
­Development and Learning (1a)
6:45 a.m. I go to my office: there are notes from my assistant on my desk. They concern
Standard 2: Building Family and
a request from Michelle (an assistant teacher) to leave early; an upset mother; two
Community Relationships (2 a, b)
requested tours with prospective families; and that it is time to order rubber gloves,
Standard 4: Using Develop-
paper towels, and tissues. The parents are arriving and the phone continues to ring, mentally Effective Approaches
heralding further changes in attendance. I take out my daily schedule to make the to Connect with Children and
changes, then call a substitute teacher from our list. She will come, but cannot get ­Families (4a, b, d)
there for an hour and a half. No substitute assistant teacher, so Michelle cannot leave Standard 6: Becoming a
­Professional (6a, b, c, e)
early. Maybe I’ll be able to figure it out later.

7:00 a.m. Jordan’s mom comes into the office and without closing the door ­demands
to talk to me. “I thought you had a policy that you won’t release a child to anyone other
than who is listed on the enrollment form by the parents!” Yesterday, her daughter

K e y T er m s

ethics morality
leadership nonverbal messages
management values

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4 Part I Administration

was released to her uncle. Even though he was known to the staff, he should not have
been allowed to pick her up. “I expect that you are going to look into this and give me a full
report. And I just want you to know how upset I am!”
I apologize and assure her that I will investigate it and that this incident does not ­reflect
our policy. I tell her I will give her a report by the end of the day.

7:30 a.m. I am in the toddler room welcoming parents and explaining why I am there. I
tell them that the regular teacher is sick and reassure them that a substitute teacher is on
her way. I spend 45 minutes in the room helping the children separate from their parents.
The phone continues to ring. I answer from the classroom. Three more children have been
called in as sick.
The cook enters the room to tell me that the milk expired yesterday and that there is
no pancake mix for the morning snack. She stays in the room while I get petty cash so she
can go to the store for more. I have to remember to tell the teachers that the snack will be
about 20 minutes late.

8:20 a.m. The substitute has arrived. I walk through the classrooms to see if everything is fine.
I count the children to check that the teacher/child ratio is correct. A parent comes in and
hands me her tuition check. She waits for a receipt and requests a conference with her child’s
teacher. She wants me to attend the conference because the teacher intimidates her.

8:40 a.m. I finally get to my desk. A staff member comes to request a day off the ­following
week. I talk to a prospective parent for 10 minutes and schedule a tour for this afternoon
at 2:00.

9:00 a.m. My administrative assistant arrives. We talk briefly about what needs to get done
today and what transpired with Jordan yesterday afternoon. She takes messages off the
answering machine. By now there is an extra teacher, a floater, in one room.
I begin to work on the payroll report, the cash flow report, and the payment status log.
This usually takes one hour if there are no interruptions. I almost finish, but my tour arrives
10 minutes early. We tour the building and then sit in the office.

10:30 a.m. The tour leaves and I return to my paperwork. I meet with the staff that let
Jordan go yesterday with her uncle. I reiterate our policy and ensure that they understand
their error and responsibility.

11:00 a.m. The phone rings with another inquiry from a prospective parent. I take her
phone number and promise to call back.

12:00 p.m. I leave the building to make a bank deposit and to purchase tomorrow’s supplies. I
return to the center, have some leftovers from lunch, and review the daily ­schedule to decide
if I can let Michelle leave early. I shift an extra teacher to Michelle’s room. She’s very happy.

1:00 p.m. I begin tomorrow’s schedule and look at today’s to-do list. I call the upset ­parent
and give her a full report. I write a thank you note to the parents who participated in last
week’s fundraiser, ask my assistant to send reminders to 10 parents to pay tuition, and
call back the prospective parent who wants to tour the school. I begin work on a grant
­application that is due next week.

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
Chapter 1 The Director: A Broad View  5

2:00 p.m. My tour arrives and we spend about 20 minutes together. I give my assistant a list
of three things to do that I did not get done today. I make a new list for tomorrow.

3:00 p.m. I begin the agenda for Friday’s staff in-service. My doctor’s office calls to inform me
that I missed my ­appointment this morning and will be charged.
I look at the clock and realize I am going to be late for a Child Care Planning Council
meeting. I run out of the building and tell my assistant to call my cell phone if there are any
emergencies.
 Karen, Director of Kiddie Academy

A Brief History of Child Care in the United States


Throughout history, families have often relied on others to care for their children. The
beginning of the daycare movement originated with the welfare and reform movements
of the 19th century. It was founded to alleviate the child care problems of working par-
ents and to prevent children from wandering the streets. “Daycare grew out of a welfare
­movement to care for immigrant and working class children while their impoverished
mothers worked” (Boschee & Jacobs, 2006). Today’s daycare centers evolved from these
day nurseries, which began in Boston settlement houses in the 1840s. The nurseries cared
for children of economically deprived wives, widows, and immigrants. Child care in the
United States has evolved. During the Great Depression, the federal government spon-
sored daycare to employ adults who were out of work. During World War II, the fed-
eral government sponsored daycare for 400,000 preschool children so that their mothers
could work in industries producing war materials. After the war, the government removed
all support for daycare and encouraged women to stay home and care for their children.
Many women, however, rejected that advice and, consequently, the ranks of working
women have been steadily increasing since World War II (Boschee & Jacobs, 2006).

Did You Get It?


While touring a daycare center, a parent comments to the director,
“What a lovely and well-run center! It seems far removed from the
first American daycare centers, which were a function of the welfare
movement.” This statement about the beginnings of the daycare
movement
a. is accurate.
b. is inaccurate.
c. is true regarding only centers located in big cities, not in rural towns.
d. is true regarding only centers located in rural towns, not in big cities.
Take the full quiz at CengageBrain.com

Child Care Today


The dramatic increase in the labor force participation of mothers has been the
most ­important factor affecting the demand for child care in the last 40 years. Cur-
rently, in a ­majority of American families with children, including those with tod-
dlers, the mother works (Glynn, 2012). According to the Employment Characteristics of
Families 2011, 69 percent of married women with children and 75 percent of single women
with children are in the workforce (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). Approximately
9 to 11 ­million children are in some form of organized daycare while their mothers work (U.S.
Census Bureau, 2011; Child Care Aware, 2012). More than one-third of ­children of working
mothers and one-quarter of children whose mothers do not work are in some type of daycare
arrangement (Glynn, 2012; Child Care Aware 2012). The U.S. ­Department of Labor believes

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
6 Part I Administration

that the need for programs that serve young children and their families will remain on the rise
and the need for daycare providers and teachers will increase at a rapid rate in the near future.
Similarly, an increasingly significant trend affecting the demand for child care is the
proportion of mothers who are the sole or primary financial supporters of their ­children.
Additionally, child care has been a significant issue in debates about moving welfare
­recipients toward employment and self-sufficiency; mothers on welfare may have difficulty
entering the labor force because of child care problems. Finally, the impact of child care on
children is the subject of ongoing discussions about whether low-income children benefit
from participation in programs with a focus on early childhood development.
As women’s labor force participation has grown over the past several decades, ­concerns
about the quality of child care have increased. The relationship between quality of child
care and children’s development is of increasing interest to parents, researchers, and policy­
makers. A growing body of research now examines the factors that correspond to quality
child care, measurements of those factors, and their short- and long-term effects on children.
Knowing that the quality of early care and education that young children receive lays the
building blocks for future success in school motivates child care programs and ­daycare pro-
viders to meet higher standards. Thus, organizations such as the National ­Association for the
Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the National Child Care ­Association (NCCA), the
National After school Association (NAA), and the National ­Association for Family Child Care
(NAFCC) promote professional development, accreditation, and other quality care initiatives.
Standards are an important part of today’s child care and early ­elementary education envi-
ronments. The NAEYC has set standards for professional development and competencies for
Program Administrators; and the NAA has set standards for quality environments for ­After
school care. A fairly new quality assessment rating system for administrators is now found in
the Program Administration Scale (2011) from the McCormick Center for Early Childhood
Leadership at http://cecl.nl.edu/evaluation/resources/PAS_StandardsandCriteria.pdf. There
are also other quality assurance tracking systems—such as the Early Childhood Education
Rating Systems (ECERS) and School Age Care Education Rating Systems ­(SACERS)—that
are in place to assess quality in programs. These will be covered in other chapters.

Did You Get It?


Jamie, a mother of a 4-year-old and a one-year-old, works 30 hours a
week. Statistically, her work and parenting status places her
a. in the majority.
b. in the minority.
c. In the minority, but she would be in the majority if she had two children
and worked more than 40 hours a week.
d. In the minority, but she would be in the majority if she had more than
two children and worked.

Take the full quiz at CengageBrain.com

Program Administration
Being a program administrator is challenging. It is like being circus juggler with all the
different facets that must be managed and addressed. The first step to being a program
­administrator, which we will often refer to as “director,” is to understand what that entails.
To do this, we can look to the NAEYC Program Administrator Definition:
The program administrator is the individual responsible for planning, ­implementing
and evaluating a child care, preschool or kindergarten program. The role of adminis-
trator covers both leadership and management functions. Leadership functions ­relate
to the broad plan of helping and organization clarify and affirms values, set goals,
­articulate a vision and chart a course of action to achieve that vision. Managerial func-
tions relate to the actual orchestration of tasks and the setting up of system to carry
out the organization’s mission. (NAEYC, 2007)

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
Chapter 1 The Director: A Broad View  7

The core competencies are in the areas that the


TeachSource Video Case 1.1 ­ irectors need to be involved in, such as staff management,
d
legal and fiscal management, educational programming,
­family ­support, and leadership and advocacy. For the en-
tire list of administrator competencies, review the NAEYC
Program Administrator Definition and Competencies
document, available at http://www.naeyc.org.
Providing quality services to children and families
while running a successful business is both a complex task
and what makes child care administration a daunting chal-
lenge. How do you retain competent staff, offer a program
that prepares children for later school success, and man-
age a business at the same time? The task becomes harder
BBC Motion Gallery

every day. During slow economic times, businesses of all


sizes face layoffs, closures, or restructuring. Employees
may have shortened hours, a lack of raises, reduced pay,
split shifts, and/or multiple jobs to make ends meet.
Directors play a key role in building and maintaining
Go to the CengageBrain.com to watch the video high-quality early childhood programs (Ryan et al., 2011).
The Quality of Child Care where you will learn They know the impact of modern day realities on the
about what constitutes high-quality child care. program and must work around them to sustain quality.
Watch the video with-these questions in mind: The recent economic downturn saw shifting enrollments,
1. Describe the components of quality care more part-time enrollments, and difficulty collecting fees.
2. What can a director do to ensure quality in There was more competition, increased costs, and a grow-
child care? ing number of “customers” with fewer resources. What can
the program administrator do to maintain program qual-
Watch at CengageBrain.com ity while managing to keep the business afloat? Quality is
easier to maintain when the director has a strong commit-
ment to children and follows quality standards. Financial
solvency is easier to attain by exercising the basics of sound business practices for small
businesses. Small businesses all face stiff competition, rising costs, and shifting consumer
demand. Many do not survive. However, many last because they monitor consumer needs,
customer satisfaction, and cost controls.
A successful program director needs more than a strong commitment to children and
families. Such a director must be, at the least, a wise leader and a knowledgeable manager.

Did You Get It?


A director notes that in the past six months, the center experienced more
part-time enrollments of children. She has also had difficulty collecting
payment from parents. What is the most likely explanation for these changes?
a. The director has not been sufficiently committed to maintaining a
­quality program.
b. Another daycare center opened on the same street.
c. There has been an economic downturn that affected many families.
d. The parents have colluded against the director to oppose the center’s
high fees.
Take the full quiz at CengageBrain.com

The Director as Leader


Understanding the difference between leadership and management is as important as
­understanding what each is. Leadership is setting a direction or vision for a group to fol-
low. A leader should be able to: articulate a vision, clarify values, and create a culture for the
program that is built on a strong foundation, allow for continuous improvement, and value

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
8 Part I Administration

ethical conduct. A leader provides guidance for program direction. ­Management controls
or directs resources according to established principles, such as core values. Management
without leadership maintains the status quo and ensures that things ­happen according
to established plans, but does not see the whole picture of possibilities for ­improvement,
change, and growth. Leadership combined with management designates a new ­direction
and manages the resources to achieve it. “Today’s early care and ­education … leaders must
be politically astute, aware of and engaged in a multitude of context ­extending ­beyond
one’s day-to day work, and skilled in envisioning and facilitating change” (Whitebook
et al., 2012). In recent years, there has been increasing emphasis on the director’s lead-
ership. A director who truly leads has the power to shape the environment and to meet
current program ­conditions with imagination and creativity. Carter & Curtis (2010) call
this type of leader a “visionary director”; another name might be a “transformational
leader.” A transformational leader emphasizes behaviors that inspire and nurture others,
which is ­especially ­beneficial in child care settings. This type of leadership meets both the
­challenges of a rapidly changing environment and the need to engage everyone emotion-
ally within the program.
Transformational leadership behaviors include:
• Developing and sharing an inspiring vision of the program’s future.
• Behaving in ways that bring out the best in individuals and teams.
• Showing genuine concern and respect for others.
• Investing continuously in the development of oneself and others.
• Developing a culture of collaboration in which change is welcomed as an
­opportunity—as opposed to a culture of command and control, where change is
viewed as a threat.
• Recognizing that leadership needs to be demonstrated at times by everyone in the
organization.
In addition to these behaviors, there are certain characteristics that a good leader has
that allow her to be effective and that encourage others to follow her lead. The following
five characteristics allow for more a successful best practice of leadership skills.

The Five C’s of Leadership


1. C haracter: People will not follow someone whom they cannot trust. Leaders have
to be trustworthy to produce sustainable results.
2. Caring: Leaders demonstrate care for their team personally and professionally.
A leader is interested in staff concerns, while sensitive to individual needs; is pa-
tient, creative, and flexible; is respected as knowledgeable and fair; is able to share
­responsibility and credit with others; promotes consensus, compromise, and trade-
offs; and integrates different perspectives.
3. Commitment: Leaders are committed; they are doers. Their high level of commit-
ment is the inspiration that motivates their staff to achieve program goals. They are
committed to being a change agent who involves staff in the process.
4. C onfidence: Leaders are confident about what must be done and in their own
­capabilities to accomplish those tasks. Furthermore, they want others to be success-
ful with them. They instill confidence in others and make everyone on the team
feel like a winner. They know how to delegate leadership in their absence and can
cultivate needed qualities in others.
5. Communication: Leaders have compelling visions and clearly communicate them
to their staff. Leaders utilize good communication and group interaction skills.
In addition to being clear and understandable, leaders are exceptional listeners.

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The skeleton
key
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States
and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this
ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the
United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where
you are located before using this eBook.

Title: The skeleton key

Author: Bernard Capes

Author of introduction, etc.: G. K. Chesterton

Release date: July 28, 2022 [eBook #68628]

Language: English

Original publication: United States: George H. Doran Company, 1920

Credits: an anonymous Project Gutenberg volunteer

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE


SKELETON KEY ***
THE
SKELETON KEY
BY
BERNARD CAPES
AUTHOR OF “THE GREAT SKENE MYSTERY,”
“A CASTLE IN SPAIN,” ETC., ETC.

WITH INTRODUCTION
BY
G. K. CHESTERTON

NEW YORK
GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY
INTRODUCTION.
To introduce the last book by the late Bernard Capes is a sad sort of
honour in more ways than one; for not only was his death untimely
and unexpected, but he had a mind of that fertile type which must
always leave behind it, with the finished life, a sense of unfinished
labour. From the first his prose had a strong element of poetry, which
an appreciative reader could feel even more, perhaps, when it
refined a frankly modern and even melodramatic theme, like that of
this mystery story, than when it gave dignity, as in “Our Lady of
Darkness,” to more tragic or more historic things. It may seem a
paradox to say that he was insufficiently appreciated because he did
popular things well. But it is true to say that he always gave a touch
of distinction to a detective story or a tale of adventure; and so gave
it where it was not valued, because it was not expected. In a sense,
in this department of his work at least, he carried on the tradition of
the artistic conscience of Stevenson; the technical liberality of writing
a penny-dreadful so as to make it worth a pound. In his short stories,
as in his historical studies, he did indeed permit himself to be poetic
in a more direct and serious fashion; but in his touch upon such tales
as this the same truth may be traced. It is a good general rule that a
poet can be known not only in his poems, but in the very titles of his
poems. In the case of many works of Bernard Capes, “The Lake of
Wine,” for instance, the title is itself a poem. And that case would
alone illustrate what I mean about a certain transforming individual
magic, with which he touched the mere melodrama of mere
modernity. Numberless novels of crime have been concerned with a
lost or stolen jewel; and “The Lake of Wine” was merely the name of
a ruby. Yet even the name is original, exactly in the detail that is
hardly ever original. Hundreds of such precious stones have been
scattered through sensational fiction; and hundreds of them have
been called “The Sun of the Sultan” or “The Eye of Vishnu” or “The
Star of Bengal.” But even in such a trifle as the choice of the title, an
indescribable and individual fancy is felt; a sub-conscious dream of
some sea like a sunset, red as blood and intoxicant as wine. This is
but a small example; but the same element clings, as if
unconsciously, to the course of the same story. Many another
eighteenth century hero has ridden on a long road to a lonely house;
but Bernard Capes, by something fine and personal in the treatment,
does succeed in suggesting that at least along that particular road, to
that particular house, no man had ever ridden before. We might put
this truth flippantly, and therefore falsely, by saying he put superior
work into inferior works. I should not admit the distinction; for I deny
that there is necessarily anything inferior in sensationalism, when it
can really awaken sensations. But the truer way of stating it would
perhaps be this; that to a type of work which generally is, for him or
anybody else, a work of invention, he always added at least one
touch of imagination.
The detective or mystery tale, in which this last book is an
experiment, involves in itself a problem for the artist, as odd as any
of the problems which it puts to the policeman. A detective story
might well be in a special sense a spiritual tragedy; since it is a story
in which even the moral sympathies may be in doubt. A police
romance is almost the only romance in which the hero may turn out
to be the villain, or the villain to be the hero. We know that Mr.
Osbaldistone’s business has not been betrayed by his son Frank,
though possibly by his nephew Rashleigh. We are quite sure that
Colonel Newcome’s company has not been conspired against by his
son Clive, though possibly by his nephew Barnes. But there is a
stage in a story like “The Moonstone,” when we are meant to
suspect Franklin Blake the hero, as he is suspected by Rachel
Verinder the heroine; there is a stage in Mr. Bentley’s “Trent’s Last
Case” when the figure of Mr. Marlowe is as sinister as the figure of
Mr. Manderson. The obvious result of this technical trick is to make it
impossible, or at least unfair, to comment, not only on the plot, but
even on the characters; since each of the characters should be an
unknown quantity. The Italians say that translation is treason; and
here at least is a case where criticism is treason. I have too great a
love or lust for the roman policier to spoil sport in so unsportsmanlike
a fashion; but I cannot forbear to comment on the ingenious
inspiration by which in this story, one of the characters contrives to
remain really an unknown quantity, by a trick of verbal evasion,
which he himself defends, half convincingly, as a scruple of verbal
veracity. That is the quality of Bernard Capes’ romances that
remains in my own memory; a quality, as it were, too subtle for its
own subject. Men may well go back to find the poems thus
embedded in his prose.
G. K. Chesterton.
Mrs Bernard Capes wishes to express her gratitude to Mr Chesterton
for his appreciative introduction to her husband’s last work, and to Mr
A. K. Cook for his invaluable assistance in preparing it for the press.
Winchester
CONTENTS.
Introduction
I. My First Meeting with the Baron
II. My Second Meeting with the Baron
III. Wildshott
IV. I Am Interested in the Baron
V. The Baron Continues to Interest Me
VI. “That Thunders in the Index”
VII. The Baron Visits the Scene of the Crime
VIII. An Entr’acte
IX. The Inquest
X. Afterwards
XI. The Baron Drives
XII. The Baron Walks
XIII. Accumulating Evidence
XIV. The Explosion
XV. The Face on the Wall
XVI. The Baron Finds a Champion
XVII. And Audrey
XVIII. The Baron Returns
XIX. The Dark Horse
XX. The Baron Lays His Cards on the Table
XXI. A Last Word
Footnotes.
THE SKELETON KEY

CHAPTER I.
MY FIRST MEETING WITH THE BARON

(From the late Mr. Bickerdike’s “Apologia”[1])


Some few years ago, in the month of September, I happened to be
kicking my heels in Paris, awaiting the arrival there of my friend
Hugo Kennett. We had both been due from the south, I from
Vaucluse and Kennett from the Riviera, and the arrangement had
been that we should meet together for a week in the capital before
returning home. Enfants perdus! Kennett was never anything but
unpunctual, and he failed to turn up to time, or anywhere near it, at
the rendezvous. I was a trifle hipped, as I had come to the end of my
circular notes, and had rather looked to him to help me through with
a passing difficulty; but there was nothing for it but to wait
philosophically on, and to get, pending his appearance, what
enjoyment I could out of life. It was not very much. The Parisian may
be a saving man, but Paris is no city to save in. It is surprising how
dull an empty purse can make it. It had come to this after two days,
either that I must shift my quarters from the Ritz into cheaper
lodgings, or abandon my engagement altogether and go back alone.
One afternoon, aimless and thirsty, I turned into the Café l’Univers
in the Place du Palais Royal, and sat down at one of the little tables
under the awning where was a vacant chair. This is a busy spot,
upon which many streets converge, and one may rest there idly and
study an infinite variety of human types. There was a man seated not
far from me, against the glass side of the verandah whose
occupation caught my attention. He was making very rapidly in a
minute-book pencil notes of all the conspicuous ladies’ hats that
passed him. It was extraordinary to observe the speed and fidelity
with which he secured his transcripts. A few, apparently random,
sweeps of the pencil in his thin nervous fingers, and there, in the
flitting of a figure, was some unconscious head ravished of its most
individual idea. It reminded me of the “wig-snatching” of the
eighteenth century; yet I could not but admire the dexterity of the
thief, as, sitting behind him, I followed his skilful movements.
“A clever dog that, sir,” said a throaty voice beside me.
It came from a near neighbour, whom I had not much observed
until now—a large-faced, clean-shaved gentleman of a very full body
and a comfortable complacent expression. He was dressed in a
baggy light-grey suit, wore a loose Panama hat on his head, and
smelt, pleasantly and cleanly, of snuff. On the table before him stood
a tumbler of grenadine and soda stuffed with lumps of ice, and with a
couple of straws sticking from it.
“Most,” I answered. “What would you take him to be?”
“Eh?” said the stranger. “Without prejudice, now, a milliner’s
pander—will that do?”
I thought it an admissible term, and said so, adding, “or a fashion-
plate artist?”
“Surely,” replied the stranger. “A distinction without a difference, is
it not?”
No more was said for the moment, while I sat covertly studying the
speaker. He reminded me a little of the portraits of Thiers, only
without the spectacles. A placid, well-nourished benevolence had
been his prominent feature, were it not somehow for the qualification
of the eyes. Those were as perpetually alert, busy, observant, as the
rest was seemingly supine. They appeared to “peck” for interests
among the moving throng, as a hen pecks for scattered grain.
“Wonderful hands,” he said suddenly, coming back to the artist.
“Do you notice anything characteristic about them now?”
“No,” I said. “What?”
He did not answer, but applied for a refreshing moment or two to
his grenadine.
“Ah!” he said, leaning back again, with a relishing motion of his
lips. “A comfortable seat and a cool glass, and we have here the
best café-chantant in the world.”
“Well, it suits me,” I agreed—“to pass the time.”
“Ah!” he said, “your friend is unpunctual?”
I yawned inexcusably.
“He always is. What would you think of an appointment, sir, three
days overdue?”
“I should think of it with philosophy, having the Ritz cuisine and
cellar to fall back upon.”
I turned to him interestedly, my hands behind my head.
“You have?”
“No, but you,” said he.
I was a bit puzzled and amused; but curious, too.
“You are not staying at the Ritz?” I asked. He shook his head
good-humouredly. “Then how do you know I am?”
“There is not much mystery in that,” said he. “You happened to be
standing on the steps when I happened to be passing. The rest you
have admitted.”
“And among all these”—I waved my hand comprehensively—“you
could remember me from that one glimpse?”
He laughed, but again ignored my question.
“How did you know,” I persisted, “that my friend was a man?”
“You yourself,” said he, “supplied the gender.”
“But not in the first instance.”
“No, not in the first instance,” he agreed, and said no more.
“You don’t like the Ritz?” I asked after an interval, just to talk and
be talked to. I was horribly bored, that is the truth, by my own
society; and here was at least a compatriot to share some of its
burden with me.
“I never said so,” he answered. “But I confess it is too sumptuous
for me. I lodge at the Hôtel Montesquieu, if you would know.”
“Where is that, may I ask?”
“It is in the Rue Montesquieu, but a step from here.”
“I should like, if you don’t mind, to hear something of it. I am at the
Ritz, true, but in a furiously economical mood.”
“Certainly,” he answered, with perfect good-humour. “It would not
suit all people; it does not even figure in the guides; but for those of
an unexacting disposition—well it might serve—to pass the time. You
can have your good bedroom there and your adequate petit déjeuner
—nothing more. For meals, there is a Duval’s across the road, or,
more particularly, the Restaurant au Bœuf à la mode in the Rue de
Valois close by, where such delicacies may be tasted as sole à la
Russe, or noisettes d’agneau à la Réjane. Try it.”
I was half thinking I would, and wondering how I could express my
sense of obligation to my new acquaintance, when a sudden crash
and scream in the road brought us both to our feet. The hat-sketcher,
having finished with his task and gone, had stepped thoughtlessly off
the kerb right under the shafts of a passing cab.
For a tranquil body, my companion showed the most curious
excitement over the accident. Uttering broken exclamations of
reproof and concern, he hurried down, as fast as his bulk would
permit him, to the scene of the mishap, about which a crowd was
already swarming. I could see little of what followed; but, the press
after a time dispersing, I made shift to inquire of an onlooker as to
the nature of the victim’s hurt, and was told that the man had been
taken off to the St. Antoine Hospital in the very cab which had run
him down, my friend of the Panama hat accompanying him. And so
there for the moment our acquaintance ended.
But we met again at the Montesquieu—whither I had actually
transferred my quarters in the interval—a day or two later. He came
down into the hall just as I had entered it from the street, and greeted
me and pressed my arm paternally.
“But this will not do at all,” he said. “This will not do at all,” and
summoned the hôtelier from his little dark room off the passage.
“I am sorry, Monsieur,” he said, when the bowing goodman
appeared, “to find such scant respect paid to my recommendation. If
this is the treatment accorded to my patronage, I must convey it
elsewhere.”
The proprietor was quite amazed, shocked, confounded. What had
he done to merit this severe castigation from M. Le Sage? If M. le
Baron would but condescend to particularise his offence, the
resources of his establishment were at M. le Baron’s command to
remedy it.
“That is easily specified,” was M. le Baron’s answer. “I sing the
modest praises of your hotel to my friend, Mr. Bickerdike; on the
strength of these my friend decides to give you a trial. What is the
result? You put him into number 19, where the aspect is gloomy,
where the paper peels off the wall; where to my certain suspicion
there are bugs.”
I laughed, not quite liking this appropriation, but the landlord was
profuse in his apologies. Not for a moment had he guessed that I
was a friend of M. le Baron Le Sage; I had not informed him of the
fact; it was a mere question of expediency: Number 19 happened to
be the only room vacant at the moment; but since—in short, I was
transferred straightway to a very good appartement in the front,
where were ample space and comfort, and a powder-closet to poke
my head into if I wished, and invoke the ghosts of the dead lords of
Montesquieu, whose Hôtel this had once been.
Now I should have been grateful for M. le Baron’s friendly offices,
and I hope I was, but with a dash of reservation. I did not know what
to make of him, in fact, and the uncertainty kept me on my guard.
Nor was I the more reassured upon his commiserating me presently
on the fact of my friend, Mr. Kennett, not having yet turned up. So he
had found out my friend’s name? That might be possible through an
inquiry at the Ritz, where Kennett was expected. But why was he
interested in inquiring at all? Then, as to my own name; he might
have ascertained that, of course, of my present landlord—a
pardonable curiosity, only somehow coloured by his unauthorised
examination of my room. What had he wanted in there in the first
instance? On the other hand, he was evidently held, for whatever
reason, in high respect by the proprietor; and if the reason itself was
to seek for me, I had certainly no grounds for suspecting its
adequate claims. He appeared to be a man of education and some
distinction, not to speak of his title, which, however, might be
territorial and of small account. And, assuredly, he did not seem
French, unless by deliberate adoption. His speech, appearance,
habit of mind, were all as English as the shoes he wore on his feet.
I asked him, on that day of his service to me, how it had gone with
the poor hat-sketcher whom, I had understood, he had accompanied
to the hospital. He seemed to regard my question as if for a moment
it puzzled him, and then he answered:—
“O, the artist! O, yes, to be sure. I accompanied him, did I? Yes,
yes. An old house this, Mr. Bickerdike—a fragment of old Paris. If
there is nothing more I can do for you, I think I will be going.”
So it always was on the few further occasions which brought us
together. He could not, or would not, answer a direct question
directly; he seemed to love secrecy and evasion for their own sake,
and for the opportunity they gave him for springing some valueless
surprises on the unsuspecting. Well, he should not have his little
vanity for me. There is nothing so tiresome as that habit of
meaningless reserve, of hoarding information which there can be no
possible objection to disseminating; but some people seem to have
it. I responded by asking no more questions of M. le Baron, and I
only hope my incuriosity disappointed him. The next day, or the day
after, Kennett turned up, and I left the Montesquieu for my original
quarters.
CHAPTER II.
MY SECOND MEETING WITH THE BARON

(From Mr. Bickerdike’s Manuscript)


It might have been somewhere near the anniversary of my first
meeting with the Baron when I came upon him again—in London this
time. I had been lunching at Simpson’s in the Strand, and, my meal
finished, had gone up into the smoking-room for a coffee and liqueur.
This is a famous corner of a famous caravansary, being dedicate,
like no other smoking-room I know, to the service of the most ancient
and most royal game of chess, many of whose leading professors
forgather therein, as it were, in an informal club, for the mixed
purposes of sociability and play. There one may watch astounding
mental conflicts which leave one’s brain in a whirl; or, if one prefers
it, may oneself join issue in a duel, whether for glory or profit; or,
better still, like Gargantua, having a friend for adversary, for the mere
serious diversion of the game, and for its capacity for giving a rare
meditative flavour to one’s tobacco. The room, too, for such a haunt
of gravity, is a cheerful room, with its large window overlooking the
Strand, and one may spend a postprandial hour there very
agreeably, and eke very gainfully if one takes an idler’s interest in
other people’s problems. That I may confess I do, wherefore
Simpson’s is, or was, a fairly frequent resort of mine.
Now, on this occasion I had hardly entered the room when my
eyes fell on the figure of M. le Baron sitting profoundly absorbed over
a game with one in whom I recognised a leading master in the craft. I
knew my friend at once, as how could I fail to, for he sat before me in
every detail the stranger of the Café l’Univers—bland, roomy, self-
possessed, and unchanged as to his garb. I would not venture to
break into his preoccupation, but passed him by and took a
convenient seat in the window.
“Stothard has found his match,” remarked a casual acquaintance
who lounged near me, nodding his head towards the pair.
“Who is it?” I asked. “Do you know?”
“I know his name,” was the answer. “Le Sage, an out-of-pocket
French Baron; but that’s all.”
“O! out of pocket, is he?”
“I’ve no right to say it, perhaps, but I only surmise—he’ll play you
for a half-crown at any time, if you’re rash enough to venture. He
plays a wonderful game.”
“Is he new to the place?”
“O, no! I’ve seen him here frequently, though at long intervals.”
“Well, I think I’ll go and watch them.”
Their table was against the wall, opposite the window. One or two
devotees were already established behind the players, mutely
following the moves. I took up a position near Le Sage, but out of his
range of vision. He had never, to my knowledge, so much as raised
his face since I entered the room; intent on his game, he appeared
oblivious to all about him. Yet the moment I came to a stand, his
voice, and only his voice, accosted me,—
“Mr. Bickerdike? How do you do, sir?”
I confess I was startled. After all, there was something
disconcerting about this surprise trick of his. It was just a practised
pose, of course; still, one could not help feeling, and resenting in it,
that impression of the preternatural it was no doubt his desire to
convey. I responded, with some commonplace acknowledgment, to
the back of his head, and no more was spoken for the moment.
Almost immediately the game came to an end. M. le Baron sat back
in his chair with a “My mate, I think?”—a claim in which his opponent
acquiesced. Half the pieces were still on the board, but that made no
difference. Your supreme chess expert will foresee, at a certain point
in the contest, all the possible moves to come or to be countered,
and will accept without dispute the inevitable issue. The great man
Stothard was beaten and acknowledged it.
M. le Baron rose from his seat, and turned on me with a beaming
face.
“Happy to renew your acquaintance, Mr. Bickerdike,” he said. “You
are a student of the game?”
“Not much better, I think,” I answered. “I am still in my novitiate.”
“You would not care——?”
“O, no, I thank you! I’m not gull enough to invite my own plucking.”
It was a verbal stumble rather than a designed impertinence on my
part, and I winced over my own rudeness the moment it was uttered,
the more so for the composure with which it was received.
“No, that would be foolish, indeed,” said M. le Baron.
I floundered in a silly attempt to right myself.
“I mean—I only meant I’m just a rotten muff at the game, while you
——” I stuck, at a loss.
“While I,” he said with a smile, “have just, like David, brought down
the giant Stothard with a lucky shot.”
He touched my arm in token of the larger tolerance; and, in some
confusion, I made a movement as of invitation, towards the table in
the window.
“I am obliged,” he said, “but I have this moment recalled an
appointment.” “So,” I thought, “in inventing a pretext for declining, he
administers a gentle rebuke to my cubbishness.” “You found your
friend, I hope,” he asked, “when you left the Montesquieu on that
occasion?”
“Kennett? Yes,” I answered; and added, moved to some expiatory
frankness, “It is odd, by the bye, M. le Baron, that our second
meeting should associate itself with the same friend. I am going
down to-morrow, as it happens, on a visit to his people.”
“No,” he said: “really? That is odd, indeed.”
He shook hands with me, and left the room. Standing at the
window a moment after, I saw him going Citywards along the Strand,
looking, with his short thick legs and tailed morning coat, for all the
world like a fat jaunty turtle on its way to Birch’s.
Now I fancied I had seen the last of the man; but I was curiously
mistaken. When I arrived at Waterloo Station the next day, there,
rather to my stupefaction, he stood as if awaiting me, and at the
barrier—my barrier—leading to the platform for my train, the two
o’clock Bournemouth express. We passed through almost together.
“Hullo!” I said. “Going south?”
He nodded genially. “I thought, with your permission, we might be
travelling companions.”
“With pleasure, of course. But I go no further than the first stop—
Winton.”
“Nor I.”
“O, indeed? A delectable old city. You are putting up there?”
“No, O no! My destination, like yours, is Wildshott.”
“Wildshott! You know the Kennetts then?”
“I know Sir Calvin. His son, your friend, I have never met. It is odd,
as you said, that our visits should coincide.”
“But you must have known yesterday—if you did not know in
Paris. Why in the name of goodness did you not——” I began; and
came to a rather petulant stop. This secrecy was simply intolerable.
One was pulled up by it at every turn.
“Did I not?” he said blandly. “No, now I come to think of it—— O,
Louis, is that an empty compartment? Put the rugs in, then, and the
papers.”
He addressed a little vivid-eyed French valet, who stood awaiting
his coming at an opened door of a carriage. Le Sage climbed in with
a breathing effort, and I followed sulkily. Who on earth, or what on
earth, was the man? Nothing more nor less than what he appeared
to be, he might have protested. After all, not himself, but common
gossip, had charged him with necessitousness. He might be as rich
as Crœsus, for all I knew or he was likely to say. Neediness was not
wont to valet it, though insolvency very well might. But he was a
friend of Sir Calvin, a most exclusive old Bashaw; and, again, he was
said to play chess for half-crowns. O! it was no good worrying: I
should find out all about him at Wildshott. With a grunt of resignation
I sank into the cushions, and resolutely put the problem from me.
But the fellow was an engaging comrade for a journey—I will admit
so much. He was observant, amusing, he had a fund of good tales at
his command, and his voice, without unpleasant stress, was softly
penetrative. Adapted to anecdote, moreover, his habit of secrecy, of
non-committal, made for a sort of ghostly humour which was as
titillating as it was elusive; and the faint aroma of snuff, which was
never absent from him, seemed somehow the appropriate
atmosphere for such airy quibbles. It surrounded him like an aura—
not disagreeably; was associated with him at all times—as one
associates certain perfumes with certain women—a particular snuff,
Macuba I think it is called, a very delicate brand. So he is always
recalled to me, himself and his rappee inseparable.

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