Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ebook download (eBook PDF) Administration of Programs for Young Children 9th Edition all chapter
ebook download (eBook PDF) Administration of Programs for Young Children 9th Edition all chapter
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-guidance-of-young-
children-10th-edition/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-meaningful-curriculum-
for-young-children-2nd-edition/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/original-pdf-guiding-young-
children-9th-edition-by-patricia-f-hearron/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-creative-activities-and-
curriculum-for-young-children-11th-edition/
(eBook PDF) Math and Science for Young Children 8th
Edition by Rosalind
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-math-and-science-for-
young-children-8th-edition-by-rosalind/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-families-schools-and-
communities-together-for-young-children-5th-edition/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-mothers-infants-and-
young-children-of-september-11-2001/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-guidance-of-young-
children-10th-edition-by-marian-c-marion/
http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-nutrition-health-and-
safety-for-young-children-promoting-wellness-3rd-edition/
Contents
Preface ix
About the Authors xiii
Acknowledgments xiv
Part I Administration 1
Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
vi Contents
Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
Contents vii
Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
viii Contents
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
Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
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.
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.
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.
xiii
Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
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
Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
Nenov Brothers Images/Shutterstock.com
Part 1
Administration
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
Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Language: English
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