Manly Wade Wellman

“ The pale face creased in a faint smile, as if this were a pleasantry. “There’s just a few of the right sort on hand tonight. By the way, what did you get sent out for?”
Setwick frowned his mystification. “Why, to go to school. Dad sent me.”
“But what for? Don’t you know that this is a high-class prison prep? Half of us are lunkheads that need poking along, the other half are fellows who got in scandals somewhere else. Like me.” Again Hoag smiled.
Setwick began to dislike his companion. They rolled a mile or so in silence before Hoag again asked a question:
“Do you go to church, Setwick?” ”

“ They turned in at a driveway well grown up in weeds, and two minutes more brought them up to the rear of the closest building. It was dim gray in the wash of moonbeams, with blank inky rectangles for windows. Nowhere was there a light, but as the buggy came to a halt Setwick saw a young head pop out of a window on the lower floor.
“Here already, Hoag?” came a high, reedy voice.
“Yes,” answered the youth at the reins, “and I’ve brought a new man with me.”
Thrilling a bit to hear himself called a man, Setwick alighted.
“His name’s Setwick,” went on Hoag. “Meet Andoff, Setwick. ”

“ Felcher assured him.
They were standing close together, their backs to the moon that shone in Setwick’s face. He could not see their expressions clearly. But their three voices—Hoag’s soft, Felcher’s deep and vibrant, Andoff’s high and squeaky—were absolutely serious.
“I know what you’re arguing within yourself,” Hoag announced somewhat smugly. “How can we, who talk about those many past years, seem so young? That calls for an explanation, I’ll admit.” He paused, as if choosing words. “Time—for us—stands still. It came to a halt on that very night, Setwick ”

“ Why, that old place is deserted—used to be a catch-all for incorrigible rich boys. They closed it about fifty years ago, when the head-master went mad and killed three of his pupils. As a matter of coincidence, the master himself died just this afternoon, in the state hospital for the insane. ”

“ It is imperative that contributors search the renewal databases and ascertain that there is no evidence of a copyright renewal before using this license. Failure to do so will result in the deletion of the work as a copyright violation.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse
BART SETWICK DROPPED OFF the train at Carrington and stood for a moment on the station platform, an honest-faced, well-knit lad in tweeds. This little town and its famous school would be his home for the next eight months; but which way to the school? ”