tertaining; all about the same familiar families. I enjoyed it
so much and never once dreamed I was accomplishing a great deal of good
hard study. To me it was play; play that gave me more pleasure than any
of my childish sports. I soon began to ask for an extension of the half
hour lessons to an hour each; when my request was granted my cup of
pleasure was full, my joy complete. With each succeeding week my
interest in all my studies continued to grow. Yet my health remained
perfect: my physical kept an even pace with my mental growth, largely
owing, no doubt, to the much enjoyed hours of good romping exercise and
the dancing and singing which followed my reading lessons.

"You must pardon me, Mr. Flagg, if I should tire you with such a
detailed account of my child life; my excuse must be, the valuable hints
it may offer when we come to consider a school system for the children
of our model co-operative farm."

"I am profoundly interested," said Fillmore Flagg. "The very wonderful
result flowing from the wise methods conceived by your parents and
carried out by them so devotedly, fills my mind with admiration and
offers a flood of suggestions as to the possibilities of what may be
accomplished by a properly conducted, well equipped school on a
co-operative farm. But you must not allow me to interrupt--please
proceed with your very interesting story."

CHAPTER VIII.

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE "FAIRIES."

Fern Fenwick rose from her seat saying: "As it is near sunset, Mr.
Flagg, I have something to show you in the way of a surprise, which I
wish you to see before it becomes too dark: after having seen it you
will better understand why this house was named 'Fairy Fern Cottage.'
Therefore I propose that we now adjourn to the cool shade of the grounds
at the rear of the cottage, postponing the recital of the remainder of
my story until this evening."

"I shall be delighted to follow you," said Fillmore Flagg. "You have
excited my curiosity; I am just in the mood to learn all I can about
this lovely cottage and its beautiful surroundings."

As they reached the shady lawn, so cool and sweet from its recent
sprinkling, Fillmore Flagg observed that a wide, straight avenue, shaded
by towering oaks and widely branching elms, led from the rear porch of
the cottage to the broad front of the roomy stone stables, some two
hundred and fifty feet distant. In the center of this avenue, with a
finely graveled carriage drive on