"It's as pretty as paradise,"he said,simply."There's nothing like our Kansas prairies.""You come from the plains out west,I hear.How long do you plan to stay here,Burleigh?"Dr.Fenneben asked.
"Four years if I can make it go.I've got a little schooling and I know how to herd cattle.I need more than this,if I am only a country boy.""Who pays for your schooling,yourself,or your father?"Fenneben queried.
"I have no father nor mother now."
"You are willing to work four years to get a diploma from Sunrise?It is hard work;all the harder if you have not had much schooling before it.""I'm willing to work,and I'd like to have the diploma for it,"Vic answered.
"Burleigh,did you notice the letter S carved in the stone above the door?""Yes,sir;I suppose it stands for Sunrise?""It does.But with the years it will take on new meanings for you.
When you have learned all these meanings you will be ready for your diploma--and more.You will be far on your way to the winning of a Master's Degree."Vic's eyes widened with a sort of child-like simplicity.
He forgot his hat and the chair arms,and Dr.Fenneben noted for the first time that his golden-brown eyes matching his auburn hair were shaded by long black lashes,the kind artists rave about,and arched over with black brows.
"His eyes and voice are all right,"was the Dean's mental comment.
"There's good blood in his veins,I'll wager."But before he could speak further the shrill scream of a frightened child came from the campus below the ridge.
At the cry Vic Burleigh sprang to his feet,upsetting his chair,and without stopping to pick it up,he rushed from the building.
As he tore down the long flight of steps,Lloyd Fenneben caught sight of a child on the level campus running toward him as fast as its fat little legs could toddle.Two minutes later Vic Burleigh was back in the study,panting and hot,with the little one clinging to his neck.