The Steel Mask; or, Mystery of the Flying Cloud

Catalog Description *The Steel Mask; or, Mystery of the Flying Cloud*, by Professor J. H. Ingraham, is a romantic serial set along the Hudson River. The narrative opens with Charles Winder, a newly hired tutor, arriving at the Hudson-side Gothic mansion of Dr. Sheridine. Winder carries only a traveling bag and his beloved black terrier, Spiegle, having traveled economically from the university via sloop. Upon introduction, he meets the doctor's haughty son Edgar, who mocks the tutor's modest means and mistreats Spiegle, then demands the dog be sent away. The doctor agrees. Before Winder can protest, General Leffingwell and his spirited nineteen-year-old daughter Rosabel arrive by carriage. Rosabel notices Winder with interest, and the General graciously invites him to visit their library—a courtesy that surprises the class-conscious Dr. Sheridine, who views tutors as mere hired dependents unworthy of family association.