Thursday, May 21, 2020

Human Resource Management And Its Importance - 1517 Words

Introduction In the 21st century, human society has undergone tremendous changes, it began to change from the industrial economy to a knowledge economy era. Economic globalization and improve the level of global competition, organizations have had to make full use of all their resources to ensure its survival and development. As an important resource organization human resource organization also attracted more and more attention. Effective human resource management has become a key organizational development and success. In 1991, the United States, IBM and Tower Perrin consulting firm jointly nearly 3,000 senior human resources manager and chief executive officer (CEO) were investigated. As a result, 70% of the human resource management as organizational success the key, more than 90 percent expect to HR 2000 will be an important sector enterprises. In the field of management, human resources management has become an important subject, which also attracted more and more attention to academics. Af ter we determine the human resource management and its importance must be accompanied by the development of the history of today s human resource management theory and practice to do a retrospective, which recognize the role of human resource management and organizational development of its profound significance. This chapter of human resources management, the predecessor of personnel management history dates back to explain the emergence and evolution of human resource managementShow MoreRelatedThe Importance of Human Resources Management1233 Words   |  5 PagesThe economic environment in nowadays dynamic, it is fairly important for organisations and managers to recognise the curtail of Human Resource Management. It is clear that Human Resource Management (HRM) has become one of the most recommend management strategy in the modern business (Leopold and Harris, 2009). Human Resource Management is a technique process of managing people in the workplace to enable and enhance organi zation performance (Leopold and Harris, 2009). This theory involved the responsibleRead MoreThe Importance of Human Resources Management670 Words   |  3 PagesHuman Resources Management Human Resources Management is a significant and very large area of business. It came about through the need to focus on what people were doing with their lives in the workplace that was not specifically related to actual work. In other words, there is more to the workday than the work that is being done, and people who work closely with one another can and should get along. Rules and regulations to facilitate this were needed, and had to be created on the individualRead MoreThe Importance of Human Resource Management1287 Words   |  6 PagesHuman resource management (HRM) is undoubtedly being considered as an indivisible element of the organisations from the outset. From recruitment to employee retention, HRM has always committed to assist company to search and retain talents that have values toward the sustainable development. In view of the fact that, there are several studies with evidences presented to prove that there is a relationship between HRM and organizational performan ce, in which some HRM theorists also suggested that thereRead MoreRoles And Importance Of Human Resource Management Essay1693 Words   |  7 PagesAnswer1. Roles and Importance of Human Resource Management Human Resource Management is the procedure of requirement, selection, giving orientation , making giving trainings to employees and the creating skills, appraisal of worker , giving remuneration and advantages, benefits, providing motivation, keeping up workers security, welfare and wellbeing by following work laws of concern state or nation. Human Resource Management is the procedure of usage of accessible restricted talented workforceRead MoreThe Importance of Human Resource Management Essay1439 Words   |  6 PagesArmstrong (2006) defined Human Resource Management as a strategic deployment of an organisations most valued assets; the people working there, who individually and collectively contribute to the achievements and the objectives of the business. Links between HRM and performance are predominantly focused on the following practices: sophisticated selection and recruitment methods, training, teamwork, performance-related pay and employment security (Wall, Wood, 2005). Pro ducts can be copied, methodsRead MoreImportance of Human Resource Management Essay1177 Words   |  5 PagesHuman resource is the most valuable asset of an organisation as it is the source of operational performance and competitive advantage in an organisation. An asset, by definition, is a useful or valuable thing or person. An organisation comprises of three types of assets, namely; financial assets, physical assets (infrastructure and equipment), intangible assets. Intangible assets include intellectual capital (patents, copyrights and trademarks), social capital and human capital. The creative thinkingRead MoreThe Importance Of Human Resource Management Within The Business1738 Words   |  7 Pages The Importance of Human Resources in Small Business Derrick Rowley Business 224 Dennis Oden 7 June 2015 â€Æ' Abstract Within this paper you will find that HR is vital to all businesses, but can greatly affect the long-term success of a small business. Small businesses can have a difficult time finding qualified individuals to help with the production side of the business. That is why having human resource management within the business is so important. HR sets the planning process and withinRead MoreThe Importance Of Human Resource Management For Any Organization1495 Words   |  6 PagesINTRODUCTION This report provides the understanding and importance of Human Resource Management for any organisation. The report shows how HRM contributes in any organisational achievements. In this report HR planning and development methods are examined in detail and the way to improve HR performance are suggested. COMPANY BACKGROUND The Coca-Cola Company is one of the world’s top soft drink makers. Coca-Cola owns the best-known soft drink brands such as, Coca-cola, Diet Coke, Fanta and SpriteRead MoreHuman Resource Management and Its Importance to Businesses Today2964 Words   |  12 PagesRhonda S. Culvahouse Human Resource Management and Its Importance to Businesses Today MGT 445 Human Resource Management Professor Robert Borger June 4, 2009 Human Resource Management and Its Importance to Businesses Today Introduction In order to understand what Human Resource Management is, one must understand what a resource is. Resources are assets that one has access to, and therefore, can rely on. In our own personal lives we rely on resources of various types such as our money, ourRead MoreHuman Resources Management Importance, Benefits And Effects Of The Organization918 Words   |  4 PagesSUBJECT: Human Resources Management Importance, Benefits and Effects in the Organization. 1. Purpose: The purpose of this memorandum is to outline and defend the benefits of having a Human Resources Management (HRM) in Green’s Hospitals. Green’s Hospital is a leading medical facility that is facing some human capital challenges. A Human Resources Department will help the stake holders and the board of direct 2. HRM practices can help the hospital to deal with the competition in the following

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Impact Of Innovation On Nursing Education Essay

The impact of innovation in nursing education is essential in order to provide competent nurses during the nursing shortage. Upon review of Craven Community College’s curriculum (CCC), it was noted that peer mentoring could be utilized in order to decrease anxiety and increase confidence in nursing students. Peer mentoring has been defined as a planned relationship between a more experienced person and a less experienced person with the purpose of achieving identified outcomes. In a peer-mentoring relationship, the mentor and mentee are similar in terms of age and status (Hunt Ellison, 2010). This relationship could foster collaboration and a spirit of inquiry. It is consistent with the situated learning theory and provides opportunities to develop teamwork and collaboration strategies (Botma, Hurter Kotze, 2012). There are benefits for the mentee as well as the mentor. Upon literature review, it was noted that effective mentoring can contribute toward a positive learning environment and valuable learning experiences (Botma, Hurter Kotze, 2012). A long standing concern among nursing faculty has been the large number of students that a clinical faculty member is responsible for during a clinical experience and faculty time for adequate supervision and attention (Bagnardi, 2011). Peer mentoring is a strategy that has been used in the clinical setting. A major role of the mentor is to assist and encourage students to link theory to practice in a practical settingShow MoreRelatedTheories And Theories Of Nursing Essay1211 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction According to McEwin and Ellis, theory in nursing â€Å"offers structure and organization to nursing knowledge and provides a systematic means of collecting data to describe, explain, and predict nursing practice† (McEwen Wills, 2014, p. 25). Theories in nursing are what distinguish it from other professions and help to create professional boundaries (McEwen Wills, 2014)Click and drag to move. When theories are applied in the nursing process, there are various concepts from the respectiveRead MoreNursing Research Utilization Project Proposal Section D Essay1706 Words   |  7 PagesNursing Research Utilization Project Proposal Sally Martin Torres NUR 598 September 11, 2011 Dr. Veta Massey Nursing Research Utilization Project Proposal Section D: Methods of Implementation Health care throughout the history has shown many changes. Every change brings in challenges in a workplace because change is more often met with resistance. It also brings in innovative ideas that steers the organization’s advancement and performance. The major motivation of change in this organizationRead MoreThe Impact of the 2010 Institute of Medicine (Iom) Report on the Future of Nursing in Education, Practice and Leadership1175 Words   |  5 PagesThe Impact of the 2010 Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report on the Future of Nursing in Education, Practice and Leadership Esther Edukuye Grand Canyon University: Professional Dynamics NRS 430v 5/6/12 Janet Arnold Abstract This paper seeks to expand upon the 2010 Institute of Medicine’s report on the future of nursing, leading change, advancing health and illustrating its impact on nursing education, practice and leadership. There is an ongoing transformation in the healthcare system necessitatedRead MoreThe Study and Practice of Nursing1101 Words   |  4 Pages Transforming Practice, Education, and Leadership The field of nursing is one that has profound impact on medicine, health care, and society. There has been increased interest in the study and practice of nursing in the 21st century around the world. It is a growing field with a solid global reputation of necessity and respect. More and more people are interested in becoming nurses and more attention is being paid to the roles of nurses in the overall health care experience. The IOM report wasRead MoreMy Ideal Vision, Transformational Leadership1748 Words   |  7 Pagesfor all actions within the organization, and determines whether the organization is set for success of failure. This is especially true for nursing, where the nurses have a major responsibility to provide competent, evidence-based, safe care for clients in the health care environments ,while maintaining integrity and taking care of their own well-being. Nursing requires sound leadership that could provide guidance and ensure the best experience for the nurses and th e clients who are being cared forRead MoreLeadership Role Of A Nurse Leader1315 Words   |  6 PagesLeadership Role in Change and Innovation Nursing leaders play a fundamental role in the complex health care system. They are vital in ensuring change and innovation occurs around them. In this paper, a community specific nursing shortage will be explained and the outcomes if no changes happen. A detailed discussion into the various change initiatives that could improve the nursing shortage will occur. Following that, a critique of the initiatives will be discussed. Finally, the LEADS framework willRead MoreThe Progress Of Doctor Of Nursing Practice ( Dnp ) Degree And Its Place Originated Over 10 Years Ago873 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction The progress of doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree and its place originated over 10 years ago. Rogers Diffusion of Innovation Theory is used to trace the history of the DNP. Nurse leaders from service and academia share strategies and innovations, and evaluate DNP education with a focus on outcomes and impact. As schools of nursing target DNPs to become faculty to mitigate the shortage, participants agreed it is time to focus on graduating strong leaders prepared to transformRead MoreProfession and I O M1023 Words   |  5 PagesThe Impact and Future on Nursing In this paper I will discuss the goals of the 2010 Institute of Medicine (IOM) published report and its impact on nursing education, nursing practice specifically in primary care and the impact on the nurse as a role of leadership. In my conclusion, I will provide on a personal level what modifications I will make in my nursing practice to meet the IOM report goals. Within the paper I will explore how the impact of the 2010 IOM published report titled â€Å"The FutureRead MoreEssay on Influences of Health Care Research919 Words   |  4 PagesInfluences of Health Care Research HCS/465 February 22nd, 2016 Dawn Bricker Influences of Health Care Research In this paper we will discuss an innovation that has been developed in the last 20 years that has influenced the health care industry. That innovation is telemedicine. Telemedicine What is telemedicine? 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The Secret Circle The Power Chapter Five Free Essays

string(18) " in love with me\." Cassie opened her mouth to speak, but Nick was going on. â€Å"You know, when I first saw you I thought you were just ordinary,† he said. â€Å"Then I started noticing things about you – your hair, your mouth. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Power Chapter Five or any similar topic only for you Order Now The way you kept on fighting even when you were scared. That night when Lovejoy was killed you were scared to death, but you were the one who suggested we look for the dark energy, and when we were out at the burying ground you kept up with Deborah.† Nick stopped and grinned ruefully. â€Å"And with us guys,† he said. Cassie felt an answering smile tug at her own lips; quickly suppressed it. â€Å"Nick, I †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Don’t say anything yet. I want you to know that I – felt bad about how I treated you when you came to ask me to the dance.† His jaw was tight, and he looked steadily at one particular flower on the upholstery of the couch. â€Å"I don’t know why I did it – I’ve just got a lousy temper, I guess. I’ve had it so long I don’t even think about it anymore.† Nick took a deep breath before continuing, â€Å"See, I’ve always hated living with Deb’s parents; I always felt like I owed them something. It put me in a permanent bad mood, I guess. I felt like my mom and dad screwed up somehow, getting themselves killed in a hurricane so their kid had to be supported by other people. It made me hate them – and my aunt and uncle, too.† Nick stopped and shook his head thoughtfully. â€Å"Yeah, especially Aunt Grace. She talks about my dad all the time, goin’ on and on about how reckless he was, how he didn’t care who he left behind, that kind of crap. It made me sick. I never figured it could be because she missed him.† Cassie was fascinated. â€Å"Is that why you don’t like magic?† It was a blind guess, but he looked at her, startled. â€Å"I don’t know – I suppose it could have something to do with it. I resented the rest of the coven because I felt like they all had a better deal than me. They all had at least a grandparent, and I just had my dead parents that screwed up. And they were all so damn cheerful about it – like Conant. He – † Nick paused and glanced up at Cassie wryly. â€Å"Well, maybe the less said about him, the better. Anyway, I know the truth now. My parents didn’t screw up, and if I screw up I can’t blame them anymore. I’ve got only one person to blame – me. So I’m sorry about the way I acted.† â€Å"Nick, that’s okay. You did take me to the dance.† â€Å"Yeah, after you came back and asked again. That took guts. And after I took you we went to Number Thirteen and you got hurt.† The corner of Nick’s mouth turned down. â€Å"I couldn’t do anything about that. It was Conant who saved you.† A memory of the smoky thing at the Halloween ceremony, the dark form that had risen out of the Samhain fire, flickered through Cassie’s mind. She shoved it away, feeling panic rise in her chest. She didn’t want to think about Black John now – frightening though he had been as a smoky figure, he was more frightening by far as a man. His eyes . . . â€Å"Cassie.† Nick’s strong fingers were wrapped around her wrist. â€Å"It’s okay. You’re okay.† Cassie gulped a deep breath and nodded, her awareness returning to the dim room. â€Å"Thanks,† she whispered. It felt good to have Nick’s hand on her arm: warm fingers, firm grip. It steadied her. And, God, she’d needed somebody to hang on to, for so long . . . She remembered sitting in Adam’s car, aching with the need to hold him, to be held. And knowing that she couldn’t, that she never could. Cassie had that same ache now, and Adam was completely lost to her. How long did she have to live with the empty feeling? â€Å"I know,† Nick was saying in a low voice, â€Å"that you’re not in love with me. You read "The Secret Circle: The Power Chapter Five" in category "Essay examples" I know I’m not him. But, Cassie, I like you. I like you a lot, more than any girl I’ve ever seen. You’re so decent to people, you’re not hard, but inside you’re tough as Deb. Tough as me, maybe.† He laughed shortly. â€Å"You haven’t kept a grudge against anybody in the Club, no matter how they treated you in the beginning. Deb was really surprised about that. And in the end you’ve made them all respect you. The Henderson brothers never fell for a girl before, but they don’t know if they’re on their heads or their feet anymore. I think they’re going to make you a pipe bomb for Christmas.† Cassie couldn’t help laughing with him. â€Å"Well, I guess that’s one way to get rid of the problem.† â€Å"Even Faye respects you,† Nick said. â€Å"She wouldn’t have tried so hard to destroy you otherwise. Look, Cassie, I can’t explain what it is about you – you’re good but you’re tough. You can take it. And you’ve got the most gorgeous eyes I’ve ever seen.† Cassie felt the blood rising to her face. She could feel his eyes on her, and she was the one forced to study the wallpaper. The hot, strange feeling inside her was stronger every minute. She was thinking about that first week of school, when Deborah and the Henderson brothers had been teasing her, playing keep-away with her backpack – and suddenly a brown arm had reached into her field of vision, catching the backpack, saving her. Nick. And about how nice he’d been in the boiler room when she’d found Jeffrey’s body, how he’d held her and said, â€Å"Steady, steady.† His arms had been solid and comforting then. Nick wasn’t intimidated by anything. She liked Nick. But liking wasn’t enough. Cassie found herself shaking her head. â€Å"Nick – I’m so sorry. I can’t lead you on †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I said I knew you weren’t in love with me. But if you just want to give it a try – I’ll be there when you need somebody. We could have some fun,† he added, as lightly as she’d ever heard Nick speak. â€Å"Get to know each other.† Cassie thought about how annoyed she’d been a while ago that Adam wasn’t here at Diana’s. She didn’t have the right to demand Adam like that – and it was dangerous. I’ll be there when you need somebody. How could Nick know how important that was to her? She looked up at him, and in a voice she herself could barely hear, she said, â€Å"Okay.† The mahogany eyes widened slightly in surprise – which by Nick’s normally expressionless standards translated into astonishment. A wondering smile curved his lips a little. He looked so happy that Cassie felt herself drawn into it. Why could she never resist smiling back at him? â€Å"I didn’t think you’d go for it,† he said, still wonderingly. Cassie laughed, but blushed harder. â€Å"So why did you ask?† â€Å"I figured it was worth asking, even if you told me to get lost.† â€Å"Nick.† Cassie felt something strange. â€Å"I wouldn’t ever tell you to get lost. You’re – well, you’re really special.† She didn’t know how to say what she meant, and the words caught in her throat anyway. Her vision was blurring, swimming. She blinked to clear it and felt tears spill. And then Nick moved toward her and somehow she was in his arms, crying on his shoulder. Nothing had ever been so comforting as that gray-wool-clad shoulder. She sniffled and she could feel him leaning his cheek against her hair. â€Å"Let’s just give it a try for a while,† he said softly. And Cassie nodded and let herself rest in his arms. It was dark when she let Nick out the front door. Diana was upstairs; Chris and Doug had left a long time ago. Cassie felt uncertain and shy as she tapped on Diana’s door. â€Å"Come in,† Diana said, and Cassie did, remembering the first time she’d tapped on this door and come into this room, the day Diana had rescued her from Faye in the science building. Then, Diana had been sitting at the window seat, surrounded by a whirling crowd of rainbows. Now Diana was sitting at the desk with a pile of papers in front of her. â€Å"So what happened?† she said, turning around. Cassie could feel the heat in her cheeks. â€Å"I – we – we decided that we would give it a try. Being – well, sort of being together, I mean.† Diana’s lips parted. She looked into Cassie’s eyes, as if searching for something there. â€Å"You what?† she said, and then she caught herself. She looked at Cassie for another long moment. â€Å"I see,† she said slowly. â€Å"You’re not mad?† Cassie was trying to figure out what was going on behind those emerald-green eyes. â€Å"Mad? How could I be mad at you? I’m just – surprised, that’s all. But don’t worry about it. Nick’s a nice guy, and I know you won’t hurt him. You know how special he is.† Cassie nodded, but she was startled to hear her own words on Diana’s lips. She hadn’t known Diana knew. â€Å"No, I think it’s a good thing,† Diana said firmly, pushing the papers out of the way. Cassie breathed a sigh of relief. Then she looked at the papers Diana had been examining when she came in. They were old and yellowing, covered with thick strokes of black writing in columns. The writing had some odd curlicues in it and little punctuation that Cassie could see, but it was legible. â€Å"What are these?† â€Å"Black John’s personal papers. Letters and things – we gathered them all up when we started looking for the Master Tools. I was looking through them to see if maybe I could find some weakness that we can use against him, to fight him. That’s how we found out where to look for the crystal skull in the first place; he wrote a letter about it to one of Sean’s ancestors and we found it in Sean’s attic. Not giving the exact location of the island, of course, but giving some clues.† â€Å"I didn’t realize he would trust anybody enough to give them clues.† â€Å"He didn’t. Apparently, he was planning to go back and get the skull, either to use it or to put it somewhere safer, but he died before he could do it.† â€Å"He drowned,† Cassie murmured, turning over a small rectangular paper in her fingers. It was printed Massachusetts-Bay Colony, 8 dollars. Good grief, it was money, money from the 1600s. â€Å"You said that before,† Diana said, eyeing Cassie thoughtfully. â€Å"I wondered then how you knew.† â€Å"What? Oh, I guess one of you told me.† Cassie tried to think. â€Å"Maybe Melanie.† â€Å"Melanie couldn’t have told you. None of us could have, Cassie, because none of us ever knew it. You’re the first person who’s suggested he died at sea.† â€Å"But . . .† Bewildered, Cassie searched her mind, trying to think where she’d come up with the idea. â€Å"But then how . . .† Suddenly she knew. â€Å"My dreams,† she whispered, backing up to the bed. â€Å"Oh, Diana, he’s been in my dreams. I dreamed about drowning, about being on a ship that was going down. But it wasn’t me, it was him. It was Black John.† â€Å"Cassie.† Diana came over and sat down beside her. â€Å"Are you sure it was him?† â€Å"Yes. Because it happened again today, when I saw him at the cemetery. I looked into his eyes – and then I felt myself falling. Drowning. There was salt water all around me, and it was cold. I could taste it.† Diana put her arms around Cassie’s heaving shoulders. â€Å"Don’t think about it anymore.† â€Å"I’m all right,† Cassie whispered. â€Å"But why would he make me go through that? Why would he put it in my head? Is he trying to kill me?† â€Å"I don’t know,† Diana said, her voice unsteady. â€Å"Cassie, I told you before, you don’t have to stay here – â€Å" â€Å"I do, though.† Cassie thought of her grandmother, and words echoed in her mind. There’s nothing frightening in the dark, if you just face it. The ocean was dark, dark as midnight underwater, and cold as hematite. But I can face that, Cassie thought. I refuse to be afraid of it. I refuse. She pushed the fear away from her and slowly felt the trembling inside her steady. My line has the sight and the power, she thought. I want to use that power to stand up to him. To face him. She drew away from Diana. â€Å"I think you’ve got the right idea tonight,† she said, nodding at the papers on the desk. â€Å"You go through those, and your Book of Shadows, and I’ll keep going through mine.† She looked at the window seat where the red leather-covered book lay beside a block of multicolored Post-it notes and a scattering of felt-tip pens and highlighters. â€Å"Have you found anything interesting so far?† Diana asked as Cassie settled into the window seat with the book on her lap. â€Å"Nothing about Black John. In the beginning the spells seem to be pretty much the same as yours. But everything in it’s interesting, and who knows what’s going to turn out to be useful in the end,† Cassie said. She was determined to get familiar with the range of spells and amulets in the book, to learn as many as possible of them and to at least know where to find the rest. Still, it was a project that would take years, and they didn’t have years. â€Å"Diana, I think we’d better talk to the old ladies in town – soon. Before – well, before anything happens so we can’t talk to them.† She met Diana’s eyes grimly. Diana blinked, taking in Cassie’s meaning, and then nodded. â€Å"You’re right. He’s already killed four people, at least. If he thinks they’re a threat . . .† She swallowed. â€Å"We’ll talk to them tomorrow. I’ll tell Adam when he calls – he’s supposed to call me when he and Deborah get through shadowing Black John.† â€Å"I hope Black John doesn’t know he’s being shadowed,† Cassie said. â€Å"I hope so too,† Diana said quietly, and bent her head over the papers again. The meeting was held the next day on the beach. Faye didn’t have a chance to veto the location because Faye wasn’t there. â€Å"She’s with him,† Deborah said briefly. â€Å"I followed her this morning – Adam and I flipped for it last night. She met him at that same coffee shop where they met yesterday – â€Å" â€Å"Hang on, hang on,† Laurel said. â€Å"You’re getting ahead of yourself. What coffee shop?† â€Å"I’ll tell it,† Adam said, in response to Diana’s look. â€Å"Yesterday we went out of the cemetery and followed – Mr. Brunswick. That’s a joke, by the way.† Diana nodded. â€Å"I used to do a little oil-painting, and Brunswick is a kind of paint,† she told Cassie and the group. â€Å"Black paint.† â€Å"Very funny,† said Cassie. She was sitting beside Nick, a new position, and one that made her slightly self-conscious. She was very aware of him, of his arm beside her. If she leaned a little to the right, she could touch him, and it was comforting. â€Å"I wonder what he did with the real person who was supposed to be principal,† she said. â€Å"I don’t know.† Adam couldn’t have helped but notice who she was sitting by, and the new expression in Nick’s eyes, a sort of protectiveness. Right now Cassie could see his blue-gray gaze flicker toward Nick, looking him up and down narrowly. It wasn’t a friendly look. â€Å"I don’t know how he managed to get the position. I don’t know why he would want it, either.† He glanced at Nick again and opened his mouth, but Diana was talking. â€Å"Go on with the story. Go on, Adam. Tell us what happened when you followed him yesterday.† â€Å"Huh? Oh, right. Well, he left alone, in a gray Cadillac, and we followed; Deborah on her bike and me in my jeep. He drove into town and went to the Perko’s Koffee Kup there – and guess who drove up a few minutes later?† â€Å"Wearing a black lace minidress and looking really perky,† Deborah put in. â€Å"Faye,† Diana whispered, looking sick. â€Å"How could she?† â€Å"I dunno, but she did,† Deborah said. â€Å"We watched her through the window, and she went to his booth. He’s a living, breathing man, all right – he was drinking coffee. They talked for about an hour. Faye was prancing and tossing her head like a little filly in a show. And he seemed to like it – anyway, he was smiling at her.† â€Å"We waited until they left, then Deb followed her and I followed him,† Adam said. â€Å"He drove to a summer cottage on the mainland – I guess he’s rented it. He stayed there all night, I think; I finally left around one in the morning.† â€Å"Where did Faye go?† Melanie asked Deborah. Deborah made a face. â€Å"I don’t know.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because she lost me, okay? Riding a Harley isn’t exactly inconspicuous. She started going through red lights and suddenly making U-turns, and in the end she lost me. You want to make something out of it?† â€Å"Deb,† Cassie said. Deborah scowled at her, then rolled her eyes and shrugged. â€Å"Anyway, this morning I waited outside her house, and she went back to meet him. They had a booth at the back, though, not near a window. So I went inside, but I really couldn’t see what was going on. I think she gave him something, but I don’t know what.† â€Å"Wonderful,† Suzan said, and Deborah glared at her. â€Å"I mean, wonderful that she’s – what do you call it? In league with him. Is anybody going to eat that doughnut?† Suzan daintily shook off powdered sugar and bit in. Laurel murmured something about white sugar being worse than rat poison, but she didn’t have the energy to say more. â€Å"It’s good,† Suzan said indistinctly. â€Å"The only thing it’s missing is cream filling.† â€Å"I think we’d better go talk with the old ladies,† Cassie said. â€Å"With Adam’s grandmother, I mean, and Laurel’s grandmother and Melanie’s great-aunt.† â€Å"Today’s a good day,† Melanie volunteered. â€Å"Every Sunday afternoon they get together and have lunch at our place: a kind of tea, you know, with sandwiches and little cakes and stuff.† â€Å"That’s right,† Cassie said. â€Å"My grandmother used to go too.† â€Å"Cakes?† said Suzan, looking interested. â€Å"Why didn’t you say so? Let’s go.† â€Å"Right – no, wait,† Diana said. She looked around the group. â€Å"Look, it’s probably pointless to ask this, but did any of you take the piece of hematite out of Cassie’s room?† Everyone stared at her, then at each other. Everyone except Cassie and Laurel. Heads were shaken, and all the faces wore the same look of puzzlement. â€Å"Somebody took the hematite?† Deborah asked. â€Å"The piece you found at Number Thirteen?† Cassie nodded, unobtrusively studying the other members of the Circle. Adam was frowning, the Henderson brothers looked blank. Sean looked nervous, but then Sean always looked nervous. Melanie seemed troubled, Nick was slowly shaking his head, and Suzan was shrugging. â€Å"I didn’t think anybody would admit to it,† Diana said. â€Å"But I suspect that’s because the person who took it isn’t here. She’s at Perko’s Koffee Kup.† Diana sighed. â€Å"All right. Let’s go to Number Four.† Cassie had been getting quite familiar with Melanie’s house since her mother had been taken to stay there. The house was in the Federal style, very similar to Cassie’s grandmother’s, but in much better repair. The white clapboard walls were freshly painted and everything inside had a shipshape, tidy look. Great-aunt Constance was sitting in the front parlor with old Mrs. Franklin, Adam’s grandmother, and Laurel’s Granny Quincey. She didn’t look at all pleased to see the eleven of them crowding in the parlor door. â€Å"Great-aunt Constance? Can we talk to you?† The elderly woman turned a cool, disapproving eye on Melanie. She was thin and regal, and in her high-cheekboned face Cassie could detect some resemblance to Melanie’s classic beauty. Her hair was still very dark, but maybe she dyed it. â€Å"Are you here to see your mother?† she said, spotting Cassie in the group. â€Å"She’s fast asleep right now; I really don’t think she should be disturbed.† â€Å"Actually, Aunt Constance, we came to talk to you,† Melanie said. She looked at the other women in the parlor. â€Å"To all three of you.† A line appeared between Great-aunt Constance’s eyebrows, but the short plump woman sitting on the sofa said, â€Å"Oh, let them in, Connie. Why not? There you are, Adam. What kept you out so late last night, hm?† â€Å"I didn’t realize you noticed, Grandma,† Adam said. â€Å"Oh, I notice more than people think,† Mrs. Franklin chuckled, picking up a cookie and popping it into her mouth. Her gray hair was piled untidily on her head in braids, and there was a disorganized air about her that contrasted with the austere white and gold parlor. Cassie liked her. â€Å"What’s going on, Laurel?† a quavery voice asked, and Cassie looked at Granny Quincey, a tiny woman with a face like a dried apple. She was actually Laurel’s great-grandmother, and she was so little and light she looked as if a puff of wind would blow her away. â€Å"Well – † Laurel looked at Adam, who spoke up. â€Å"Actually, it has something to do with what my grandmother asked me. What I was out doing last night. And it has to do with something that happened a long time ago, right around the time all of us kids were born.† Great-aunt Constance was really frowning now, and Granny Quincey’s lips were pursed together. Old Mrs. Franklin was chuckling, but she was looking around the room in a way that made Cassie wonder if she’d really heard her grandson. â€Å"Well?† Great-aunt Constance said sharply. â€Å"Explain yourself.† Adam glanced back at the rest of the Circle, all of whom were beaconing their support, silently electing him spokesman. He took a deep breath and turned back to the old women. â€Å"What I was out doing was shadowing our new high-school principal, Mr. Jack Brunswick,† he said. The name elicited no reaction. â€Å"I think you might have known him under a different name.† Utter silence. â€Å"The name we’re all most familiar with is Black John,† said Adam. The silence was shattered as Great-aunt Constance stood so abruptly that one of the fragile willow-patterned tea cups dashed to the floor. â€Å"Get out of this house! Get out!† she said to Adam. How to cite The Secret Circle: The Power Chapter Five, Essay examples