“Who is?” demanded Dirk. “Bob Leonard suits him. You can’t go around mistering a fine chap like him. He can do anything; he’s awful strong and clean-cut. Besides, he likes it. Bob Leonard’s the way to speak of him; I’ll leave it to Beth after she sees him. Girls are the limit! They think you’re fresh if you don’t mister every one. It’s the people you like you treat like that, that’s dead easy to see.” Beth felt a return of the vague regret that she had felt before. Now that the first dazzling wonder of her new surroundings was somewhat less blinding she began to wish that Dirk meant a little more to his sisters. Natalie was sweet temper itself; she did not often find fault with Dirk, as Alys was only too ready to do at the slightest provocation. But Natalie treated him with kindly indifference, as if a small boy mattered little and must be left to himself until he found his way into big boyhood, when he might matter. Dirk was always on the defensive toward the girls and often was on the offensive. Beth knew that the three were really fond of one another, but it troubled her tender little heart that they sometimes scarcely seemed so. “I’ll like the gymnasium--if I’m not afraid. Maybe Dirk will start me in it?” she said with the smile that Dirk inwardly felt was irresistible. The wistful look in her eyes, born of her regret for the sharpness Alys and Dirk showed each other, made the boy say promptly: “I’ll see you through, Beth; you stick to me. I’m a cracker-jack on the bar, if I do say it.” “Better get ready, Bethie,” advised Natalie. “Mr. Leonard comes in an hour.” Beth ran away on this hint to her own room where she found Frieda reading. The girl arose when Beth entered and said apologetically: “I seemed to have nothing to do, Miss Beth, so I was reading a little. I’ve tightened all the buttons on everything you have ready made and there’s nothing needs mending yet.” “I should think those German letters would be as hard to read as it would be to sew pine boards together,” said Beth, missing the point of Frieda’s apology. “I’ve got to put on my gymnasium suit, Frieda. I don’t think I knew it was regular lessons; I thought the gymnasium was just for fun. Natalie says they’re taught. I’m glad now Aunt Alida bought the suit. Anything was good enough to play in, but a regular teacher is different.” “Oh, sure, Miss Beth,” said Frieda with conviction as she hastened to get out Beth’s gymnasium uniform, “it’s all different from that. There’s nothing here that anything you happen to have is good enough for; it’s all got to be just the way it ought to be.” “Isn’t that true, Frieda!” cried Beth, struck by this summing up of what had amazed her.