Mr. Collins replied that he was in the best of condition. Then Ned proceeded to hand an imaginary cane to an imaginary servant, draw off two imaginary gloves which in imagination followed the cane, remove an imaginary top hat with an air and finally, with a hitch of his shoulders, allowed the imaginary servant to remove an imaginary Inverness cape. It was a very clever bit of pantomime and never failed of applause. To-night Mr. Collins laughed appreciatively, laid a hand on Ned’s shoulder and drew him to the fire: “Well, everything all right, Tooker? The Optimist Society making converts?” “Turning ’em away, sir, at every performance.” “Good. I’ve got a new recruit for you, or perhaps it would be better to say a new subject for you.” “All right, sir. Who is it?” “A fellow named Burtis, a new boy this fall. He rooms upstairs here in Number 21. I think you’ll like him. I do. He seems to have more than the usual amount of common sense, for one thing. And he has principles. I believe, Tooker, that he’s the sort we like, you and I; the sort that becomes a credit to the school. But he needs a little help right now. I can’t go into particulars, but Burtis hasn’t been altogether fortunate since he came. I think he’s a bit down-in-the-mouth just now and he needs some fellow to chum up to him a bit. I’ve asked him here this evening and I want you to look him over and, if you possibly can, get acquainted with him and tide him over the next month or so. You’re the man for the job, Tooker. Will you take it?” “Why, of course, sir. You’ll see us to-morrow wandering away to the woods arm in arm, to carve our initials on the tree trunks. Fever near, sir!” “I won’t,” replied Mr. Collins with a smile. “I’ll leave him to you, Tooker. By the way, I neglected to say that Burtis is not yet――er――what we might call a tasteful dresser. There remains about him a strong suggestion of the――er――bucolic.” Ned shook his head. “I’ve never had that, sir.” “Had what?” “The bucolic. Is it catching?” “I don’t think so,” Mr. Collins laughed. “And, anyhow, Tooker, I don’t believe it could ever catch you!” And so during the evening Ned had been studying Kendall most of the time, even when it seemed that he hadn’t a thought beyond creating a laugh. And what he had seen he had liked. He hadn’t been surprised, for he had found that Mr. Collins’s judgment in such matters usually coincided with his. Ned’s verdict by the time the group broke up was something like this: “Rather homely in a nice way. Good eyes and looks straight at you. Well-behaved. Rather shy. Doesn’t butt in. Sees a joke before it knocks him down. Has a good voice. Dresses like a farmer and needs a hair-cut and a manicure, but looks as though he knew the use of bath-tubs. On the whole an interesting subject. Get busy.”