much."

"Doesn't thee?"--calmly.

"No, you can't"--earnestly.

"And what does thee call thy father?"

"Wally."

Mrs. Benjamin smiled. Here was all the clue she needed to the kind of
parents Isabelle possessed.

"It may have been considered precocious, when thee was little, to call
them so. But if I were in thy place, I would not do it now. It gives the
wrong impression of thy manners. I think thee has very pretty manners,"
she added.

Isabelle flushed with pleasure.

"You see, Max--my mother--doesn't really care where I am, or what I do,
so long as I'm not in her way, so I don't know what to write her."

"Couldn't thee write thy father, then?"

"Well, it would be easier," she admitted. "Wally is a good sort, and
understands more."

"Write to him then. That will do, I'm sure."

"All right. But nobody writes _me_ letters. I never get any."

"To whom does thee write in the letter hour, my dear?"

Isabelle was on her guard at once.

"Oh, to somebody I like."

"Some friend of thine?"

"Um--yes."

"Couldn't thee tell me about this friend? Mr. Benjamin and I are
especially interested in the friends of our girls. I have never seen
thee post thy letters."

"I don't post them"--shamefacedly.

"Oh, they are to an imaginary friend," said Mrs. Benjamin, seizing an
idea.

Isabelle nodded.

"That's delightful. I used to have an imaginary companion, too. Is thine
a girl?"

"No."

Mrs. Benjamin ignored Isabelle's uncommunicativeness.

"Why wouldn't that be a good idea for the theme class, Isabelle?
'Letters to an imaginary chum'?"

"Mine isn't a chum."

"Would thee care to tell me?"

Isabelle rose.

"I'll show them to you," she said; and she ran upstairs, and brought a
collection of letters to lay in Mrs. Benjamin's lap.

"Thank thee, dear. May I read them?"

The girl nodded. Mrs. Benjamin lifted the first one. It was addressed
to: "My Regular Parents." Isabelle went and threw herself down by the
fire, her face turned away, while Mrs. Benjamin read:

Oh my dear Parents:
I wish you could see this beautiful school I've come to. It has
hills, and a large house, and Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin. Mr.
Benjamin has a wrinkly smile, and Mrs. Benjamin is so
understanding. They are Quakers and say "thee" and "thou" for
"you." It is sweet. When I come home let us say "thee" and
"thou" to each other, will you? It sounds so very special.
We study out of doors, and it is fun