a
point of seeing Mr. Bowser, to ask him if he will not consent to send
Frank, too. I hardly expect he will make any objection, as it is not
likely there will be any difference in the expense."

"Oh, I do hope Frank will go, too," cried Mary, clapping her hands. "If
he does, I shall feel ever so much easier about Bert. Frank is so fond
of him that he won't let him be abused, if he can help it."

"Very well, then," said Mr. Lloyd, bringing the conversation to a close.
"I will make some further inquiries about Dr. Johnston's, and if the
results are satisfactory I will see Mr. Bowser, and do what I can to
persuade him to let Frank accompany Bert."

A few days after, Mr. Lloyd called Bert to him, while they were all
sitting in the parlour, just after dinner.

"Come here, Bert," said he. "I want to have a talk with you about going
to school. You know I don't intend you to go back to Mr. Garrison's.
Now, where would you like to go yourself?"

"Oh, I don't know, father," replied Bert. "I don't want to go to the
Acadian or National school anyway."

"You need not feel troubled on that score. So far as I can learn, they
are no better than the one you have been going to. But what do you think
of Dr. Johnston's school? How would you like to become a pupil there?"

"Oh, father," exclaimed Bert, looking up, with a face expressive of both
surprise and concern, "I'm not big enough for that school. They're all
big boys that go there."

"But you're a big boy,--for your age, at all events,--Bert," returned
Mr. Lloyd, with a reassuring smile, "and you'll soon grow to be as big
as any of them."

"But, father," objected Bert, "they're awfully rough there, and so hard
on the new fellows. They always hoist them."

"Hoist them?" inquired Mr. Lloyd. "What do you mean?"

"Why, they hang them up on the fence, and then pound them. It hurts
awfully. Robbie Simpson told me about it. They hoisted him the first
day."

"Humph!" said Mr. Lloyd. "I must say I don't like that, but at the worst
I suppose you can survive it, just as the others have done. Is there any
other reason why you wouldn't like to go to Dr. Johnston's?"

"Well, father, you know he has a dreadful strap, most a yard long, and
he gives the boys dreadful whippings with it."

"Suppose he has, Bert; does he whip the boys who know their lessons, and
behave properly in school?" asked Mr. Lloyd, with a quizzical glance at
his son.

Bert laughed. "Of course not, father," said