er travelled--but they have been over Europe! They have
been in Berlin! And still they find matter for admiration in this dirty
little city with its buildings all heights, and its no trees anywhere
except in the parks. Where are their beautiful statues? Where is their
Victory Avenue? Where are their bridges? _Ach!_ It is a poor cheap
country. Tante Edith and Mr. Eldred are heavenly kind, and Hannah I have
loved with a great love, but they have very little taste, and no sense
at all."

Karl puckered up his lips in a low whistle, and Frieda blushed.

"I did not mean to say that, Karl," she said penitently. "I am their
guest. They are heavenly kind, yes. _But_ I do not like the
country."

It was a beautiful shady road they had come into then, and the hills at
the end of it showed gracious curves.

"This reminds me," said Karl meditatively, "of a place I went through
near the Rhine one summer vacation. It's really quite as charming, I
believe. Look here, Frieda. I'm interested in the impression you make in
this country. You're going to spend this year with a lot of girls who
don't know much about Germany or Germans, and I don't mind telling you
that I'm rather anxious to have you do us credit."

"I shall do Germany credit, everywhere," answered Frieda stoutly, but
somewhat perturbed.

"I'd like to think that," answered Karl, "and on the whole I guess it's
true, but if you keep on this way, I'm not so sure of it. You are
sitting here this afternoon making general statements about America when
you have seen only one of the less important cities. That doesn't strike
me as the way one should judge. It doesn't seem like the kind of thing
Professor Lange would do. He is very accurate and careful in his
judgments. And next, you haven't shown much enthusiasm over the things
the Eldreds have done for you the last day or two. Now, I never knew any
one who was so unfailingly appreciative as Frau Professor Lange."

Frieda pouted. "But Hannah shows off."

"Shows off? Frieda, I'm afraid your sense of humor is rather one-sided.
Hannah may take advantage of your not understanding perfectly, but who
taught her that that sort of thing was funny? Who told her the brass
plate over the barber's door meant that cakes were for sale there, so
that she almost went in to buy one?"

Frieda chuckled. "It was not long I could fool her. She soon learned too
much. Besides, my mother would not let me."

"You still think it was justifiable and