would deal kindly with him. That he might have friends if he chose,
and that he could, by good behavior, force them to respect him.

"I will be your friend," she said, "and Gyp, let me prove it. Rose
tells me that you find your lessons hard to master. Bring them to me
evenings, and I will help you with them. You may come Wednesday, and
Saturday evenings, and perhaps you can win promotion, so as to climb
steadily up to a class of your own age."

"Do you think I _could?_" he asked. "Would they _let_ me?"

"_Make_ them do it, Gyp. You're smart enough. Come! What do you say?
Let's try," Aunt Judith said.

"I'll do it," he said, "and if you help me, maybe I can get out of
that class. They laugh at me, and it makes me mad to be called 'baby.'"

"Come over here with your books Saturday evening, and we'll see what
we two can do," was the earnest reply.




CHAPTER VIII

GYP'S AMBITION


Gyp sauntered along on the way to school, a thoughtful expression
making his face less reckless than usual.