tharine felt very sure she would never like Holland as she gazed
rather scornfully at the curious objects they passed: the queer
gay-colored boats, the windmills which met the eye at every turn, with
their great arms waving in the air, the busy-looking people, men and
women, some of the latter knitting as they walked, carrying heavy
baskets on their backs, and all looking so contented and placid.

"Try and think of the nice day you are going to have with Marie and the
children," said the colonel; "then this evening I will come for you, and
we will go together to Paris, and when you see Aunt Katharine you will
be perfectly happy. See, we are nearly at the landing, and look at that
row of little girls and boys. I do believe they are looking for you."

"Yes; they must be Marie's sister's children, I know them from the
description Marie has read me from her letters. Aren't they horrid
little things, father? Just look at their great clumps of shoes--"

"Yes--_klompen_; that is what they are called, Katharine."

"And their baggy clothes and short waists! One of them knitting, too!
Well, I would never make such a fright of myself, even if I did live in
Holland, which I'm glad I don't."

[Illustration: "THE WINDMILLS WHICH MET THE EYE AT EVERY TURN, WITH
THEIR GREAT ARMS WAVING IN THE AIR."]

By this time they had made the landing. Then Katharine and Marie fell
into each other's arms and cried, gazed at in half-frightened curiosity
by seven small, shy Hollanders, and in pitying patience by a very large
colonel.

"Au revoir. I will call for Katharine this afternoon," called Colonel
Easton, when the time came for him to go on board again.

Katharine waved her handkerchief to her father as long as his boat was
in sight.

"See, Miss Katharine," said Marie--in Dutch now, for Katharine
understood that language very well, Marie having spoken it to her from
her infancy--"here is Gretel, and this is her little sister Katrine and
her brother Jan. The others are their cousins. Come here, Lotten; don't
be shy. Ludolf, Mayken, Freitje, shake hands with my little American
girl; they were all eager to come and meet you, dear, so I had to bring
them."

Katharine shook hands very soberly with the little group, and then
walked off beside Marie, hearing nothing but the clatter-clatter of
fourteen wooden shoes behind her.

Soon they arrived at the cottage, and in a moment seven pairs of klompen
were ranged in a neat row outside a