the pretty
flower garden where the others were already at play, and by the time we
had finished a good breakfast, served by a dear servant girl, I felt
quite myself again.

Of course, mamma hastened to Herr Schidorsky as soon as she could, and
he sent her to the Postmeister again, to ask him to return the part of
our passports that had been torn out, and without which we could not go
on. He said he would return them as soon as he received word from
Eidtkunen. So we could only wait and hope. At last it came and so
suddenly that we ran off to the depot with hardly a hat on all our
heads, or a coat on our backs, with two men running behind with our
things, making it a very ridiculous sight. We have often laughed over it
since.

Of course, in such a confusion we could not say even one word of
farewell or thanks to our deliverers. But, turning to see that we were
all there, I saw them standing in the gate, crying that all was well
now, and wishing us many pleasant things, and looking as if they had
been receiving all the blessings instead of us.

I have often thought they must have purposely arranged it that we should
have to leave in a hurry, because they wouldn't stand any expression of
gratefulness.

Well, we just reached our car in time to see our baggage brought from
the office and ourselves inside, when the last bell rang. Then, before
we could get breath enough to utter more than faint gasps of delight, we
were again in Eidtkunen.

The gendarmes came to question us again, but when mother said that we
were going to Herr Schidorsky of Eidtkunen, as she had been told to
say, we were allowed to leave the train. I really thought we were to be
the visitors of the elder Schidorsky, but it turned out to be only an
understanding between him and the officers that those claiming to be on
their way to him were not to be troubled.

At any rate, we had now really crossed the forbidden boundary--we were
in Germany.

There was a terrible confusion in the baggage-room where we were
directed to go. Boxes, baskets, bags, valises, and great, shapeless
things belonging to no particular class were thrown about by porters and
other men, who sorted them and put tickets on all but those containing
provisions, while others were opened and examined in haste. At last our
turn came, and our things, along with those of all other American-bound
travellers, were taken away to be steamed and smoked and other such
processes gone through. We