to be
back once more in the friendly atmosphere of the schoolhouse, and
was still there when the recess bell rang, and Storm and the two
children came in for their coffee. All three went over to greet
him. He arose to shake hands with the schoolmaster, but when little
Ingmar put out his hand, Halvor was talking so earnestly to Mother
Stina that he seemed not to have noticed the boy. Ingmar remained
standing a moment, then he went up to the table and sat down. He
sighed several times, just as Karin had done the day she was there.

"Halvor has come to show us his new watch," said Mother Stina.

Whereupon Halvor took from his pocket a new silver watch, which he
showed to them. It was a pretty little timepiece, with a flower
design engraved on the case. The schoolmaster opened it, went into
the schoolroom for a magnifying glass, adjusted it to his eye, and
began examining the works. He seemed quite carried away as he
studied the delicate adjustment of the tiny wheels, and said he had
never seen finer workmanship. Finally he gave the watch back to
Halvor, who put it in his pocket, looking neither pleased nor
proud, as folks generally do when you praise their purchases.

Ingmar was silent during the meal, but when he had finished his
coffee, he asked Storm whether he really knew anything about
watches.

"Why, of course," returned the schoolmaster. "Don't you know that I
understand a little of everything?"

Ingmar then brought out a watch which he carried in his vest
pocket. It was a big, round, silver _turnip_ that looked ugly and
clumsy as compared with Halvor's watch. The chain to which it was
attached was also a clumsy contrivance. The case was quite plain
and dented. It was not much of a watch: it had no crystal, and the
enamel on its face was cracked.

"It has stopped," said Storm, putting the watch to his ear.

"Yes, I kn-n-ow," stammered the boy. "I was just wondering if you
didn't think it could be mended."

Storm opened it and found that all the wheels were loose. "You must
have been hammering nails with this watch," he said. "I can't do
anything with it."

"Don't you think that Eric, the clockmaker, could fix it?"

"No, no more than I. You'd better send it to Falun and have new
works put in."

"I thought so," said Ingmar, and took the watch.

"For heaven's sake, what have you been doing with it?" the
schoolmaster exclaimed.

The boy swallowed hard. "It was father's watch," he explained, "and
it go