you warm.
Drink this,' he urged, holding a glass to my lips. 'It's only hot
water with a little sugar in it.' I was shivering with the cold
when I awoke and, as I drank the stuff, I only noticed that it was
hot and sweet. But he had gone and mixed something strong with it!
Oh, what will father say?"

Then Karin opened the door leading to the living-room, where Elof
still lingered over his meal. She felt that it would be well for
him to hear this.

"If only father were living, Karin, if only father were living!"

"What then, Ingmar?"

"Don't you think he'd kill him?"

Elof broke into a loud laugh, and when the boy heard him, he turned
so pale with fright that Karin promptly closed the door again.

It had this good effect upon Elof, at all events: he put up no
objection when Karin decided to take the boy to Storm's school.

***

Soon after Halvor had received the watch, his shop was always full
of people. Every farmer in the parish, when in town, would stop at
Halvor's shop in order to hear the story of Big Ingmar's watch. The
peasants in their long white fur coats stood hanging over the
counter by the hour, their solemn, furrowed faces turned toward
Halvor as he talked to them. Sometimes he would take out the watch,
and show them the dented case and the cracked face.

"So it was there the blow caught him," the peasants would say. And
they seemed to see before them what had happened when Big Ingmar
was hurt. "It is a great thing for you, Halvor, to have that
watch!"

When Halvor was showing the watch he would never let it out of his
hands, but would always keep a tight grip on the chain.

One day Halvor stood talking to a group of peasants, telling them
the usual story, and at the climax the watch was of course brought
out. As it was being passed from one to the other (he holding the
chain) there fell upon all a solemn hush. In the meantime Elof had
come into the shop, but as every one's attention was riveted upon
the watch, no one had remarked his presence. Elof had also heard
the story of his father-in-law's watch, and knew at once what was
going on. He did not begrudge Halvor his souvenir; he was simply
amused at the sight of him and the others standing there looking so
solemn over nothing but an old and battered silver watch.

Elof stole quietly up behind the men, reached over, and snatched
the watch from Halvor. It was only meant in fun. He had no thought
of taking the watch only from Halvor; he jus