Kronborg spoke Swedish
to her own sisters and to her sister-in-law Tillie, and colloquial
English to her neighbors. Thea, who had a rather sensitive ear, until
she went to school never spoke at all, except in monosyllables, and her
mother was convinced that she was tongue-tied. She was still inept in
speech for a child so intelligent. Her ideas were usually clear, but she
seldom attempted to explain them, even at school, where she excelled in
"written work" and never did more than mutter a reply.

"Your music professor stopped me on the street to-day and asked me how
you were," said the doctor, rising. "He'll be sick himself, trotting
around in this slush with no overcoat or overshoes."

"He's poor," said Thea simply.

The doctor sighed. "I'm afraid he's worse than that. Is he always all
right when you take your lessons? Never acts as if he'd been drinking?"

Thea looked angry and spoke excitedly. "He knows a lot. More than
anybody. I don't care if he does drink; he's old and poor." Her voice
shook a little.

Mrs. Kronborg spoke up from the next room. "He's a good teacher, doctor.
It's good for us he does drink. He'd never be in a little place like
this if he didn't have some weakness. These women that teach music
around here don't know nothing. I wouldn't have my child wasting time
with them. If Professor Wunsch goes away, Thea'll have nobody to take
from. He's careful with his scholars; he don't use bad language. Mrs.
Kohler is always present when Thea takes her lesson. It's all right."
Mrs. Kronborg spoke calmly and judicially. One could see that she had
thought the matter out before.

"I'm glad to hear that, Mrs. Kronborg. I wish we could get the old man
off his bottle and keep him tidy. Do you suppose if I gave you an old
overcoat you could get him to wear it?" The doctor went to the bedroom
door and Mrs. Kronborg looked up from her darning.

"Why, yes, I guess he'd be glad of it. He'll take most anything from me.
He won't buy clothes, but I guess he'd wear 'em if he had 'em. I've
never had any clothes to give him, having so many to make over for."

"I'll have Larry bring the coat around to-night. You aren't cross with
me, Thea?" taking her hand.

Thea grinned warmly. "Not if you give Professor Wunsch a coat--and
things," she tapped the grapes significantly. The doctor bent over and
kissed her.

III

Being sick was all very well, but Thea knew from experience that
starting back to school again