meier in more measured step. Heidi had been
sent to her room to await further orders, but it was not long before
Tinette opened the door and said brusquely: "Go into the study!"

The grandmama, with her kind and loving way, immediately befriended
the child and made her feel as if she had known her always. To the
housekeeper's great mortification, she called the child Heidi,
remarking to Miss Rottenmeier: "If somebody's name is Heidi, I call
her so."

The housekeeper soon found that she had to respect the grandmother's
ways and opinions. Mrs. Sesemann always knew what was going on in the
house the minute she entered it. On the following afternoon Clara was
resting and the old lady had shut her eyes for five minutes, when she
got up again and went into the dining-room. With a suspicion that the
housekeeper was probably asleep, she went to this lady's room,
knocking loudly on the door. After a while somebody stirred inside,
and with a bewildered face Miss Rottenmeier appeared, staring at the
unexpected visitor.

"Rottenmeier, where is the child? How does she pass her time? I want
to know," said Mrs. Sesemann.

"She just sits in her room, not moving a finger; she has not the
slightest desire to do something useful, and that is why she thinks of
such absurd things that one can hardly mention them in polite
society."

"I should do exactly the same thing, if I were left alone like that.
Please bring her to my room now, I want to show her some pretty books
I have brought with me."

"That is just the trouble. What should she do with books? In all this
time she has not even learned the A,B,C for it is impossible to instil
any knowledge into this being. If Mr. Candidate was not as patient as
an angel, he would have given up teaching her long ago."

"How strange! The child does not look to me like one who cannot learn
the A,B,C," said Mrs. Sesemann. "Please fetch her now; we can look at
the pictures anyway."

The housekeeper was going to say more, but the old lady had turned
already and gone to her room. She was thinking over what she had heard
about Heidi, making up her mind to look into the matter.

Heidi had come and was looking with wondering eyes at the splendid
pictures in the large books, that Grandmama was showing her. Suddenly
she screamed aloud, for there on the picture she saw a peaceful flock
grazing on a green pasture. In the middle a shepherd was standing,
leaning on his crook. The setting sun was shedding