nd Walter came in sight. He tumbled
down the steps and fell unconscious at Femke's feet.

"That boy!" groaned the old lady, while the girls stood as if
transfixed. Femke picked Walter up and carried him upstairs. His
bed was pointed out to her, and she placed him in it. No one had the
courage to run her away when she took a chair by the bedside. If at
this moment the rights of the Pieterses and Femke had been voted upon,
all the votes would have gone to Femke.

She wept, and stammered "Don't be angry, Juffrouw; but I couldn't
sleep for thinking of him."

CHAPTER XVII

The evening of the birthday party came. All of the Pieterses went,
leaving Walter to be taken care of by Leentje.

Juffrouw Laps was doing the honors.

"A strange state of affairs," said the birthday uncle. "And what did
she want?"

"Oh, goodness, M'neer, I don't know myself. I've told Gertrude a
hundred times that it's too much for me. Just imagine to yourself--such
a thing issuing commands in my house! I told Mina to pitch her out. And
Pietro said----"

"You ought to have seen me get hold of her," croaked that brave young
woman, showing a blue place on her hand. From this it might have been
inferred that Femke had had hold of Pietro.

"Just wait till she comes again," cried Gertrude, "and I will attend
to her!"

"And what will I do for her?" said Mina significantly.

Every one of them was ready for the fray. That is often the case. If
the vote had been taken now on moral worth, Femke would have been
defeated.

"A common girl, M'neer!"

"Worse than common!"

"How did you get rid of her?"

"Ah, it wasn't easy. I said----"

"No, mother, I said----"

"No, it was I!"

"But it was I!"

Each one of them had said something. Everyone wanted to play the
leading role in the interesting drama.

"I would like to know where the young Mr. van der Gracht is," said
Juffrouw Laps. "Yes, uncle, it's a surprise----"

Juffrouw Pieterse did not like to be interrupted when she had something
to tell.

"And so we said--what did we say, Gertrude?"

"Mother, I said it was a disgrace."

"Yes, I said so, too. Then that thing asked for cold water, and
when we didn't get it quick enough for her, she ran and fetched it
herself--just as if she were at home! She wet a cloth and put it on
Walter's head. I was amazed at her insolence. When the child came to
she gave him a kiss! Think of it--and all of us standing there!"

"Yes," cried the three