he house, while Loneli hastened home with leaps and
bounds, for her heart was thrilling with great joy.

"Where is mother, where is mother?" Kurt impetuously asked Lippo, whom he
met in the hall carrying a large water-pitcher entrusted to him by Kathy.

"One knows well enough where mama must be when it is nearly lunch-time.
You came home late from school," Lippo answered, carefully trotting away
with his fragile burden.

"Yes, I did, you little sentinel of good order," Kurt laughed out,
passing Lippo in order to hasten to the dining-room.

Now Kurt could laugh again.

"Oh, are you as far as that already," he cried out in surprise when he
found everybody settling down to lunch. "What a shame! I wanted to tell
you something, mother."

She gazed at him questioningly. He had not had any urgent news for her
lately, and she was glad to hear his clear voice and see his merry eyes
again.

"You must wait now till after lunch, Kurt," she said kindly, "for you
were rather late to-day."

"Yes, I was rather slow at first," Kurt informed her. "Then Loneli ran
after me to tell me something she has found out. I have often said
before that Loneli is the most clever child in all Nolla, besides being
the most friendly and obliging one could possibly find. Even if she is
only brought up by simple Apollonie, she is more refined at bottom than a
girl I know who adorns her outside with the most beautiful ribbons and
flowers. I would rather have a single Loneli than a thousand Elviras."

Lippo had been anxiously looking at Kurt for some time.

"Here come the beans and you have your plate still full of soup," he said
excitedly.

"Kurt, I think that it would be better for you to eat your soup instead
of uttering such strange speeches. Besides, we all agree with you about
Loneli. I think that she is an unusually nice and sympathetic child."

"Oh, Kurt," the observant little Maezli exclaimed, "do you have to talk so
much all at once because you talked so little yesterday, the day before
yesterday and the day before that?"

"Yes, that is the exact reason, Maezli," Kurt said with a laugh. His soup
was soon eaten, for his spirits had fully come back now, and in the
shortest time he had emptied his plate.

Kurt was only able to get his mother to himself after school. The elder
children were busy at that time and the two little ones had taken a walk
to Apollonie. His mother, having clearly understood his wish to have a
thorough talk wi