o agreed and was just beginning to repeat the exact words of the
teacher in which he had asked for contributions. But he had no chance to
do it.

Kurt came running up at this moment, calling so loudly that nothing else
could possibly be heard: "Mother, I forgot to give you a message. Bruno
is not coming home for supper. The Rector is climbing High Ems with him
and the two other boys. They will only be home at nine o'clock."

The mother looked a little frightened. "Are the two others his comrades,
the Knippel boys?"

Kurt assented.

"I hope everything will go well," she continued. "When those three are
together outside of school they always quarrel. When we came here first
I was so glad that Bruno would have them for friends, but now I am in
continual fear that they will clash."

"Yes, mother," Kurt asserted, "you would never have been glad of that
friendship if you had really known them. Wherever they can harm anybody
they are sure to do it, and always behind people's backs. And Bruno
always is like a loaded gun-barrel, just a little spark and he is on fire
and explodes."

"It is time to go in," said the mother now, taking the two youngest by
the hand. Kurt followed. It had not escaped him that an expression of
sorrow had spread over his mother's face after his words. He hated to
see his mother worried.

"Oh, mother," he said confidently, "there is no reason for you to be
upset. If Bruno does anything to them, they are sure to give it back to
him in double measure. They'll do it in a sneaky way, because they are
afraid of him in the open field."

"Do you really think that this reassures me, Kurt?" she asked turning
towards him. Kurt now realized that his words could not exactly comfort
his mother, but he felt that some help should be found, for he was always
able to discover such a good side to every evil, that the latter was
swallowed up. He saw an advantage now. "You know, mother, when Bruno
has discharged his thunder, it is all over for good. Then he is like a
scrubbed out gun-barrel, all clean and polished. Isn't that better than
if things would keep sticking there?"

Mea, standing at the open window, was beckoning to the approaching group
with lively gestures; it meant that the time for supper was already
overdue. Kurt, rushing to her side, informed her that their mother meant
to tell them the story of Wallerstaetten as soon as everything was quiet
that night and the little ones were put to bed: "Just ma