er lap. "You are so good. Keep them all until
Tite comes home. Then you can show them to him as a proof of what a true
and good girl I have been."

Hanz viewed this act of kindness on the part of Mattie with an air of
surprise and astonishment. It was in such beautiful contrast to her
father's rudeness and severity that he was at a loss how to account for
it.

"Vel, vel!" exclaimed Hanz, raising his hands, "you pees sho goot a gal
as I ever did she. Yes, mine shild, I never shees no petter gals as you
pees." And he rose from his chair, and approaching Mattie, patted her on
the shoulder encouragingly. "You pees such a goot girl," he repeated,
"and you will pe mine goot friend, eh?"

"Certainly I will. Why should I be anything else?" replied Mattie,
looking up smilingly in his face.

Hanz shook his head. "It pees sho now as nopody can shay who pees his
friend, and who pees not his friend. I pees sho glad you pees mine
friend."

"I should like to know, Father Hanz, what troubles you?" resumed Mattie,
whose quick eye read in his face the trouble that was making his heart
sad. "Tell me what troubles you, Father Hanz, and I will be a friend to
you, no matter who it is."

"Mine shilds," replied the old man, drooping his head, "dar vas un man,
he shay as he pees mine goot friend. Dat friend he pees mine enemy. He
prings shorrow into mine house. Unt he prings dat shorrow when mine poor
Tite he pees sho far away as I ton't know where he is."

Tears again filled the old man's eyes as he spoke, and he paused, shook
his head, and buried his face in his hands. There was something in the
old man's unwillingness to disclose who it was that had caused him this
trouble that excited Mattie's suspicions.

"You must tell me, Father Hanz," said she, encircling his neck with her
right arm and patting him on the cheek encouragingly and affectionately
with her left hand, "who has caused you all this trouble."

Hanz looked up earnestly and enquiringly into her face. Still there was
a doubt in that look it was impossible to mistake.

"You ton't know, eh? you ton't know, eh? Maype as he is petter as you
ton't know, mine shild. T' man what prings shorrow into mine house; t'
man what shays I pees one tief t' mine neighpors--dat man he pees no
friend of mine." Again the old man paused, and looked up inquiringly
into Mattie's sweet face, as if anxious to trace the secret of her
thoughts. And as he did so the breeze tossed the grey hairs ov