y, shady spot near the house, to spend the pleasant hour knitting and reading. Ella sat quietly on her mossy seat, and Rita stood in f

alked about it the more plainly she saw it all before her, and it

put aside her big

be quiet. I have somethin

e woods, and all the things she saw before

every day. Rita always thought of something very important to tell her papa, when she should have been sitting down. To-day she had so

not wake Mamma. Papa must have gone already, for he

ving-room, no one in the kitchen! Fr?ulein went up the little staircase and softly opened the door of the children's room. No one was there

hed for Rita in the whole house, in every corner, at last even in the yard back of the w

and Ella began to search through the whole house once more, then all around it in every nook and corner. Kaspar's wife helped willingly for she saw that Fr?ulein felt a real anxiety; but nowhere was there any trace of the child to be seen. Kaspar's wife ran over to the neighbor's house, perhaps they had seen Rita, but

k for Rita? Could she, perhaps, have gone after the people up to the rocks, with the little boy, with whom she had been seen the day before? The more she thought

as soon as possible, but it was a long and toilsome way; it w

opeful that she would surely bring Rita back home with her. But the way was farther than Fr?ulein had thought, and long before the mes

Rita must have run off with the little boy that Frau Feland calmed herself and decided to wait for the return of Kaspar's wife. She really didn't ha

had gone up to the rocks, with his whole family early in the morning, to make hay, and had remained there. No one had seen the ch

r broke out in

"Where shall we find people to hunt for the chi

ple to start out to search before it should be dark; they woul

ned, but she started off immediately. Ella, who now realiz

ly, or if she went into the woods and can't find her way!" she sobbed.

p to the woods, faster than she was able to go at ordinary times. Fr?ulein Hoh

hildren ran, searching everywhere, but no

il now she could run no more. She returned with Ella to the house and fell, completely exhausted. Fr?ulein Hohlweg, who had foll

ried her up to her sleeping-room and told her to remain perfectly quiet, that he would do everything to find th

rtin was just coming out of the door. He had already heard that a child was lost and was just coming to try to help. To Herr Feland's questions h

ediately to get together all the men in the neighborhood, provide them with good lanterns, and have some of them climb up to the high cliffs and hunt around everywhere

downstairs, but the night passed away more slowly, more lingeringly than any she had watched through in all her

bringing the child! But w

nted to see if her mother was asleep, for through her anxiety she could find no rest

re that the dear Lord will take care

e her bed and pray and beseech the dear Lord to protect Rita from all harm an

ing behind the mountains and lighted up the woods

ame trouble and care. A quiet slumber snatched the anxious mother away