sat down on the bench under the hazel bush. Laying the book on her lap, she watched Matthew while he cleaned up the paths. Looking up he said: "Come w

no answer. Matthew looked over at the

the vegetable garden she called over to the child: "You must hav

shook h

how you how many yellow plums there are going to be this year;

are," said

"And our large juicy pears are beginning to get ripe, too. Don't y

was th

Esther," he asked. "She is so changed! One can hardly recognize any more our gay and friendly Cornelli.

one does meet her somewhere, she scarcely says a word. She never sings or laughs the way she used to, and she alw

e is getting an education she is absolutely changed, and not for the be

e to grow up without a mother, for she needs her at every step. It is so

ur mother whenever anyone does you harm,

so I am always sorry for every child that has none. One can see how it is with

Cornelli, who was sitting quite motionless on th

ered the garden and neared the ho

hink one hour is better than none, so am here now, at 11

't," said Co

hand. It is sure to have something

now," repli

not seem to have impressed you much, so let

ir accustomed places when he said: "It seems to me, Cornelli, that your hair hangs a li

"Oh, really! But this is no affair of mine," said the teacher calmly. "Only it seems to me a rather disfiguring manner of

ehead, as if the teacher might try by force to straighten

again immediately, Cornelli. You must begin a proper and orderly existence. When your work is done you can re

Just as before, she put the book in her lap, and it soon fell to the ground. Cornelli p

out for her, as if it were a medicine that simply had to be swallowed. Afterwards she sat there frowning

them quite plainly even through your curtains," said

i sneaked out behind them, turned unseen around the corn

Miss Dorner, sitting down on the bench. "For this alone you should be grateful, instead of frowning and su

lli really peculiar? She never says a friendly word and never gives a singl

of his only daughter, who seems to become more unfriendly and stubborn every day. Others in the house have noticed it, too, so Mina

and that can change a household entirely," replied the other lady. "

d, without once looking up at the merry birds which were whistling above her. Not once did she glance to right or left

worried face and full of sympathy asked: "What is wr

ch her old friend had put for her in the usual place. Cornelli's words did not come rapidly and angrily

r and over again, and nothing helps one. That is what happened to me to-day. If you don't help me I won't ever understand it. I often wish I could read and write as fast as our

discoveries. Father said that he used to love them when he was young, but he was probably different from me. Now I can't run to the stable any more, nor into th

help me to read a letter I got to-day, and then you will see what an advantage it is

tter, was quite willing to

it?" aske

red. "I only know that it comes from town, but I can

of twelve years for a few weeks. He did not need special care, as he was not exactly ill; but the boy undoubtedly was not very strong. Good air and

can be that a rector's wife will bring her son to me. Oh, I'll take the best care of him, and I must ask Matthew to let him have some milk from the cows every morning and

hat he won't have anything to do with me, and I know why, too.

erybody. What has happened to you?" asked Martha, quite grieved. "You do not look about you

hair, when Cornelli hindered her by crying out: "No,

half covered up? One can hardly recognize you," Marth

's truthful information. Then she added: "She says that no child on earth looks as ugly as I do and that nobody in the world

beying the ladies," said Martha. "If you did what they

ightened. "I'll do everything they say, but I can never push my hai

shook h

ys love you more than anybody who might ever come here. If you did not come, it would hurt me dr

er in the kitchen, for I want to see you alone. I shall not come on Monday, for that is t

as she had come. Not once did she run to the meadow to pic

nelli settled down beside the garden fence, for from there she could conveniently survey the road. But she saw no carriage, though she watched through both the morning and th

ome. Now I can be alone with you an

at at the table in the room and Martha was just clearing away the supper things. So he had come

inted. Mrs. Martha has already told me about you. Just come in," he continued, when he saw that C

and to be willing to give place to her. She therefore entered. Martha

me is Dino Halm and he already knows your name. I am sure you will have a good time toget

ned to unpack her new arrival's things while they were together. She put his belongings neatly a

ked Dino as soon as Martha had left the room

ot see the carri

e than an hour, in fact, nearly two, before we got here from the s

s go there with Pap

ses always come from?

table," was

of your own, just to be able to drive abo

nes and six others to carry a

ed. "You are lucky to be able to sit in a c

o that?" ask

t of all, I do not have a father. Besides that, we do not own a stabl

. "Then there is an old nanny goat and a young snow white kid, about whose neck

aimed. "Do you think I'll be allowed to

o you, and Martha will willingly let you go. If I onl

like to know?" Dino said. "Do you know what we'll do? We'll hitch the little kid to a cart. Won't that be l

ould not run about as before and that she could not be happy any more. The chief reason for it all was clear to her, the reason that prevented her f

ntain about with you-a load that keeps you fro

t, either, if you had the trouble

nfide in other people, you can always tell your mother, for she can always smooth everything out f

am," said Cornelli with a trembling voice. "I never can go to my mother because I have n

ed quite

his own mother, the way she looked at him, so full of love that it always lighten

with all the fruit, about which Martha had told hi

id: "No indeed, I woul

er protector. He could understand now why Cornelli looked so strange; he had even noticed

irst of all; one can hardly see your eyes. Nobody wears hair like that. I don't see how s

," replied

nd then your eyes and your forehead will

asket, but Cornelli, struggling against him with both hands, fairly

ors again. "I only wanted to do you a favor. If my two sisters, Agnes and Nika, could s

ll," said Cornelli crossly. "Nobody needs to see

stonished and stood looking at the door through which C

g at Cornelli's empty chair, Dino said: "What a queer ch

and how Cornelli had suddenly run off without eve

eer and runs away like that and suddenly gets cross. She never was that way at all; this is something new. If I only could hear her sing and laugh again as of o

k to me," said Dino, still quite puzz

ue. On reaching home she quietly stole to her room. Sitting down on