in the

more in the old schoolhouse in Upper Wood than in the new one of Lower Wood; but that was the children's fault, not the teacher's. In the middle, between the two villages lay a hamlet consisting of a few farms and some small houses of little pretense. It was called the Middle Lot, and its people the Middle Lotters. They had the choice to what church and school they wished to belong, whether to Lower Wood or Upper Wood, and according to their choice they were judged by the people of Upper Wood; for whoever wanted to learn much and b

ally said: "It is fun to go to school to-day for the strange boy of yesterday will come too; if we only knew h

gnified air; "who would think o

ld go there to scho

Kaetheli, with whom she talked things over, had been in school. But now she saw Edi soaring along like an arrow into the midst of a crowd of boys, and they all acted so strangely and they shouted so strangely that Sally thought that something particular must be in preparation there, and no doubt concerned the new-comers. Then she could hear something from Edi. She went slowly on and kept on turning r

ut before anything, first the soup." With these words the father took Ritz's hand, and Sal

at did they tell abo

about him! We have something else to do than to talk about a strange boy,

always could find a way out of an unpleasant situation. So she sat as still as a

, while Ritz remains quiet, and afterwards his turn will come." Ritz look

ach parish. First, the Lower Wooders began. The sixth class were angry because we laughed at them, that they only now h

er Wood

heir mind

ink that they t

er they m

in sorr

ound and run fo

like that

Lower Wooders would m

"we have made a song for

Lower Woo

ays yell

, never stay wi

dispute

re muc

fists when they oug

like this

who has sung about the Mid

hey too had to have a song, but the s

ey of Mi

l toget

striving zealo

relling they

you like t

prefer that you keep busy with your history studies, instead of taking sides in these party-fig

as he attacked his noodles wi

ience, Sally? Why are you so

o much to talk over with her. Perhaps she is sick; may I g

the strange boy," the s

"But you will not go into any house where you have no business, just to look at stra

y did in similar cases, but went to the kitchen door and peeped in, and when she saw 'Lizebeth at the sink, where the latter was scraping her pans

mean by that question, Sally? Do you think this household is so carried on that one lies about on ragged mattresses and sleeps, until a little one, who is far from old

ple in her house and I should so much like to see them, and therefore I wanted so much to know whether you could not sacrifice a mat

o been wondering what kind of people her old friend had taken into her ho

ded to come and see her, but the likes of us cannot get away when we want to; we never know what may happen if we are out

eir tops the wind rustled so delightfully and all the birds sang in confusion. She also had to consider how she would arrange her calls, whether she would go first to Kaetheli or to Marianne; but this time old Marianne had a stronger attraction than Kaetheli and Sally felt that she must go ther

do, she now ran right into the house, although the house door was also the kitchen door. After entering the front door she stood in the small kitchen and was at once before another door which led into the living-room. This door s

embarrassment remained standing near

said in a friendly tone, "Come here

d invented that-to get into the house where she had arrived now so unexpectedly. She approached the lady and wanted

ild's hand and strok

h a voice so sweet that it went deep into Sally's heart. "

nd and said in a friendly ton

ng; Sally did not know what it was, for until now she had

out of his eyes, that the sight brought a complete reversion in Sally's feelings, and she, all at once, laughed right out; upon which, the boy too, relieved his feelings by a b

her with that winning voice, "

to Marianne-" Sally could not stop at half the truth. The sad, friendly eyes of th

u hear of us?" asked the lady, and took off Sally's straw hat, while she put the question

bare walls, and then there were the two easy chairs on which she and the lady were sitting, and the small table. She knew that besides this room there was a very small bedroom, where two beds could hardly find room. Sally could not set herself to rights; all was so different from what she had imagined. She had expected to see strange and foreign things standing about everywhere and no

that of course "she would not go there for the sake of staring at the people," and she felt that she was doing something very much like it. Sally rose. All at once sh

ked once more so lovingly into the child's eyes, that her little heart was moved. Then she k

e small kitchen. The boy, meanwhile, had opened the house door and now he

coming to sch

ed," was t

hers too, and he must come every Sunday afternoon and spend it with them and they would teach him all kinds of games; and many undertakings passed through her brain, for with th

come?" he quest

ool, of

d, I'll com

d Sally, giving her hand, "

-and y

al

arge bundle of horsehair which she was carrying on her head. Sally was delighted to see her, for she had just remembered that she had not given 'Lizebeth's message. She rushed so quickly toward the old woman and with such force, that the latter we

nce, "else I lose my breath. But tell me, how did you get i

ir went up to Marianne's small room; but that she had wanted to run in the front way, through the kitchen, and o

ger warningly. "Do you hear that, Sally? Never do that again. They are not

ly, Marianne," soothed Sally,

on that account, and on account of many other things, do you hear, Sally? Promis

, Marianne! Now I have forgotten the main thing: 'Lizebeth send

was already far away. After a few more jumps Sally arrived at the house of the Justice of Peace, in front of which stood a large apple tree which shaded the st

n't you come to school then?" S

o to school. I hadn't the time, for Mother has gone away today to see sick Grandmother, and then we got young chickens, twelve quite small ones, and that is why I have to wash a stoc

g else than the new chickens, so she said quite decisively: "No, Kaetheli, I haven't time enough to see the chickens. I only wanted to know whethe

His name is Erick and just think, he goes to school at Lower Wood

iends with a fellow who went to Lower Wood to school, when he just as well might have gone to Upper Wood? Sally was very downcast, but she did not easily give up a pleasant intention. On the way home she wanted to think what could be done, therefore she stretched out her hand t

rised and looked after her, and in her bright mind she thought: "Sally has something new in her head, else I could

nd she was so lost in her plans that she forgot when she arrived at the garden which stretched from her home far

o go to bed, for Auntie has already looked twice at her watch. Were you in th

a large church paper. Edi, his head supported on both hands, sat lost in his history book. Sally had hardly opened the door when she cried out with much excitement: "Oh, Mother, you ought to have seen how fri

orgotten that she was not to go to the strange people, and that she had given, as the obj

te of opposition from me, press into the home of the strang

lly, somewhat embarrassed. "'Lizebeth h

e light of day, Sally felt relieved and she returned with new zeal to her communication. She had much to describe: the empty room and the silk dress of the lady,

will go, no doubt, with him as with little Leopold!" After giving her this

ok up from his paper and Edi had only a satirical remark for sympathy. Sally had rather a bad reputation for making friendships. Almost every week she saw some one who appealed to her so much, that she must make a friendship at once; but t

e latest cut. Leopold had entered Sally's class and his appearance had at once inspired her. But he was so small and dainty that he received the name Leopoldy from the whole school. The rumor had preceded Leopold, that he had staid three years in the same class in the town where his grandfather lived. So Edi looked down on Leopoldy from an elevation of a fourth class boy and noticed with scorn how Sally found pleasure in the little fellow and befriended him. But that did not last long for, after a trial of a week, Leopoldy was set back two classes,

ne asked a question and they hardly listened to her communication. That was too much; Sally had to relieve her tension. She suddenly broke forth to Edi, who was entirely lost in his book: "Although you read a thousand books one after the

ously: "You see, Sally, you do not at all know what friendship is, for you believe that one can have a new friend every week.

ce journey if he comes from Upp

ad left the room, and

research," she said, turning to Edi, "but now it i

o in the hope of there escaping his fate for some

hen the sleeper had been discovered, and onl

r, but she had always escaped him. Now a quiet moment came. Ritz was at last awake. Edi quickly

had long since forgotten Edi's judgment on the enemy and she did not know what he was talking about. "No, no,

had followed her about, and now a greater misunderstanding had arisen. There was no more chance for explanation

tood disquieted the thinking Edi exceedingly. And the mother came as she did every evening, and she promised to m