Part 6 (1/2)

But Erick shook his head even more and said sadly: ”Not at all, not a bit like it! Perhaps the song is lost and no one knows anything about it.”

”I know something else to help you,” said helpful Kaetheli, whose tender heart was filled with compa.s.sion. ”To be sure, it is a little late, but I can still do it.”

Then she ran away, and Erick looked after her with great surprise, and wondered where she was going to look for the song.

Running all the way, Kaetheli had reached the bottom of the hill in a quarter of an hour. On the garden wall stood Ritz. ”Get Sally, Ritz, but be quick,” Kaetheli called up to him. That just suited Ritz, for he hoped that something particular was in store, and before Kaetheli reached the wall, Sally was brought out.

Breathlessly Kaetheli told her what she wanted and now expected, since Sally knew so many songs that she would bring out the desired one on the spot. But it was not accomplished so quickly and there followed a long explanation, for Sally must know all that was to be found in the song, whether it was joyous or sad, and then she began to guess and to try whether it could be this one or that, but none seemed to fit according to the descriptions, and suddenly Kaetheli jumped up and exclaimed: ”The evening bells are ringing; I have to go home. I am afraid that father will be at supper before me and then he'll scold. I thought you would know it much quicker, Sally, such a simple song! Think it over and bring it to me at school, but sure, for else Erick will be sad again. Good night!”

Kaetheli was away like a shot, and Sally went thoughtfully back to the house. Very soon the sitting-room was lighted up, where mother and aunt were seated at the table, and now the father also sat down. Edi had long since waited with his book to see whether the lamp would be lighted in the room, for his mother had forbidden him to read in the twilight. Ritz sat down to finish, with many a sigh, a delayed arithmetic lesson. Now Sally entered the room; under each arm she carried four or five books of different sizes and makeup. Panting under the heavy load she threw them on the table.

”Oh, for heaven's sake,” cried Auntie, frightened, ”now Sally will turn into a historical searcheress.”

”No, no,” cried Sally, ”only give me a little room, I am obliged to look for something.” She sat down at once behind the heap of books and began her work in earnest. But she did not remain undisturbed for long, for the large amount of reading material which she had brought in attracted the eyes of all, and all at once the father, who had looked at the books from over his paper, said:

”Sally, I see a book which is little suited for you to read. Where did you get the Niebelungen song?”

”I was just going to ask,” said the mother, ”what you intended to do with A.M. Arndt's war songs?”

Sally had taken along from all tables and book-cases what seemed to her a collection of songs. These two books she had found in her father's study and now she explained that she had to find Erick's lost song, and what Kaetheli had told her about what was in it.

”Aha,” said Edi, and giggled a little, ”on that account you took that book from the piano. Erick will be pleased with the words you will get from this.”

He held the book before his sister and pointed with his finger to the t.i.tle: ”Songs Without Words”. Sally was not as thorough in her thinking as her brother was. She had, in the zeal of her intention, thought that these were some particular kind of songs, and she now looked with some confusion at the book in which only black notes were to be found. Ritz, too, was now roused to interest in the doings. He too had taken up a book and read rather laboriously: ”Battle Sonnets” from--

”What! You have also been to my table, Sally?” the aunt interrupted the reader. ”You children are really terrible! At any rate you ought to have been in bed long ago; it is high time, pack together.”

But this time Sally showed herself unusually obstinate. She a.s.sured them that she could not sleep, not for the whole night, if she had not found the song. She must bring it to Kaetheli, as she had promised to do so, and from fear that she should not find the song Sally worked herself into such a state of excitement that the mother interfered. She explained to the child that they were not the kind of books where such a song could be found, and that the descriptions which Kaetheli had given were much too uncertain to find any song. Sally herself should speak with Erick about what he still knew of his song, and then they would search for it together, for she too would gladly help the poor boy to keep in memory the song his mother had loved.

These words pacified Sally and so she willingly packed together her books and put each in its place.

CHAPTER VII

Erick Enlists in the Fighting Army

Meanwhile the sunny September had approached and everywhere the apples and pears were smiling down from the trees. Every morning one could see the Mayor of Upper Wood walk toward the hillside, where he had started a new vineyard where only reddish, sweet Alsatian grapes grew. The hillside lay toward the valley about a half-hour's walk below Upper Wood; but the walk was not too far for the Mayor to watch the growth of his grapes, for they were of the most delicious kind.

The Justice of Peace, Kaetheli's father, had also a small vineyard on that side, but of a much inferior kind, and when he sometimes went to see whether his grapes would ripen this year, he always found the Mayor there, and usually said, pointing to the latter's grapes: ”A splendid plant.”

And the Mayor answered: ”I should think so. And this year will not be like last! Just let them come!” and with these words he held up his finger threateningly.

”If one only could get hold of one of that crowd,” remarked the Justice of Peace, ”so that one could make an example of him of what would happen to all the wicked fellows.”

”I have prepared for that, Justice of Peace,” the other answered, full of meaning. ”The boldest of them will carry the reminder of the sweet grapes for weeks about with him and will be plainly marked.”

This conversation had already been repeated several times, for both men had an especial interest in the topic. But they soon had to pa.s.s to more important things, for in these communities all kinds of things happen.

At present all the inhabitants of the three places were in great tension and expectation about something which caused so much talk that they hardly found time to attend to their daily business. The Upper Wooders had bought an organ for their church, which was to be dedicated the following Sunday.

In the Middle Lot something was also taking place. Old Marianne was busy packing up, for she could no longer keep her cottage. Her work was not enough to pay the running expenses, so she was going down to Oakwood where she had a cousin who was glad to have her live with him. Now the question was, where the little stranger was to go, whom she had kept with her up till now. She wanted to stay over Sunday and attend the dedication, and on Monday she was going to lock up the house.