Part 3 (2/2)

”I have come with good news for you, Rico,” she said. ”The teacher has asked me to bring you this violin. He wishes to give it to you. Take it, Rico. It is your own now.”

Rico seemed suddenly petrified. The grandmother touched his shoulder, repeating: ”It is yours; take it, child, and be happy. The teacher wants you to have it.”

Rico trembled as she laid the gift in his arms. ”If that is true, I will take it,” was all he could say.

”You will always be careful of it, won't you?” asked the grandmother, to fulfill the teacher's request, but she smiled as she thought how unnecessary the caution was. ”Now, Rico,” she added, ”I will go home, but I hope that you will not forget about the teacher's kindness, for he is very sick.”

Rico went up to his room, where he could be alone with his treasure.

Here he examined it carefully and played softly to his heart's content. So absorbed was he in his pleasure that he forgot to think of the time until it began to grow dark.

His aunt met him at the foot of the stairs, saying: ”You may have something to eat to-morrow. You are so excited to-day that you deserve nothing.”

Rico had not thought about supper. He said nothing to his aunt, but walked contentedly over to find the grandmother. Stineli was lighting the kitchen fire when he went in. Ever since she had heard the good news in the morning, she had been wis.h.i.+ng that she had time to run over to tell Rico how glad she was. Now that he suddenly stood before her, she could contain herself no longer. She exclaimed over and over as she danced about: ”It is yours, Rico! I am so glad! It is yours! It is yours!”

Before the rejoicing had subsided, the grandmother entered. Rico went up to her and said, ”Grandmother, will it be right for me to go over to thank the teacher if he is sick?”

She considered a moment, because the old man had looked so ill that morning; then she said, ”Yes; I will go with you.”

She led the way to the sick man's room, Rico following closely with the precious violin, which had not been out of his arms since it had been given to him.

The teacher had become very weak since morning. Rico stepped to the bed with such a happy, grateful face that he did not need to say a word. The sick man gave the boy a loving caress and then asked for the grandmother. Rico stepped aside and she took his place. ”Grandmother,”

said the teacher faintly, ”I have been feeling so troubled that I shall be glad if you will pray for me.”

Just then the vesper bell rang. Rico bowed his head as the grandmother prayed by the bed. After an interval of silence she gently closed the eyes of her old friend, for he had died during prayer. Then taking Rico by the hand, she led him softly from the room.

Rico understood what had happened. He and the grandmother walked in silence until they reached her home.

”Do not be unhappy, Rico,” she said; ”your teacher has been suffering for some time, and we should rather rejoice that he is now at rest with the Heavenly Father. I know you will always remember him for his useful life and for his loving gift to you.”

CHAPTER VIII

AT LAKE SILS

During the week that followed Rico's good fortune Stineli was as happy as a bird, in spite of the fact that there seemed to be ten more days than usual before Sunday came. It arrived at last, and proved to be a glorious day of suns.h.i.+ne. When she found herself with Rico, under the evergreens on the hill overlooking the lake, she felt so thankful that she could only dance about the moss-covered slope. After a while she seated herself on the edge of the cliff, where she could see both the lake and the village far down the hill.

”Come, Rico,” she said; ”now we can sing.”

Rico sat down beside her and began tuning the violin, which, you may be sure, he had not forgotten to bring with him. Then they sang together:

”Come down, little lambs, From the sunniest height--”

<script>