Part 17 (1/2)

The uncle's house was about fifteen minutes' walk from the church, and Wiseli ran on obediently, although the tears would not be kept back.

Her aunt answered the knock at the door; seeing the child in tears she said gruffly, ”What is the matter with you?”

”I have been sent over to get my uncle; my mother is dead,” answered Wiseli, for she had reasoned it out to herself that it must be so or else the mother would speak to her.

The aunt softened perceptibly. ”He is not here just now,” she said almost kindly. ”I will have him come as soon as possible, so you needn't wait.”

It was not long after Wiseli's return that the uncle came. He directed the neighbor to look after everything so that he might take the child away at once.

”But where shall we go?” inquired Wiseli.

”You shall go home with me, for I am all that you have left now. I will take care of you.”

In spite of this a.s.surance a great dread seized Wiseli. To go home with her uncle meant to live with the aunt of whom she was so afraid that she had always dreaded even meeting her. Then there were the three rude cousins, of whom Chappi was the oldest. The thought of how Hans and Rudi were always throwing stones at children made her shudder. How could she go there to live, and yet how dared she refuse?

All these thoughts flashed through Wiseli's mind as she stood hesitating. ”You needn't be afraid,” said her uncle kindly; ”there are a good many of us, to be sure, but you will find that all the more interesting.”

Wiseli tied a few of her things in a bundle, put a shawl over her head, and joined her uncle who was waiting near the door.

”That is a good girl,” said the uncle; ”now let us be off. Don't cry any more; that never helps anything.”

Wiseli choked back the sobs as best she could and followed the uncle, whose stern nature had never been so touched before. Thus the little home where Wiseli had lived, loving and beloved, pa.s.sed out of her life forever.

They had a glimpse of Trina, who was crossing a vacant lot with a basket on her arm, and Wiseli knew that she was going to see her mother.

Trina said to the neighbor who met her at the door; ”I have something good for the sick one's dinner; I hope I am not too late. We have a visitor, and everything is late when he is there.”

”It doesn't matter now, for you would have been too late even if you had come early this morning; she died in the night,” said the neighbor.

”Oh, what will Mrs. Ritter say!” exclaimed Trina in alarm. ”She tried so hard to have me come yesterday, but we were all so taken up with the uncle's arrival that it was put off. I am so sorry to have to tell her of this because I know how she will blame herself for neglecting her friend so long.”

”Yes,” said the neighbor, ”we are all apt to do that. Yesterday I did not suspect that she was any worse than usual.”

Trina sorrowfully returned to the Ritter home.

CHAPTER IV

THE GOTTI HOME

When Wiseli and her uncle arrived at Beechgreen, the three boys rushed in from the barn and stood staring at her. Soon the mother came in from the kitchen and did the same thing. Wiseli did not know what to do except to stand and hold her bundle.

Presently the father seated himself at the table and said, ”I think we had better have something to eat. I am afraid the little one has not had much to-day. Put your things down, Wiseli, and sit here with me.”

Wiseli obeyed without a word. The aunt brought a large loaf of black bread and some cheese, after which she went on staring at Wiseli as if she had never seen a child before.

The uncle cut a slice of the bread, put a piece of cheese on it, and pushed it over in front of Wiseli. ”There, little one,” he said kindly, ”eat that. You must be hungry.”

The suppressed tears welled up in Wiseli's eyes, and her throat was so choked that she could scarcely breathe. She knew that she could not swallow a single crumb. ”No, thank you,” she managed to say; ”I am not hungry.”

”But you had better try,” urged the uncle. ”You mustn't be afraid.”