Cornelli

ded, however, he had to submit to his usual fate in the morning. He ran into the room at last, neatly washed and combed and with cheeks shining like two red apple

s all day long," he called out happily

d clamored for Cornelli to come to him. Mux loudly protested against this and only calmed down when Cornelli promise

d her more good than anything else. As soon as she came to Dino's room he asked her if she would r

. In her mind she saw her own beautiful books at home, that she ha

led 'Funny Journeys.' There are pictures in it, too. They are not as big as in the other

of laughter filled the room. The mother, who heard, was happil

me in this occupation, and if Mux would suddenly want to play with soldiers, Cornelli would say: "You can easily play t

rcely become acquainted

to her. On Saturday mor

Cornelli had finished r

still laughed aloud

want to know if he is to come to fetch her home, or if he is to leave her h

her. The little boy had slipped in behind his mother and was keeping a t

t up for the first time and you must be there to see if I can still walk. After that yo

go home, and by your talking you might keep her from saying so." But being urg

ove to stay

e ask for at least two or three weeks, Mam

aughter a while longer," said the mother, "I cannot

so easy to ask for a little more time, for we can s

r the prospect of remaining together that Mux opened the piano and asked Cornelli to sing with him. Cornel

proposed, "and I

ce more. She began a song with her brigh

's on th

w's all

w lies

er the

, oh h

er the

o from t

ers so

ndlies

bring u

, oh h

bring u

swallow c

finches

and I

of the

, oh h

of the

lew open and Agnes

?" she cried out. "To think of it! Wh

e said?" Cornelli aske

ow calmed her, "I'll help you,

o the next room. Here her mother was already standing in the open door. "

d the mother, approaching Cornelli. "You have a voice, dear child,

li. "Martha has taugh

w what a voice you have. I have to go quickly to my music lesson, bu

ed the mother kindly. "We know now how well it soun

am afraid, for then it does no

?" asked the mother. "You

ok the way they do," said Cornelli. With these words she frowned again in the old way

aid no more

rld-except of the dark," he added quickly, for he had seen Cornelli's penetrating eyes looking at him through her hair, and felt that he ha

hat day. She ran to the piano and called to Cornelli:

went up to

hen you can sing it with me the second time," Agn

long time. Shall I sing the

you really do it? Oh, that would be wonderf

rk, and the regular time for the evening songs had not yet come. Agnes

, Cornelli did not have the feeling that anybody was listening. So she sang quite freely and let her whole, full voic

l, and Nika, lifting her head

Agnes clapped her hands

as a bell! Oh, if I onl

I could sing then! D

st tell me a

e her. She knew quite a number of the so

irping any more; now everything, everything will be different!" she cried o

t home, for Nika could not join her. "Come, Cornelli, try to sing after me now. This is your part, and when

immediately repeat a melody. Agnes began with the easiest songs, and it did not take Cornelli any time to learn them. She soon knew where to pause and where to

tly. Agnes jumped up from her seat and exclaimed: "Oh, you are a wonderful Cornelli! Who would have thought

o had both enjoyed the singing. Dino had asked to hav

morning we'll study a festive duet. We shall greet Dino with

i gladl

nes was of the decided opinion that it was not suitable to end this day with a mild evening song. She su

elf why she could never be quite happy in spite of everybody's goodness, but she knew soon enough why this was so. Her old fear had not left her. She fully realized that she looked

ave done much for Dino by helping him to pass many pleasant hours, and you have entertained my little restless Mux so wonderfully that he can hardly live withou

begun to smooth out t

will be lost. I want to go home, oh, I must go home! Oh, they will all la

you know, child, that I love you? You know, Cornelli, that I would not do anything that might

r great anxiety. "My cousin said it and Miss Grideelen said it, too

is is really so and that it is getting worse. You understood it in a way they did not mean. They only wanted to tell you that when you frowned you looked as if you had horns on

ld do anything that would make you repulsive in the eyes of everyone? Do y

face. The brown, wavy hair framed a snow-white brow, for not a ray of sunshine had penetrated through the hair all summer long. The mother finished the two

the little girl's hand, she led her away. Cornelli was extremely glad to enter the room at the mother

one, Cornelli?" he cried out in sudden surprise. "Your forehead looks quite clean and ne

see you. Make a little room, Mux! No, I don't know you any more. It

ained confusedly, for she was quite over

her. "You are a differ

could ever have got

g filled Cornelli. She tried to fight against it, however, for she did not think i

d Cornelli, too, was filled with ardor. The two children kept up their singing quite a while, for A

t as he entered the living room. "Now you look again the way you used to in Iller-Stream when you forgot to pull your curtai

in his honor. The voice of the latter was full of purity and strength, and Dino kept on signalling to Ni

hat two had not been o

i till

others as well to great merriment and joy. Dino looked quite well again, and his eyes fairly beamed with happiness. Even the mother joined in their gay mood, and she had to glance over and over aga

at bedtime. The sisters till now had made disparaging remarks to him about Cornelli. "We do not see what

hed on her and had taken all her joy away had forever disappeared? The mother had told her firmly that it had been an error, and the children had proved

eed from her trouble by going away. Martha had certainly been right and she would always try to remember this. In the future she would pray to God that she might do everything according to His will, and she made up her mind that she would neve

r father asking him to let you stay here a little longer. He has answered me, saying that he would be very pleased if his little daughter could stay with us for a year and c

hen you can be here till summer time and we two can go back to Iller-Stream t

rnelli," he whispered into her ear, "I'll stay with you all th

how wonderful!" she exclaimed over and over again. "Now we can have sin

your father that you intend to remain with us, Cornelli,"

rough her. When her father had threatened to send her to town for a year, she had been terribly upset, and now the year spen

ite to Papa now?" That suited Mrs. Halm exactly. Sitting down beside Cor

There were two letters in it which caused him great surprise. Mrs. Halm wrote that all the members of her family had joyfully received his proposal to le

letter read

R P

o like to learn lots and lots of things. Nika and Agnes know so much and are so clever, and I should be so glad to learn

COR

assed since they told me that this child could not be set to rights, and I have myself seen how stubborn she was and how strangely s

en taken from him. A lovely woman, who with her children had made a most favorable impression on him, had

way, for she thought that that was the most important thing. Cornelli herself was eager to do this, for she wanted to learn everyth

until they finally separated for their various schools. If they met again on their way home, they were still more lively, for they would tell each other all their e

f anger, he would meet the four laughing school children when they were coming up

ino, "for then one would have to tell an even worse

y all had wished it. There was not a single evening on which they did not make

how Nika, who was so lovely and could do such wonderful things, could have a sorrow. She had nev

Agnes also carried a care about with her. When Agnes frowned and made dreadful wrinkles, Cornelli was quite sure that then her sorrow was hurting her. She

lled from the door, "the teacher has given us the pieces today which we have to play for our examinations. He has g

a chair and began to sob loudly. Cornelli had followed her, for she was filled with sympathy. Putting her arms about Agnes, she said: "Tell me

on one year more, and then everything is over. Then she can't paint any more and I can't have any more music lessons, for we shall have to become dressmakers. We won't even

asked Cornelli, remembering th

. There is not a soul on earth who could help u

opeless prospect made Cornelli's heart heavy, too. When Agnes had had such a passionate outbreak, she did not regain her

help them, but he knew no way. So Cornelli could not laugh any more, either, and her friend's great sorrow