“Oh, I am glad of that!” exclaimed Mrs. Steiner.  “We can board an electric car and get there in time to tell Brother Fritz about the freight car, and you boys can help watch for the boy.”

The car came, and they lost no time in boarding it, and Paul and Franz enjoyed the swift run through the streets.

But Mrs. Steiner was far from enjoying it.  The car had to halt at so many corners that she dreaded that the train would leave for the Odenwald before they reached the depot, and she would have to return home without knowing the whereabouts of her nephew.

“Oh, there is Mr. Heil on that car that has whirled past us,” exclaimed Franz.  “He saw us and signaled us not to go to the depot, but to go home.”

“Now isn’t that too provoking!  Let us get out,” and she sprang up, and would have hurried to the platform had not the guard caught her arm.

“Do you wish to fall off and be killed, or have your limbs broken?” he asked.  “Wait until we stop at the next corner—­so; now you can step off, and in safety.”

The three quickly took his advice, and waited on the curb until a car came that was going in an opposite direction, and hurried aboard.

“I wish to get home as quickly as possible,” said Mrs. Steiner, “for Brother Fritz will have to stand outside until we come with the key.  I am afraid this has hindered him from leaving for Cassel.  And oh, boys, we are on the wrong car!  See, it is turning in another direction.  We will have to get off and wait for a car to take us back.”

She gave the signal, they stepped off, and again waited on the curb, Mrs. Steiner feverish with impatience.

“I am completely bewildered or I should not have made that mistake,” she explained.  “That boy’s rash act of running away has upset me so that I cannot think.  There was not the least excuse for it.  Surely he could have waited until Monday, when all three would go, your time of holiday being over.  It is all the fault of that miserable Pixy.”

After some delay they returned home and found Mr. Heil waiting for them.

“I am sorry you took the trouble to go to the other depot, sister,” he said kindly.  “You knew that I would wait there until the train left for the Odenwald.”

“But did you see Fritz?” she asked anxiously.

“No, and no boy of about his age had bought a ticket for the Odenwald, so he is yet here in Frankfort.”

“Oh, where is the poor boy?” exclaimed Mrs. Steiner, tearfully.  “I cannot forgive myself for finding fault with his dog.  You must not go to Cassel, Fritz, until we know where he is.”

“No, there is nothing to prevent my waiting for the evening train.  I have written to my wife’s brother that I would pass Sunday with them, but there was no time set to reach there.”

In the meantime where were Fritz and Pixy?

Fritz had set out for home in splendid spirits.  It seemed to him that he had been away for months, and wondered if there had been many changes during his absence.  He hurried along, for he wished to stop on his way to the depot and get a present for his little sister.