“It would have taken but a few words more to have said that your nephew, Fritz Heil, had lost his dog, then when the boy told me his name and where he had been staying, I would not have arrested him, knowing that he was telling the exact truth.”

“Yes, you are quite right, and I am sorry that my mistake has given you trouble, and I thank you heartily.  It has all turned out right.  Had you not arrested him, he would have been on his way home, and his father here to see him.”

“All right.  I have nothing to say, except to tell you that when you call upon the police to help you, you will state the case correctly.”

“I, too, thank you heartily,” added Mr. Heil.  “You have done us a good service.”

The policeman gave the military salute and passed down the steps and Aunt Steiner and the others went inside.

“Now tell me, Fritz, what was your reason for starting for Odenwald with such a motley array of things upon your back?  You looked like a traveling tinker,” enquired his father.

“They were presents for mother, and sister and baby brother, and the shop-keeper said I could carry them better if strapped upon my back, and he strapped them which I thought was very kind.  I got the canary bird so very cheap that I could not bear to go home without it.”

“No wonder it was cheap!  It is not a singer, the man cheated you.”

Fritz looked so sad over this information that his aunt tried to think of something to cheer him.

“Do you know, brother, that Fritz can make excellent coffee and all three boys are learning to cook?” she said.

“No, indeed!  I never imagined such a thing,” he replied, looking as surprised and pleased as the boys could possibly desire.

“Yes; they can cook, and as it is nearly time for our afternoon meal, we will give you a sample of how they can help me.”

“Set them at it as early as convenient, sister, and when finished I can pass an hour or more with you at the forest park before starting to Cassel, if you care to go.”

“That will be charming.  Fritz, you may go now and grind the coffee, and put in a tablespoonful more, now that we are having a guest to share it with us.  Franz, you will please peel and chop the cold boiled potatoes, and brown them nicely and cut thin slices from the cold boiled ham, and put them upon the pink plate.  Paul will please set the table, and then go to the bakery and get a seed cake in honor of the returned prodigal.”

The boys set to work and the odor of the mocha coffee as it was being ground floated into the sitting-room.

“You always have fine coffee, sister,” remarked Mr. Heil.

“Yes, it is good, and the reason is that it is genuine coffee, no chicory or other mixture.  Yet I have seen passable coffee made of poor material by an adept.  Our dear old grandmother was compelled in war-times to make it from chicory, but would use no deception, so when she invited friends to take supper she would not say, ’Come to afternoon coffee,’ but ‘Come to chicory.’”