First, a lady alighted from the carriage, and beckoned to Kathri, who came forward, lifted out the pale child, and carried her up the steps into the house.  The lady followed with Mrs. Stein.

“That girl is a great deal bigger than you are, if mother did say that she was only eight or nine years old,” said Fred to Rikli.  “She is more nearly Emma’s age, and what do you suppose she would think to hear you screaming as you did just now?  I don’t think she’d like you for a friend.”

“Well, at any rate, she wouldn’t always have centipedes and frogs and spiders in her pockets, as you have, Fred,” retorted Rikli; and she was about to add some farther excuse for her screams, when Fred opened his hand to see how his frog was getting on, and lo! the little creature made one big jump right towards Rikli’s face!  With a piercing cry, the child flew into the house, but was instantly stopped by Kathri, with: 

“Hush! hush!  When there is that sick little girl in there, how can you make such a noise?”

“Where is aunty?” asked Rikli; a question that the maid answered before it was fairly uttered, for it was asked hundreds of times in that household every day.

“In the other room.  The sick girl is in here, and you mustn’t go in, your mother says.  And as for screaming like a pig, you mustn’t do that either, in a respectable house,” added Kathri, on her own account.

Rikli hastened into the room where her aunt was, to tell her about Fred’s horrid frog, and how it had jumped almost into her very face.  Her aunt was listening to Oscar, the eldest brother, who was talking earnestly.

“You see, aunty,” he was saying, “that if Feklitus does not object, we can put the two verses together; then ours could go here, and the other there, and both would be used.  Won’t that do?”

“Yes, that will be very nice indeed,” said his aunt in a tone of conviction; “that will remove all difficulties; and the verses are really very suitable, as such verses ought to be.”

“You will help Emma with the embroidery, won’t you, aunty?  You know she will never finish the banner by herself.  She is always up to so many pranks, and she cannot keep at one thing half an hour at a time.”

His aunt promised her assistance, and he ran off, well pleased, to tell his friends of their new ally.  Rikli thought her chance had come now, but before she could begin her story Emma rushed in, crying, almost out of breath:—­

“Aunty! aunty!  They are all going to gather strawberries—­a lot of boys and girls—­may I go too?  Say ‘yes’ quick, for I can’t get at mamma and they won’t wait.”

“Strawberries to-day, violets yesterday, and blueberries to-morrow; always something or other; that is the way with you, Emma.  Well, go, but do not stay out too late.”

“I want to go too,” cried Rikli, and started after her sister.

But Emma, clearing the steps in two jumps, called back:—­