“No, no more than I. You’d better send it to Falun and have new works put in.”

“I thought so,” said Ingmar, and took the watch.

“For heaven’s sake, what have you been doing with it?” the schoolmaster exclaimed.

The boy swallowed hard.  “It was father’s watch,” he explained, “and it got damaged like that when father was struck by the whirling log.”

Now they all grew interested.

With an effort to control his feelings, Ingmar continued:  “As you know, it happened during Holy Week, when I was at home.  I was the first person to reach father when he lay on the bank.  I found him with the watch in his hand.  ‘Now it’s all over with me, Ingmar,’ he said.  ’I’m sorry the watch is broken, for I want you to give it, with my greetings, to some one that I have wronged.’  Then he told me who was to have the watch, and bade me take it along to Falun and have it repaired before presenting it.  But I never went back to Falun, and now I don’t know what to do about it.”

The schoolmaster was wondering whether he knew of any one who was soon going to the city, when Mother Stina turned to the boy: 

“Who was to have the watch, Ingmar?” she asked.

“I don’t know as I ought to tell,” the boy demurred.

“Wasn’t it Tims Halvor, who is sitting here?”

“Yes,” he whispered.

“Then give Halvor the watch just as it is,” said Mother Stina.  “That will please him best.”

Ingmar obediently rose, took out the watch and rubbed it in the sleeve of his coat, to shine it up a bit.  Then he went over to Halvor.

“Father asked me to give you this with his compliments,” he said, holding out the watch.

All this while Halvor had sat there, silent and glum.  And when the boy went over to him, he put his hand up to his eyes, as if he did not want to look at him.  Ingmar stood a long time holding out the watch; finally, he glanced appealingly at Mother Stina.

“Blessed are the peacemakers,” she said.

Then Storm put in a word.  “I don’t thick you could ask for a better amend, Halvor,” he said.  “I’ve always maintained that if Ingmar Ingmarsson had lived he would have given you full justice long before this.”

The next they saw was Halvor reaching out for the watch, almost as if against his will.  But the moment he had got it into his hand, he put it in the inside pocket of his vest.

“There’s no fear of any one taking that watch from him,” said the schoolmaster with a laugh, as he saw Halvor carefully buttoning his coat.

And Halvor laughed, too.  Presently he got up, straightened himself, and drew a deep breath.  The colour came into his cheeks, and his eyes shone with a new-found happiness.

“Now Halvor must feel like a new man,” said the schoolmaster’s wife.

Then Halvor put his hand inside his overcoat and drew out his brand-new watch.  Crossing over to Ingmar, who was again seated at the table, he said:  “Since I have taken your father’s watch from you, you must accept this one from me.”