ishaps of the family since Fritz had
gone away, taking it for granted that he would have informed Eric of all
that had transpired during the lad's previous absence.

The letter mentioned, too, that the neighbours were all interested in
the brothers' adventures and called frequently to ask her about them.
Herr Grosschnapper, she also related, had especially told her that he
had never employed so accurate a book-keeper as Fritz; for, the new
clerk had, like a new broom, swept so clean that he had swept himself
out of favour, the old merchant longing to have the widow's son back in
his counting-house again.

"I don't wonder at that," exclaimed Eric, interrupting the reading here.
"He should have known when he was well off and kept your place open for
you until your return from the war!"

"So he did, brother, he waited as long as he could," said Fritz, taking
the part of the absent, although the matter was still a sore subject
with him; and, then, he continued reading out his mother's letter, which
went on to detail Lorischen's many dreams about the children of her
nursing--how she prophesied that Eric would be such a big strapping
fellow that the house would not be able to contain him, and how Mouser
had developed such an affection for Gelert, that he even followed the
dog, when the latter went out to take his walks abroad, in the most
fearless manner possible, trusting evidently to the kindness of his
canine protector to prevent other obnoxious animals like Burgher Jans
terrier from molesting him! Oh, and while mentioning the little fat
man's dog, Madame Dort said she had such a wonderful story to relate.
What would they think of Lorischen--

"I said it would turn out so!" cried Eric, interrupting his brother a
second time. "I always said it would turn out so, in spite of all our
old nurse's cruel treatment of the little Burgher."

"What did you say, Mr Prophet?" asked Fritz good-humouredly.

"That he and Lorischen would make a match of it yet," replied Eric,
clapping his hands in high glee. "What fun that would be! Is it not
so, brother?"

"You might be further out in your guessing than that," said Fritz, going
on to the denouement of the story told in his mother's letter. Yes,
Madame Dort wrote, the little fat man had really, one day when Lorischen
had received him more affably than usual and invited him to partake of
some nice cheese-cakes she had just made, asked her to marry him! And,
more wonderful sti