tors, my lamb. Run away now before I let 'em
in--and bathe your eyes in lavender water."

She hurried to the front door, and Kathrien, at once brought to herself,
hastened upstairs to her room.

As Marta opened wide the door, Mr. Batholommey and Colonel Lawton (Peter
Grimm's former lawyer) seemed fairly blown into the hall.

"Good-evening, Marta," boomed the clergyman's unctuous tones. "The
elements are indeed at war to-night! I trust the household is well?"

Marta curtseyed bobbingly to both men as she said:

"Yes, sir, thank you, Mr. Batholommey, only poor little Willem, sir.
He's strange and not like himself, sir. The doctor was in and out
through the day, and now he's here again--upstairs with Willem."

As Marta talked, Mr. Batholommey divested himself of his long black
rainproof coat, and Colonel Lawton (who had not felt it necessary to
reply to Marta's civil greeting) hastily took off his rubber poncho,
giving it a vigorous shake that sent the raindrops flying. He was a
tall, middle-aged man, loosely put together, who wore his clothes very
badly. One somehow got the idea that they were never pressed.

"Brr!" he cried, taking off his overshoes. "What a storm for June! It's
more like fall! Look at my rubbers--and yours are just as
bad--mud-soaked! Get 'em off, quick. They're enough to give any one a
chill!"

Marta had slipped out unnoticed, and now Frederik came in just in time
to see the dripping coats hung up on the hat rack.

"Good-evening," he said in what he intended for a cordial tone.

"Ah, just in time," answered Colonel Lawton. "Gee Whillikins! What a
day!"

Then turning again to Mr. Batholommey he went on jocularly:

"Great weather for baptisms--Parson."

Having successfully disentangled himself at last from all his
water-soaked outer coverings, Mr. Batholommey turned and offered a damp
and rainy hand to Frederik.

"Good-evening, good-evening, Frederik," he said impressively. "I'm glad
to see you. We are pleased to be here, _in spite_ of the weather."

"Well, here we are, Frederik, my boy,----" put in Colonel Lawton. "At
the time you set."

After shaking hands with both men, Frederik, perhaps unconsciously,
wiped his own on his handkerchief. Then going to the desk, he took a
paper from under the paperweight. After studying it a moment, he said
(smiling a bit to himself and turning that the others might not see the
smile):

"I sent for you to hear a memorandum left by my uncle. I came a