e lonely.

"Here, father," he cried. "Biceps, this is my father; and, father, this
is my Biceps----"

"What stuff you are talking, boy," his father exclaimed. "How can this
young fellow be your biceps----"

"Well, how can a man keep his senses in such confusion?" said the son
of the house. "This is my friend and classmate, Albert Grimlund, alias
Biceps Grimlund, and the strongest man in the whole school. Just feel
his biceps, mother, and you'll see."

"No, I thank you. I'll take your word for it," replied Mrs. Hoyer. "As
I intend to treat him as a friend of my son should be treated, I hope he
will not feel inclined to give me any proof of his muscularity."

When, with the aid of the younger children, the travellers had divested
themselves of their various wraps and overcoats, they were ushered
into the old-fashioned sitting-room. In one corner roared an enormous,
many-storied, iron stove. It had a picture in relief, on one side, of
Diana the Huntress, with her nymphs and baying hounds. In the middle of
the room stood a big table, and in the middle of the table a big
lamp, about which the entire family soon gathered. It was so cosey and
homelike that Albert, before he had been half an hour in the room, felt
gratefully the atmosphere of mutual affection which pervaded the house.
It amused him particularly to watch the little girls, of whom there were
six, and to observe their profound admiration for their big brother.
Every now and then one of them, sidling up to him while he sat talking,
would cautiously touch his ear or a curl of his hair; and if he deigned
to take any notice of her, offering her, perhaps, a perfunctory kiss,
her pride and pleasure were charming to witness.

Presently the signal was given that supper was ready, and various savory
odors, which escaped, whenever a door was opened, served to arouse the
anticipations of the boys to the highest pitch. Now, if I did not have
so much else to tell you, I should stop here and describe that supper.
There were twenty-two people who sat down to it; but that was nothing
unusual at Solheim, for it was a hospitable house, where every wayfarer
was welcome, either to the table in the servants' hall or to the
master's table in the dining-room.

III.

At the stroke of ten all the family arose, and each in turn kissed the
father and mother good-night; whereupon Mr. Hoyer took the great lamp
from the table and mounted the stairs, followed by his pack of noisy