"I do feel sorry for you," said the saleswoman. "Had you much money in
your pocketbook?"

"Yes, I had two silver dollars and a ten-mark gold piece with the face
of Kaiser Frederick upon it. My father got it in trade, and he put it on
the Christmas tree for me. It was new and bright and beautiful, and now
it is gone. Besides I had two marks, and the nickels in my vest
pocket--and--"

"What is the use of calling them all over?" complained Franz. "This is
the third time you have called them. They will not come back like tame
birds that know their names."

"Just think of the lines we repeat in school: 'Happy are we if we forget
what we cannot change,'" Paul said by way of comfort.

"Yes, Paul, that is all right when people are not in trouble, but it
will not bring back my beautiful, bright gold-piece and my--"

"It was not very smart of you to allow yourself to be robbed," rejoined
Paul quickly. "No thief would have gotten the chance to fool _me_ that
way. I would not have been so friendly with a strange man as to allow
him the chance to get his fingers in my pocket."

"Oh, Paul! you think you are very wise, but you would have been taken in
just as I was by his smooth, sleek speech. The rascal was so pleasant
and kind! It is a lesson to me, but that does not bring my money back;
oh, my gold-piece, and my two dollars--boo--hoo--hoo--"

"Oh, do be quiet!" warned Franz. "Don't you see that people are
gathering about the door?"

"Yes, you are right; I will be quiet, but we must go back now to Aunt
Fanny's. I have had enough of Frankfort for one day."

To this the others agreed, but when they left the bakery they went in
the wrong direction, and had gone many squares before they realized
their mistake.

"Yes, you are going exactly in the opposite direction from 37 Bornheimer
street," said a policeman whom they accosted. "Face about and enquire
of policemen and postmen whom you meet, and in time you will get there."

This they did and when they reached 37, Mrs. Steiner was on the porch
looking for them. They ran up the steps and Franz and Paul left
explanations to Fritz, who fell upon her neck weeping, and sobbing, "Oh,
Aunt Fanny, it is gone, all gone!"

"What is gone? Tell me, my little Fritz. You frighten me."

"My pocketbook, with my beautiful, bright gold-piece with the picture
of Kaiser Frederick on it, and my two hard dollars, and my two
mark-pieces--and my nickels; all are gone!"

"But, my pet, suppose