ll them at
home how it is; perhaps Erick cannot find the road again." At this
conjecture which, only now after she had uttered it, Sally saw plainly,
she began to weep and sob piteously, while Edi took Ritz by the hand and
ran toward home as quickly as possible.

Mother and Aunt were standing before the parsonage, looking in all
directions to see if the children would not make their appearance
somewhere. 'Lizebeth ran to and fro, hither and thither, and asked of
the returning children of the neighborhood, where the parsonage children
were. She received the same answer from all: the three were still below
by the Woodbach, and were waiting for Erick, who had gone alone. At last
Ritz and Edi came running through the darkness. Both panted in
confusion, one interrupting the other. They shouted: "Sally
sits--"--"Erick is over"--"Yes, Erick is over"--"But Sally still sits
and"--

"Sally sits and Erick is over!" cried the aunt. "Now let anyone make
sense of that!" But the mother drew Edi aside and said; "Come, tell me
quietly what has happened."

Then Edi told everything, how Erick had climbed over the rock and how
Sally now was sitting alone below near the Woodbach, and Erick gave no
answer to all his calling.

"For heaven's sake," the mother cried, now thoroughly frightened, "I
hope that nothing has happened to Erick! Or could he have lost his way?"
She ran into the house to ask her husband what was to be done. At once
'Lizebeth ran to seven or eight neighbors and brought them together with
a good deal of noise, all armed with staves and lanterns, as 'Lizebeth
had ordered. Also several women hastened up, they too wanted to help in
the seeking. Now the pastor had come out and joined them, for he himself
wanted to do everything to find Erick, and at any rate to bring Sally
home. 'Lizebeth came last in the procession, with a large basket hanging
from her arm, for without a basket, 'Lizebeth could not leave the house.

Two long hours went by, while the mother walked ceaselessly to and fro,
now to the window, then to the house door, now up and down the
sitting-room; for the longer no news came the greater grew her fear. At
last the house-door was opened and in came the father, holding the
weeping Sally by the hand, for he had not been able to comfort her. They
had at that time not been able to get a trace of Erick; but the
neighbors were still seeking for him and had promised not to stop
seeking until he was found. 'Lizebeth