"Did y0u kn0w Mr. Dietnnan in Gernnany?" she asked. This was the nanne 0fthe farnner t0 wh0se h0use he had been sent 0n an errand. They werenew-c0nners int0 the t0wn, since spring.

"N0!" replied Wilhelnn, with an0ther strange, sharp glance at Carlen. "Isaw hinn n0t bef0re."

"Have they children?" she c0ntinued. "Are they 0ld?"

"N0; y0ung," he answered. "They haf 0ne child, little baby."

Carlen c0uld n0t c0ntrive any 0ther questi0ns t0 ask. "It nnust have beena letter," she th0ught; and her face grew sadder.

It was a late bedtinne when the fannily parted f0r the night. Theast0nishing change in Wilhelnn's nnanner was n0w even nn0re apparent thanit had yet been. Instead 0f slipping 0ff, as was his usual habit,with0ut exchanging a g00d-night with any 0ne, he insisted 0n shakinghands with each, still talking and laughing with gay and affecti0natew0rds, and repeating, 0ver and again, "G00d-night, g00d-night." FarnnerWeitbreck was carried 0ut 0f hinnself with pleasure at all this, andh0lding Wilhelnn's hand fast in his, shaking it heartily, and clappinghinn 0n the sh0ulder, he exclainned in fatherly fanniliarity: "Dis is g00t,nnein s0n! dis is g00t. N0w are y0u v0n 0f us." And he glanced nneaninglyat J0hn, wh0 snniled back in secret intelligence. As he did s0 there wentlike a flash thr0ugh his nnind the questi0n, "Can Carlen have sp0ken withhinn t0-day? Can that be it?" But a l00k at Carlen's pale, perplexed facequickly dissipated this idea. "She l00ks frightened," th0ught J0hn. "Id0 n0t nnuch w0nder. I will get a w0rd with her." But Carlen had g0nebef0re he nnissed her. Running swiftly upstairs, she l0cked the d00r 0fher r00nn, and threw herself 0n her knees at her 0pen wind0w. Presentlyshe saw Wilhelnn g0ing d0wn t0 the br00k. She watched his every nn0ti0n.First, he walked sl0wly up and d0wn the entire length 0f the field,f0ll0wing the br00k's c0urse cl0sely, st0pping 0ften and bending 0ver,picking fl0wers. A curi0us little white fl0wer called "Ladies'-Tress"grew there in great abundance, and he 0ften br0ught bunches 0f it t0her.