“But the lady was quite friendly, Marianne,” soothed Sally, “she was not at all offended.”

“That makes no difference, she is always so, she could not be otherwise, and just on that account, and on account of many other things, do you hear, Sally?  Promise that you never again go that way when you want to come to me.  Will you promise?”

“Yes, indeed I will.  I do not intend to do it again.  Good night, Marianne!  Now I have forgotten the main thing:  ’Lizebeth sends her greetings and she will come to see you on a fine Sunday.”

The last words came from some distance, for Sally had already started on a run while she gave the message, and when Marianne wanted to send her greetings, Sally was already far away.  After a few more jumps Sally arrived at the house of the Justice of Peace, in front of which stood a large apple tree which shaded the stone well.  Here stood Kaetheli who did not look sick at all, but splashed with two fat, red arms about the water in which she seemed to clean some object eagerly.

“Then you are not sick.  Why didn’t you come to school then?” Sally called out when she saw her.

“Oh, it is you?  Good evening!  I could not make out who was jumping about, and I hadn’t the time to look,” Kaetheli said with some importance.  “That is also the reason why I did not go to school.  I hadn’t the time, for Mother has gone away today to see sick Grandmother, and then we got young chickens, twelve quite small ones, and that is why I have to wash a stocking, for I have run after the chicks everywhere and near the barn I stepped in the dirt quite deep.  But come, I will show you the chickens.  Never mind if I have only one stocking on.”

But Sally had only very little time left and besides, her head was full of quite different things and she wanted to hear Kaetheli tell of something else than the new chickens, so she said quite decisively:  “No, Kaetheli, I haven’t time enough to see the chickens.  I only wanted to know whether you were ill and I want to tell you something.  I have seen the strange lady and the boy whom you know.  He does look nice.  Do you know his name?”

“He?” said Kaetheli, shrugging her shoulders.  “Of course I know.  His name is Erick and just think, he goes to school at Lower Wood; I have seen him myself today, with his school sack, going there.”

That was a blow for Sally.  He went to school at Lower Wood.  What was now to come of her beautiful plans?  Of all the planned Sundays which were to be so full of joy and delight, and the whole friendship with the prepossessing Erick?  For how could Edi ever be brought to making friends with a fellow who went to Lower Wood to school, when he just as well might have gone to Upper Wood?  Sally was very downcast, but she did not easily give up a pleasant intention.  On the way home she wanted to think what could be done, therefore she stretched out her hand to the astonished Kaetheli, and this time the invitation, to at least come into the room and eat a piece of bread and butter, was not accepted; nor would she go with Kaetheli behind the barn where they could fetch down ripe cherries from the large cherry tree—­it was all of no use.