There was still another person who lived in the little cottage. This was Rico's aunt, who kept house for the father and himself. In the winter, when she sat spinning beside the stove and it was too stormy to be out of doors, Rico had to be very careful of his behavior. Everything he did seemed to annoy her. The faultfinding made the loneliness still harder to bear when, as often happened, the father's work kept him away from home for days at a time. Sometimes when Rico tried to escape from the presence of his aunt, she would say sharply: "Shut the door and sit down, Rico. You are forever letting the cold air into the house." He was thankful that his bed upstairs offered a safe retreat after supper; and then he always had the pleasant anticipation that his father would probably soon come home again. CHAPTER II IN SCHOOL Rico was nearly nine years old and had attended school two winters. There was no school in the mountains in the summer, for every one, including the teacher, was busy farming. Rico did not mind this, however, for he had his own way of passing the time. In the morning he would go out to the doorsteps where he would remain watching the house opposite until a girl with laughing eyes beckoned him to come across. They always had much to say to each other of all that had happened since they were together before. Her name was Stineli, and she and Rico were nearly the same age. They had always gone to school together, were in the same classes, and from the first had been the best of friends. Rico extended his intimacy to no one else. It was little pleasure to him to be with the boys of the neighborhood. When they wrestled in the school yard, Rico either walked away or paid no attention to them. If, however, they attacked him, he would face them with such a strange look that they ceased troubling him. With Stineli he was perfectly contented. She had a lovely face with merry light-brown eyes. Her fluffy golden hair was gathered into two heavy braids which hung loosely from her shoulders. She was scarcely nine years old, but there were seven younger brothers and sisters. For these she had to do a great many things, so that her time for play was sadly limited. The other children were Trudt, Sam, Peter, Urschli, Anna, Kunzli, and the baby. Calls for Stineli seemed to come from every direction, and she willingly helped wherever she could. The mother said that Stineli could put on three pairs of stockings for the little ones while Trudt, the younger sister, was getting a child's foot in place for the first one.