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Rh Rome, of that old uncle De Staffelaer whom she had never known.

“Well, look here: what do you think the name means? . . .”

She grew uncomfortable, fearing that they were suggesting something improper which she did not understand:

“I don’t know,” she said, “and I don’t care.”

“Then you shouldn’t call it a silly name.”

But now Marietje was really interested and so she asked Caroline, a little later:

“Do you know why the boys call Addie the Italian?”

“Because they’re silly,” said Caroline.

“No, there must be some reason, but they wouldn’t tell me.”

Now Carolientje was puzzled in her turn and she asked her mother, later:

“Why are the boys always calling Addie the Italian, Mamma?”

“I don’t know,” said Adolphine, sharply.

But the girls, both curious, continued to talk about the nickname and they sounded Karel and also Marianne and Marietje van Naghel.

No, none of them, either, knew what the name meant. But Karel was determined to find out and did find out:

“I know,” he said to his little sister, Marie.

“I know,” Marie whispered to the Van Saetzema girls.

But Marietje van Saetzema did not yet quite