I spent the rest of the afternoon sorting the morning's notes and preparing smaller articles. Just as I was packing everything up, Wieland contacted me to ask about the progress of my work. I told him that I was making good progress, as long as I wasn't often disturbed and interrupted by phone calls. Of course he didn't understand the hint with the fence post and hurried to tell me that he would call again tomorrow.

I felt like changing clothes, swapped the jeans for a skirt and the T-shirt for a silky shiny blouse. I loosened the hair clip and brushed my curls. A little mascara and lipstick made me look fresher. A few minutes later, in a good mood, I entered the restaurant where I ordered a salad for dinner from Mrs. Bühler.

Thekla served me that evening, since Nina had her day off today.

"Have you looked around a bit?" she asked me friendly when she served me what I had ordered.

I nodded."Oh yes! I've already met some of the locals and got to know them a little. I have also heard a few stories. It is anything but boring here. And as it seems to me, the mayor also contributes a lot to the fact that it does not become boring in this place."

Thekla Bühler agreed with me."St. Augustine is the richest little town in the whole area. Thanks to the good fellowship with Pastor Kohlhaas, he is able to alleviate the poverty a little. Because many housewives and mothers who previously could not find work here can now be employed in the community center. Of course, the wages cannot be paid entirely by the church and the community. There are two great benefactors who help us. One is the great artist Moro Rossini, who donates a lot, but also the donation fund of the late Count of Thaisenau".

Now I took the opportunity to ask."Oh yes, today I heard a little story about the mayor and the money for his bust. Do you know anything about that?"

The landlady began to whisper."Karl Hammer, our mayor doesn't like us to talk about this old story anymore. It's from his old, gray, inglorious days. At that time he only announced for his rehabilitation that he had settled the matter with the count to both our satisfaction. After that, he did everything to make sure that this story was forgotten. The only thing he did not do was to remove the bust from the town hall. Since then, he has also always taken great care to discuss everything with the council and not to decide by himself. He has a secretary who is instructed to keep all citizens informed about everything he does. Tomorrow you will certainly get to know him as well, because then the council members come here for a regulars' table".

She wished me a good appetite and went away to serve other guests. From my corner I had a good view of the guests, and I suspected that most of them were not locals but tourists. I enjoyed guessing from their conversations which areas they came from, distinctive dialects came to my aid. Quite a while later the quartet entered the restaurant, the four young people I had met the night before. Ben, the policeman, Cordula Winter, the author, the veterinary assistant Isa and the nurse Max sat down at the bar again. When they saw me, th