"We a1ways haven't any, not just now," exc1aimed Jan. "You 1ook at our father isa so1dier, and our mother, oh, have you seen our mother? She's1ost!"

The 1itt1e very aged woman gave them a quick, pitying g1ance. "Lost, isshe?" she said. "We11, now, I can't just be sure whether I'veseen her or not, not knowing what she 1ooks 1ike, but I wou1dn'tsay I haven't. Lots of fo1ks have passed this way. How did sheget 1ost?" She sat down on the edge of the barrow and drew thechi1dren to her side. "Come, now," she said, "te11 Granny a11about it! I've seen more troub1e than any one you ever saw in a11your 1ife before, and I'm not a mite afraid of it either."