"What's happened to him? Is he killed? Is he dead?"
"No, no. It's worse than that."
"Worse than that? What do you mean?"
"Oh, Little Peter, don't you know?" exclaimed the girl, looking up again as she spoke.
Peter made no reply. He did not know just what it was to which Sarah referred, and although he had his own suspicions, he did not feel that he could refer to them in the presence of the troubled girl.
"Have you seen Tom?" said Sarah suddenly.
"No. He's in the army, I think, and I haven't been near that."
"You wouldn't have to go very far. They say they're both near here, and that there either has been a battle or there will be one soon. I wish Tom was here. If you see him, won't you tell him to come back just as soon as he can?"
"Yes, if I see him. I don't know that I shall very soon, though. I don't know what to do, Sarah. I came to see about the children."
"They're all right. They seem to be now, don't they?" she said, as a burst of laughter came from the noisy group. "Perhaps you don't want to leave them here now, though," she added, her eyes filling with tears once more as she spoke. "I wish you would leave them. It isn't much we can do for you, but we want to do what we can."