“No; whatever she took, she wouldn’t take her! But she took Mr. Northrup, all right. Her kind takes just fierce! I sense her.”

Noreen looked blank.

“Tell me about the heathen, Jan-an,” she said. “What did he eat when Uncle Peter wouldn’t let him have Ginger?”

“I don’t know, but I did miss two rabbits.”

“Live ones, Jan-an?” Noreen’s eyes widened.

“Sure, live ones. Everything’s live till it’s killed. I ain’t saying he et ’em ’live.”

“Maybe the rabbits got away,” Noreen suggested hopefully.

“The Lord knows! Maybe they did.” Then Jan-an 218 added further information: “I guess your father has gone for good!”

“Took?” Noreen was not now overcome by grief.

“No, just gone. He gave me a dollar.”