earing. What a sight met their eyes.

In a smoldering, smoking heap of charred ruins lay what remained of an
old-fashioned farmhouse and barn that had stood there for years. The
fire had burned itself out, except here and there where glowing coals
showed themselves. Only two blackened timbers remained standing. And in
this picture of devastation, looking the most lonesome and pathetic
figure in the world, wandered the tiniest, most old-fashioned and
motherly looking woman the lads had ever seen.

She seemed all but distracted with her misery, for she went about
wringing her hands and sobbing as if her heart were broken. Here and
there she picked her way, peering into the smoking ashes and now and then
poking among them for a trinket or a keepsake that the fire had only
blackened. It was a pathetic sight indeed, and the sturdy scouts all
felt heavy hearted as they watched her.

Finally Bruce left the group and went toward her. Then for the first
time the little woman looked up, startled at first. But when she saw the
uniforms the lads wore she was no longer frightened. In truth, she
seemed to welcome them as the only sympathetic human beings she had seen
to whom she could tell her woes.

"Oh, boys, boys, it's gone, all, all gone. Look--my old home all in
ruins. Oh, dear! oh, dear! I'm so miserable. What shall I ever do?
Why should this be taken from me, too? They took--they took
her--her--and, oh, dear! oh, dear! what shall I do?" she cried.

Bruce put his hands out to comfort her as best he could and the little
lady came toward him and laid her head upon his chest, sobbing as if her
heart was broken. But the all-night strain on one so old had been too
great and presently she became very quiet, so quiet indeed that Bruce
became frightened and looked down into her face. And instantly he
realized that she was completely worn out.

"Here, fellows," he called in a business-like tone, "the poor old lady is
all in. We must take her to town and get her into the hospital. Come,
fellows, quickly now. You, Jiminy, and Nipper, make a coat
stretcher--cut some staffs--strong ones. The three of us will take her
back to town. The rest of you fellows go after the Christmas tree. But
first lend us a jacket or a sweater or two to bundle the old lady in."

In a twinkle the scouts were busy. Staffs were cut, the stretcher
constructed and old Nanny made comfortable with extra coats and sweaters
that the more war