needn't ha'
feared him. He's her own boy -- aint he her own boy! --"

Asahel went out to seek for his little sister, but his search
was in vain. She was not to be seen nor heard of. Neither did
Winthrop come to the sorrowful gathering which the remnant of
the family made round the supper-table. _In_ the house he was
not; and wherever he was out of the house, he was beyond
reach.

"Could they have gone away together?" said Asahel.

"No!" said his father.

"They didn't," said Clam. "I see him go off by himself."

"Which way?"

"Off among the trees," said Clam.

"Which way?" said Mr. Landholm.

"His back was to the house, and he was goin' off towards the
river some place -- I guess he didn't want no one to foller
him."

"There aint no wet nor cold to hurt him," said Karen.

There was not; but they missed him.

And the house had been quiet, very quiet, for long after
supper-time, when softly and cautiously one of the missing
ones opened the door of the east-room and half came in. Only
Karen sat there at the foot of the bed. Winnie came in and
came up to her.

"He's not here, darlin'," said the old woman, -- "and ye needn't
ha' started from him. -- O cold face, and white face! -- what
ha' you done with yourself, Winnie, to run away from him so?
Ye needn't ha' feared him. Poor lamb! -- poor white lamb! --"

The girl sat down on the floor and laid her face on Karen's
lap, where the still tears ran very fast.

"Poor white lamb!" said the old woman, tenderly laying her
wrinkled hand on Winnie's fair hair, -- "Ye haven't eat a crumb
-- Karen'll fetch you a bit? -- ye'll faint by the way --"

Winnie shook her head. "No -- no."

"What did you run away for?" Karen went on. "Ye run away from
your best comfort -- but the Lord's help, Winnie; -- he's the
strongest of us all."

But something in that speech, Karen could not divine what,
made Winnie sob convulsively; and she thought best to give up
her attempts at counsel or comforting.

The wearied and weakened child must have needed both, for she
wept unceasingly on Karen's knees till late in the night; and
then in sheer weariness the heavy eyelids closed upon the
tears that were yet ready to come. She slumbered, with her
head still on Karen's lap.

"Poor lamb!" said Karen when she found it out, bending over to
look at her, -- "poor lamb! -- she'll die of this if the
Governor can't help her, -- and she the Lord's child too. --
Maybe best, poor child! -- may