Her voice shook.

They had passed the last group of returning people.

Suddenly Rose, in spite of herself, began to cry.

She sobbed wildly, and the boy, full of alarm and sympathy, walked on by her side.
"There ain't anything--scared you, has there ?" he stammered out, awkwardly, at length.
"No," sobbed Rose.
"You ain't sick ?" "No, it isn't anything." The boy held her arm closer; he trembled and almost sobbed himself with sympathy.

Before they reached the old tavern Rose had stopped crying--she even tried to laugh and turn it off with a jest.