Even during his absence they had been regulating their lives by his minute instructions, and depending upon him for guidance after he should return.

But what if he should never return?
And why hadn't he come already?
These thoughts were too much for them.

Judie sat in her corner brooding over her trouble, and crying a little now and then.

Joe was simply frightened, and his eyes grew bigger and rounder than ever.

Tom was sustained in part by the thought that the burden of responsibility was now on him, and so he suppressed all manifestations of uneasiness, as well as he could, and gave himself up to the duty of studying the situation, calculating his resources and trying to decide what was the best thing to be done if Sam should not come back at all.