Juliet awoke in the cold blue light of an early snowy morning to find Douglas kneeling by her bed. She had been having a dream--it was disappearing now--she sat bolt upright and looked at her brother with quizzical eyes.

"It's Allan Miller," Douglas said grimly.

* * *

Wounded--and missing in action. That one phrase pounded in Juliet's ears as she raced through Lofty John's bush. She did not even stop to get a drink from the little brook as she passed, even though her throat burned so. She ran up the path to Burnley Barrens, threw open the door, and burst inside.

"Juliet!" Aunt Ilse and Uncle Perry looked up in surprise to see her there--in her nightgown and slippers! In this cold weather, she had run this whole way wearing only that? Aunt Ilse's eyes were pink and watery, Uncle Perry's hair was tousled and he was unshaven. She had never seen dapper Uncle Perry like that! Oh, Juliet thought wildly. Then it was certainly true! Allan, oh, Allan!

"Allan--?" she said, through her great gasps for air.

And Uncle Perry told her what had happened--as they knew it.

Sergeant Major Allan Burnley Miller had been leading a convoy through the Italian countryside to Anzio. (Impossible! Juliet thought. Allan can't be in Italy, we agreed we would go there together!) The Germans began shelling them as they approached--one shell came especially close. And another--hit one of the tanks. When the dust cleared, several of the men were dead--and several were missing. Allan Miller was one of them--one of the ones who were missing.

"But of course it means he's dead," sobbed Beatrice, from the foot of the stairs, where she'd sat to hear this dreadful tale again. "He's not missing, he's been blown to smithereens! Allan!"

"Beatrice!" said Uncle Perry sharply. "If you are going to talk like that you must go upstairs. You're upsetting Juliet--and your mother--and me. Allan is not dead."

His voice shook, and he hesitated. Beatrice heard it and burst into fresh tears, running quickly back up the stairs. The bottoms of her bare feet were grimy. Juliet closed her eyes. Aunt Ilse shook her head dully.

"He is dead?" she said. "Oh, Perry, our boy--our first little boy. Could it be possible that he is dead? Why, the parents are supposed to outlive their children, not the other way 'round. Perry, we must remember that if he is--dead--he'll be with Little Emmy, and she will take care of him!"

She put her arms around his neck, and they cried together. Juliet felt guilty, and very young watching them, as if she were seeing something she was not meant to see. She backed slowly away and out the door, and set off toward home.

* * *

She thought news would come right away telling them exactly what had happened. She was sick with fear for the next few days and could not eat. She told Mother and Father that she would not eat until Allan was found--until she knew he was safe.

Father gently explained that it might be months before Allan was found, or even years. Or he may never be found. Juliet must eat, to keep her strength up, because Allan would not want her to think of her starving herself over him. Mother brought Juliet a tray with tea and toast, but Juliet could not eat it. Her throat felt tight and she alternately shook with chills and burned feverishly. The simple act of lifting the teacup from the tray was too much for her. Mother felt her forehead and frowned. But she did not call the doctor--yet. It was not until Juliet raised her head and said, with a flushed face,

"I know where Allan is. I've found him! He's at the bottom of the old well, Mother. I can hear him calling to me. Please, go and get him out!"

Then Mother very quickly sent Douglas into town.

* * *

There was no outbreak of scarlet fever in or around Shrewsbury in the late winter of 1944. Several families had had the mumps, and about ten people had been dreadfully ill with influenza. They had a fewcases of pneumonia, more over toward Harmony. But there had not been one case of scarlet fever--not until Juliet Kent at New Moon came down with it--and almost died from it.

Mother and the doctor tucked Juliet up in the spare room. She did not feel very sick. Only she kept seeing the strangest things! Juliet could not tell what was real from her imagination. She was constantly aware of Mother's presence, but a steady stream of ghostly personages came to visit her. Once Juliet raised her head and saw sweet Aunt Laura in the rocking chair, knitting. She was humming a sad, lonely song and when Juliet met her eyes she smiled, and raised her eyebrows hopefully. Another time, Cousin Jimmy--Juliet hardly remembered Cousin Jimmy--walked up to her bedside and he had a pumpkin for a head, like the Headless Horseman! He was holding his real head under his arm, and it grinned at her. Juliet screamed when she saw that vision.

"We'll give her another shot," the doctor murmured to Mother.

She was awake enough to recognize Aunt Ilse when she came. Only--why--was Aunt Ilse wearing her pink New Years' dress?

"Emily, I feel dreadfully guilty," Aunt Ilse said, smoothing Juliet's covers. "She ran over in her nightgown and slippers the other day--through all that snow and wind. Perry and I meant to drive her back, but she disappeared before we could. Do you think--she could have come down with this--because of that?"

"I think you have more important things to worry about, dear," Mother said.

Was--that--Bea, sitting by her now? Juliet tried to focus her eyes. But she could not make the picture clear.

"I'm sorry," said Bea. Was Bea crying? Juliet squinted but she couldn't tell. "Juliet, I'm so sorry--about Blair. Forgive me, dearest, I'll write to him and explain--I'll make it all up to you. Please!"

"Who is Blair?" Juliet asked Bea earnestly. "I don't know--anyone--by that name."

"You know," Bea said, frightened. "Blair King! You know who Blair is."

"Mother, I'm hallucinating Bea," Juliet said weakly.

"You're not, dear," said Mother. "Bea is really here."

But as Mother said this, she seemed to get smaller and smaller, until she was no bigger than one of the china figurines in Juliet's cabinet.

"Aunt Emily!" said Bea. "What's happening to her?" But Juliet wasn't listening. She saw a familiar figure standing out on the lawn.

"Allan!" she cried. "Oh, Allan!"