been if they had not felt that they had done wrong!

They saw grand shows, and stalls full of nice things. They had each of
them brought half a crown; but the half-crowns were soon spent, and
they would have been glad of more.

The day was far gone when they thought of home, and they were in a
great fright to find that they were so far from home, and in a new road
which they had not been in till then.

[Illustration: THE LOST ONES. Page 108.]

They were sad, and they knew, too, that they had brought this on them
selves; for if they had not gone to the fair, when Mrs. Lloyd had told
them not to go, this would not have been.

These thoughts were in their minds, when a Strange One, whose trade it
was to tell fates, came near them, and said that if they had lost their
way, she would take them home.

They told her they had been at the fair, and that they could not find
their way home.

"Oh," said she, "I knew that,--you could not cheat me." She then took
Grace by the hand, Paul and Charles went on first. She led them on a
great way: they did not dare to speak a word, for they were in a great
fright. At last she came to a place where there was a large fire, with
a pot on the top of it.

"Look here," said she to a man who was there, "I have brought these
young folks, who do not know their way home."

"Oh!" said the man, "let 'em sleep here."

They slept that night on a mat.

The next day the Strange One put them on some rags, and took off their
own nice clothes.

When they saw what clothes they had got on, they did not like them, but
they did not dare to speak.

Soon this Strange One told them to go with her, and she led them on a
great way. How they did scream and cry out! "This is not the way home;
I want to go home: I will go home." This Strange One could bear it no
more, and she told them that she would tie up their mouths, but they
did not seem to mind.

At last she did tie their mouths; and she led them on, and on, and did
not stop till she came to a wild heath.

There were a few tall trees, and here and there, there were wild roots
and grass. She took some string, and bound them to trees, and left
them.

No more has been known of the Strange One, nor of the man, from that
day to this.

Now when Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd came home and found no Paul, nor Charles,
nor Grace, they were in great grief. They then thought what would be
the best to be done. At last Mrs. Lloyd went to ask her friend, Mrs.
Wood,