Clover nodded, impressed by the overall authority of Bram, and returned to meekly shuffling through the coats on the post again as if actually looking for his coat, but of course, it still wasn't there. This was more to pass the time while the other boys cleaned erasures so he and Bram wouldn't have to go do it and be in a room alone with the bigger boys.

Bram stepped a little closer to the other boy, looked over his shoulder, and then whispered. "We could sneak out and go home."

Clover nodded, rather miserable. He just wanted to get home, where it was warm and there was his father's arms to hide from the world in. "We should," he said, making the idea more powerful with 'should' rather than 'could'.

"Follow me," Bram whispered. Then he started whistling - because whistling definitely made someone seem less suspicious - and walked over to the edge of the field, looking around as if he was searching for the coat. "Now!" and he turned to corner where he was out of sight of school, and began to run.

Clover dashed after Bram, eyes wide, unsure of which direction to go. He never went home this way, there was always one straight path, and diverging from it made him nervous. Nonetheless, he followed Bram, for where else would he go? Not back to school, and the path he knew to home was in sight of the building.

Bram was close to his own yard when he stopped and turned. "See? That went well. We'll be in trouble in school tomorrow, but at least we won't be in trouble for bein' home so late." Except he would be in trouble with Anne for getting this dirty, but his big sister could never stay mad at him.

Clover nodded, realizing the house past this yard was Bram's. He looked about and didn't recognize anything nearby, which worried him greatly. How was he supposed to get home? He studied Bram and decided he could be brave and quick like him. He was still nervous about going through town alone, but what else was he supposed to do? He was certain Bram had better things to do than to steer him back on track, and he could probably stop a few adults along the way if he needed directions. And with that in mind, Clover said goodbye to Bram and went on his way.

Maggie had a young boy on her hip and a basket dangling from her arm. There was a woolen shawl tied around her head against the cold. She was on her way home from visiting a friend and preparing lines together, when she spotted a little boy looking rather lost, and very dirty and cold without a coat. "Are you alright, love?" She asked.

Clover looked up and spooked a little at the woman approaching him. She seemed friendly enough and so he clasped his hands nervously behind his back and replied, "I- I got lost on the way home from school. I'm Clover Mulvahil, my Pa makes clocks."

Maggie thought for a moment. She had little reason to visit a clockworker's shop, and didn't know the place, but she figured it wouldn't be hard to find out where it was. "I'm Maggie. And this is John." The toddler stared at him with a hand in his mouth. "Let's find your pa then." And she nodded for him to walk along. After asking a few people she found out the address and started leading Clover in the right direction. "How come you got lost, darling? Did you take a different road?"