`` that 's great , i guess , '' i gave her a small smile in return . i sold goods to soldiers too , or those crazy kids with guns who called themselves soldiers . as he had found out over the years though , they had been right . but when the last morning came , still she had never been able to take up the dropped thread of their talk . sam looked concerned , his eyebrows drawing together as he looked at her . i had to run seven miles to town . actually , the way they preferred it . 