touched, as she wished him to be, she said no more
about that side of the new plan, but pulled out the upper drawer, dusted
it, and set it on two chairs before the sofa, saying briskly,

"Now, let us begin at once by putting those nice beetles in a safe
place. These compartments will hold a good deal, you see. I'd pin the
butterflies and bugs round the sides; they will be quite safe there, and
leave room for the heavy things below. I'll give you some cotton wool,
and clean paper and pins, and you can get ready for the week's work."

"But I can't go out to find any new things," said Dan, looking piteously
at his foot.

"That's true; never mind, we'll let these treasures do for this week,
and I dare say the boys will bring you loads of things if you ask them."

"They don't know the right sort; besides, if I lay, no, lie here all the
time, I can't work and study, and earn my drawers."

"There are plenty of lessons you can learn lying there, and several
little jobs of work you can do for me."

"Can I?" and Dan looked both surprised and pleased.

"You can learn to be patient and cheerful in spite of pain and no play.
You can amuse Teddy for me, wind cotton, read to me when I sew, and do
many things without hurting your foot, which will make the days pass
quickly, and not be wasted ones."

Here Demi ran in with a great butterfly in one hand, and a very ugly
little toad in the other.

"See, Dan, I found them, and ran back to give them to you; aren't they
beautiful ones?" panted Demi, all out of breath.

Dan laughed at the toad, and said he had no place to put him, but the
butterfly was a beauty, and if Mrs. Jo would give him a big pin, he
would stick it right up in the drawer.

"I don't like to see the poor thing struggle on a pin; if it must be
killed, let us put it out of pain at once with a drop of camphor," said
Mrs. Jo, getting out the bottle.

"I know how to do it Mr. Hyde always killed 'em that way but I didn't
have any camphor, so I use a pin," and Dan gently poured a drop on the
insect's head, when the pale green wings fluttered an instant, and then
grew still.

This dainty little execution was hardly over when Teddy shouted from the
bedroom, "Oh, the little trabs are out, and the big one's eaten 'em
all up." Demi and his aunt ran to the rescue, and found Teddy dancing
excitedly in a chair, while two little crabs were scuttling about the
floor, having got through the wires of the cage. A third was cling