ave to," he ended with a sigh.

"I'll get them to come if I can," Mary promised, "but----"

"I know," Jim nodded, "I guess they won't have time. There's so many
things for boys to do outdoors!"

"Jim," said Miss Laura, "there are so many things for you to do outdoors
too. You must get well as fast as you can to be at them."

Jim's lips took on a most unchildlike set, and his eyes searched her
face with a look she could not understand. "I--I d'know----" he said
vaguely.

He could not put into words his fear and dread of the time when he must
go out into some Home where he would be only one of a hundred boys and
all alone in a big lonesome world. That was the black dread that weighed
on Jim's heart night and day. He had seen that long procession of girls
and boys from the Orphan Asylum going back from church on Sundays, the
girls all in white dresses, the boys in blue denim suits, all just alike
except for size. He had peeped through knotholes in the high fence that
surrounded the Asylum yard too, and had seen the boys playing there on
weekdays; and some not playing, but standing off by themselves looking
so awful lonesome. Jim had always pitied those lonesome-looking ones.
More than once he had poked a stick of chewing-gum through a knothole to
one of them--a little chap with frightened blue eyes. Jim felt that he'd
almost rather die than go to the Asylum; and he'd heard the nurse tell
Charley Smith's mother that he'd have to go there when he got well. That
was why Jim was in no hurry to get well.

The girls all shook hands with him before they went off to search the
other wards for their blue-eyed baby. Miss Laura did not go with the
girls; she stayed with Jim, and somehow, before long, he was telling her
all about the Asylum boys and how he dreaded to get well and go there to
live till he was fourteen. And, unconsciously, as he told it all, his
stubby little fingers crept into Miss Laura's hand that closed over them
with a warm pressure very comforting to Jim.

And then--then a wonderful thing happened, for Miss Laura put her head
down close to his and whispered, "Jim, you shall never go to the Asylum,
I promise you that. If you will try very hard to get well, I'll find a
home for you somewhere, and I'll take care of you until you can take
care of yourself."

Jim caught his breath and his eyes seemed looking through hers deep into
her heart, to see if this incredible thing could be true. What little
colour the