him almost imperceptibly, and then with a word of
courteous greeting went on her way, for she knew that according to
common report he was to marry Miss Kimball that fall. Her lip curled a
little, for she remembered Leonora of old; she knew her pink-and-white
prettiness and the few and simple enfoldments of her elementary little
brain, just large enough to hold a few attractive near-ideas, a thorough
comprehension of all the social conventionalities, and a fixed and
stubborn conviction as to what was or was not "smart." "If she has a
soul," Silvia said to herself with rather unusual heat, "no one could
tell whether it is in a condition of arrested development, hopeless
atrophy or complete ossification. As well seek diamonds in a common
sandbank as inspiration or aspiration in its sawdusty recesses." Then
she laughed, and said, "Cat!" softly, which was really most irrelevant.

The day that the cast was to be removed, Silvia appeared laden with good
things that they might celebrate the occasion with due ceremony.

With infinite care and gentleness, Dr. Earl cut down through the cast,
and took it off. The fracture was perfectly knit, but there was a slight
swelling about the knee, and as Earl examined it Silvia saw him compress
his lips in a hard, straight line. Without looking up, or changing his
tone, he asked the child if she had had a fall since the cast had been
changed. She answered readily that about a week before her crutch had
slipped as she was coming indoors, and she had fallen, striking the
injured leg against the stone step, and she winced as he touched the
thin knee.

"It's too bad," he said, "but there will have to be another cast about
this knee, and you must be more careful, little girl."

The tears came to her eyes, and her mother turned to him with an
expression of anxiety. His cheerful face reassured her. "We'll hope it
won't be for long," he said, "but there's no use taking chances. Has her
health generally been good?" he asked Mrs. Bell.

"The diseases common to childhood went rather hard with her and she had
considerable trouble with her neck and throat a few years ago," Mrs.
Bell replied.

He made an examination of the glands of her neck, but said no more.

In spite of many insistent calls elsewhere, Dr. Earl remained long
enough to help lend an air of festivity to the small party, which Silvia
presided over with infinite tact, and with a last admonition to Mrs.
Bell to keep the little girl in