gh she had borne up bravely all the time the clothes were cut off.

Bessy's face, which had been red with hard running, faded to a dead
white when she saw Mary; she looked so shocked and ill that Jem had not
the heart to blame her, although the minute before she came in, he had
been feeling very angry with her. Bessy stood quite still at the foot of
Mary's bed, never speaking a word, while the doctor examined her side
and felt her pulse; only great round tears gathered in her eyes, and
rolled down her cheeks, as she saw Mary quiver with pain. Jem followed
the doctor downstairs. Then Bessy went and knelt beside Mary, and wiped
away the tears that were trickling down the little face.

"Is it very bad, Mary?" asked Bessy.

"Oh yes! yes! if I speak, I shall scream."

Then Bessy covered her head in the bed-clothes and cried outright.

"I was not cross, was I? I did not mean to be--but I hardly know what I
am saying," moaned out little Mary. "Please forgive me, Bessy, if I was
cross."

"God forgive me!" said Bessy, very low. They were the first words she
had spoken since she came home. But there could be no more talking
between the sisters, for now the woman returned who had at first been
assisting Mary. Presently Jem came to the door, and beckoned. Bessy rose
up, and went with, him below. Jem looked very grave, yet not so sad as
he had done before the doctor came. "He says she must go into the
infirmary. He will see about getting her in."

"Oh, Jem! I did so want to nurse her myself!" said Bessy, imploringly.
"It was all my own fault," (she choked with crying); "and I thought I
might do that for her, to make up."

"My dear Bessy,"--before he had seen Bessy, he had thought he could
never call her "dear" again, but now he began--"My dear Bessy, we both
want Mary to get better, don't we? I am sure we do. And we want to take
the best way of making her so, whatever that is; well, then, I think we
must not be considering what we should like best just for ourselves, but
what people, who know as well as doctors do, say is the right way. I
can't remember all that he said; but I'm clear that he told me, all
wounds on the skin required more and better air to heal in than Mary
could have here: and there the doctor will see her twice a day, if need
be."

Bessy shook her head, but could not speak at first. At last she said,
"Jem, I did so want to do something for her. No one could nurse her as I
should."

Jem was silent. At la