em, why don't you tell _me_ how to be sweet and patient?"
Judith said, folding up the Blossom-bulletin she had been reading to
him. "Tell me a good receipt."

"Well, deary--well, give me time," laughed the cheery old voice. "I
guess we can fix up somethin' that will meet your case."

A very few weeks later Judith went wearily homeward to her lonely
home. She had been out to her traps and down to the hotel with the
lobsters for Mrs. Ben. Her body was weary, but her heart was wearier
still. It did seem, she was telling herself as she plodded through
the sand, as if she could not wait any longer for mother and Blossom
to come home.

Suddenly a clear little trill of laughter crept into her ears and
set her pulses throbbing. Then another trill--then Blossom's voice,
calling something that thrilled her to her soul.

"See me!" called the little triumphant voice of Blossom. And Judy,
lifting frightened eyes and holding her breath as she looked, _saw_.
A small, swaying figure was coming toward her very slowly, over the
hard sand. Blossom--it was Blossom! She was swaying unsteadily a step
or two, but--_she was walking!_

"See me! See me!" cried Blossom. "I'm walkin', Judy, don't you see? I
came a-walkin' down to meet you! It's a s'prise!"

Someone caught up the little figure and came leaping down to Judith
with great strides of triumph.

"That's enough to s'prise her--mustn't do much of it at a time yet,"
Jemmy Three said gayly. "You've got to begin easy. Yes!" in answer to
Judy's speechless pleading, "yes, sir, she's goin' to be a reg'lar
walker, now, ain't you, Blossom? Yes, sir; no more bein' toted--she's
_folks!_"

"Yes, yes, yes!" trilled Blossom exultantly. "They pulled my legs out
an' put 'em in over, where they b'long. Only I've got to go easy till
I'm uncasted."

"Till you're--what? But never mind what! You're my Blossom, and you're
home again, and you're _walking!_" Judith cried in her exceeding
great joy. But by and by Jemmy Three explained.

"They put her legs in kind o' casts, you know, that she cant't have
taken off yet awhile, but when they do take 'em off--"

"Then I'll run!" Blossom interrupted, radiantly.

"Oh, oh--and to think we were going to surprise mother, and you
surprised me!" breathed Judy. "But I thought--_we_ were going across
the ocean--"

"You needn't have," Jemmy said. "That great doctor's over there, but
there's plenty o' second-great ones over here that make children walk
his way