Prudy to act
that way? If I did so, you'd punish me; now, wouldn't you?"

"I don't know what to think about it," said Mrs. Parlin, gravely.
"Sometimes I am afraid Prudy is really becoming naughty and deceitful. I
thought once it was only her funny way of playing; but she is getting
old enough now to know the difference between truth and falsehood."

There was an anxious look on Mrs. Parlin's face. She was a faithful
mother, and watched her children's conduct with the tenderest care.

But this lameness of which little Prudy complained, was something more
than play; it was a sad truth, as the family learned very soon. Instead
of walking properly when her mother bade her do so, the poor child cried
bitterly, said it hurt her, and she was so tired she wished they would
let her lie on the sofa, and never get up. At times she seemed better;
and when everybody thought she was quite well, suddenly the pain and
weakness would come again, and she could only limp, or walk by catching
hold of chairs.

At last her father called in a physician.

"How long has this child been lame?" said he.

"A month or more."

The doctor looked grave. "Has she ever had an injury, Mr. Parlin, such
as slipping on the ice, or falling down stairs?"

"No, sir," replied Mr. Parlin, "I believe not."

"Not a serious injury that I know of," said Mrs. Parlin, passing her
hand across her forehead, and trying to remember. "No, I think Prudy has
never had a _bad_ fall, though she is always meeting with slight
accidents."

"O, mamma," said Susy, who had begged to stay in the room, "she did have
a fall: don't you know, Christmas day, ever so long ago, how she went
rolling down stairs with her little chair in her arms, and woke
everybody up?"

The doctor caught at Susy's words.

"With her little chair in her arms, my dear? And did she cry as if she
was hurt?"

"Yes, sir; she said the _prongs_ of the chair stuck into her side."

"It hurt me dreffully," said Prudy, who had until now forgotten all
about it. "Susy spoke so quick, and said I was a little snail; and then
I rolled over and over, and down I went."

The doctor almost smiled at these words, lisped out in such a plaintive
voice, as if Prudy could not think of that fall even now, without
pitying herself very much.

"Just let me see you stand up, little daughter," said he; for Prudy was
lying on the sofa.

But it hurt her to bear her weight on her feet.

She said, "One foot, the '_lame-