ked with rolls of old cotton and linen and
flannel. The doctor gave a quick nod of pleasure, as he saw the orderly
store.

"Good!" he said, as if to himself; "that tells the story. I wish more
women would look out for such things. Now," he went on, while he drew a
chair to the window, and laid a little case of shining, ugly-looking
instruments on a table beside it; "we must get rid of that glass as soon
as we can; and I want you, little woman, to hold this boy's head tight,
very tight, so he can't move, no matter how much I do hurt him. Any
slip now would be very serious."

There followed a short interval of silence, when Charlie ground his
teeth hard together, to keep back any sound, and Allie sturdily held her
place at the back of his chair, though she felt faint and sick at the
sight before her, as those horrible little steel points moved up and
down across her cousin's eye. Then the doctor spoke again, in his
cheery, pleasant way, while he adjusted the necessary bandages; but to
Allie his voice sounded a long way off, and she dropped to the floor in
a forlorn little heap, as soon as she received the doctor's nod to
assure her that her work was ended.

"You're a plucky pair," said Dr. Brownlee then, as he led the boy back
to the sofa, and arranged a pillow under his head. "I don't know which
has been braver, but I'm proud of you both. The worst is over now; but
we want to get this boy into bed, where he can keep quiet for a day or
two. I wish we could send word to your mother; but I suppose that is out
of the question, so we shall have to get along without her. Still,
you've a good nurse here, Charlie," he added, with an admiring glance at
Allie, who had roused herself once more and was standing by the sofa,
with one slender hand resting on her cousin's forehead.

"Shall I get his room ready?" she asked, as her blue eyes filled with
tears again; for the doctor's kind words were too much for her shaken
nerves to bear.

"Yes, he'll be better there," the doctor answered, as he followed her
into the room which the two boys usually occupied. "A southwest corner
room," he said, glancing around it. "That's too strong a light; isn't
there somewhere else?"

"Mine is on the other side," she suggested.

"That's better; but what will you do, my young nurse?" he asked with the
gentle courtesy which was habitual with him.

"I'll take the sofa, or anywhere," she said, as she led the way into her
own dainty little room. "H