rightened step, then another and laughingly flung
her arms around Jane's neck, crying--

"Oh, I can walk! I can walk!"

"Why did you think you could never walk again?" Jane laughed
wholesomely.

"I felt so queer--and I thought of the woman at the Home."

"But she must have been quite an old body. They do get paralyzed;
children don't. Oh, you must not think of dreadful things. Come, see
how you can walk."

Jane's arm was around her and she led her back to the room and dressed
her. Miss Armitage came up just then and greeted her with a happy
smile. But Marilla felt shaky and was very glad to sit down on the
couch.

"Now I shall bring you up some breakfast," said Jane.

"Don't you suppose I could go down and have some real breakfast at the
table--not today, but sometime."

Then Marilla flushed. She was a bound-out girl and had always taken
her meals with Bridget.

"Yes, I think so. We will see what the doctor says this morning. I
shall have to go out presently and see twenty girls get started for a
vacation. They are in stores and factories, and have two weeks in the
summer, and the Rest House doesn't charge any board--they earn so
little. When you are well enough to travel about, I must take you out
to the House."

Maybe she wouldn't have to go back to the babies right away!

The breakfast tasted good, though it was only a poached egg and some
toast. But she didn't seem very hungry, and though she felt sort of
joyously well at heart her body was tired and she lay on the couch to
rest. The doctor found her quiet and there was a whimsical light
playing over his face and settling in his eyes.

"So you haven't run away yet?" he began.

"I don't believe I could run very far. Yet I seem quite well--and it's
queer, too."

Jane said you fainted yesterday.

"Well it was--something, and then I was frightened--"

"Stand up a moment." He helped her to her feet, then he passed his
hand down her spine and over her hips. "Does it hurt any?" he asked.

"No, not a real hurt."

"You fell off of the stoop over there, a boy said."

"The baby dropped something and I went to pick it up, I guess I
stumbled. And when I turned round everything was upside down and black
and I don't remember any more until I was over here. Miss Armitage was
so good, is so good."

"Yes; well it might have been worse. But I think now you are on the
high road to health again."

"I've never been real sick unless this is it," and she gave a