ith sobs. Next instant she was
bending over the little figure, softly stroking Betty's tumbled hair.

"Betty," she said tenderly, "poor little Betty, what is it?"

With a start Betty lifted her face, and somewhat to Mrs. Hamilton's
surprise, grew suddenly very red.

"It isn't anything," she said, beginning a hasty search for her
handkerchief, "only--only, I'm a horrid, wicked girl."

"Betty, dear, what do you mean?" Mrs. Hamilton sat down on the sofa and
put an arm affectionately around the trembling child. "Don't you know
what a great help you have been to Miss Clark and me? Why, I have never
seen a more thoughtful, sensible little girl."

"I am wicked, though," Betty maintained stoutly; "I'm jealous. I don't
like to have Jack so happy without me."

Mrs. Hamilton with some difficulty repressed a smile.

"Jealousy is a very common fault in all of us, Betty," she said, "but I
am sure you wouldn't like it if Jack were unhappy and fretting."

"No, oh, no, I shouldn't like that!--but"--with a stifled sob--"he did
seem to be having such a good time, and I'm so unhappy and so worried
about mother."

"I know you are worried about your mother, dear, but we all think her a
little better to-day, and Dr. Bell says that if she continues to
improve for the next twenty-four hours he hopes she will be out of all
danger. And now, Betty, I am going to tell you something that I know you
will be glad to hear. It is about Jack."

"About Jack?" repeated Betty, beginning to look interested.

"Yes, dear. I know how dearly you love your little brother, and how
happy it would make you if anything could be done for him--anything to
help his illness, I mean."

"Oh, Mrs. Hamilton, could anything really----" Betty could say no more,
but her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes were more expressive than
words.

"Dr. Bell was talking to me about Jack last evening," Mrs. Hamilton went
on. "He is very much interested in the case, and as soon as your mother
is well enough he is going to ask her consent to bring a famous surgeon
here to see Jack."

Betty was actually trembling with excitement.

"And he thinks--he thinks that something might be done, so that Jack
would be able to walk like other people?" she gasped.

"He thinks something might be tried."

"I remember I once heard mother say that when Jack was a baby a doctor
told father that if he ever grew strong enough to bear it an operation
might be performed. Jack was so delicate fo