s ever tea is over," answered Miss Mills.
"Ah, Judy! You'll soon be well now, Judy, won't you?"

"I am well already," said Judy. "What delicious chicken-broth! Auntie
dear, stoop down, I want to whisper something to you."

"Yes, my dearie, what is it?"

"I needn't be asleep when Hilda comes, need I? You will let me sit up in
bed, won't you? I'll promise to be so quiet, I won't make a sound to
disturb Babs, but I should love to be awake and waiting for darling
Hilda. Please, please, auntie, say I may."

"My darling--until ten o'clock! so awfully late. Judy dear, you're
getting quite feverish--you must calm yourself, my pet. Well, then,
well, _anything_ to soothe you. We'll see how you keep, dearie. If you
don't get at all excited, I--I'll see what I shall do. Now I must leave
you, darling, to go and get Hilda's room ready. I wonder if Jasper is
coming with her, she doesn't say anything about him."

Aunt Marjorie trotted out of the room, Miss Mills started on her walk
to the village, and Judy began to speak eagerly to Babs.

"I am quite well," she said; "you'll never hear me sob again at night. I
am quite the happiest girl in the world. Oh, think of kissing Hilda
again; and I didn't fret, no, I didn't--not really. Babs, don't you
think you might make the room look pretty? You might get out all the
animals and put them on the chimney-piece."

"I'll be very glad to do that," replied Babs. "I often wanted to look at
the darlings, but it was no fun when you didn't wish to play with them."
She opened a little box as she spoke, and taking out china dogs, cats,
cocks and hens, ducks, giraffes, elephants, monkeys, and many other
varieties of the animal world, bestowed them with what taste she could
manage on the mantelpiece. "Don't they look sweet!" she exclaimed. "I
suppose you're not strong enough to have a game, Judy? If you could bray
like the donkey, I'd be the roaring bull."

"To-morrow, perhaps, I can," said Judy, in a weak voice; "but the room
is not half ready yet. I want you to pin some of my drawings and some of
my texes on the wall. You'll find them in my own box if you open it."

"Yes, yes," said Babs in delight. "I do like making the room pretty for
Hilda, and you ordering me. You may purtend if you like that I am your
little servant."

"Very well; you're putting that picture upside down, Babs."

"Oh, how funny! Is that right?"

"No, it's awfully crooked."

For the next half-hour Babs labored hard, an