d, and
when the boys met, Dudley gazed with deep pity on Roy's white little
face, looking smaller and whiter than ever. But he welcomed him with a
smile.

"It's years since you were here, old chap."

"Yes," responded Dudley, "and it's been the most miserablest years of my
life."

"I thought I was going to die then," continued Roy, with still the same
smile; "but God wouldn't let me. He was determined I should live, and do
you know I've been thinking it out. I really believe it is because He is
going to let me do something great still. And Doctor Grant has been
telling me of a man in Parliament who took all the house by storm, and
brought in a most wonderful law that thousands of people blessed him
for, and he--he had a cork leg!"

Certainly Roy had not lost his buoyancy of spirits. Dudley drew a deep
breath of relief, and for the first time began to see brighter times
ahead.

"And I'm going to have a cork leg," went on Roy, "a leg that if I press
a spring I can kick out. Think of that!"

Dudley looked beaming, exclaiming,--

"And it will be very convenient to have a leg with no feeling, won't it,
especially about the knee when you're crawling along a wall with broken
bottles."

"I'm going to see Rob to-morrow," announced Roy, after a little more
conversation. "Has he learned to read while I have been ill?"

Dudley shook his head.

"No, we tried one afternoon on the wall, but we were too miserable, so
we stopped."

"Well, I can teach him here in bed. That's one thing you don't want a
leg to do!"

"I say, Roy," Dudley asked, very cautiously; "don't you feel very funny
without it?"

Roy looked away for a minute without answering, and then he said slowly:

"I try and not think about it. It will be worse when I get up--people
might think when they see me in bed that I'm all right, but they'll know
the truth when I'm up."

Then he added more cheerfully, "It's awfully queer, but do you know I'd
never know it wasn't there as far as the feeling goes. Why I can feel
the pain right down to my toes now. And at night I'm always dreaming I'm
running races with you as fast as I can, and then I wake and can't
believe I'll never run again."

As Roy grew stronger he had more visitors; Rob came to him every day for
a reading lesson, and old Principle brought him books and sweets. Ben
was allowed an interview, and the old groom, with tears running down his
cheeks, besought Roy to forgive him.

"I never ought to all