86 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



" Johnny," said Rose, as the boys came up to her, " I 

 have just returned from seeing Annie. Dr. Grey has come 

 to see her to-day, and I thought you would hke to know 

 what he says." 



The boys stood very silent, until finally Johnny spoke : 

 "What does the Doctor say about her foot.'*" he asked. 



" He thinks — he hopes," answered Rose, " that he can 

 cure her. She will have to keep very quiet in her cham- 

 ber for a good many weeks, he says, but he thinks she 

 will be able to walk, perhaps not as well as you can, 

 Johnny, but still without her crutch." 



Johnny's face was flushed and his eyes shone with ex- 

 citement, as he listened to what Rose was saying about 

 his sister. He had never seen Annie walk in all his life, 

 except very slowly and leaning on her crutches, for he was 

 not so old as she was, and the injury which had made her 

 such a patient sufferer for so many years she had received 

 before he was born ; and now the Doctor said that perhaps 

 within a few weeks she would walk round the house, and, 

 it might be, out into the garden, without even leaning on 

 his arm. 



"I think I 'd better go home, boys," said he; "perhaps 

 I can help about something." 



All the boys started at once to go with him. When 

 they reached Mr. Webb's house, everything was very quiet, 

 and all they could learn was that the Doctor and Annie's 



