Judith Lynn Part 8

"Well, deary--well, give me time," laughed the cheery old voice. "I guess we can fix up somethin' that will meet your case."

A very few weeks later Judith went wearily homeward to her lonely home. She had been out to her traps and down to the hotel with the lobsters for Mrs. Ben. Her body was weary, but her heart was wearier still. It did seem, she was telling herself as she plodded through the sand, as if she could not wait any longer for mother and Blossom to come home.

Suddenly a clear little trill of laughter crept into her ears and set her pulses throbbing. Then another trill--then Blossom's voice, calling something that thrilled her to her soul.

"See me!" called the little triumphant voice of Blossom. And Judy, lifting frightened eyes and holding her breath as she looked, _saw_.

A small, swaying figure was coming toward her very slowly, over the hard sand. Blossom--it was Blossom! She was swaying unsteadily a step or two, but--_she was walking!_

"See me! See me!" cried Blossom. "I'm walkin', Judy, don't you see? I came a-walkin' down to meet you! It's a s'prise!"

Someone caught up the little figure and came leaping down to Judith with great strides of triumph.

"That's enough to s'prise her--mustn't do much of it at a time yet,"

Jemmy Three said gayly. "You've got to begin easy. Yes!" in answer to Judy's speechless pleading, "yes, sir, she's goin' to be a reg'lar walker, now, ain't you, Blossom? Yes, sir; no more bein' toted--she's _folks!_"

"Yes, yes, yes!" trilled Blossom exultantly. "They pulled my legs out an' put 'em in over, where they b'long. Only I've got to go easy till I'm uncasted."

"Till you're--what? But never mind what! You're my Blossom, and you're home again, and you're _walking!_" Judith cried in her exceeding great joy. But by and by Jemmy Three explained.

"They put her legs in kind o' casts, you know, that she cant't have taken off yet awhile, but when they do take 'em off--"

"Then I'll run!" Blossom interrupted, radiantly.

"Oh, oh--and to think we were going to surprise mother, and you surprised me!" breathed Judy. "But I thought--_we_ were going across the ocean--"

"You needn't have," Jemmy said. "That great doctor's over there, but there's plenty o' second-great ones over here that make children walk his way. That's what I went to find out. I thought maybe--"

"You went to find out--_you_ thought--oh, Jemmy, what a boy you are!"

"See here--hold on--wait! Let Blossom do it!" warded off Jemmy Three, backing away precipitately.

The beautiful secret was out. Judith had been "s'prised." There were still months of uncertainty, but Judith was not uncertain. She went about in a cloud of rapture. At night she lay awake beside Blossom, and dreamed her rosy, happy dreams. And, in truth, if she could have looked ahead into the certain months, and beyond, she would have seen Blossom walking steadily through all the years.