Just a week from the time Dr. Mead, the specialist, came. He was a tall man with kind gray eyes, and a cheerful smile. Pollyanna liked him at once.

Everyone said afterward that it was the cat that noiselessly opened the door. And if the door had not been open, Pollyanna would not have heard her aunt’s words.

In the hall the two doctors, the nurse, and Miss Polly stood talking. In Pollyanna’s room the cat was purring on the bed when through the open door sounded clearly Aunt Polly’s exclamation.

“Not that! Doctor, not that! You don’t mean – the child – will NEVER WALK again!”

It was all confusion then. First, from the bedroom came Pollyanna’s terrified “Aunt Polly, Aunt Polly!” Then Miss Polly, seeing the open door and realizing that her words had been heard, gave a low little moan and – for the first time in her life – fainted away.

The nurse, with a choking “She heard!” ran toward the open door.

“Miss Hunt, please, I want Aunt Polly. I want her right away, quick, please!”

The nurse closed the door and came forward hurriedly. Her face was very pale.

“She – she can’t come just this minute, dear. She will – a little later. What is it? Can’t I – get it?”

Pollyanna shook her head.

“But I want to know what she said – just now. Did you hear her? I want Aunt Polly – she said something. I want her to tell me it isn’t true!”

The nurse tried to speak, but no words came.

“Miss Hunt, you DID hear her! It is true! Oh, it isn’t true! You don’t mean I can’t ever – walk again?”

“There, there, dear – don’t, don’t!” said the nurse. “Perhaps he didn’t know. Perhaps he was mistaken.”

“But Aunt Polly said he knew more than anybody else about broken legs like mine!”

“Yes, yes, I know, dear; but all doctors make mistakes sometimes. Just don’t think anymore about it now – please don’t, dear.”

“But I can’t help thinking about it,” she sobbed. “It’s all there is now to think about. Miss Hunt, how am I going to school, or to see Mr. Pendleton, or Mrs. Snow, or – or anybody?” She sobbed wildly for a moment. Suddenly she stopped and looked up. “Miss Hunt, if I can’t walk, how am I ever going to be glad for – ANYTHING?”

Miss Hunt did not know “the game;” but she knew that her patient must be quieted. That is why she stood now at the bedside with the quieting powder ready.

“There, there, dear, just take this,” she soothed; “Things aren’t half as bad as they seem, dear, lots of times, you know.”