quickly as though to shut out the pleasant sight.

"Dr. Holland says you may begin to study again, now, Arthur," said
his mother cheerfully, "and it seems to me you might be ready for
college next fall if you do a little every day. You may have a
tutor any time you are ready."

"What's the use?" answered Arthur languidly. "I can't do anything
in athletics with this confounded leg, and I don't want to go there
just to limp around and grind."

"My dear boy, college training is occasionally useful in the way of
improving one's mind as well as muscles," said Mrs. Hamilton with
mild sarcasm. "Dear, don't think I am unsympathetic," she added
quickly as her son. frowned impatiently. "I realize, in part, at
least, what it must be to you to give up your dreams of athletic
glory; but I know, too, that no one else can fight this battle for
you. You've got to face the question squarely, and I have faith
that you will come out a conqueror if you put your best self into
the effort."

"Mother, you don't begin to know," said Arthur slowly, "what this
means to me. It's not alone giving up the athletics, though that's
hard enough, but it's the sensitiveness I feel about letting any
one see that I'm lame. I believe I was rather proud before," he
continued with a faint smile, "because I was straight and strong
and could almost always beat the other boys at any game we tried;
I know it always seemed to me the most dreadful thing in the world
to be crippled in any way, and now I've got to hop around with a
crutch all the rest of my life. Oh, I believe I'd rather die," he