"She's more frightened than hurt, Master Tim," Cook told him reassuringly, coming back after a short absence from the kitchen. "Dr. Richards has bandaged her sprained foot, and he says she must be kept quiet; but there's no need to be alarmed about her—she'll soon be all right again."
"Oh, how glad I am to hear that!" cried Tim thankfully; "I quite thought she had killed herself!" he added, with a shudder.
"Young bones fall light," remarked Cook. "I hope this will be a lesson to Miss Kitty not to be so hoydenish in future; why she hasn't fallen from that apple tree before I really don't know."
Meanwhile, Kitty, according to the doctor's order, was being put to bed by her mother and Mary. She was bruised and shaken, and her foot was giving her a great deal of pain, so that altogether she was feeling very low-spirited and unwell.
Bob, on his return from school at mid-day, was greatly concerned on hearing of his sister's accident; but she would not tell him how it had happened. Accordingly, he sought Tim, and learnt from him that the little girl had been climbing down from the tree very carelessly, when she lost her footing, and thus brought about the mishap.
"I suppose she was showing off because you were watching her," observed Bob, jumping at once to the right conclusion.
"Yes," nodded Tim, "that was it; but please don't tell her I said so," he added hastily.
"All right," agreed Bob, "I won't. Poor Kitty, she'll be tied by the leg for a bit, I suppose. I wonder if she'll be well enough to come to the sports?"
That was the thought which troubled Kitty herself. Dr. Richards kept her in bed only two days, after which she lay on the sofa in the dining-room. Of course there was no question of her returning to school on Thursday. She did not mind that in the least; but it worried her to think she might not be well by Saturday week, which was the day fixed for the grammar school sports. Dr. Richards would not say she would be able to go, and when questioned upon the point merely answered evasively, "Oh, we'll see."
"I suppose Bob is taking good care of Fluffy?" the little girl remarked to her mother one morning after she was comfortably settled on the sofa, with Snip on the rug at her feet.