Jewel: A Chapter in Her Life Part 21

"Remind you of the horse show?" he inquired.

"It _is_ the horse show," rejoined the child.

"This is Ess.e.x Maid, Jewel," said Mr. Evringham. He patted the mare's s.h.i.+ning neck. "You shall go out to the barn with me some time and visit her." His eyes wandered over the ruffled hair, the hat on the back of the child's head, and the wet spots on her dress. "Run home now," he added. "I heard Mrs. Forbes asking for you as I came out."

He rode on, and Jewel, her face radiant, followed him with her eyes. In a minute he turned, and she threw rapid kisses after him. He raised his hat, and then a curve in the road hid him from view.

Jewel sighed rapturously and hurried along the road. The giantess had asked for her. Ah, what a happy world it would be if there were nothing at Bel-Air Park but grandpa, his horses, and the ravine!

Mrs. Forbes espied the child in the distance, and was at the door when she came in.

"After this, Julia, you must never go away without telling me where"--she began, when her eyes recognized the condition of the gingham frock, and the child's feet. "Look at how you've drabbled your dress!"

she e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed.

"It's clean water," returned Julia.

"But your feet! Why, Julia Evringham, they are as wet as sop! Where have you been?"

"Playing by the brook in the ravine."

Mrs. Forbes groaned. "Nothing will satisfy a child but finding the place where they can get the dirtiest and make the most trouble. Why didn't you wear your rubbers, you naughty girl?"

"Why--why--it wasn't raining."

"Raining! Those rubbers are to keep your feet dry. Haven't you got any sense?"

Jewel looked a little pale. "I didn't know I should get wet in the brook," she answered.

"Well, go right upstairs now, up the backstairs, and take off every one of those wet things. Let me feel your petticoat. Yes, that's wet, too.

You undress and get into a hot bath, and then you put on your nightgown and go right to bed."

"Go to bed!" echoed the child, bewildered.

"Yes, to bed. You won't come down to dinner. Perhaps that will teach you to wear your rubbers next time and be more careful."

Jewel found the backstairs and ascended them, her little heart hot within her.

"She's the impolitest woman in the whole world, Anna Belle!" she whispered. "I'm going to not cry. Mother didn't know what impoliteness there was at grandpa's or she wouldn't have let us come."

The child's eyes were bright as she found her room and began undressing.

"But you mustn't be angry, dearie," she continued excitedly to her doll.

"It's the worst error to be angry, because it means hating. You treat me, Anna Belle, and I'll treat you," she went on, unfastening her clothes with unsteady hands.

With many a pause to work at a refractory elastic or b.u.t.ton, and many interruptions from catches in her breath, she murmured aloud during the process of her undressing: "Dear Father in Heaven, I seem to feel sorry all over, and full of error. Help me to know that I'm not a mortal mind little girl, hating and angry, but I am Thy child, and the only things I know are good, happy things. Error has no power and Love has all power.

I love Mrs. Forbes, and she loves me. Thou art here even in this house, and please help me to know that one of Thy children cannot hurt another." Here Jewel slipped into the new wrapper her mother had made, and hurried into the white tiled bathroom near by. While she let the water run into the tub she put her hand into her pocket mechanically, in search of a handkerchief, and when she felt the crisp touch of paper she drew it out eagerly. It was covered, and she read the words written in her mother's distinct hand.

"Love to my Jewel. Is she making a stepping-stone of every trial, and learning to think less and less about herself, and more and more about other people? And does she remember that little girls cannot always understand the error that grown-up people have to meet, especially those who have not Science to help them? They must be treated very gently, and I hope my little Jewel will be always kind and patient, and make her new friends glad she is there."

The child folded the paper and put it carefully back in her pocket.

Then she took her bath, and returning to her room undressed her doll in silence. Finally, changing her wrapper for her nightdress, she climbed into bed, where she lay thinking and looking at the sunlight on the wall.

At dinner time the maid Sarah appeared with a tray. "Here's your dinner, Miss Julia," she said, looking at the heavy-eyed little girl. "It's too bad you're not well."

"I am well, thank you," replied Jewel. "I'm sorry you had to carry that heavy tray up so many stairs."

"Oh, I don't mind that," returned the girl good-naturedly. "I'll set it right here by the bed."

"Is grandpa down there?" asked Jewel wistfully.

"Yes, Miss Julia. They're all eating their dinner. I hope you'll enjoy yours."

Sarah went away, and the little girl spread some bread and b.u.t.ter and ate it slowly.

Meanwhile, when the family had gathered at the dinner table, Mr.

Evringham looked up at his housekeeper.

"Where is Jewel?" he asked shortly. "I object to her being unpunctual."

"Yes, sir. She is having dinner in her room. She was very naughty and got wet in the brook."

"Ah, indeed!" Mr. Evringham frowned and looked down. He had been a little disappointed that the bright face was not watching to see him come home from his ride, but of course discipline must be maintained.

"I'm sorry to hear this," he added.

Mrs. Evringham and Eloise found him a shade less taciturn than usual to-night. He felt vaguely that he now had an ally of his own flesh and blood in the house, a spirit sufficiently kindred to prefer his society to theirs, and this made him unusually lenient.

He meant to go upstairs after dinner, and warn Jewel to be more careful in future to conform to all Mrs. Forbes's rules; but the meal was scarcely over when a friend called to get him to attend some business meeting held that evening in the interests of the town, and he became interested in his statements and went away with him.

"Wasn't father quite agreeable this evening?" asked Mrs. Evringham of Eloise. "What did I tell you? I could see that he felt relief because that plain little creature was not in evidence. Father always was so fastidious. Of course it is selfish in a way, but it is no use to blame men for caring for beauty. They will do it."

"It was a shame to make that little girl stay upstairs," returned Eloise. "I judge she managed to amuse herself this afternoon, and so she gets punished for it. I should like to go up and sit with her."

"It would not be worth while," returned Mrs. Evringham quickly. "I'm sure Dr. Ballard will be here soon. You would have to come right down again."

"That is not the reason I don't go," returned the girl. "It is because I am not an Evringham, and I have determined not to arrive at friendly relations with any one of the name. When I once escape from here, they will have seen the last of me."

"The way of escape lies open," returned her mother soothingly. "I'm glad you have on that gown. If a man cares for a woman, he always loves to see her in white."

As soon as dinner was over, Mrs. Forbes ascended the stairs to see her prisoner. Jewel was lying quietly in bed, the tray, apparently untouched, beside her. The latter circ.u.mstance Mrs. Forbes observed at once.

"Why haven't you eaten your dinner, Julia?" she asked. "I hope you are not sulking."

"No'm. I don't believe I am. I don't know what that means."

"You don't know what sulky means?" suspiciously. "It is very naughty for a little girl to refuse to eat her dinner because she is angry at being punished for her own good."

"Did you send me to bed because you loved me?" asked Jewel. Her cheeks were very red, but even the disconcerted housekeeper could see that she was not excited or angry.

"Everybody loves good little girls," returned Mrs. Forbes. "Now eat your dinner, Julia, so I can carry down the tray."