Jewel: A Chapter in Her Life Part 57

Mr. Evringham looked startled. "She'll do it, I dare say, before dinner," he replied.

"If she has time. She has gone riding with Dr. Ballard. They just trotted away together. Oh, it was lovely!"

Mr. Evringham, leaning his head back, looked off under his heavy brows as he responded:--

"Across the hills and far away, Beyond their utmost purple rim, And deep into the dying day The happy princess followed him,

"and all that sort of business, I suppose."

"I don't know what you mean," said Jewel doubtfully.

"I should hope not. Well, what else have you done? Been treating any rheumatism? I haven't had it since the sun shone."

"You never asked me to," returned the child.

Mr. Evringham smiled. "The suns.h.i.+ne is a pretty good treatment," he observed.

"Sometimes your belief comes into my thought," said Jewel, "and of course I always turn on it and think the truth."

"Much obliged, I'm sure. I'd like to turn on it myself at times."

"You can study with cousin Eloise and me, if you'd like to," said Jewel eagerly.

"Oh, thank you, thank you," rejoined the broker hastily. "Don't disturb yourself. There must be some sinners, you know, or the saints would have to go out of business--n.o.body to practice on. Well, have you been to the ravine?"

"Oh yes! Anna Belle and I, and we had more _fun_! We made a garden."

"Morning or afternoon?"

"Morning."

"Well I wish to know," said Mr. Evringham in a suddenly serious and impressive tone, "I wish to know if you reached home in time for lunch."

Jewel felt somewhat startled under the daze of his piercing eyes, but her conscience was clear. "Yes, I was here in plenty of time. I wanted to surely not be late, so I was here too soon."

"That's what I was afraid of," returned Mr. Evringham gravely. "I don't wish you to be unpunctual, but I object equally to your returning unnecessarily early when you wish to stay."

"But I couldn't help it, grandpa," Jewel began earnestly, when he interrupted her.

"So I've brought you this," he added, and took from his pocket an oblong package, sealed at each end.

The child laid her doll in the broker's lap,--he had become hardened to this indignity,--and her fingers broke the seals and slipped the paper from a morocco case.

"Push the spring in the end," said Mr. Evringham.

She obeyed. The lid flew up and disclosed a small silver chatelaine watch. The pin was a cherub's head, its wings enameled in white, as were the back and edges of the little timepiece whose hands were busily pointing to blue figures.

Jewel gasped. "For me?"

Her grandfather smoothed his mustache. He had presented gifts to ladies before, but never with such effect.

"Grandpa, grandpa!" she exclaimed, touching the little watch in wondering delight. "See what Divine Love has sent me!"

Mr. Evringham raised his eyebrows and smiled, but he was soon a.s.sured that Love's messenger was not forgotten. He was instantly enveloped in a rapturous hug, and heroically endured the bitter of the watchcase pressing into his jugular for the sweet of the rose-leaf kisses that were a.s.saulting his cheek like the quick reports of a tiny Gatling gun.

"See if you can wind it," he said at last.

Jewel lifted her treasure tenderly from its velvet bed, and he showed her how to twist its stem, and then pinned it securely on the breast of her light sailor suit, where she looked down upon it in rapt admiration.

"Now then, Jewel, you have no excuse!" he said severely.

She raised her happy eyes, while her hand pressed the satin surface of her watch. "Grandpa, grandpa!" she said, sighing ecstatically, "you're such a joker!"

CHAPTER XXIV

THE RAVINE GARDEN

Mrs. Evringham tried heroically to look impa.s.sive when her daughter returned from the ride. There was barely time then to dress for dinner, and no opportunity for confidences before the meal, nor afterward until bedtime; but the look of peace and sweetness in Eloise's face could have but one significance to the mother, who believed that peace lay only in the direction upon which she had set her heart.

Mr. Evringham took coffee with them after dinner in the drawing-room, while Jewel caressed her watch, never tiring of looking at its clear face and the little second hand which traveled so steadily its tiny circuit.

Mrs. Evringham looked often toward the door, expectant of the doctor's entrance. The evening wore on and he did not come. Still Eloise's face wore the placid, restful expression. A gentle ease with her grandfather replaced her old manner.

Her mother determined to try an experiment.

"You could never guess who called to-day, Eloise," she said suddenly.

Her daughter looked up from her coffee. "No. Who was it?"

"Nat Bonnell."

"Really!" The girl's tone indicated great surprise, and that only. "I wish I might have seen him."

The addition was made so calmly, almost perfunctorily, that Mrs.

Evringham smiled with exultation.

She turned to her father-in-law. "Who would believe that Mr. Bonnell was Eloise's brightest flame a year ago? 'How soon are we forgot!'" she said lightly.

When Jewel had kissed them all good-night and gone upstairs, and Mr.

Evringham had withdrawn to his library, Mrs. Evringham took her child's hand and looked fondly into her eyes.

"Well?" she asked.

"Well," returned Eloise, "do tell me everything Nat said."

"After you've told me everything Dr. Ballard said. I supposed you'd fly to tell me, dear."