Jewel: A Chapter in Her Life Part 18

"I shall love to wear them to please you, grandpa," she returned affectionately. "I'll put them on every time I can think of it."

"Only when it is wet, of course," he said. "When it is rainy."

"Oh yes," she returned, "when it's rainy."

"Harry looked like my father, and she does, by Jove," mused Mr.

Evringham. "She's like me. Knows what she wants to eat, and cares for a horse, if she is a strange little being."

"You say you like horses?" he remarked suddenly.

"I just love them," answered Jewel, "and I came real close to them once.

Father took me to the horse show."

"He did, eh?"

"Yes, he told mother he was going to blow me to it." The child laughed.

"Father's the greatest joker; he says the funniest things. He didn't blow me to it at all. He took me in the cable car, and we had more _fun_! It was the most be--eautiful place you ever saw."

"It was, eh?"

"Yes. The music was playing, and there were coaches and four-in-hands and horns and men in red coats and beautiful little s.h.i.+ny carriages--and the horses! Oh, they all looked so proud and glad, and they trotted and ran and jumped over high fences, and the harness jingled and the people cheered!" The child's cheeks were glowing.

Mr. Evringham gave an exclamation that was almost a laugh. "You didn't sleep much that night, I'll wager!"

"No, I didn't want to. I stayed awake a long time to realize that G.o.d doesn't love one of His children any better than another, so of course some time I'll wear a tall s.h.i.+ny hat and ride over fences just like flying. I'll have a horse," Jewel added slowly, looking off with a rapt expression as at a long-cherished vision, "with a white star in his forehead!"

"H'm! Very good taste," returned Mr. Evringham, scarcely knowing what he was saying, so dazed was he by the extraordinary mixture of ideas.

After breakfast he had his usual interview with Mrs. Forbes concerning the important event of dinner. Jewel had run upstairs to dress Anna Belle.

The menu decided upon, Mr. Evringham still lingered.

"Mrs. Forbes, I have never had any experience with little girls. You have, no doubt," he said. "Am I right in thinking that my granddaughter is--is a rather unusual specimen?"

"She's older than d.i.c.k's hatband, sir," rejoined the housekeeper promptly.

"Are they, perhaps, teaching differently in the schools from what they used to?"

"Not that I know of, Mr. Evringham."

"She uses very unusual expressions. I can't make it out. You are an intelligent woman, Mrs. Forbes. Did you ever happen to hear of such a thing as the--a--a--Scientific Statement of Being!"

"Never in my life, sir," returned the housekeeper virtuously.

"Extraordinary language that, from a--a child of her years. She seems to have been peculiarly brought up. You heard her reference to--in fact to--the Creator."

"I did, sir. At the breakfast table, too! I was as shocked as you were, sir. Her mother put a Bible into her trunk, but it's plain she never taught her any reverence. The Almighty give her a jumping horse indeed!

If you'll excuse me, Mr. Evringham, I think you should have said something right there."

The broker pulled his mustache. "I've listened to more unreasonable views of heaven," he returned.

"Do you think it was heaven she was talking about!"

Mr. Evringham shrugged his shoulders. "You can't prove anything by me.

She's the most extraordinary child I ever listened to."

Mrs. Forbes pursed her lips. "You'd not believe, sir, how differently she behaves when she is alone with me. As mild-mannered and quiet as you'd wish to see anywhere. She scarcely speaks a word."

Mr. Evringham bit his lip and nodded. It gave him some amus.e.m.e.nt in the midst of his perplexity to remember the manner in which he had been advised to exorcise this tower of strength altogether.

"It's my opinion, sir, that children should be made to eat what is set before them," went on Mrs. Forbes, reverting to her princ.i.p.al grievance.

"It would save you a lot of trouble if I had been trained that way--eh, Mrs. Forbes?" returned the other, with extraordinary lightness.

"You are a very different thing, I should hope!" exclaimed Mrs. Forbes solemnly.

"Yes, about fifty years different. Hard to teach an old dog new tricks, eh? You might have some chops for her luncheon, perhaps, and an extra one for her breakfast. She hasn't eaten anything this morning."

For the first time an order from Mr. Evringham evoked no reply from his housekeeper. He felt the weight of her disapproval. "But get the overshoes by all means, as soon as convenient," he made haste to add.

"Ring for Zeke, if you please, Mrs. Forbes. I must be off."

CHAPTER IX

A SHOPPING EXPEDITION

The housekeeper warned Jewel not to run out of doors that morning as she wished to accompany her to the shoe store.

"I'm not going to take you, Anna Belle," Jewel said to her doll. "I don't like to ask the giantess if I may, and of course, it won't be a very good time anyway, so you be patient and we'll go out together this afternoon."

Mrs. Forbes's long widow's veil, a decoration she never had discarded hung low over her black gown as she stepped deliberately down the stairs from her barn chamber.

"I am going with the little girl, Zeke, to buy her a pair of rubbers,"

she announced to her son.

"Going foot-back? Why don't you have out the 'broom'? One granddaughter's got as good a right to it as the other, hasn't she?"

"I should say so, but that child, Zeke, in addition to her wonderful boldness this morning with Mr. Evringham, that I told you about, is perfectly crazy over horses."

"H'm. That don't surprise me. A young one that can stand up to the governor wouldn't be afraid of anything in the way of horseflesh."

"So I decided," continued Mrs. Forbes, pulling on her roomy black gloves, "that it would be better for her to go this morning in the trolley."

"You _did_? Well if that ain't a regular step-mother act!" returned Zeke in protest. "The kid had a bully time coming home from the depot yesterday. d.i.c.k felt good, and he just lit out. I tell you her eyes shone."

"I like to do what's best for folks in the end," declared Mrs. Forbes virtuously. "Julia's parents are poor, and likely to be. She's only going to be here six weeks, and what is the sense of encouraging a taste she can't ever indulge? No, I'll take her in the trolley. It's a nice morning, and I shan't mind the walk down to the gate." The speaker marched with the dignity which was always inseparable from the veil toward the back door of the house to give some last orders, and Zeke lounged out with his rake toward the grounds at the front. There he caught sight of a small figure in hat and jacket waiting on the piazza.

He turned toward it, and Jewel advanced with a smile of recognition.

She had had to look twice to identify her fine plum-colored companion of yesterday's drive with this youth in s.h.i.+rt sleeves and a soft old hat.