Jewel: A Chapter in Her Life Part 46

"Did she really?"

"Yes. Zeke said his knees were shaking."

"But she was all right by the time Dr. Busby arrived?"

"Yes."

Dr. Ballard looked at his small companion, a quizzical smile curving his mustache.

"I've never thought of taking a partner, Jewel, but I might consider a mascot. What do you say to sharing my office and being my mascot?

Special high chair for Anna Belle, be it well understood."

The little girl eyed him, her head on one side. It was her experience that all men were jokers. "I don't know what a mascot is," she replied.

"It's something or somebody that brings one good luck."

"Do you think I could bring you good luck?"

"It looks that way. Of course there are certain rules you would have to observe. It wouldn't do for you to talk against materia medica to the patients in the anteroom."

"What is an anteroom?"

"The place where my patients wait until I can see them in my office."

Jewel lifted her shoulders and smiled. "I might read them 'Science and Health' while they waited, and then they wouldn't have to go in."

Dr. Ballard's laugh rang heartily along the leafy street. "Is that your idea of mascoting a poor young physician?" he inquired.

Jewel laughed in sympathy. She didn't quite understand him, but she knew that they were having a very good time.

Pretty soon her companion drove in at the gate of an imposing old residence, set back from the street where the trolley ran with an air of withdrawing from the intrusion of these modern tracks.

"I thought it wouldn't injure your conscience to wait for me while I made a couple of professional visits, Jewel, eh?" he asked, as he jumped out and fastened Hector to the ring in the hand of a bronze boy. "I won't be any longer than I can help, and don't you go to hoodooing me, now, while I'm upstairs." The doctor returned to the buggy and took the black case, frowning warningly at the child. "I have troubles enough here without that. This old lady used to trot me on her knee, and she wants to spend half an hour every morning proving that doctors don't know anything before she'll let me get to business."

"It must be hard for doctors," returned Jewel, "going to sorry people all the time, and nothing to give them except something on their tongues."

Dr. Ballard gave his small companion a quick glance. If he secretly considered her beliefs as too richly absurd to excite aught but amus.e.m.e.nt, she evidently as honestly compa.s.sionated the poverty of ideas in his learned profession.

"Well, I'll hurry," he said, and vanished within the house. Time would not have dragged for Jewel had he stayed all the morning. To sit in the s.h.i.+ning buggy in close proximity to the dappled gray Hector, and with Anna Belle for a sympathizer, caused the minutes to be winged.

When the doctor returned, a radiant face welcomed him.

"I thought I should never get away," he sighed, "but you don't look bored."

He untied the horse, jumped into the buggy, and they were off again, Hector striding along as if to make up for lost time. "Now only one more call, Jewel, and then we'll get back out of the dust again," said the doctor cheerily.

"I haven't noticed any dust, Dr. Ballard. I'm having the most _fun_!"

"Well now, I'm glad of that. It's a great thing to be eight years old, Jewel."

"That's what cousin Eloise says. She says she'd like to be."

"Indeed? How is the enchanting--excuse me--I mean the enchanted maiden this morning?"

"She's well. She ties my bows now, so grandpa doesn't have to."

"Ties your--" The doctor looked at the speaker, mystified.

Jewel put her hand up to the small billows of silk behind her ear. "My hair bows. They were real hard for grandpa to do."

Dr. Ballard repressed a guffaw, and then turned solemn. "Do you mean to say that Mr. Evringham tied your hair ribbons?"

"Why yes."

"That settles it, Jewel. You must go into partners.h.i.+p with me and wave wands and things. Setting Ess.e.x Maid on her legs wasn't a patch on that."

Jewel regarded him questioningly a moment and then repeated, "But it was real hard for grandpa."

"I can believe it!"

"And cousin Eloise is the kindest girl. She's like grandpa about that.

Her kindness is inside, too."

"Is it indeed? You don't know how much I thank you for telling me where to look for it."

"Oh, she must be kind to _you_, Dr. Ballard!"

"Once in a while, once in a while," he replied cautiously, but Jewel couldn't get a look into his eyes, though she tried, he was so busily engaged poking an invisible fly from Hector's side with the point of the whip. "If you'll find a way to make her kind to me all the time, Jewel, then you will be my mascot indeed."

"All you have to do is to know she is," replied the child earnestly.

"I felt the way you do, at first, but now I've found out just because I stopped being afraid."

"Ah, that's the recipe, eh? All I've to do is to stop being afraid."

"That's all!" cried Jewel, beaming at his ready comprehension. "You'll find out there isn't a thing to be afraid of with Cousin Eloise, and oh, Dr. Ballard," the child smiled at him wistfully, "she's getting so--so--unenchanted."

"You just waved your wand, I suppose, and said 'Presto change,'"

returned the young man.

He turned Hector down a side street and drew rein under a large elm.

"Here's my rheumatic gentleman," he added, as he jumped from the buggy and fastened the horse. "He won't keep me waiting while he abuses doctors, so I shan't be quite so long this time." The speaker seized his case and went up a garden path to the house, and Jewel, with a luxurious sigh, set Anna Belle in the place he had vacated.

CHAPTER XX

BY THE BROOKSIDE

Scarcely had she seen the doctor admitted and the house door closed when an approaching pedestrian caught her eye. She recognized him at once, and a little more color stole into her round cheeks, while an unconscious smile touched her lips.