The doctor's words and looks remained in Jewel's mind after she reachedhome that day. She mused concerning him while she was taking off AnnaBelle's hat and jacket up in her own room.
"I don't suppose you could understand much what he meant, dearie," shesaid, her face very sober from stress of thought, "but I did. If I'dbeen as big as mother I could have helped him; but I knew I was toolittle, and when people don't understand, mother says it is so easy tomake mistakes in what you say to them."
Anna Belle's silence gave assent, and her sweet expression was alwaysa solace to Jewel, who kissed the hard roses in her cheeks repeatedlybefore she sat her in the big chair by the window and went down tolunch. Anna Belle's forced abstemiousness had ceased to afflict her.At the lunch table she gave a vivacious account of the morning'sdiversions, and for once Mrs. Evringham listened to what she said,a curious expression on her face. This lady had expected to endureannoyance with this child on her grandfather's account; but for unkindfate to cause Jewel to be a hindrance and a marplot in the case of Dr.Ballard was adding insult to injury.
The child, suddenly catching the expression of Mrs. Evringham's eyes asthey rested upon her, was startled, and ceased talking.
"Aunt Madge does love me," she declared mentally. "God's children loveone another every minute, every minute."
"So Mr. Reeves told you where you can go to church," said Eloise,replying to Jewel's last bit of information.
"Yes, and"--the little girl was going on eagerly to suggest that hercousin accompany her, when suddenly Dr. Ballard's eyes seemed looking ather and repeating their protest.
She stopped, and ate for a time in silence. Mrs. Forbes paid littleattention to what was being said. She moved about perfunctorily, with anair of preoccupation. She had a more serious trouble now than the careand intrusion of the belongings of Lawrence and Harry Evringham, a worrythat for days and nights had not ceased to gnaw at her heart, first as asuspicion and afterward as a certainty.
When luncheon was over, Eloise in leaving the dining-room, put her armaround Jewel's shoulders, and together they strolled through the halland out upon the piazza.
Mrs. Evringham looked after them. "If only that child weren't a littlefanatic and Eloise in such an erratic, wayward state, ready to seizeupon anything novel, it would be all very well," she mused, "for Dr.Ballard seems to find Jewel amusing, and it might be a point of commoninterest. As it is, if ever I wished any one in Jericho, it's thatchild."
Jewel, happy in the proximity of her lovely cousin, satisfied herself bya glance that aunt Madge was not following.
Eloise looked about over the sunny, verdant landscape. "What a deceitfulworld," she said. "It looks so serene and easy to live in. So it wasvery lovely over at your ravine this morning?"
"Oh!" Jewel looked up at her with eager eyes. "Let's go. You haven'tbeen there. It's only a little way. You don't need your hat, cousinEloise."
Summer was in the air. The girl was amused at the child's enthusiastictone. "Very well," she answered.
Jewel drew her on with an embracing arm, and they descended the stepsand walked down the path.
Suddenly the child stopped. "Doesn't it seem unkind to go without AnnaBelle!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, nonsense," returned Eloise, smiling. "You're not going way upstairsto get her. We needn't tell her we went. She's been out driving all themorning. I think it's my turn."
The child looked happily up into her cousin's face. "I love to see youlaugh, cousin Eloise," she returned, and they strolled on.
The park drives were deserted. The cousins reached the gorge withoutmeeting any one. Leaning upon the slender fence, they gazed down intothe green depths, and for a minute listened to the woodland melody.
"Isn't it just like your Spring Song?" asked the child at last.
"It is sweet and comforting and good," replied the girl slowly, afar-off look in her eyes.
Jewel lifted her shoulders. "Don't you want to get down there, cousinEloise?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
"Yes," replied the girl promptly.
"Will it hurt your dress?" added Jewel, with a sudden memory of Mrs.Forbes, as she looked over her cousin's immaculate black and whitecostume.
"I guess not," laughed the girl. "Are you afraid Mrs. Forbes will put meto bed?"
She bent her lithe figure and was under the wire in a twinkling. Jewelcrept gleefully after her, but was careful to hold her little skirtsout of harm's way as they climbed down the steep bank and at last restedamong the ferns by the brook. Its louder babble seemed to welcome them.Nature had been busy at her miracle working since the child's lastvisit. Without moving she could have gathered a handful of littleblossoms. Instead, she rolled over and kissed a near clump of violets."You darling, darling things!" she said.
Eloise looked up through far boughs to the fleece-flecked sky."Everything worth living for is right here, Jewel," she said. "Let'shave a tent and not give any one our address."
"I think we ought to let Dr. Ballard come, don't you?"
"Now why did you pick him out?" returned Eloise plaintively. She wasresting her head against her clasped hands as she stretched herselfagainst the incline of her verdant couch. Her companion did not reply atonce, and Eloise lazily turned her head to where she could view the eyesfixed upon her.
"What are you thinking of, Jewel?"
"I was just thinking that if my mother made you a thin green dress thatswept around you all long and narrow, you'd look like a flower, too."
The girl smiled back at the sky. "That's very nice. You can think thosethoughts all you please."
"That wasn't all, though, because I was thinking about Dr. Ballard.He feels sorry. I couldn't tell you about it at lunch, because auntMadge--well, because--"
"Yes," returned Eloise quietly. "It is better for us to be alone."
Jewel's brow relaxed. "Yes," she said contentedly, "in the Ravine ofHappiness."
"Look out, though," continued the girl in the same quiet tone andlooking back at the sky. "Look out what you say here. It is easy nowto feel that all is harmonious, and that discords do not exist. I thinkeven if grandfather appeared I could talk with him peacefully."
"I have thought about it," returned the child, "and it seems hard toknow what to say; but I love you and Dr. Ballard both, so it will besure to come out right. He feels sorry if you are beginning to like tostudy Christian Science."
"Really, did he speak of that to you? I think he might have chosen a manof his size."
"Of course he spoke of it when he found out I wanted to ask you to takeme to our church."
"Where is the church here?" Eloise abandoned her lazy tone.
"They have a hall. Mr. Reeves wrote it down for me. Do you really care,cousin Eloise? You've been so kind and helped me, but do you reallybegin to care?"
"Care? Who could help caring, if it is true? I've been reading some ofthe tales of cures in your magazine. If those people tell the truth"--
"Why, cousin Eloise!" The child's shocked eyes recalled the girl'sself-centred thoughts.
"I beg your pardon, dear. It was rude to say that. I'm not ill, Jewel.I'm so well and strong that--I've sometimes wished I wasn't, but lifeturned petty and disgusting to me. I resented everything. It is just aswonderful and radiant a star of hope to read that there is a sure wayout of my tangle as if I had consumption and was promised a cure ofthat. I don't yet exactly believe it, but I don't disbelieve it. All Iknow is I want to read, read, read all the time. I was just thinking aminute ago that if we had the books here it would be perfect. This isthe sort of place where it would be easiest to see that only the goodis the real, and that the unsubstantiality of everything evil can beproved."
Jewel gave her head a little shake. "Just think of poor Dr. Ballardbeing afraid to have you believe that."
"But who wouldn't be afraid to believe it, who wouldn't!" exclaimed thegirl vehemently.
"Why, I've always known it, cousin Eloise," returned the child simply.
"You dear baby. You haven't live
d long. I don't want to climb into afool's paradise only to fall out with a dull thud."
Jewel looked at her, grasping as well as she could her meaning. "I knowI'm only a little girl; but if you should go to church with me," shesaid, "you'd see a lot of grown-up people who know it's true. Then wecould go on Wednesday evenings and hear them tell what Christian Sciencehas done for them."
"Oh, I'm sure I shouldn't like that," responded Eloise quickly. "How canthey bear to tell!"
"They don't think it's right not to. There are lots of other peoplebesides you that are sorry and need to learn the truth."
The rebuke was so innocent and, withal, so direct, that honest Eloiseturned toward Jewel and made an impulsive grasp toward her, capturingnothing but the edge of the child's dress, which she held firmly.
"You're right, Jewel. I'm a selfish, thin-skinned creature," shedeclared.
The little girl shook her head. "You've got to stop thinking you are,you know," she answered. "You have to know that the error Eloise isn'tyou."
"That's mortal mind, I suppose," returned Eloise, smiling at the soundof the phrase.
"I should think it was! Old thing! Always trying to cheat us!" saidJewel. "All that you have to do is to remember every minute that God'schild must be manifested. He inherits every good and perfect thing, andhas dominion over every belief of everything else."
Eloise stared at her in wonder. "Do you know what you've talking about,you little thing, when you use all those long words?"
"Yes. Don't you?" asked the child. "Oh, listen!" for a bird suddenlypoured a wild strain of melody from the treetop.
"And just think," said Jewel presently, in a soft, awestruck tone, "thatsome people wear birds sewed on their hats, just as if they were gladsomething was dead!"
"It _is_ weird," agreed Eloise. "I never liked it. Jewel, did Dr.Ballard blame you because I am interested in Christian Science?"
"He said he wished I wouldn't talk to you and go to church andeverything."
The girl bit a blade of grass and eyed the child's serious face.
"Well, what are you going to do about it?"
"I asked God to show me. I wish Dr. Ballard would study with you."
"That is impossible. He has spent years learning his science, and heloves it and is proud of it; so what next?"
"Very queer things happen sometimes," rejoined Jewel doubtfully.
"But not so queer as that would be," returned Eloise.
Jewel was pondering. This was very delicate ground, and she still feltsome awe of her cousin; however, there was only one thing to consider.
"Do you love him better than anybody, cousin Eloise?" she asked.
A flood of color warmed the girl's face, but she had to smile.
"Would that make the difference?" she asked. "Mustn't we want the truthanyway?"
Jewel heaved a mighty sigh. She was thinking of Dr. Ballard's pensiveeyes. "I should _think_ so," she answered frankly; "because if you juststudy the truth, and hold on tight, how can things be anything buthappy at last? I wish I was more grown up, cousin Eloise," she addedapologetically.
"Oh no, no," answered the girl, with a little catch in her throat. "I'vehad so much of grown-up people, Jewel! I'm so grown up myself! Justa little while ago I was a schoolgirl, busy and happy all the time. Inever even went out anywhere except with father, and with Nat when hewas at home from college. You don't know Nat, but you'd like him."
"Why! Is he a Christian Scientist?"
For answer Eloise laughed low but heartily. "Nat a Christian Scientist!"she mused aloud. "Not exactly, my little cousin!"
"Then should I like him as well as Dr. Ballard?" asked Jewelincredulously.
"I don't know. Tastes differ."
"Does he like horses?" asked the child.
"He knows everything about a horse and a yacht except how to pay forthem, poor boy," returned Eloise.
"Is he poor?"
"Yes, he is poor and expensive. It is a bad combination; it is almostas bad as being poor and extravagant. His mother is a widow, andthey haven't much, but what there was she has insisted on spending onhim--that is, all she could spare from the doctor's bills."
"She needs Science then, doesn't she?"
"Jewel, that would be one thing that would keep me from wanting to bea Scientist. What's the fun of being one unless everybody else is? Mymother, for instance."
"Yes; but then you'd find out how to help her."
Eloise glanced at the child curiously. She thought it would beinteresting to peep into Jewel's mind and see her estimate of AuntMadge.
"My mother has a great deal to trouble her," she said loyally.
"Yes, I know she thinks she has," returned the child.
Again her response surprised her companion.
"I'll take you as you are, Jewel," she said. "I'm glad you're not grownup. You're fresher from the workshop."
Jewel: A Chapter in Her Life Page 24
