第57章 ESSEX MAID(3)

"How are you,Ballard?Jewel wished to hear her cousin's music,and so behold us.If we bring a reminder of the stable,blame her.""Oh father,that dear horse is all right,I'm sure,"gushed Mrs.

Evringham,"or else you wouldn't be here!"

"What?Something the matter with Essex Maid?"asked Dr.Ballard with concern.

"Yes."Mr.Evringham seated himself."A sharp attack,but short.She was relieved before we could get Busby here."The speaker contracted his eyebrows and looked at the child,who was still beside him."The mare had received mental treatments meanwhile,"he added gravely.

Dr.Ballard smiled,and drawing Jewel to him,lifted her upon his knee."Look here,"he said,"can't you let anything around here be sick in peace?We doctors shall have to form a union and manage to get you boycotted."The child smiled back at him,her head a little on one side,as her manner was when she was in doubt how to respond.

"What a blessing!"exclaimed Mrs.Evringham vivaciously."Here,father,is the best cup of coffee you ever drank,if I did make it myself."Many weeks had elapsed since the broker had accepted a cup of coffee from that fair hand,but he rose now to take it with good grace.

"Is there going to be some cambric tea for this baby?"inquired Dr.

Ballard.

"You must be hungry,Jewel;you hadn't finished your dinner,"said her grandfather,but she protested that she was not.

"How is Anna Belle?"asked Dr.Ballard."It's a long time since I saw her.""Would you like to?"asked Jewel doubtfully.

"Why--of--course!--if she's still up.Don't have her dress on my account.""She doesn't go to bed till I do,"responded the child."I know she'd love to come down!"In a flash she had bounded to the door and disappeared.

Eloise was still sitting on the piano stool,facing the room.

"Grandfather,"she said,leaning slightly forward in her earnestness,"did Jewel really treat Essex Maid?"The broker shrugged his shoulders and smiled as he stirred his coffee.

"I believe she did."

"And do you think it did the horse any good?""Don't be absurd!"cried her mother laughingly,on nettles lest the girl displease the young doctor.

"Don't crowd me,Eloise,don't crowd me,"responded Mr.Evringham.

"I'd rather have something a little more substantial doing for a sick horse than the prayers of an infant;eh,Ballard?""I've been reading Jewel's Christian Science book a great deal the last few days,"said Eloise."If it's the truth,then she helped Essex Maid."Mrs.Evringham was dismayed."What a very large if,my dear,"she returned lightly.

"She's a bright little girl,"said Dr.Ballard,and as he spoke Jewel came back.

She brought her doll straight to him,and he took both child and doll on his lap.

"Dear fellow,"thought Mrs.Evringham,"how fond he is of children!

I'd like to put Eloise in a strait-jacket.Do play some more,dear,won't you?"she said aloud,eager to return to safe ground.

"Oh yes,cousin Eloise,"added Jewel ardently.

"If you will sing afterward.Will you?"asked the girl.

"Can you sing,Jewel?"asked Mr.Evringham.

"No,grandpa,nothing but the tunes in church.""Well,"he responded,half smiling again,"I don't know that a hymn would be so out of place to-night.""Do play the lovely running thing about spring,cousin Eloise,"begged the child.

The girl turned back to the piano."Jewel is so modern that she doesn't know the Mendelssohn 'Spring Song,'"she said,and forthwith she began it.

Jewel's head lay back against Dr.Ballard's shoulder,and her eyes never swerved from the white-robed musician.

When the player had finished and been thanked,the child and the doctor exchanged a look of appreciation."That sounds the way it does in the Ravine of Happiness,"said Jewel.

"Where is that?"

"Where the brook is."

"Oh!"Dr.Ballard had unpleasant associations with the brook."Iunderstand you are fond of horses,"he added irrelevantly.

"Oh yes."

"Do you want to go driving with me to-morrow morning?"Jewel's face grew radiant.

"Oh yes!"She looked across at her grandfather.

"I promised to take you driving,didn't I,Jewel?Well,the pleasant weather has come.I guess she'll go with me to-morrow,Ballard.""Guess again,Mr.Evringham,"retorted the doctor gayly."She has accepted my invitation."Mrs.Evringham looked on and wondered."What is it about that child that takes them all?"she soliloquized."She reminds me of that dreadfully plain Madam what's-her-name,who was so fascinating to everybody at the French court."Eloise was smiling."Now it's your turn,Jewel,"she said.

The child looked from one to another."I never sang for anybody,"she returned doubtfully.

"Yes indeed,for Anna Belle.I've heard you,"said Eloise.

"Oh,she was singing with me."

"Very well.Let her sing with you now."

"What one?"

"The one I heard,--'Father,where Thine own children are I love to be.'""Oh,you mean.'O'er waiting harpstrings.'All right,"and the child,sitting where she was,sang the well-loved hymn to a touched audience.

"Upon my word,Jewel,"said her grandfather when she had finished.

"Your music isn't all in your soul."His eyes were glistening.

"Those are beautiful words,"said Dr.Ballard."I don't remember any such hymn.""Mrs.Eddy wrote it,"returned the child.

"It wasn't Castle Discord to-night,"she said later to Anna Belle,while they were going to bed."Didn't you notice how much differently people loved one another?"