ust be the reason. I wish I could tell her"--Jewel jumped to her feet,
but just as she was determining to go to her cousin, the soft-toned gong
pealed its mellow summons, and she saw Eloise rise from the piano in
time to meet her mother, who at that moment entered the room.

Jewel went into the house, hung up her hat and jacket, and deposited her
packages. By the time she reached the dining-room her aunt and cousin
were already seated. Mrs. Evringham put up her lorgnette as she greeted
the child. Eloise nodded a grave good-morning, and Mrs. Forbes began to
serve the luncheon.

Jewel looked in vain for any trace of excitement or tears on her
cousin's lovely face. Eloise did not address her or any one. Mrs.
Evringham did the talking. After a question as to how Jewel had spent
the morning, and without listening to the child's reply, she began to
talk to her daughter of a drive she wished to take that afternoon.

Jewel discerned that Mrs. Forbes was not kindly disposed toward the
mother and daughter, and that they ignored the housekeeper; that Eloise
was languid and out of sympathy with her mother, and that Mrs. Evringham
was impatient with her, often to the verge of sharpness. The child was
glad when luncheon was over; but before going upstairs she brought her
small bag of caramels and offered them to the ladies.

Mrs. Evringham gave a little laugh of surprise and looked at Eloise, who
took one with a sober "Thank you."

"I don't believe I could, child," said aunt Madge, glancing with
amusement at the striped bag. "Keep them for yourself."

"You'll have some, won't you, Mrs. Forbes?" asked Jewel, and the
housekeeper so strongly disapproved of Mrs. Evringham's manner that she
accepted.

"Perhaps you would like to try some of our candy, Julia," said Mrs.
Evringham, as the child followed her aunt and cousin upstairs.

Jewel paused while aunt Madge brought from her room into the hall a
large box, beribboned and laced, full of a variety of confections.

"How pretty!" exclaimed the child.

"This is from your friend, Dr. Ballard," said her aunt. "He sent it to
the charming little girl, Eloise."

Jewel, running on up to her room eating the creamy chocolate, wondered
still more why her cousin should seem so sorry, with so much to make her
happy.

"Now, Anna Belle, the time has really come," she said happily to her
doll, as she took her in her arms and began putting on her jacket and
hat. "We're going away from Castle