ard his
little patient. "Jewel, I'm not so surprised as I might be at your
improvement," he said kindly. "You will have to excuse me for a little
righteous deception. I put medicine into that glass of water, and now
you're glad I did, aren't you? I'd like you to tell me, little girl, as
near as you can, how often you took it?"

"I didn't take it," replied the child.

Dr. Ballard drew back a little. "You mean," he said after a moment, "you
took it only once?"

"No, sir, I didn't take it at all."

There was a silence, during which all could hear the ticking of the
clock on the table, and the three pairs eyes were fixed on Jewel with
such varying expressions of amazement and disapproval that the child's
breath began to come faster.

"Didn't you drink any of the water?" asked Dr. Ballard at last.

"Yes, out of the pitcher."

"Why not out of the glass?"

"It didn't look enough. I was so thirsty."

They could not doubt her.

Mr. Evringham finally found his voice.

"Jewel, why didn't you obey the doctor?" His eyes and voice were so
serious that she stretched out her arm.

"Oh, grandpa," she said, "please let me take hold of your hand."

"No, not till you answer me. Little girls should be obedient."

Jewel thought a minute.

"He said it wasn't medicine, so what was the use?" she asked.

Mr. Evringham, seeming to find an answer to this difficult, bit the end
of his mustache.

Dr. Ballard was feeling his very ears grow red, while Mrs. Forbes's lips
were set in a line of exasperation.

"Grandpa," said Jewel, and the child's voice was very earnest, "there's
a Bible over there on the table. You look in there in the Gospels, and
you'll find everywhere how Jesus tells us to do what I've done. He said
he must go away, but he would send the Comforter to us, and this book
tells about the Comforter." Jewel took the copy of "Science and Health"
from under the sheet.

"God's creation couldn't get sick. It's just His own image and likeness,
so how could it? And when you can get right into God's love, what do you
want of medicine to swallow? God wouldn't be omnipotent if He needed any
help. You see I'm well. Isn't that all you want, grandpa?"

The appeal of her eyes caused the broker to stir undecidedly. "I never
did have any use for doctors," he thought, after the manner of many who,
nevertheless, are eager to fly to the brotherhood for help at the first
suggestion of pain. Moreover, the humor of the situation was b