hink made that high
fever go away?"
The little girl looked up brightly. "Oh, I telegraphed to Mrs. Lewis,
one of mother's friends in Chicago, to treat me."
"The dev--What do you mean, child?"
Mr. Evringham gazed at her, and his tone was so fierce, although he was
only very much amazed, that Jewel's smile faded. The corners of her
lips drew down pitifully, and suddenly she slipped from her chair, and
running to him threw her arms around his neck and buried her averted
face, revealing two forlorn little flaxen pigtails devoid of ribbons.
"What's this, Jewel?" he said quickly, fearfully embarrassed before his
wondering audience. "This is very irregular, very irregular." He dropped
his fork perforce, and his hand closed over the little arm across his
cravat.
Jewel was trying to control a sob that struggled to escape, and saying
over and over, as nearly as he could understand, something about God
being Love.
"Go right back to your chair now, like a good girl."
"Do you--love me?" whispered Jewel.
"Yes--yes, I do."
"You spoke like"--a sob--"like hating."
"Not at all, not at all," rejoined Mr. Evringham quickly, "but I was
very much surprised, very."
"Shall I take her upstairs, sir?" asked Mrs. Forbes, nearly bursting
with the outrage of such an interruption to her employer's sacred
dinner.
"No, she's going to sit right down in her chair and not make any
trouble. Don't you like those roses I brought you, Jewel?" he added
awkwardly, hoping to make a diversion. He was successful. She lowered
her face, a fleeting April smile flitting over it.
"Did grandfather bring you those lovely roses?" asked Eloise.
Mr. Evringham flashed her his first glance of approval for so quickly
taking the cue.
"Yes," replied the child, her breath catching as she went back to her
chair. "I seemed so sick when he went away this morning was the reason;
so now I'm well again--they belong to everybody, don't they, grandpa?"
Mr. Evringham paused to consider a reply. He desired to be careful in
public not to draw upon himself that small catapult.
"They belong to you still, Jewel. I never take back my presents," he
returned at last.
"And I think Mrs. Forbes was mistaken about the false pretends," said
the child, swallowing and looking apologetically at the housekeeper,
"because who would pretend such error as sickness, and of course you'd
know I didn't pretend."
"Certainly not," said Mr. Evringham. "Mrs. Forbes didn'
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