hing to do with us," said Eloise.

"Why--ee!" Jewel suddenly dropped Anna Belle and again took up the
Bible.

"What do you think I opened to?" holding the verse with her finger as
she looked up. Then she read, "'If ye love them that love you what thank
have ye?' Now isn't that something to do with you and grandpa?"

"I don't see how I can love people who don't choose to be lovable,"
returned Eloise. "What's the use of pretending?"

"But then," said the child, "the trouble is that everything that isn't
love is hate."

Her visitor raised her eyebrows. "Ah! I should have to think about
that," she returned.

"Yes, you'd better," agreed Jewel. Then she turned to the Psalms and
read the ninety-first.

When she had finished she looked up at her cousin, an earnest
questioning in her eyes.

"That is very beautiful," said Eloise. "I never heard it before. How
well you read it, Jewel."

"Yes," replied the child. "It's so much easier to read things when you
know them by heart." Then she turned to the Twenty-third Psalm and read
it.

"Yes, I've heard that one. It's beautiful of course, but I never thought
of its having anything to do with us." Eloise was watching her cousin
curiously. It seemed too strange for belief that a healthy child of her
age should be taking a vital interest in the Bible and endeavoring to
prove a position from its pages.

When the girl finally rose to go she turned at the door:--

"Remember your promise not to tell grandfather about this morning," she
said.

Jewel, hovering about her, looked troubled.

"Would you just as lief tell me why?" she asked.

Eloise gave the ghost of a smile. "It would be a long story, and I
scarcely think you would understand."

"I think I could obey you better if you would tell me."

"Very well. We, my mother and I, are not Mr. Evringham's real
relations,--to put it as you do,--and we have come here because my poor
father lost his money and we have nowhere else to go. We came without
being invited, and it hurts to have to stay where we are not wanted. I
don't wish grandfather to think that I am being kind to you, for fear he
will believe that I am doing it to make him like me better and because I
want to stay here."

The girl spoke slowly and with great clearness.

Jewel looked at her, speechless with surprise and perplexity.

Eloise went on: "I don't want to stay here, you understand. I wish to go
away. I would go to-day if my mother were willing."

H