and
now the reputation of being a difficult old martinet. Never unkind to
anything! Why, she's a little feminine Siegfried, that precious Jewel.
Ballard and the cousin, eh? I've heard that rumor."

When Dr. Ballard returned to the buggy, Jewel began loquaciously telling
him of her pleasant experience.

"And he knows you, Mr. Reeves does, and he said you were a nice fellow,"
she finished, beaming.

"Very civil of him, I'm sure," returned the doctor as the horse started.
"I distinctly remember his having a different opinion one night when he
caught me in his favorite cherry tree; but I don't yet understand the
levity of his behavior in scraping acquaintance with the young lady I
left unprotected in my buggy."

"Oh, we'd met before in a trolley car," explained Jewel. "I wanted to
run right to him when I first saw that he was a Scientist."

"A what? Mr. Reeves? Oh, go 'way, my little mascot. Go 'way!"

"Yes, he had on the pin--this one, you know." Jewel touched the small
gold symbol, and Dr. Ballard examined it curiously. "So we smiled at
each other, and to-day he's told me where I can come to church, and I'm
nearly sure cousin Eloise will go with me."

Dr. Ballard's eyes grew serious as he turned Hector's head toward the
park. "I can scarcely believe it of Mr. Reeves," he said.

"He says you are too nice to bow down to false gods," added Jewel shyly.

"If mine are false to you, yours are false to me," said the young man
kindly. "You can understand that, can't you, Jewel?"

"Yes, I can."

"And we should never quarrel over it, should we?" he went on.

"No--o!" returned Jewel scornfully. "We'd get a pain."

"But you can see," went on the young doctor seriously, "that the more we
cared for one another the more we should regret such a wide difference
of opinion."

"I suppose so," agreed the child, "and so we'd--"

"You are going back to Chicago after a while, and so you understand that
I can better afford to agree to differ with you than I could with some
one who was going to stay here--your cousin Eloise, for instance."

The child looked at him in silence. She had never seen Dr. Ballard wear
this expression.

"For this reason, Jewel, I want to ask you if you won't do me the favor
not to talk to your cousin about Christian Science, nor ask her to read
your books, nor to go to church with you."

The child's countenance reflected his seriousness.

"You can see, can't you, that if Miss Eloise should become m