all
and out upon the piazza.

Mrs. Evringham looked after them. "If only that child weren't a little
fanatic and Eloise in such an erratic, wayward state, ready to seize
upon anything novel, it would be all very well," she mused, "for Dr.
Ballard seems to find Jewel amusing, and it might be a point of common
interest. As it is, if ever I wished any one in Jericho, it's that
child."

Jewel, happy in the proximity of her lovely cousin, satisfied herself by
a glance that aunt Madge was not following.

Eloise looked about over the sunny, verdant landscape. "What a deceitful
world," she said. "It looks so serene and easy to live in. So it was
very lovely over at your ravine this morning?"

"Oh!" Jewel looked up at her with eager eyes. "Let's go. You haven't
been there. It's only a little way. You don't need your hat, cousin
Eloise."

Summer was in the air. The girl was amused at the child's enthusiastic
tone. "Very well," she answered.

Jewel drew her on with an embracing arm, and they descended the steps
and walked down the path.

Suddenly the child stopped. "Doesn't it seem unkind to go without Anna
Belle!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, nonsense," returned Eloise, smiling. "You're not going way upstairs
to get her. We needn't tell her we went. She's been out driving all the
morning. I think it's my turn."

The child looked happily up into her cousin's face. "I love to see you
laugh, cousin Eloise," she returned, and they strolled on.

The park drives were deserted. The cousins reached the gorge without
meeting any one. Leaning upon the slender fence, they gazed down into
the green depths, and for a minute listened to the woodland melody.

"Isn't it just like your Spring Song?" asked the child at last.

"It is sweet and comforting and good," replied the girl slowly, a
far-off look in her eyes.

Jewel lifted her shoulders. "Don't you want to get down there, cousin
Eloise?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

"Yes," replied the girl promptly.

"Will it hurt your dress?" added Jewel, with a sudden memory of Mrs.
Forbes, as she looked over her cousin's immaculate black and white
costume.

"I guess not," laughed the girl. "Are you afraid Mrs. Forbes will put me
to bed?"

She bent her lithe figure and was under the wire in a twinkling. Jewel
crept gleefully after her, but was careful to hold her little skirts
out of harm's way as they climbed down the steep bank and at last rested
among the ferns by the brook. Its loud