me had grown so familiar
to Jewel since that chilling day when Mrs. Forbes warned her not to touch
it.

"Everything in this house is so fine, Jewel," said the mother. "It must
have seemed very strange to you at first."

"It did. Anna Belle and I felt more at home out of doors, because you see
God owned the woods, and He didn't care if we broke something, and Mrs.
Forbes used to be so afraid; but it's all much different now," added the
child.

They went on up to the room where stood the small trunk which was all Mrs.
Evringham had taken abroad for her personal belongings.

To many children the moment of their mother's unpacking after a return from
a trip is fraught with pleasant and eager anticipation of gifts. In this
case it was different; for Jewel had no previous journey of her mother's to
remember, and her gifts had always been so small, with the shining
exception of Anna Belle, that she made no calculations now concerning the
steamer trunk, as she watched her mother take out its contents.

Each step Mrs. Evringham took on the rich carpet, each glance she cast at
the park through the clear sheets of plate glass in the windows, each
smooth-running drawer, each undreamed-of convenience in the closet with its
electric light for dark days, impressed her afresh with a sense of
wondering pleasure. The lady of her name who had so recently dwelt among
these luxuries had accepted them fretfully, as no more than her due; the
long glass which now reflected Julia's radiant dark eyes lately gave back a
countenance impressed with lines of care and discontent.

"Jewel, I feel like a queen here," said the happy woman softly. "I like
beautiful things very much, but I never had them before in my life. Come,
darling, we must read the lesson." She closed the lid of the trunk.

"Yes, but wait till I get Anna Belle." The child ran into her own room and
brought the doll. Then she jumped into her mother's lap, for there was room
for all three in the big chair by the window.

Some memory made the little girl lift her shoulders. "This was aunt Madge's
chair," she said. "She used to sit here in the prettiest lace wrapper--I
was never in this room before except two or three times,"--Jewel's awed
tone changed,--"but now my own mother lives here! and cousin Eloise would
love to know it and to know that I have her room. I mean to write her about
it."

"You must take me upstairs pretty soon and let me see the chamber that was
yours. Oh,