CHAPTER XIV
FAMILY AFFAIRS
He continued to watch the child furtively, while she made herarrangements for writing. Finding that no chair in the room would bringher to a proper height for the table, she looked all about, and finallyskipped over to the morocco lounge and tugged from it a pillow almosttoo heavy for her to carry; but she arrived with it at the chair,much to the amusement of Mr. Evringham, who affected absorption inhis papers, while he enjoyed the exhibition of the child's energy andindependence.
"She's the kind that 'makes old shears cut,' as my mother used to say,"he mused, and turning, the better to view the situation, he found Jewelmounted on her perch and watching him fixedly.
She looked relieved. "I didn't want to disturb you, grandpa, but may Iask one question?"
"Yes."
"Did I consult Dr. Ballard this afternoon?"
"Not that I noticed," returned Mr. Evringham; and Jewel suspected fromhis expression that she had said something amusing.
"Well, it was a word that sounded like consult that Mrs. Forbes said Idid."
"Insult, perhaps," suggested Mr. Evringham.
"Oh yes. How do you spell it, grandpa?"
Mr. Evringham told her, and added dryly, "That was rather too stronglanguage for Mrs. Forbes to apply to the fact."
"Yes," replied the child. "I knew it was a hating word." Then withoutfurther parley she squared her elbows on the table and bent over hersheet of paper.
"I wonder what version of it she'll give her mother," thought thebroker, rummaging vaguely in the pigeon holes of his desk. His laborsfinally sifted down to the unearthing of a late novel from a drawer athis right hand, and lowering a convenient, green-shaded electric light,he lit his cigar, and was soon lost in the pages of the story.
At last he became conscious that the pencil at the table had ceased tomove, and lowering his book he looked up. His granddaughter had beenwatching for this happy event, and she no sooner met his eyes than, witha smile of satisfaction, she jumped from her morocco perch and broughthim a sheet of paper well and laboriously covered.
"I suppose it isn't all spelled right," she said. "I didn't want todisturb you to ask; but will you please direct this to Dr. Ballard?"
"To Dr. Ballard!" repeated Mr. Evringham. His curiosity impelled him."Shall I see if it is spelled right?"
Jewel assenting, he read the following in a large and waving hand.
DEAR DOCTOR BALUD--Mrs. Forbs felt bad because I did not take yourMedsin. She said it was an insult. I want to tell you I did not meen anInsult. We can't help loving God beter than any body, but I love you andif I took any medsin I would rather take yours than any boddy's. Mrs.Forbs says you will send a big Bill to Grandpa and that it was error towaist it. Please send the Bill to me because I have Plenty of munny, andI shall love to pay you. You were very kind and did not put any thing onmy Tung.
Your loving JEWEL.
Mr. Evringham continued to look at the signature for a minute before hespoke. Jewel was leaning against his arm and reading with him. The lastlines slanted deeply, there being barely room in the lower corner forthe writer's name.
"I can't write very straight without lines," she said.
"You do very well indeed," he returned. "About that bill, Jewel," headded after a moment. "Perhaps you would better let me pay it. I believeyou said you had three dollars, but even that won't last forever, youknow. You've spent some of it, too. How much, now?"
"I've spent fifty cents." Jewel cast a furtive look around at thechicken, "And, oh yes, fifty cents more for the telegram. How much doyou think Dr. Ballard's bill will be?"
"I think it will take every cent you have left," returned Mr. Evringham,gravely, curious to hear what his granddaughter would say in thisdilemma.
Her reply came promptly and even eagerly. "Well, that's all right,because Divine Love will send me more if I need it."
"Indeed? How can you be sure?"
Jewel smiled at him affectionately. "Do you mean it grandpa?"
"Why yes. I really want to know."
"Even after God sent you Essex Maid?" she asked incredulously.
"You think the mare is the best thing in my possession, eh?"
"Ye--es! Don't you?"
"I believe I do." As Mr. Evringham spoke, this kinship of taste inducedhim to turn his face toward the one beside him. Instantly he foundhimself kissed full on the lips, and while he was recovering from theshock, Jewel proceeded:--
"God has given you so many things, grandpa, that's why it surprised meto have you look so sorry when I first came." The child examined hiscountenance critically. "I don't think you look so sorry as you used to.I know you must have lots of error to meet, and perhaps," lowering hervoice to an extra gentleness, "perhaps you don't know how to rememberevery minute that God is a very present help in trouble. Mother saysthat even grown-up people are just finding out about it."
As she paused Mr. Evringham hesitated, somewhat embarrassed underthe blue eyes. "We all have plenty to learn, I dare say," he returnedvaguely.
He had more than once wished that he had taken more notice of Harry'swife during his opportunity at the hotel. He had looked upon theinterview as a distasteful necessity to be disposed of as cursorily aspossible.
His son had married beneath him, some working girl probably, whoseability to support herself had turned out to be a deliverance forher father-in-law when the ne'er-do-well husband shirked hisresponsibilities; and Mr. Evringham had gone to the hotel that eveningintending to make it clear that although he performed a favor for hisson, there were no results to follow.
His granddaughter's fearlessness, courtesy, and affection had forcedhim to wonder as to the mother who had fostered these qualities. Heremembered the eloquence of his son's face when Harry expressed the wishthat he might know Julia, and a vague admiration and respect were beingborn in the broker's heart for the deserted woman who had worked withhand and brain for her child--his grandchild was the way he put it--withsuch results as he saw.
Some perception of what Harry's sensations must have been during thelast six months came to him as he sat there with the little girl's armabout him. Harry had come home and discovered his child, his Jewel. Afrown gathered on the broker's brow as he realized the hours of vainregret his son must have suffered for those lost years of the child'slife.
"Served him right, served him perfectly right!"
"What grandpa?"
The question made Mr. Evringham aware that the indignant words had beenmuttered above his breath.
"I was thinking of your father," he replied. "Has he learned thesethings that your mother has taught you?"
"Oh yes," with soft eagerness; "father is learning everything." Jewelsaw her grandfather's frown and she lowered her voice almost to awhisper. "Don't feel sorry about father, grandpa. He says he's thehappiest man in the world. Mother didn't find out about God till afterfather had gone to California, or he wouldn't have gone; and for a longtime she didn't know where he was, and I was only beginning to walkaround, so I couldn't help her; but when I got bigger I had father'spicture, and we used to talk to it every day, and at last mother knewthat Divine Love would bring father back; and pretty soon he beganto write to her, and he said he couldn't come home because he felt sosorry, and he was going to the war. So then mother and I prayed a greatdeal every day, and we knew father would be taken care of. And thenmother kept writing to him not to be sorry, because error was nothingand the child of God could always have his right place, and everythinglike that, and at last the war was over and he came home." Jewel paused.
Mr. Evringham wondered what she was seeing with that far-away look.
Presently she turned to him with the smile of irresistiblesweetness--Harry's smile--and a surprising fullness came in the broker'sthroat. "Father's just splendid," she finished.
Her grandfather was not wholly pleased with the verdict. He had gained ataste for incense himself.
"He has been at home over six months, I believe," he returned.
"Your father is not a Christian Scientist, I presume," remarked Mr.Evringham.
"Oh yes, he's learning to be. Of course he goes to church--"
"He does, eh?" put in the broker, surprised.
"Of course; and he studies the lesson with us every day. He had beensorry so much and so long, you know, mother said he was all ready; andbeside--beside"--Jewel hesitated and became silent.
"Beside what?"
She began very softly and half reluctantly. "Father had a sickness twoor three times when he first came home, and he was healed, and so he wasvery grateful and wanted to know about God."
"H'm. I'm glad he was. I hope he will make your mother very happy afterthis."
"He does." The child lost her seriousness and laughed reminiscently."Father and I have the _best_ times. Mothers says he's younger than Iam."
"You miss him, eh?" Mr. Evringham half frowned into the fresh littleface.
"Oh yes, I do," with a sigh, "but it would be error to be sorry when Icould come to see you, grandpa."
Mr. Evringham cogitated a minute on the probable loneliness of the lastthree days, and began to wonder what this philosophy could be whichgave practical help to a child of eight years. He was still holding theletter to Dr. Ballard in his hand.
"I think I'll let you direct this yourself, Jewel," he said. He rose andbrought the morocco cushion to his desk chair. "Sit up here and I willtell you the address."
She obeyed, and Mr. Evringham watched the little fingers clenched aroundthe pen as she strove to resist its tendency to write down hill on theenvelope.
"And you're quite sure that more money will be forthcoming when yours isgone, eh?" he asked when the feat was accomplished.
"Oh yes; if I need it."
"How will it come, for instance?"
She looked up quickly. "I don't need to know that," she replied.
Mr. Evringham bit his lip. "That's unanswerable," he thought, "andrather neat."
At this moment a knock sounded at the library door, and a momentafterward Mrs. Forbes presented herself.
"Excuse me, Mr. Evringham. I'm afraid Julia has been in your way,staying so long."
"No, Mrs. Forbes, thank you," he returned. "She had a letter to write,and I have been reading."
"Very well. It is her bedtime now." The housekeeper's tone wasinexorable, and Jewel lifted her shoulders as she glanced up at hergrandfather, and again he found himself taken into a confidence whichexcluded his excellent housekeeper. "It is better for us to yield," saidJewel's shoulders and mute lips. Before Mr. Evringham could suspect herintention, she had jumped up on the cushion nimbly as a squirrel, andhugging him in a business-like manner, kissed him twice.
"Good-night, grandpa."
"Good-night, Jewel," he returned, going to the length of patting hershoulder.
She jumped down and ran to Mrs. Forbes. "You needn't come with me, youknow," she said, holding up her face. Mrs. Forbes hesitated a moment.She had not as yet recovered from this latest liberty taken with thehead of the house.
"Let me feel of your hands, Julia." She took them in hers and touchedthe child's cheeks and forehead as well. "You seem to feel all right, doyou?"
"Yes'm."
"No soreness or pain anywhere?"
"No'm. Good-night, Mrs. Forbes."
The housekeeper stooped from her height and accepted the offered kiss.
"Do you prefer to go alone, Jewel? Isn't it lonely for you?" asked Mr.Evringham.
"No--o, grandpa! Anna Belle is up there."
"You're not afraid of the dark then?"
Jewel looked at the speaker, uncertain of his seriousness. He seemed inearnest, however. "The dark is easy to drive away in this house," shereplied. "It is so interesting, just like a treatment. The room seemsfull of darkness, error, and I just turn the switch," she illustratedwith thumb and finger in the air, "and suddenly--there isn't anydarkness! It's all bright and happy, just like me to-day!"
"Indeed!" returned Mr. Evringham, standing with his feet apart and hisarms folded. "Is that what the lady in Chicago did for you to-day?"
"Yes, grandpa," Jewel nodded eagerly. She was so glad to have himunderstand. "She just turned the light, Truth, right into me."
"She prayed to the Creator to cure you, you mean."
Jewel looked off. "No, not that," she answered slowly, searching forwords to make her meaning plain. "God doesn't have to be begged to doanything, because He can't change, He is always the same, and alwaysperfect, and always giving us everything good, and it's only for us--notto believe--in the things that seem to get in the way. I was believingthere was something in the way, and that lady knew there wasn't, andshe knew it so _well_ that the old dark fever couldn't stay. Nothing canstay that God doesn't make--not any longer than we let it cheat us."
"And she was a thousand miles away," remarked Mr. Evringham.
"Why, grandpa," returned Jewel, "there isn't any space in Spirit." Shegave a little sigh. "I'm real sorry you're too big to be let into theChristian Science Sunday-School."
Mrs. Forbes lips fell apart.
"One moment more, Jewel," said Mr. Evringham. "Mrs. Forbes was tellingme of the gentleman who spoke to you on the trolley car yesterday."
"Oh yes," returned the child, smiling at the pleasing memory. "TheChristian Scientist!"
"What makes you think he is a Christian Scientist?" asked Mr. Evringham.
"I know he was. He had on the pin." Jewel showed the one she wore, andher grandfather examined the little cross and crown curiously.
"I wonder if it's possible," he soliloquized aloud.
"Oh yes, grandpa, he is one, and if he's a friend of yours he canexplain to you so much better than a little girl can."
After the child had left the room Mr. Evringham and his housekeeperstood regarding one another. His usually unsmiling countenance wasrelaxed. Mrs. Forbes observed his novel expression, but did not suspectthat the light twinkling in his deep-set eyes was partly due to thesight of her own pent-up emotion.
He hooked one thumb in his vest and balanced his eyeglasses in his otherhand.
"Well, what do you think of her?" he inquired.
"I think, sir," returned the housekeeper emphatically, "that if anybodybought that child for a fool he wouldn't get his money's worth."
"Even though she is a Scientist?" added Mr. Evringham, his mustachecurving in a smile.
"She's too smart for me. I don't like children to be so smart. The ideaof her setting up to teach you Mr. Evringham!"
"That shouldn't be so surprising. I read a long time ago something aboutcertain things being concealed from the wise and prudent and revealedunto babes."
"Babes!" repeated Mrs. Forbes. "We've been the babes. If that young onecan lie in bed with a fever, and wind every one of us around her fingerthe way she's done to-day, what can we expect when she's up and around?"
The broker laughed. "She's an Evringham, an Evringham!" he said.
"You may laugh, sir, but what do you think of her wheedling me intosending Zeke up, and then getting him off on the sly with that telegram?I faced him down with it to-night, and Zeke isn't any good at fibbing."
"I'll be hanged if I don't think it was a pretty good thing for me,"rejoined Mr. Evringham, "and money in my pocket. It looked as if I wasin for Ballard for a matter of weeks."
"But the--the--the audacity of it!" protested Mrs. Forbes. "What do youthink she said after you and Dr. Ballard had done downstairs? I tried tobring her to a sense of what she'd done, and all she answered was thatshe had known that God would deliver her out of the snare of the fowler.Now I should like to ask you, Mr. Evringham," added Mrs. Forbes in anaccess of outraged virtue, "which of us three do you think she calledthe fowler?"
"Give it up, I'm sure," returned the broker; "but I can imagine that weseemed three pretty determined giants for one small girl to outwit."
"She'd outwit a regiment, sir; and I don't see how you can permit it."
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nbsp; Mr. Evringham endeavored to compose his countenance. "We must allow herreligious liberty, I suppose, Mrs. Forbes. It's a matter of religionwith her--that is, we must allow it as long as she keeps well. IfBallard had found her worse to-night, I assure you I should haveconsigned all Christian Scientists to the bottom of the sea, and thatlittle zealot would have taken her medicine from my own hand. All's wellthat ends well, eh?"
Mrs. Forbes had caught sight of the incongruous adornment of heremployer's desk.
With majestic strides she advanced upon the yellow chicken and swept itinto her apron. "Julia must be taught not to litter your room, sir."
"I beg your pardon," returned the broker firmly, also advancing andholding out his hand. "That is my chicken."
Slowly Mrs. Forbes restored the confiscated property, and Mr. Evringhamexamined it carefully to see that it was intact, and then set itcarefully on his desk.
Mrs. Forbes recalled the confectioner's window. "She must have boughtthat chicken when my back was turned!" she thought. "That young onecould have given points to Napoleon."
Jewel: A Chapter in Her Life Page 17