CHAPTER XX
BY THE BROOKSIDE
Scarcely had she seen the doctor admitted and the house door closed whenan approaching pedestrian caught her eye. She recognized him atonce, and a little more color stole into her round cheeks, while anunconscious smile touched her lips.
The gentleman had observed the doctor enter the house, and glanced idlyas he passed, to see what child was waiting in the buggy. The half shylook of recognition which he met surprised him. Somewhere he had seenthat rosy face. Going on his way and searching his memory he had leftthe buggy behind, when in a flash it came to him how, one day, that sameshy, pleased smile had beamed wistfully upon him in a trolley car.
Instantly he turned back, and in a minute Jewel saw him standing besideher. He lifted his hat and replaced it as he held out his hand.
"We've met before, haven't we?" he asked kindly.
Jewel shook hands with him, much pleased. "My mother and father havegone to Europe," she said "and it seemed as if there wasn't a Scientistin the whole world until I saw you."
"Another proof of what I always say--that we should all wear the pin. Ididn't know that Dr. Ballard had any Science relations."
"Oh, Dr. Ballard and I are not relations," explained Jewel seriously."I think he wants to marry my cousin Eloise; but he hasn't ever said so,and I don't like to ask him. He's the kindest man. I just love him, andhe's letting me ride around with him while he makes calls."
"Why, that's very nice, I'm sure," returned Mr. Reeves, smiling broadly."Does he know that you're a Christian Scientist?"
"Oh, yes, indeed. I had a claim, and my grandpa called him to help me,so then I told him, but he kept on reflecting love just the same."
Mr. Reeves scented an interesting experience, but he would not questionthe child. "Nice fellow, Guy Ballard. He deserves a better fate than tobow down to false gods all his days."
"Yes, indeed," returned Jewel heartily.
"But, as you say," continued Mr. Reeves, "he reflects love, and so weshall hear of his being a successful physician."
"Yes, I want him to be always happy," said the child.
"Who is your grandfather, my dear?"
"Mr. Evringham."
"Is it possible? Then you are--whose child?"
"My father's name is Harry."
"Of course, of course." Mr. Reeves nodded, trying to conceal hissurprise. "And is he a Scientist now?"
"Yes, my mother is teaching him to be."
"Well, I'm sure I'm very glad to hear this. Your grandfather is notunkindly disposed toward Science?"
"My grandfather couldn't be unkind to anything! I thought you knew him."
Mr. Reeves smoothed his mustache vigorously. "I thought I did," hereturned. "You spoke of your cousin. I knew your aunt and cousin werewith Mr. Evringham now. Well, I'm glad, I'm sure, that you are sopleasantly situated. You must come to our little hall some Sundaywhere we have service, you know. It will be rather different from yourbeautiful churches in Chicago."
"But I'd love to come," replied the child eagerly. "I didn't know therewas one here. I'll get grandpa to bring me."
"Mr. Evringham!" The speaker could feel the tendency of his jaw to drop.
"Yes, or else cousin Eloise. She helps me get the lesson every day, andthen she takes my book and reads and reads. She told me this morning sheread almost all last night."
Mr. Reeves nodded slowly once or twice. "Still they come," he murmuredmeditatively.
"Would you--would you mind writing down where that hall is?" asked thechild.
"Certainly I will." Mr. Reeves suited the action to the word, takingan envelope from his pocket for the purpose. "And if I ever seeMr. Evringham there"--he said slowly, "by the way, please tell yourgrandfather that we met and had this chat."
"I don't know your name," returned the child.
"Why, of course. Pardon me. Reeves. Mr. Reeves. Can you remember that?"
The little girl flashed a bright look at him. "We can't forget," shereminded him.
"Of course," he nodded. "Exactly. I'm very likely younger in Sciencethan you are, little one. How long have you known about it?"
Jewel thought. "Seven years," she replied.
Her companion gave a laughing exclamation. "There, you see. I've knownfor only one year. What is your name?"
"Jewel Evringham."
"Good-bye, Jewel, till we meet again, some Sunday soon, I hope."
They shook hands, and Mr. Reeves went smiling on his way.
"Seven years," he reflected. "There's the simon pure article. She can'tbe over nine. I'll wager Bel-Air Park has had its sensations of late.Evringham! The high ball, the billiard ball, and the race track, andnow the reputation of being a difficult old martinet. Never unkind toanything! 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 tellinghim 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 hecaught me in his favorite cherry tree; but I don't yet understand thelevity of his behavior in scraping acquaintance with the young lady Ileft unprotected in my buggy."
"Oh, we'd met before in a trolley car," explained Jewel. "I wanted torun 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 smallgold symbol, and Dr. Ballard examined it curiously. "So we smiled ateach other, and to-day he's told me where I can come to church, and I'mnearly sure cousin Eloise will go with me."
Dr. Ballard's eyes grew serious as he turned Hector's head toward thepark. "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 mankindly. "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 wecared for one another the more we should regret such a wide differenceof opinion."
"I suppose so," agreed the child, "and so we'd--"
"You are going back to Chicago after a while, and so you understand thatI can better afford to agree to differ with you than I could with someone who was going to stay here--your cousin Eloise, for instance."
The child looked at him in silence. She had never seen Dr. Ballard wearthis expression.
"For this reason, Jewel, I want to ask you if you won't do me the favornot to talk to your cousin about Christian Science, nor ask her to readyour 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 muchinterested in that fad it would spoil our pleasure in being together,while it lasted?"
The word fad was not in Jewel's vocabulary, but she grasped the doctor'smeaning, and understood that he was much in earnest. She felt veryresponsible for the moment, and in doubt how to express herself.
"I feel sort of mixed up, Dr. Ballard," she returned after a minute'ssilent perplexity. "You don't mind cousin Eloise reading the Bible, doyou?"
"No."
"You're glad if she can be happy instead of sorry, aren't you?"
"Yes."
Jewel looked at him hopefully. "There won't be anything worse thanthat," she said.
"Yes, many things worse," he responded quickly. "You might do me thatlittle favor, Jewel. I understand you go to her with your lessons, asyou call it, and your questions."
"Yes, she helps me; but she takes my books to her room. I
don't see howI can help it, Dr. Ballard."
"Well," he heaved a quiet sigh, "perhaps the attack will be shorter ifit is sharp. We'll hope so."
"I wouldn't do any harm to you for anything," said the child earnestly,"but you wait a little while. When people come into Christian Scienceit makes them twice as nice. If you see cousin Eloise get twice as niceyou'll be glad, won't you?"
The young man gave an impatient half laugh.
"I'm not grasping," he returned. "She does very well for me as sheis. Now," he turned again to the child, who rejoiced in the recoveredtwinkle in his eyes, "you have my full permission to convert the errorfairy."
"Hush, hush!" ejaculated Jewel, alarmed. "We mustn't hold that law overher."
Dr. Ballard laughed.
"Convert her, I say. Let us see what she would be like if she were twiceas nice. She's a very charming woman now, your aunt Madge. If she weretwice as nice--who knows? The fairy might spread wings and float away!"
They had entered the park and Jewel suddenly noted their surroundings."We're coming to the Ravine of Happiness," she said.
"That's the way it's been looking to me ever since last evening,"responded her companion meditatively.
The child paid no attention to his words. She was watching eagerly forthe bend in the road beside which the gorge lay steepest.
"There!" she said at last, resting her hand on that of her companion.Obediently the doctor stopped his horse. The park was still but forthe bird notes, the laughter and babble of the brook far below, and therustle of the fresh leaves, each one a transparency for a sunbeam.
The two were silent for a minute, Jewel's radiant eyes seeking thepensive ones of her companion.
"Do you hear?" she asked softly at last.
"What?" he returned.
"It is cousin Eloise's Spring Song."
Jewel: A Chapter in Her Life Page 23