Jewel: A Chapter in Her Life Part 35

"I'd like to gallop off now over the whole country," she said, her face glowing.

"I shouldn't be surprised either if you could do it bareback," returned Mr. Evringham; "but you must never come into either of the stalls without me. You understand, do you?"

"Yes, grandpa. I'm glad you told me though, because I guess I should have." The child gave a quick, unconscious sigh.

"Well we'd better go in now."

"How kind you are to me," said the child gratefully, as she slid off the horse's back with her arms around her grandfather's neck.

He had forgotten his rheumatic shoulder for the time.

"You can bring those rubbers in later," he said to Zeke, and so carried Jewel out of the barn, through the rain, and into the house.

Mrs. Forbes watched the entrance. "Breakfast is served, sir," she said with dignity. She thought her employer should have worn a hat.

Jewel was not offered eggs this morning. Instead she had, after her fruit and oatmeal, a slice of ham and a baked potato.

Her roses were fresh this morning and opening in the warmth of the fire, but Mr. Evringham's eyes were caught by a ma.s.s of American Beauties which stood in an alcove close to the window.

"Where did those come from?" he demanded.

"They belong to Miss Eloise," replied Mrs. Forbes. "She asked me to take care of them for her."

"Humph! Ballard again, I suppose," remarked the broker.

"I hope so," responded Mrs. Forbes devoutly.

Mr. Evringham had spoken to himself, and he glanced up from his paper, surprised by the prompt fervor of the reply. The housekeeper looked non-committal, but her meaning dawned upon him, and he smiled slightly as he returned to the news of the day.

"Dr. Ballard must love Cousin Eloise very much," said Jewel, mas.h.i.+ng her potato. "He sent her a splendid box of candy, too."

She addressed her remark to Mrs. Forbes, and in a low tone, in order not to disturb her grandfather's reading.

"Any girl can get candy and flowers and love, if she's only pretty enough," returned Mrs. Forbes; "but she mustn't forget to be pretty."

The speaker's tone appealed to Jewel as signifying a grievance. She looked up.

"Why, somebody married you, Mrs. Forbes," she said kindly.

Mr. Evringham's paper hid a face which suddenly contorted, but the housekeeper's quick-glancing eyes could not see a telltale motion.

She gave a hard little laugh. "You think there's hope for you then, do you?" she returned.

"I guess I'm not going to be married," replied Jewel. "Father says I'm going to be his bachelor maid when I grow up."

"Shouldn't wonder if you were," said Mrs. Forbes dryly.

The owner of the American Beauties and the beribboned bonbon box was taking her coffee as usual in bed. This luxurious habit had never been hers until she came to Bel-Air; but it was her mother's custom, and rather than undergo a tete-a-tete breakfast with her host, she had adopted it.

Now she had made her toilet deliberately. There was nothing to hurry for. Her mother's voice came in detached sentences and questions from the next room.

"Dear me, this rain is too trying, Eloise! Didn't you have some engagement with Dr. Ballard to-day?"

"He thought he could get off for some golf this afternoon."

"What a disappointment for the dear fellow," feelingly. "He has so little time to himself!"

Eloise gave a most unsympathetic laugh. "More than he wishes he had, I fancy," she returned.

She came finally in her white negligee into her mother's room. Mrs.

Evringham was still in bed. Her eyegla.s.ses were on and she regarded her daughter critically as she came in sight. She had begun to look upon her as mistress of the fine old Ballard place on Mountain Avenue, and the setting was very much to her mind. The girl sauntered over to the window, and taking a low seat, leaned her head against the woodwork, embowered in the lace curtains.

"How it does come down!" said Mrs. Evringham fretfully. "And I lack just a little of that lace braid, or I could finish your yoke. I suppose Forbes would think it was a dreadful thing if I asked her to let Zeke get it for me."

"Don't ask anything," returned Eloise.

"When you are in your own home!" sighed Mrs. Evringham.

"Don't, mother. It's indecent!"

"If you would only rea.s.sure me, my child, so I wouldn't have to undergo such moments of anxiety as I do."

"Oh, you have no mercy!" exclaimed the girl; and when she used that tone her mother usually became tearful. She did now.

"You act as if you weren't a perfect treasure, Eloise--as if I didn't consider you a treasure for a prince of the realm!"

A knock at the door heralded Sarah's arrival for the tray, and Mrs.

Evringham hastily wiped her eyes.

"Yes, you can take the things," she said as the maid approached. "I can't tip you as I should, Sarah. I'm going to get you something pretty the next time I go to New York."

Sarah had heard this before.

"And if you know of any one going to the village this morning, I want a piece of lace braid. Have you heard how Miss Julia is?"

"She was down at breakfast, ma'am, and Mr. Evringham had her out to the stable to see Ess.e.x Maid."

"He did? In the rain? How very imprudent!"

After Sarah had departed with her burden, Mrs. Evringham took off her eyegla.s.ses.

"There, Eloise, you heard that? It's just as I thought. He is taking a fancy to her."

The girl smiled without turning her head. "Oh no, that wasn't your prophecy, mother. You said she was too plain to have a chance with our fastidious host."

"Well, didn't she look forlorn last night at the dinner table?" demanded Mrs. Evringham, a challenge in her voice.

"Indeed she did, the poor baby. She looked exactly as if she had two female relatives in the house, neither of whom would lift a finger to help her, even though she was just off a sick bed. The same relatives don't know this minute how or where she spent the evening."