Jewel | Page 7

at
his back, bound to have a fashionable practice and succeed. His face is
in his favor, and I guess he knows as much as any of 'em, and he can
afford the luxury of a wife brought up the way Eloise Evringham has
been. That's right, Zeke. Unfasten the check- rein, though the doctor
don't use a mean one, I must say. I only hope there's a purgatory for the
folks that use too short check-reins on their horses. I hope they'll have
to wear 'em themselves for a thousand years, and have to stand waiting
at folks' doors frothing at the mouth, and the back of their necks half
breaking when the weather's down to zero and up to a hundred. That's
what I hope!"

'Zekiel grinned. "You want 'em to try the cold place and the hot one too,
do you?"
"Yes I do, and to stay in the one that hurts the most. The man that uses
a decent check-rein on his horse," continued Mrs. Forbes, dropping into
a philosophizing tone, "is apt to be as decent to his wife. The doctor
would be a great catch for that girl, and I /think/," dropping her voice,
"her mother'd be liable to live with 'em."
"You're keeping that dark from the doctor, I s'pose?" remarked 'Zekiel.
"H'm. You needn't think I go chattering around that house the way I do
out here. I've got a great talent, if I do say it, for minding my own
business."
"Good enough," drawled 'Zekiel. "I heard tell once of a firm that made
a great fortune just doing that one thing."
"Don't you be sassy now. I've always waited on Mr. Evringham while
he ate his meals, and that's the time he'd often speak out to me about
things if he felt in the humor, so that in all these years 't isn't any
wonder if I've come to feel that his business is mine too."
"Just so," returned 'Zekiel, with a twinkle in his eye.
"It's been as plain as your nose that the interlopers don't like to have me
there. Not that they have anything special against me, but they'd like to
have someone younger and stylisher to hand them their plates. I'll never
forget one night when they'd been here about a week, and I think Mr.
Evringham had begun to suspect they were fixtures,--I'd felt it from the
first,--Mrs. Evringham said, 'Why father, does Mrs. Forbes always wait
on your table? I had supposed she was temporarily taking the place of
your butler or your waitress.' "
The housekeeper's effort to imitate the airy manner she remembered
caused her son to chuckle as he gathered up the shining harness.
"You should have seen the look Mr. Evringham gave her. Just as if he

didn't see her at all. 'Yes,' he answered, 'I hope Mrs. Forbes will wait on
my table as long as I have one.' And I will if I have my health," added
the speaker, bridling with renewed pleasure at the memory of that
triumphant moment. "They think I'm a machine without any feelings or
opinions, and that I've been wound up to suit Mr. Evringham and run
his establishment, and that I'm no more to be considered than the big
Westminster clock on the stairs. Mrs. Evringham did try once to get
into my employer's rooms and look after his clothes." Mrs. Forbes
shook her head and tightened her lips at some recollection.
"She bucked up against the machine, did she?" inquired Zeke.
The housekeeper glanced around to see if any one might be
approaching.
"I saw her go in there, and I followed her," she continued almost in a
whisper. "She sort of started, but spoke up in her cool way, 'I wish to
look over father's clothes and see if anything needs attention.' 'Thank
you, Mrs. Evringham, but everything is in order,' I said, very respectful.
'Well, leave it for me next time, Mrs. Forbes,' she says. 'I shall take care
of him while I am here.' 'Thank you,' says I, 'but he wouldn't want your
visit interfered with by that kind of work.' She looked at me sort of
suspicious and haughty. 'I prefer to do it,' she answers, trying to look
holes in me with her big eyes. 'Then will you ask him, please,' said I
very polite, 'before I give you the keys, because we've got into habits
here. I've taken care of Mr. Evringham's clothes for fifteen years.' She
looked kind of set back. 'Is it so long?' she asks. 'Well, I will see about
it.' But I guess the right time for seeing about it never came," added the
housekeeper knowingly.
"You're still doing business at the old stand, eh?" rejoined Zeke. "Well,
I'm glad you like your