Jewels Story Book | Page 7

the usual crowd of customs officers,
porters, and men and women waiting to see friends. All moved and
changed like figures in a kaleidoscope before Jewel's unwinking gaze;
but the long minutes dragged by until at last her father and mother
appeared among the passengers who came in procession down the steep
incline from the boat.
Mr. Evringham drew back a step as father, mother, and child clung to
each other, kissing and murmuring with soft exclamations. Harry
extricated himself first and shook hands with his father.

"Awfully good of you to get us the courtesy of the port," he said
heartily.
"Don't mention it," returned the broker, and Julia released Jewel and
turned upon Mr. Evringham her grateful face.
"But so many things are good of you," she said feelingly, as she held
out her hand. "It will take us a long time to give thanks."
"Not at all, I assure you," responded the broker coldly, but his heart
was hot within him. "If they have the presumption to thank me for
taking care of Jewel!" he was thinking as he dropped his
daughter-in-law's hand.
"What a human iceberg!" she thought. "How has Jewel been able to
take it so cheerfully? Ah, the blessed, loving heart of a child!"
Meanwhile Mr. Evringham turned to his son and continued: "The
courtesy of the port does shorten things up a bit, and I have a man from
the customs waiting."
Harry followed him to see about the luggage, and Mrs. Evringham and
Jewel sat down on a pile of boxes to wait. The mother's arm was
around the little girl, and Jewel had one of the gloved hands in both her
own.
"Oh," she exclaimed, suddenly starting up, "Mrs. Forbes thought I'd
better wear my sailor suit instead of this, and she told me not to sit
down on anything dirty." She carefully turned up the skirt of her little
frock and seated herself again on a very brief petticoat.
Mrs. Evringham smiled. "Mrs. Forbes is careful of you, isn't she?" she
asked. Her heart was in a tumult of happiness and also of curiosity as to
her child's experiences in the last two months. Jewel's letters had
conveyed that she was content, and joy in her pony had been freely
expressed. The mother's mental picture of the stiff, cold individual to
whose doubtful mercies she had confided her child at such short notice
had been softened by the references to him in Jewel's letters; and it was

with a shock of disappointment that she found herself repulsed now by
the same unyielding personality, the same cold-eyed, unsmiling,
fastidiously dressed figure, whose image had lingered in her memory.
A dozen eager questions rose to her lips, but she repressed them.
"Jewel must have had a glimpse of the real man," she thought. "I must
not cloud her perception." It did not occur to her, however, that the
child could even now feel less than awe of the stern guardian with
whom she had succeeded in living at peace, and who had, from time to
time, bestowed upon her gifts. One of these Mrs. Evringham noticed
now.
"Oh, that's your pretty watch!" she said.
"Yes," returned the child, "this is Little Faithful. Isn't he a darling?"
The mother smiled as she lifted the silver cherub. "You've named
him?" she returned. "Why, it is a beauty, Jewel. How kind of your
grandfather!"
"Yes, indeed. It was so I wouldn't stay in the ravine too long."
"How is Anna Belle?"
"Dear Anna Belle!" exclaimed the little girl wistfully. "What a good
time she would have had if I could have brought her! But you see I
needed both my hands to help carry bags; and she understood about it
and sent her love. She'll be sitting up waiting for you."
Mrs. Evringham cast a look toward Harry and his father. "I'm not
sure"--she began, "I hardly think we shall go to Bel-Air to-night. How
would you like to stay in at the hotel with us, and then we could go out
to the house to-morrow and pack your trunk?"
Jewel looked very sober at this. "Why, it would be pretty hard to wait,
mother," she replied. "Hotels are splendid. Grandpa and I had dinner at
one. It's named the Waldorf and it has woods in it just like outdoors;
but I thought you'd be in a hurry to see Star and the Ravine of

Happiness and Zeke."
"Well, we'll wait," returned Mrs. Evringham vaguely. She was more
than doubtful of an invitation to Bel-Air Park even for one night; but
Harry must arrange it. "We'll see what father says," she added. "What a
pretty locket, my girlie!" As she spoke she lifted a gold heart that hung
on a slender gold chain around Jewel's neck.
"Yes. Cousin