CHAPTER XXVI
ON WEDNESDAY EVENING
"This is my silk dress, grandpa," said Jewel, coming out on the piazzaSunday morning.
Mr. Evringham was sitting there reading the paper. He looked up tobehold his granddaughter standing expectantly.
She had on the cherished frock. Her plump black legs ended in new shoes,the brim of her large hat was wreathed with daisies, snowy ribbonsfinished her well-brushed braids, while, happiest touch of all, LittleFaithful was ticking away on her breast.
"Well, who is this bonnie lassie?" asked Mr. Evringham, viewing her.
"It's my best one," said Jewel, smilingly, coming close to him.
"I should hope so. If you were anything grander I should have to put onsmoked glasses to look at you. Church, eh?" He took the brown pamphletshe carried and examined it.
"Yes. I wish you were coming."
"Oh, I have an important engagement at the golf club this morning."
"Have you? Well, grandpa, I was thinking you can't play golf or ride atnight, and wouldn't you take me Wednesday evening?"
"Where to?"
"Church."
"Heavens, child! Wednesday evening prayer meeting?" asked the broker inperturbation.
"No. It's just lovely reading and singing and interesting stories,"replied Jewel, endeavoring to paint the picture as attractively aspossible.
"H'm. H'm. Do you suppose Mr. Reeves goes?"
"Why, of course," replied the child. "Scientists never stay away."
"Then should I be considered a Scientist if I went? I still have someregard for my reputation."
"A great many visitors go," replied the child earnestly. Then she added,with unmistakably sincere naivete, "I don't mind leaving you in thedaytime, because we're used to it; but I was thinking it would makeme homesick, grandpa, to go away in the evening and leave you in thelibrary."
Mr. Evringham took her little hand in his. "Have you thought, Jewel," heasked, "how it will be when you leave me altogether?"
"I shall have mother and father then," returned the child.
"Yes; but whom shall I have?"
The question came curtly, and Jewel looked into the deep-set eyes insurprise. "Shall you miss me, grandpa?" she asked wonderingly.
"Whom shall I have, I say?" he repeated.
The child thought a minute. "Just who you had before," she answered,slipping her arm around his neck. "There's Essex Maid, you know."
The broker gave a short laugh. "Yes. It's lucky, isn't it?" he returned,rather bitterly.
"Do you like to have me with you, grandpa?" pursued the child, pleased.
"Yes; confound it, Jewel, yes."
"Then Divine Love will fix it somehow, for I love to be with you, too."
"You do, eh? Then I'll tell you that I received a letter from yourfather yesterday. It was a very pleasant letter, but it said they feltobliged, if they could, to stay over a little longer--two or three weekslonger."
The child's face grew thoughtful.
"He said they had just received your letter, and were very pleased andthankful to know that you were happy. He said it would be a businessadvantage to them to stay, but that they could come home at theappointed time if you wished it. I am to cable them to-morrow, if youdo." Silence for a minute while Jewel thought. "Do you think you can behappy with me a little longer than you expected?"
"I do want to see mother and father very much," returned the child, "butI'm just as happy as anything," she added heartily, after a pause.
Mr. Evringham had listened with surprising anxiety for the verdict."Very well, very well," he returned, with extra brusqueness, picking uphis newspaper. "I guess there won't be anything to prevent my goingto that meeting with you Wednesday evening, Jewel. Just once, youunderstand, once only."
At this moment the brougham drove around to the steps, and Eloise cameout upon the piazza. She was a vision of dainty purity in her whitegown, white hat, and gloves.
Mr. Evringham rose, lifted his hat, and going down the steps openedthe door of the carriage. "A man need not be ashamed to have these twoladies represent him at church," he said, looking into Eloise's calmeyes.
She smiled back at him. There was no suspicion now of sarcasm or stings.The air she breathed was wholesome and inviting. The lump had beenleavened.
Arrived at the hall where the services were held, the girls were usheredinto good seats before the room rapidly filled.
They saw Mr. Reeves and his family and Mr. Bonnell come in on the otherside, and the latter did not rest until he had found them and sent overa bright, quick nod.
The platform was beautiful by a tall vase of roses at the side of thewhite reading-desk, and Eloise listened eagerly to the voices of theman and woman who alternately read the morning lesson. The peace,simplicity, and quiet of the service enthralled her. She looked over thecrowd of listening, reverent faces with wistful wonder. Nat was amongthem, _Nat_! Sometimes she glanced across at his attentive face. Nat atchurch, in the morning; thoroughly interested! She pinched her arm tomake quite certain.
Once when they rose to sing, it was the hymn she had heard. The voicesswelled:--
"O'er waiting harpstrings of the mind There sweeps a strain, Low, sad, and sweet, whose measures bind The power of pain."
The girl in the white dress did not sing. She swallowed often. The voiceof the child at her side soared easily.
"And o'er earth's troubled, angry sea, I see Christ walk; And come to me, and tenderly, Divinely, talk."
What a haven of promise and peace seemed this sunny, simple place ofpurity.
"From tired joy and grief afar, And nearer Thee, Father, where Thine own children are I love to be."
Jewel, looking up at her companion, was surprised to see her lashes wetand her lower lip caught between her teeth.
"What's the matter, cousin Eloise?" she whispered softly as they satdown.
The girl tried to smile. Words were not at her command. "Gladness," shereturned briefly; which reply caused Jewel to meditate for some time.
They had a talk with Nat and were presented to the Reeves family afterchurch, and Eloise felt herself in an atmosphere of love.
Jewel left the group for a private word to Zeke before her cousinshould come to enter the brougham. 'Zekiel sat bolt upright in the mostapproved style, and did not turn his face, even when the child addressedhim.
"I've been wondering this morning," she said, "how we can manage for youto come to church, 'Zekiel."
"Oh, I have it six times a week," returned the coachman.
"But it's so lovely just to listen to them read and not have to hunt upthe places or anything."
"I'm satisfied with my minister," returned Zeke, almost smiling.
Eloise and Mr. Bonnell came out to the carriage, so there was no furthertime for talk.
The subject remained in Jewel's mind, however. On Wednesday morning,just before Mr. Evringham went to the station, the child seized him inthe hall.
"Grandpa, don't you think it would be nice to go in the trolley car tochurch to-night?"
"To--where?" asked the broker, frowning.
"This is the night we're going to church, you know."
"The dev--Ah, to be sure. So we are. Well--a--what did you say? Trolleycar? Why?"
"Well, we could all go then, you know," returned Jewel. "Cousin Eloisewants to go, but," the child's honesty compelled her, "she wouldn't haveto go with us because it is Mr. Bonnell's last night in Bel-Air, andI heard him ask if he might come for her; but I do so want Zeke to go,grandpa!"
"Well, for the love of"--began the broker slowly.
"Yes, Zeke is getting to understand a good deal about Christian Science.He has some claims of error that his mother knows about, and they makeher sorry, and I've been helping him and reading to him out of my books,and I do want him to go to the testimonial meeting so much."
The child looked wistfully up into the dark eyes that rested upon her.Mr. Evringham had rema
rked his housekeeper's change of spirit toward thelittle girl, had wondered at the increasing and even reckless indulgenceof Anna Belle, who from being an exile in the stair closet had nowarrived at a degree of consideration and pampering which threatened toturn her head.
"Jewel," he said impressively, "I wish you to understand one thingdistinctly. You are not now or at any future time to try to make aChristian Scientist of Essex Maid."
From wondering sobriety Jewel's lips broke into a gleeful smile. "Idon't have to," she cried triumphantly. "She is one! Anyway, she hasdemonstrated everything a horse ought to!"
Mr. Evringham flung his hands over his head despairingly. "Greatheavens!" he exclaimed tragically, rushing out to the brougham, Jewel athis heels in peals of laughter.
But they went to church in the trolley car. Eloise reached the sameplace with Mr. Bonnell, but whether she walked or drove or rode nobodyever knew, and it didn't matter much, for a full moon illumined thenight.
Early in the evening a young man entered the hall quietly and took aback seat. It was Zeke.
Mr. Reeves saw Jewel and her grandfather come in, and softly he smotehis knee. "She's done it!" he ejaculated mentally. He noted the broker'shaughty carriage, the half challenging glances he threw to right andleft as he proceeded up the aisle to the position of Jewel's choice.
Mr. Reeves composed his countenance with some difficulty, and catchingthe wandering eye, gave his friend a grave bow.
Testimonial meetings differ in point of continued interest. This provedto be a good one. The most interesting narrative of the evening was NatBonnell's. His self possession, fine presence, and good voice made moreeffective the marvelous story of his mother's resurrection to strength.He told it with dignity and directness, and Mr. Evringham was impressed.
"What's my rheumatism to that, eh, Jewel?" he whispered, as Nat satdown.
"Just nothing, grandpa," replied the child.
"You think the Creator'd consider me worth attending to, eh?"
"God doesn't know you have the rheumatism," exclaimed Jewel with softscorn.
"Doesn't? Well! I've always supposed He thought I needed reminding onaccount of a number of things, and so touched me up with that. I didn'tblame Him much.
"If He knew it, it would be real, and then it couldn't be changed,"returned Jewel earnestly in the ear he bent to her.
The broker sat up and looked down on her large hat and short legs."Whew, but I'm a back number!" he mused.
The next testimonial made Jewel's eyes brighten. It was given by a manwho told a story of hopeless intemperance and his family's want. Theunaffected humility and gratitude that sounded in his voice as hedescribed the changed conditions which followed his cure caused theroses to deepen in Jewel's cheeks. She wondered where Zeke was sitting.
Altogether she was happy over the meeting, and her grandfather'sattitude was as kindly as could have been expected.
Eloise came into her mother's room that night, beaming.
"I wish you had come with us," she said. "It was wonderful."
Mrs. Evringham turned to her with a lofty air. "I have too much loyaltyto friendship to be seen in such a place," she returned.
"Nat said he wouldn't ask you to come down to bid him good-by, becausehe expects to come out to spend Sundays for a while."
Mrs. Evringham looked at her daughter. All the girl's face had lacked ofvivacity and happy expression it wore now, making her radiant.
"You could never guess the news I have for you, mother."
Mrs. Evringham's lips tightened. "Eloise, if you will not marry the fineman who had my entire approval, it will be outrageous for you to marryan ineligible, a young fellow whose goods are all in the show window,who has not proved himself in any way. I refuse to hear your news," shereturned impetuously.
The girl laughed. "Do you mean Nat, dear?" she asked, her rosy facecoming close. "I'm afraid he's going to spoil himself by becomingeligible. He has been telling me a lot about the business to-night."
"Ho! Nat Bonnell could always talk."
Eloise's arms closed around her. "There's only one source of supply,mother. Nat has found Him. I am finding Him. We shall not want. What doyou think I have here for you? Grandfather gave it to me." Eloise putinto her mother's hands a draft for a thousand dollars.
Mr. Evringham appeared to lose sight of the dagger she had been seeingbefore her for days. "What is this?" she ejaculated. "A present fromfather?"
"Not at all. Some unknown man owed it to papa, and his conscience madehim pay the debt. It came in grandfather's evening mail, and he has onlyjust opened it."
Mrs. Evringham examined the paper eagerly.
"How wonderful!" she exclaimed.
"How natural," returned Eloise. "That is the wonderful part of it."