第24章 A HAPPY BREAKFAST(3)

Mrs.Forbes spoke."Perhaps it is to be the same way about the rubbers,Mr.Evringham!"she said,much flushed."Perhaps you will not insist upon Julia wearing rubbers!""Oh yes,yes,certainly,"returned Mr.Evringham hastily,anxious to reinstate himself."I wish you to have a pair of rubbers at once,Julia--Jewel.You surely don't mean that your mother has allowed you to wet your feet.""I--I never noticed,grandpa,but,"hopefully,"she lets me wet my hands,so why not my feet?""Bless me,what ignorance!Because the soles of your feet have large pores through which to catch cold.Hasn't any one ever told you that?"Jewel smiled."That would be a queer arrangement for God to make,don't you think?"she asked softly."Just as if He expected us to walk on our hands."Mrs.Forbes's eyes widened,and an irrepressible "Well!"escaped from her lips."Has that young one reverence for anything in heaven above or earth beneath?"she queried mentally.

Mr.Evringham managed to recover himself sufficiently to say,"You shouldn't speak so,Jewel.""But you know how it was about the tree of knowledge,grandpa,"replied the child earnestly."God told Adam not to eat of it,because then he'd believe in good andevil,and that always makes such lots and lotsof trouble.The Indians don't have to wear rubbers.""Drink your milk,Jewel,"returned Mr.Evringham uncomfortably,not having the temerity to lift his eyes as high as his housekeeper's countenance."No matter about the Indians.You are a civilized little girl,and you must wear rubbers while you live with me.Mrs.Forbes will very kindly buy them for you.""Oh,I have money,"returned Jewel brightly."I have three dollars,"she added,trying not to say it boastfully."Fifty cents for every week father and mother are going to be away."Mr.Evringham wiped his mustache."You need not spend any of it for the rubbers,"he returned."You are buying those to please me.""I shall love to wear them to please you,grandpa,"she returned affectionately."I'll put them on every time I can think of it.""Only when it is wet,of course,"he said."When it is rainy.""Oh yes,"she returned,"when it's rainy."

"Harry looked like my father,and she does,by Jove,"mused Mr.

Evringham."She's like me.Knows what she wants to eat,and cares for a horse,if she is a strange little being.""You say you like horses?"he remarked suddenly.

"I just love them,"answered Jewel,"and I came real close to them once.Father took me to the horse show.""He did,eh?"

"Yes,he told mother he was going to blow me to it."The child laughed."Father's the greatest joker;he says the funniest things.He didn't blow me to it at all.He took me in the cable car,and we had more fun!It was the most be--eautiful place you ever saw.""It was,eh?"

"Yes.The music was playing,and there were coaches and four-in-hands and horns and men in red coats and beautiful little shiny carriages--and the horses!Oh,they all looked so proud and glad,and they trotted and ran and jumped over high fences,and the harness jingled and the people cheered!"The child's cheeks were glowing.

Mr.Evringham gave an exclamation that was almost a laugh."You didn't sleep much that night,I'll wager!""No,I didn't want to.I stayed awake a long time to realize that God doesn't love one of His children any better than another,so of course some time I'll wear a tall shiny hat and ride over fences just like flying.I'll have a horse,"Jewel added slowly,looking off with a rapt expression as at a long-cherished vision,"with a white star in his forehead!""H'm!Very good taste,"returned Mr.Evringham,scarcely knowing what he was saying,so dazed was he by the extraordinary mixture of ideas.

After breakfast he had his usual interview with Mrs.Forbes concerning the important event of dinner.Jewel had run upstairs to dress Anna Belle.

The menu decided upon,Mr.Evringham still lingered.

"Mrs.Forbes,I have never had any experience with little girls.You have,no doubt,"he said."Am I right in thinking that my granddaughter is--is a rather unusual specimen?""She's older than Dick's hatband,sir,"rejoined the housekeeper promptly.

"Are they,perhaps,teaching differently in the schools from what they used to?""Not that I know of,Mr.Evringham."

"She uses very unusual expressions.I can't make it out.You are an intelligent woman,Mrs.Forbes.Did you ever happen to hear of such a thing as the--a--a--Scientific Statement of Being!""Never in my life,sir,"returned the housekeeper virtuously.

"Extraordinary language that,from a--a child of her years.She seems to have been peculiarly brought up.You heard her reference to--in fact to--the Creator.""I did,sir.At the breakfast table,too!I was as shocked as you were,sir.Her mother put a Bible into her trunk,but it's plain she never taught her any reverence.The Almighty give her a jumping horse indeed!If you'll excuse me,Mr.Evringham,I think you should have said something right there."The broker pulled his mustache."I've listened to more unreasonable views of heaven,"he returned.

"Do you think it was heaven she was talking about!"Mr.Evringham shrugged his shoulders."You can't prove anything by me.

She's the most extraordinary child I ever listened to."Mrs.Forbes pursed her lips."You'd not believe,sir,how differently she behaves when she is alone with me.As mild-mannered and quiet as you'd wish to see anywhere.She scarcely speaks a word."Mr.Evringham bit his lip and nodded.It gave him some amusement in the midst of his perplexity to remember the manner in which he had been advised to exorcise this tower of strength altogether.

"It's my opinion,sir,that children should be made to eat what is set before them,"went on Mrs.Forbes,reverting to her principal grievance.

"It would save you a lot of trouble if I had been trained that way--eh,Mrs.Forbes?"returned the other,with extraordinary lightness.

"You are a very different thing,I should hope!"exclaimed Mrs.Forbes solemnly.

"Yes,about fifty years different.Hard to teach an old dog new tricks,eh?You might have some chops for her luncheon,perhaps,and an extra one for her breakfast.She hasn't eaten anything this morning."For the first time an order from Mr.Evringham evoked no reply from his housekeeper.He felt the weight of her disapproval."But get the overshoes by all means,as soon as convenient,"he made haste to add.

"Ring for Zeke,if you please,Mrs.Forbes.I must be off."