Jewel: A Chapter in Her Life Part 66

"Jewel, Jewel, child!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed her grandfather, much dismayed. "Come, come, what's this?"

He drew her with a strong hand, and she deserted the pony, much to the latter's relief, and clasping Mr. Evringham as high up as she could reach, began bedewing his vest b.u.t.tons with her tears.

"Oh, gra--grandpa, I c--can't have him!" she sobbed. "There isn't any roo--room for him in our--our fla--fla--flat!"

"Well, did you expect to keep him in the flat?" inquired Mr. Evringham, stooping tenderly, his own eyes shining suspiciously, as he put his arms around the little shaking form.

"N--no; but we--we haven't any bar--barn."

The broker smiled above the voluminous, quivering bows.

"Well, hasn't some good livery man in your neighborhood a stable?"

"Ye--yes." Jewel made greater efforts to stop crying. "But I--I talked with mo--mother once about cou--could I ha--have a horse sometime before I grew up, and she said she might buy the horse, but it would cost so much--much money every week to board it, it would be error."

Mr. Evringham patted the heaving shoulder.

"Ah, but you don't know yet all about your horse. In some respects I've never seen a pony like him."

"I--I never have," returned the child.

"Oh, but you'll be surprised at _this_. This pony has a bank account."

Jewel slowly grew quiet.

"n.o.body has to pay for _his_ board and clothes. He is very independent.

He would have it that way."

"Grandpa!" came in m.u.f.fled tones from the broker's vest.

"So don't you think you'd better cheer up and look at him once more, and tell him you won't cry on his shoulder very often?"

In a minute Jewel looked up, revealing her swollen eyes. "I'm ashamed,"

she said softly, "but he was--so--be--_autiful_--I forgot to remember."

"Well, I guess you did forget to remember," returned Mr. Evringham, shaking his head and leading the child to her pony's side.

He lifted her into the saddle and arranged her skirt, brushing away the dust.

"Grandpa!" she exclaimed softly, with a long, quivering sigh, "I'm so _happy_!"

"Have you ever ridden, Jewel?"

"Oh, yes, a thousand times," she answered quickly; "but not on a real horse," she added as an afterthought.

"H'm. That might make a difference." Mr. Evringham loosed the pony and put the white bridle in the child's hands; then he led the pretty creature down the woodland road.

"I'm _so_ happy," repeated Jewel. "What will mother and father say!"

"You'll be a regular circus rider by the time they come home."

As the broker spoke these words Zeke appeared around the bend in the road, riding Ess.e.x Maid. His face was alight with interest in the sight that met him.

Jewel called to him radiantly. "Oh, Zeke, what do you think?"

"I think it's great," he responded. "h.e.l.lo, little kid," he said, as he came nearer and perceived the signs in the child's face. "Pony do any harm, Mr. Evringham?" he asked with respectful concern.

"No; Jewel cried a little, but it was only because I told her she could not sleep nights in Star's manger."

The child gave one look of astonishment at the speaker's grave countenance, and then shouted with a laugh as spontaneous as though no tear had ever fallen from her shining eyes.

"See Ess.e.x Maid look at my pony, grandpa!" she said joyously. "She looks so proud and stuck _up_."

"Look away, my lady," said the broker. "You'll see a great deal more of this young spring before you see less."

Zeke dismounted.

"Now then," Mr. Evringham looked up at the child. "I'm going to let go your bridle."

"I want you to," she answered gayly.

Mr. Evringham mounted his horse. "We'll take a sedate walk through the woods," he said. "Zeke, you might lead her a little way."

"No, no, _please_," begged the child. "I know how to ride. I _do_."

"Well, let her go then," smiled the broker, and Ess.e.x Maid trotted slowly, noting with haughty bright eyes the little black companion, who might have stepped out of a picture book, but whose easy canter was tossing Jewel at every step.

"I haven't--any--whip!" The words were bounced out of the child's lips, and Mr. Evringham's laugh resounded along the avenue.

"I believe she'd use it," he said to Zeke, who was running along beside the black pony.

"I guess she would, sir," grinned the young fellow responsively.

It was not many days before Jewel had learned to stay in the saddle. She had an efficient teacher who worked with her _con amore_, and the sight of the erect, gray-haired man on his famous mare, always accompanied by the rosy little girl on a black pony, came to be a familiar sight in Bel-Air, and one which people always turned to follow with their eyes.

Eloise had her talk with Mr. Evringham one evening when Jewel was excluded from the library, and she emerged from the interview with a more contented heart than she had known for a year.

She endeavored to convey the situation to her mother in detail, but when that lady had learned that there were no happy surprises, she declined to listen.

"Tastes differ, Eloise," she said. "I am one who believes that where ignorance is bliss 'tis folly to be wise." Mrs. Evringham had regained a quite light-hearted appearance in the interest of expending a portion of her windfall on her own and Eloise's summer wardrobe.

"Well, you shan't be bothered then," returned her daughter. "You have me to take care of our money matters."

"I prefer to let father do it," returned Mrs. Evringham decidedly. "He is a changed being of late, and we are as well situated as we could hope to be. I don't feel quite satisfied with the lining of the brougham, but some day I mean to speak of it."

Eloise threw up both hands, but she laughed. She and her grandfather had an excellent understanding, and she knew that the mills of the G.o.ds were about to grind.

One evening the broker called his daughter-in-law into the library.