第12章 BON VOYAGE(1)

At the dock next morning the scene was one of the usual confusion.The sailing time was drawing near and Mr.Evringham had not appeared.

Harry,with his little girl's hand in his,stood at the foot of the gang plank,peering at every newcomer and growing more anxious every moment.Jewel occupied herself in throwing kisses to her mother,who stood at the rail far above,never taking her eyes from the little figure in the blue sailor suit.

The child noted her father's set lips and the concentrated expression of his eyes.

"If grandpa doesn't come what shall I do?"she asked without anxiety.

"You'll go to England,"was the prompt response.

"Without my trunk!"returned the child in protest.

Her father looked again at the watch he held in his hand.The order to go ashore was sending all visitors down the gang plank."By George,Iguess you're going,too,"he muttered between his teeth,when suddenly his father's tall form came striding through the crowd.Mr.Evringham was carrying a long pasteboard box,and seemed breathless.

"Horse fell down.Devil of a time!Roses for your wife."Harry grasped the box,touched his father's hand,kissed the child,and strode up the plank amid the frowns of officials.

Jewel's eager eyes followed him,then,as he disappeared,lifted again to her mother,who smiled and waved her hand to Mr.Evringham.The latter raised his hat and took the occasion to wipe his heated brow.

He was irritated through and through.The morning had been a chapter of accidents.Even the roses,which he had ordered the night before,had proved to be the wrong sort.

The suspense of the last fifteen minutes had been a distressing wrong to put upon any man.He had now before him the prospect of caring for a strange child,of taking her out of town at an hour when he should have been coming into it.She would probably cry.Very well;if she did he determined on the instant to ride out to Bel-Air in the smoking car,although he detested its odors and uncleanness.The whole situation was enormous.What a fool he had been,and what an intelligent woman was Mrs.Forbes!She had seen from the first the inappropriateness,the impossibility,of the whole proposition.His attention was attracted to the fact that the small figure at his side was hopping up and down with excitement.

"There's father,there's father!"she cried,as Harry joined his wife at the rail and they lifted the wealth of roses from the box and waved them.

"We've wronged him,Harry!"exclaimed Julia,trying to see the little face below through her misty eyes."How I love him for bringing me these sweet things!It gives me such a different feeling about him.""Oh,father would as soon forget his breakfast as roses for a woman he was seeing off,"returned Harry without enthusiasm,while he waved his hat energetically.

The steamer pulled out.The faces in the crowd mingled and changed places.

"I've lost them,I've lost them!"cried Julia."Oh,where are they,Harry.""Over there near the corner.I can see father.It's all right,dear,"choking a little."Jewel was skipping and laughing a minute ago.It will only be a few weeks,but confound it,"violently,"next time we'll take her!"Julia buried her face in the roses,on which twinkled a sudden dew,and tried to gather promise from their sweet breath.

Jewel strained her eyes to follow the now indistinguishable forms on the lofty deck,and her grandfather looked down at the small figure in the sailor suit,the short thick pigtails of flaxen hair tied with large bows of ribbon,and the doll clasped in one arm.At last the child turned her head and looked up,and their eyes met for the first time.

"Jove,she does look like Harry!"muttered Mr.Evringham,and even as he spoke the plain little face was illumined with the smile he knew,that surpassingly sweet smile which promised so much and performed nothing.

The child studied him with open,innocent curiosity.

"I can't believe it's you,"she said at last,in a voice light and winning,a voice as sweet as the smile.

"I don't wonder.I don't quite know myself this morning,"he replied brusquely.

"We have a picture of you,but it's a long-ago one,and I thought by this time you would be old,and--and bent over,you know,the way grandpas are."Even in that place of drays and at eight o'clock A.M.these words fell not disagreeably upon irritated ears.

"I think myself Nature did not intend me to be a grandpa,"he replied.

"Oh,yes,you're just the right kind,"returned the child hastily and confidently."Strong and--and handsome."Mr.Evringham looked at her in amazement."The little rascal!"he thought."Has she been coached?""I suppose we may get away from here now,"he said aloud."There's nothing more to wait for.""Didn't the roses make mother happy?"asked the little girl,trotting along beside his long strides."I think it was wonderful for you to bring them so early in the morning."Mr.Evringham summoned a cab.

"Oh,are we gong in a carriage?"cried Jewel,highly pleased."But Imustn't forget,grandpa,there's something father told me I must give you the first thing.Will you take Anna Belle a minute,please?"and Mr.Evringham found himself holding the doll fiercely by one leg while small hands worked at the catch of a very new little leather side-bag.

At last Jewel produced a brass square.

"Oh,your trunk check."Mr.Evringham exchanged the doll for it with alacrity."Get in."He held open the cab door.

Jewel obeyed,but not without some misgivings when her guardian so coolly pocketed the check.

"Yes,it's for my trunk,"she replied when her grandfather was beside her and they began rattling over the stones."I have a checked silk dress,"she added softly,after a pause.It were well to let him know the value of her baggage.

"Have you indeed?How old are you,Julia?Your name is Julia,Ibelieve?"

"Yes,sir,my name'sJulia,but so is mother's,and they call me Jewel.I'm nearly nine,grandpa.""H'm.Time flies,"was the brief response.

Jewel looked out of the cab window in the noisy silence that followed.