第27章 A SHOPPING EXPEDITION(3)

At last,suddenly,in the midst of a Grieg melody,the player ceased,and crossing her arms upon the empty music rack,bowed her head upon them in such an attitude of abandon that Jewel's heart leaped in sympathy.

"Oh cousin Eloise!What makes her so sorry?"she thought.The child's intuition had been strong to perceive the nature of her aunt Madge.

"It must be such an awful thing to have your own mother an error fairy.That must be the reason.I wish I could tell her"--Jewel jumped to her feet,but just as she was determining to go to her cousin,the soft-toned gong pealed its mellow summons,and she saw Eloise rise from the piano in time to meet her mother,who at that moment entered the room.

Jewel went into the house,hung up her hat and jacket,and deposited her packages.By the time she reached the dining-room her aunt and cousin were already seated.Mrs.Evringham put up her lorgnette as she greeted the child.Eloise nodded a grave good-morning,and Mrs.Forbes began to serve the luncheon.

Jewel looked in vain for any trace of excitement or tears on her cousin's lovely face.Eloise did not address her or any one.Mrs.

Evringham did the talking.After a question as to how Jewel had spent the morning,and without listening to the child's reply,she began to talk to her daughter of a drive she wished to take that afternoon.

Jewel discerned that Mrs.Forbes was not kindly disposed toward the mother and daughter,and that they ignored the housekeeper;that Eloise was languid and out of sympathy with her mother,and that Mrs.

Evringham was impatient with her,often to the verge of sharpness.The child was glad when luncheon was over;but before going upstairs she brought her small bag of caramels and offered them to the ladies.

Mrs.Evringham gave a little laugh of surprise and looked at Eloise,who took one with a sober "Thank you.""I don't believe I could,child,"said aunt Madge,glancing with amusement at the striped bag."Keep them for yourself.""You'll have some,won't you,Mrs.Forbes?"asked Jewel,and the housekeeper so strongly disapproved of Mrs.Evringham's manner that she accepted.

"Perhaps you would like to try some of our candy,Julia,"said Mrs.

Evringham,as the child followed her aunt and cousin upstairs.

Jewel paused while aunt Madge brought from her room into the hall a large box,beribboned and laced,full of a variety of confections.

"How pretty!"exclaimed the child.

"This is from your friend,Dr.Ballard,"said her aunt."He sent it to the charming little girl,Eloise."Jewel,running on up to her room eating the creamy chocolate,wondered still more why her cousin should seem so sorry,with so much to make her happy.

"Now,Anna Belle,the time has really come,"she said happily to her doll,as she took her in her arms and began putting on her jacket and hat."We're going away from Castle Discord to seek our fortunes.We're going to leave the giantess,and leave the impolite error fairy,and leave the poor enchanted maiden,and go to find the ravine and the brook.Wait till I put on my oldest shoes,for we shall have to climb deep,deep down to get near to father."At last she was ready,and when she had closed the heavy house door behind her,and had run down the driveway to the park road,a delicious sense of freedom possessed her.

"There goes the little Westerner,"observed Mrs.Evringham,looking from her window."It's a good thing she knows how to amuse herself.""A good thing,indeed,"returned Eloise."There is no one here to do anything for her.""She has wonderful assurance for such a plain little monkey,"went on Mrs.Evringham.

"She has extremely good breeding,"returned her daughter,coming to the window and following Jewel's retreating figure with her eyes,"and a charming face when she smiles.""Very well.Look out for yourself,then.I thought last night,once or twice,at dinner,that she was rather entertaining to her grandfather.""She has her doll,"said Eloise wistfully."Where can she be going?Iwish I were going with her."

Mrs.Evringham laughed."Well,you arebored.Pshaw,my dear!Lie down and get a little beauty sleep.Then we will go driving and see that charming spot Dr.Ballard told us about.I'm sure he will call to-night."