Mr. Reeves smoothed his mustache vigorously. “I thought I did,” he
returned. “You spoke of your cousin. I knew your aunt and cousin were
with Mr. Evringham now. Well, I'm glad, I'm sure, that you are so
pleasantly situated. You must come to our little hall some Sunday
where we have service, you know. It will be rather different from your
beautiful churches in Chicago.”
“But I'd love to come,” replied the child eagerly. “I didn't know there
was one here. I'll get grandpa to bring me.”
“Mr. Evringham!” The speaker could feel the tendency of his jaw to drop.
“Yes, or else cousin Eloise. She helps me get the lesson every day, and
then she takes my book and reads and reads. She told me this morning she
read almost all last night.”
Mr. Reeves nodded slowly once or twice. “Still they come,” he murmured
meditatively.
“Would you--would you mind writing down where that hall is?” asked the
child.
“Certainly I will.” Mr. Reeves suited the action to the word, taking
an envelope from his pocket for the purpose. “And if I ever see
Mr. Evringham there”--he said slowly, “by the way, please tell your
grandfather that we met and had this chat.”
“I don't know your name,” returned the child.
“Why, of course. Pardon me. Reeves. Mr. Reeves. Can you remember that?”
The little girl flashed a bright look at him. “We can't forget,” she
reminded him.
“Of course,” he nodded. “Exactly. I'm very likely younger in Science
than you are, little one. How long have you known about it?”
Jewel thought. “Seven years,” she replied.
Her companion gave a laughing exclamation. “There, you see. I've known
for only one year. What is your name?”
“Jewel Evringham.”
“Good-bye, Jewel, till we meet again, some Sunday soon, I hope.”
They shook hands, and Mr. Reeves went smiling on his way.
“Seven years,” he reflected. “There's the simon pure article. She can't
be over nine. I'll wager Bel-Air Park has had its sensations of late.
Evringham! The high ball, the billiard ball, and the race track, and
now the reputation of being a difficult old martinet. Never unkind to
anything! Why, she's a little feminine Siegfried, that precious Jewel.
Ballard and the cousin, eh? I've heard that rumor.”
When Dr. Ballard returned to the buggy, Jewel began loquaciously telling
him of her pleasant experience.
“And he knows you, Mr. Reeves does, and he said you were a nice fellow,”
she finished, beaming.
“Very civil of him, I'm sure,” returned the doctor as the horse started.
“I distinctly remember his having a different opinion one night when he
caught me in his favorite cherry tree; but I don't yet understand the
levity of his behavior in scraping acquaintance with the young lady I
left unprotected in my buggy.”
“Oh, we'd met before in a trolley car,” explained Jewel. “I wanted to
run right to him when I first saw that he was a Scientist.”
“A what? Mr. Reeves? Oh, go 'way, my little mascot. Go 'way!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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