Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Josephine Paolucci and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: "YOU'VE MADE ME SOME STORIES, MOTHER!"] JEWEL'S STORY BOOK BY CLARA LOUISE BURNHAM WITH ILLUSTRATIONS NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS Made in the United States of America COPYRIGHT 1904 BY CLARA LOUISE BURNHAM ALL RIGHTS RESERVED _Published October, 1904_ _TO THE CHILDREN WHO LOVE JEWEL_ CONTENTS I. OVER THE 'PHONE II. THE BROKER'S OFFICE III. THE HOME-COMING IV. ON THE VERANDA V. THE LIFTED VEIL VI. THE DIE IS CAST VII. MRS. EVRINGHAM'S GIFTS VIII. THE QUEST FLOWER IX. THE QUEST FLOWER (CONTINUED) X. THE APPLE WOMAN'S STORY XI. THE GOLDEN DOG XII. THE TALKING DOLL XIII. A HEROIC OFFER XIV. ROBINSON CRUSOE XV. ST. VALENTINE XVI. A MORNING RIDE XVII. THE BIRTHDAY XVIII. TRUE DELIGHT JEWEL'S STORY BOOK CHAPTER I OVER THE 'PHONE Mrs. Forbes, Mr. Evringham's housekeeper, answered the telephone one afternoon. She was just starting to climb to the second story and did not wish to be hindered, so her "hello" had a somewhat impatient brevity. "Mrs. Forbes?" "Oh," with a total change of voice and face, "is that you, Mr. Evringham?" "Please send Jewel to the 'phone." "Yes, sir." She laid down the receiver, and moving to the foot of the stairs called loudly, "Jewel!" "Drat the little lamb!" groaned the housekeeper, "If I was only sure she was up there; I've got to go up anyway. _Jewel!_" louder. "Ye--es!" came faintly from above, then a door opened. "Is somebody calling me?" Mrs. Forbes began to climb the stairs deliberately while she spoke with energy. "Hurry down, Jewel. Mr. Evringham wants you on the 'phone." "Goody, goody!" cried the child, her feet pattering on the thick carpet as she flew down one flight and then passed the housekeeper on the next. "Perhaps he is coming out early to ride." "Nothing would surprise me less," remarked Mrs. Forbes dryly as she mounted. Jewel flitted to the telephone and picked up the receiver. "Hello, grandpa, are you coming out?" she asked. "No, I thought perhaps you would like to come in." "In where? Into New York?" "Yes." "What are we going to do?" eagerly. Mr. Evringham, sitting at the desk in his private office, his head resting on his hand, moved and smiled. His mind pictured the expression on the face addressing him quite as distinctly as if no miles divided them. "Well, we'll have dinner, for one thing. Where shall it be? At the Waldorf?" Jewel had never heard the word. "Do they have Nesselrode pudding?" she asked, with keen interest. Mrs. Forbes had taken her in town one day and given her some at a restaurant. "Perhaps so. You see I've heard from the Steamship Company, and they think that the boat will get in this evening." "Oh, grandpa! grandpa! _grandpa!_" "Softly, softly. Don't break the 'phone. I hear you through the window."