and recounted her
grievances. "She's the oddest child in the world," she finished, "and
her last freak is that she doesn't want to have a doctor."

"Dear me, what heresy!" The young man smiled. "Which room, Mrs. Forbes?"

"Please go into the library first, Dr. Ballard. Mr. Evringham is waiting
to see you."

The broker was sitting before his desk as the doctor entered, and he
turned with a brief greeting.

"I'm glad you've come, Ballard. I'm very much troubled about the
child. Her father and mother abroad you understand, and I feel the
responsibility. She seems very flighty, quite wild in her talk at
moments. I wished to warn you that one of her feverish ideas is that she
doesn't want a doctor. You will have to use some tact."

The physician's face lost its careless smile. "Delirious, you say?"

"Yes, go right up, Guy. I'll wait for you here. It's so sudden. She was
quite well, to all appearances, yesterday."

"Children are sensitive little mortals," remarked Dr. Ballard, and then
Mrs. Forbes ushered him up to the white room. He asked her to remain
within call, and entered alone.

The child's eyes were open as he approached the bed, the black case
she remembered in his hand. By her expression he saw that her mind was
clear.

"Well, well, Jewel, this isn't the way I meant you to receive me the
first time I called," he said pleasantly, drawing up a chair beside the
bed. The child put out her hand to his offered one and tried to smile.
As he held the hand he felt her pulse. "This isn't the way to behave
when you go visiting," he added.

"I know it isn't," returned Jewel contritely.

"The next time you go wading in the brook, take off your shoes and
stockings, little one, and I think you would better wait until later
in the season, anyway. You've made quick work of this business." As
he talked the doctor took his little thermometer out of its case. "Now
then, let me slip this under your tongue."

"What is it?" asked Jewel, shrinking.

"What! Haven't you ever had your temperature tried? Well, you have been
a healthy little girl! All the better. Just take it under your tongue,
and don't speak for a minute, please."

"Please don't ask me to. I can't."

"There's nothing to be afraid of. It won't hurt you." The doctor smiled.

"I know what that is now," said Jewell, regarding the little tube. "A
man was cured of paralysis once by having a thing like that stuck in his
mouth. He thought it was meant to cure him.