, "but you don't look
bored."

He untied the horse, jumped into the buggy, and they were off again,
Hector striding along as if to make up for lost time. "Now only one more
call, Jewel, and then we'll get back out of the dust again," said the
doctor cheerily.

"I haven't noticed any dust, Dr. Ballard. I'm having the most _fun_!"

"Well now, I'm glad of that. It's a great thing to be eight years old,
Jewel."

"That's what cousin Eloise says. She says she'd like to be."

"Indeed? How is the enchanting--excuse me--I mean the enchanted maiden
this morning?"

"She's well. She ties my bows now, so grandpa doesn't have to."

"Ties your--" The doctor looked at the speaker, mystified.

Jewel put her hand up to the small billows of silk behind her ear. "My
hair bows. They were real hard for grandpa to do."

Dr. Ballard repressed a guffaw, and then turned solemn. "Do you mean to
say that Mr. Evringham tied your hair ribbons?"

"Why yes."

"That settles it, Jewel. You must go into partnership with me and wave
wands and things. Setting Essex Maid on her legs wasn't a patch on
that."

Jewel regarded him questioningly a moment and then repeated, "But it was
real hard for grandpa."

"I can believe it!"

"And cousin Eloise is the kindest girl. She's like grandpa about that.
Her kindness is inside, too."

"Is it indeed? You don't know how much I thank you for telling me where
to look for it."

"Oh, she must be kind to _you_, Dr. Ballard!"

"Once in a while, once in a while," he replied cautiously, but Jewel
couldn't get a look into his eyes, though she tried, he was so busily
engaged poking an invisible fly from Hector's side with the point of the
whip. "If you'll find a way to make her kind to me all the time, Jewel,
then you will be my mascot indeed."

"All you have to do is to know she is," replied the child earnestly.
"I felt the way you do, at first, but now I've found out just because I
stopped being afraid."

"Ah, that's the recipe, eh? All I've to do is to stop being afraid."

"That's all!" cried Jewel, beaming at his ready comprehension. "You'll
find out there isn't a thing to be afraid of with Cousin Eloise, and
oh, Dr. Ballard," the child smiled at him wistfully, "she's getting
so--so--unenchanted."

"You just waved your wand, I suppose, and said 'Presto change,'"
returned the young man.

He turned Hector down a side street and drew rein under a large elm.
"Here's my rheumatic gentleman," he adde