“No, I guess not,” returned the broker as he opened his cigar case.  “Star may have a short life, but he’s certainly experiencing a merry one.  There’s no moss gathering on that pony.”

Jewel had not waited for more than the permission.  She was fleeing toward the barn.

Mr. Evringham lighted his cigar, and then his eye fell upon the doll, too hastily set down, and fallen at a distressing angle.  Her eyes were closed as if her sensibilities had been shocked overmuch.

“Anna Belle, Anna Belle, has it come to this!” he murmured, picking up the neglected one, who, with her usual elasticity and exuberance of spirit, at once opened her eyes and beamed optimistically on her rescuer.  He set her, facing him, on his knee.  “Such is youth!” he sighed.  “When she throws you down, I feel that I’m not going to be so recuperative as you, Anna Belle.  I have a plan, however, a plan of self-defense; but if it weren’t for your discretion, I shouldn’t tell it to you, for I’m an old bird, young lady, and can’t be caught with chaff.  There are many worthy persons who may rise to lofty heights in eternity, who nevertheless, meanwhile are not desirable to sit opposite a man at his breakfast table.  A visit, Anna Belle, a short visit from my daughter Julia is all I shall ask for at first, and I shall test her, test her, my dear.  I’ll look at her through a magnifying glass.  Of course, if they’d give me Jewel, it would be all I’d ask for; but they won’t.  That is self-evident.”

Here the child came around the corner of the house, leading her pet by a halter, but with her hand in his mane as she pressed close to his side, caressing and talking to him.  In fact it was the harassing problem of the pony’s life to manage to avoid stepping on her.  Zeke lounged in the background on account equally of his orders and his inclination.

Star began cropping the grass, and Mr. Evringham continued his disquisition to the bright-eyed young person on his knee:—­

“My son Harry is turning out a pretty good sort, I fancy.  I’m not particularly shy of giving him a trial, provided he’ll do the same by me; but I suppose he will have to go West at first, anyway.  Julia is a different thing.  I can’t whistle her on and off with the same frankness; and I must be careful, Anna Belle.  Do you understand?  Careful!  And I’m going to be, by Jove, in spite of the way it makes me cringe to think of this big house, empty as a drum.  It wasn’t empty before, that’s the mischief of it.  What has happened to me?  I thought things were well enough in those days.  Nobody whom I knew was particularly happy.  Why should I be?”

The thrushes stopped, for Jewel’s childish voice floated out on the evening air.

Mr. Evringham knew what had happened.  He knew that Zeke had asked her to sing.  They two were sitting on the ground, while the pony cropped away at the sweet grass.

     “From tired joy and grief afar,
     And nearer Thee,
     Father, where Thine own children are
     I love to be!”