The girl spoke slowly and with great clearness.
Jewel looked at her, speechless with surprise and perplexity.
Eloise went on: “I don't want to stay here, you understand. I wish to go away. I would go to-day if my mother were willing.”
Her large eyes grew dark as she closed, and the child received a sense of the turbulence that underlay her words.
“Thank you for explaining,” she returned in an awed tone. “I wish my mother was here; but God is, and He'll take care of you, cousin Eloise. Mother says we don't ever need to stay in the shadow. There's always the sunshine, only we must do our part, we must come into it.”
“How Jewel? Supposing you don't know how.”
“You can learn how,” replied the child earnestly, “right in those books. Lots of sorry people grow glad studying them.”