Aunt Jane's Nieces at Millville

looking out of the car wi

distinctive of wealth, his hands were hard and roughened by years of toil, and his necktie had a plebeian trick of sliding under his left ear. Un

cia's cook. Finding that the road did not run a sleeper to Chazy Junction, Mr. Merrick had ordered one

uffed up the steep grade, "as if we'd arrived at the heart of a wild

has an idea where we're going, or what that farm of mine looks like. We're

d dainty Louise, shaking her blonde head with a

remarked Patsy, with a laugh; "that is,

r jerk, and stopped again with a third that made t

the colored porter, entering

eir hand baggage was deposited beside them. The

, his nieces and their maid, found themselves confronting a solitary man in shirtsleeves,

Uncle John glanced around with the eye of a practiced traveler. Back of the station was a

o meet us?" asked Louise,

e addressed the native. "Can you tell

ile up t

. Is there any ca

miled sar

w in these parts. I take it you

. Merrick. "I'm glad we

all

tty

fast, to begin with, and then

emarked the man, eyeing the dainty go

's P

the man you hire

e sort of a team to meet us," agreed Uncle

the Ju

hot

ur

livery

se the

said Uncle John, assumin

our baggage till we g

nterfere with it, but so

s and eat it up. Now

ight have been expected. They had recently accompanied their erratic rel

the hotel, a dismal, unclean looking place that smell

p?" he i

o," said

more I'll pay you. Bring a table out here on the porch and we'll eat in the open air. Where's the livery stable-eh? Oh, I see.

n woke up with a start

hen it's thet air

eaning the half dozen sorry looking nags the establishment contained. A three-seated democrat wagon was engaged to carry the party to the Wegg farm at Millville, and a

vallyble," he said in a surly voice.

asked Uncle

o teams to

e the democrat at the hotel in twenty minutes. Here's five d

he watched the little man depart. "What a cussed f

hurry up, and in the stipula

ous. The milk was also a revelation. Through the windows of the hotel several frowsy

s of the democrat. The glorious air, the clear sunshine and a satisfact

unks were properly loaded on the lumber wagon. Then, slowly, they start

inquired Uncle John, p

re," answered the

it. Pretty big hill,

l. When we cross it,

s unknown farm would prove to be impossible, and that in a day or so at the latest they would retrace their steps. But in t

from their elevation they beheld the placid lake half hidden by its stately pines and gazed up the rugged and picturesque foot-h

e?" asked Uncl

s,

se houses belongs

pines hide it," said the man, urging his hor

?" inquired Uncle

an' half trees. Ol' Cap'n Wegg wasn't no farmer. He were a sea-c

John s

ght it myself,

"'bout a fool an' his money. The house is a hunk

' please?" inquired

perhaps because he was guiding hi

at the villa

e on to t

because they had expected nothing admirable in this all but forsaken spot. They did not notice the people who stared after them as they ra

nstructions and set Mr. Merrick's house in order, and there he considered that his duty ended. He

at five big-boxes of groceries had been forwarded from the city to the Wegg farm. "What'n thunder's the use

ere they turned into the Jane at the left and straightway subsided

d narrowly escaped biting his tongue throug

le; "it's the cobble-stone lane to yer farm, an' t

e passengers maintai

sy, glancing at the panorama as

use, or any place of refuge, on your far

or says it's a hunker," replied Mr. Merrick,

s two rooms and a leaky roof. But never mind, girls. This has been a pleasa

t o' the Wegg farm. It's big enough fer a hotel, an' cost a lot o' money in its day. Seems like t

ing he might become per

while the girls shr

d suddenly drew up beside the old-fashioned stile built into the rail fence. Every eye was instantly upon the quaint, r

's," said th

cried Beth;

th smiles. Patsy drew in a long brea

yed in her neat gray gown and a cap. Her face was

dress been so immaculate. The queer old fellow seemed to appreciate this as he raised

ucks, sir; Thomas Hucks," and without more words h

e welcome and the smile of the old man. "I'd f

er, sir." And then, lowering his voice so that only the girl

ger, pathetic figure of the woman

she said, "and I'm sur

wed her co

, Nora. Will y

ned the old woman, beaming delighted

," said their cousin,

ui

s they are pretty," announced Uncle John, proudly.

e young ladies to

ouise added: "Let us drink in the delights of this pretty picture befo

ng to her children that strangers had arrived. Beth exclaimed at the hone

Uncle," she said. "What a surprise

s. Uncle John squatted on the shady steps and fairly beamed upon the rustic scene spread out before him. Patsy had now thrown aside her hat and jacket and lay outstr

some hammocks and a croq

o

with his persistent smile and now stood awaiting his new maste

taken off her things an

ck," she said. "There is everything we c

at once captivated by its charm. Nora led them upstairs to their chambers, finding the way a

om is mine!"

e pink room

jor's is just next, and it will please him because it

istened with real pleasure to the exclamations of delight. "It

as he congratulated himself upon his foresight in sending down the furnishings on the ch

inty touch evidenced everywhere was not to be attributed to blin

t, Thomas?

sir; the sc

city

son's granddaughter. She l

e here

pleasure to her, she said, an' she hoped as

John

. "We owe her a good deal, I imagine, an