Aunt Jane's Nieces at Millville

ohn's three nieces without an effort. She was the eldest of them all, but her retired country life had kept her fresh and natural

path, they cut across the wooded hills to the waterfall, where Little Bill Creek made a plunge of twenty feet into a rocky basin below. In spite of the bubbles, the water here showed clear as crystal, and the girls admir

ol picnic was always held, and then trailed across the rocky plateau to the farm. By the time they reached home their appetites were

ife together at Elmhurst, where Aunt Jane, who was Uncle John's sister, had congregated her three nieces for the purpose of choosing from among them one to inherit her vast estates. It seemed no source of regret to any of them that a boy, Kenneth Forbes, had finally succeeded to Aunt Jane's

was simple enough, and derived its interest mainly from the fact that it concerned their new friend. Her parents had both passed away while she was young, a

ing farmers; and it was true that Bob West, the implement dealer, was his only associate before

between the retired sea captain and the bluff, erratic old farmer, which lasted

room one evening, as they were accustomed to do, when there was a sudden fall and a cry. Thomas ran in at once, and found grandfather raving over the Captai

is last remark, and Pats

Joe Wegg. Did

tred for this part of the country, where he was born. Aside from these morbid notions, Joe was healthy-minded and frank and genuine. Had he been educated in any other atmosphere than the gloomy one of the Wegg household I am sure Joe's character would have been wholly admirable, and I have never blamed the boy much for his peculiarities. Captain Wegg would not permit him to go to school,

imself for either a business or a profession; but that did not satisfy Joe's ambition, as you may imagine. And, when the end came, scarcely a dollar of m

any of his friends. I heard, indirectly, of his working his way through a technical school, for he

ecame of Captain Wegg'

tal condition he can never tell us what became of his little fortune; but luckily the returns from the farm, which we rent on s

mance!" cried Patsy, w

n real life," added Beth,

lips of Old Hucks. For the sole available witness of that fatal night's tragedy, when one strong man died and another was driven mad, was Thomas Hucks. The old servitor was also in a position to know much of the causes leading up to the catastrophe, he having been the confidential retainer of Captain Wegg for many y

country district, where there were no banks, it was reasonable to suppose they kept large sums of money on hand, and the knowledge of this fact had tempted some one to a dreadful deed. Captain Wegg had been killed and old Thompson perhaps

she was an instrument of justice, for a discovery of the truth might restore a fortune to poor Joe Wegg, now struggling with the world, and put sweet Ethel

r all the points of interest they came to, and delighting the old woman with her bright chatter. Louise had b

r twilight, the girl dexterously led the

or when you marrie

oner the 'Lively Kate,' an' I were livin' with

d were you bli

ind arter our great

'm so sorry, de

silent for a tim

to forgit, an' when I gets cryin' an' nervous he

nted, but changed t

afterward Mrs. Wegg. D

I did,

was sh

l-in-in the place where we lived. An' her fambily was that proud

she love C

r fambily to do it. An' the Cap'n were thet proud o'

dn't treat her well," re

ll as to Tom an' me-the Cap'n sort o' lost heart to see his Mary cry day arter day an' never be

er you moved her

, de

s very fond of Ethel's

an opening to penetra

iends always," wa

ever quarr

hat I kn

ose became of their m

hild. Air we get

heart to me, and tell me about that great trouble,

woman shoo

ttin'," she said; "an' the way t

ng the inside history of the Weggs. When she discovered what that "great trouble" had been she would secure an important clue in the mystery, she was sur

atswain, Old Hucks, was likewise implicated. They were obliged to abandon the sea and fly to some out-of-the-way corner inland, where they could be safely hidden and their whereabouts never disco

e reason he became glum and uncommunicative whenever Louise was around. The girl suspected that Nora had told her husba