AUNT JANE'S NIECES - Complete 10 Book Collection - Edith Van Dyne

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for the Uncle is old. But just to keep him out of mischief, and busy. He can't hang around all day and be happy, I suppose."

      "I'll look around," answered the Major, briskly, as if such a "job" was the easiest thing in the world to procure. "And meantime—"

      "Meantime," said Uncle John, smiling at them, "I'll look around myself."

      "To be sure," agreed the Major. "Between the two of us and Patsy, we ought to have no trouble at all."

      There was a moment of thoughtful silence after this, and then Patsy said:

      "You know it won't matter, Uncle John, if you don't work. There'll easy be enough for all, with the Major's wages and my own."

      "By the bye," added the Major, "if you have any money about you, which is just possible, sir, of course, you'd better turn it over to Patsy to keep, and let her make you an allowance. That's the way I do—it's very satisfactory."

      "The Major's extravagant," exclaimed Patsy; "and if he has money he wants to treat every man he meets."

      Uncle John shook his head, reproachfully, at the Major.

      "A very bad habit, sir," he said.

      "I acknowledge it, Mr. Merrick," responded the Major. "But Patsy is fast curing me. And, after all, it's a wicked city to be carrying a fat pocketbook around in, as I've often observed."

      "My pocketbook is not exactly fat," remarked Uncle John.

      "But you've money, sir, for I marked you squandering it on the train," said Patsy, severely. "So out with it, and we'll count up, and see how much of an allowance I can make you 'till you get the job."

      Uncle John laughed and drew his chair up to the table. Then he emptied his trousers' pockets upon the cloth, and Patsy gravely separated the keys and jackknife from the coins and proceeded to count the money.

      "Seven dollars and forty-two cents," she announced. "Any more?"

      Uncle John hesitated a moment, and then drew from an inner pocket of his coat a thin wallet. From this, when she had received it from his hand, the girl abstracted two ten and one five dollar bills, all crisp and new.

      "Good gracious!" she cried, delightedly. "All this wealth, and you pleading poverty?"

      "I never said I was a pauper," returned Uncle John, complacently.

      "You couldn't, and be truthful, sir," declared the girl. "Why, this will last for ages, and I'll put it away safe and be liberal with your allowance. Let me see," pushing the coins about with her slender fingers, "you just keep the forty-two cents, Uncle John. It'll do for car-fare and a bit of lunch now and then, and when you get broke you can come to me."

      "He smokes," observed the Major, significantly.

      "Bah! a pipe," said Patsy. "And Bull Durham is only five cents a bag, and a bag ought to last a week. And every Saturday night, sir, you shall have a cigar after dinner, with the Major. It's it our regular practice."

      "Thank you, Patsy," said Uncle John, meekly, and gathered up his forty-two cents.

      "You've now a home, and a manager, sir, with money in the bank of Patsy & Company, Limited," announced the Major. "You ought to be very contented, sir."

      "I am," replied Uncle John.

      CHAPTER XXV

       UNCLE JOHN ACTS QUEERLY.

       Table of Contents

      When Patsy and the Major had both departed for work on Monday morning Uncle John boarded a car and rode downtown also. He might have accompanied them part of the way, but feared Patsey might think him extravagant if she found him so soon breaking into the working fund of forty-two cents, which she charged him to be careful of.

      He seemed to be in no hurry, for it was early yet, and few of the lower Broadway establishments were open. To pass the time he turned into a small restaurant and had coffee and a plate of cakes, in spite of the fact that Patsy had so recently prepared coffee over the sheet-iron stove and brought some hot buns from a near-by bakery. He was not especially hungry; but in sipping the coffee and nibbling the cakes he passed the best part of an hour.

      He smiled when he paid out twenty-five cents of his slender store for the refreshment. With five cents for car-fare he had now but twelve cents left of the forty-two Patsy had given him! Talk about the Major's extravagance: it could not be compared to Uncle John's.

      Another hour was spent in looking in at the shop windows. Then, suddenly noting the time. Uncle John started down the street at a swinging pace, and presently paused before a building upon which was a sign, reading: "Isham, Marvin & Co., Bankers and Brokers." A prosperous looking place, it seemed, with a host of clerks busily working in the various departments. Uncle John walked in, although the uniformed official at the door eyed him suspiciously.

      "Mr. Marvin in?" he inquired, pleasantly.

      "Not arrived yet," said the official, who wore a big star upon his breast.

      "I'll wait," announced Uncle John, and sat down upon a leather-covered bench.

      The official strutted up and down, watching the customers who entered the bank or departed, and keeping a sharp watch on the little man upon the bench.

      Another hour passed.

      Presently Uncle John jumped up and approached the official.

      "Hasn't Mr. Marvin arrived yet?" he enquired, sharply.

      "An hour ago," was the reply.

      "Then why didn't you let me know? I want to see him."

      "He's busy mornings. Has to look over the mail. He can't see you yet."

      "Well, he will see me, and right away. Tell him John Merrick is here."

      "Your card, sir."

      "I haven't any. My name will do."

      The official hesitated, and glanced at the little man's seedy garb and countryfied air. But something in the angry glance of the shrewd eye made him fear he had made a mistake. He opened a small door and disappeared.

      In a moment the door burst open to allow egress to a big, red-bearded man in his shirtsleeves, who glanced around briefly and then rushed at Uncle John and shook both his hands cordially.

      "My dear Mr. Merrick!" he exclaimed, "I'm delighted and honored to see you here. Come to my room at once. A great surprise and pleasure, sir! Thomas, I'm engaged!"

      This last was directed at the head of the amazed porter, who, as the door slammed in his face, nodded solemnly and remarked:

      "Fooled ag'in, and I might 'a' known it. Drat these 'ere billionaires!

       Why don't they dress like decent people?"

      Uncle John had been advised by Patsy where to go for a good cheap luncheon; but he did not heed her admonition. Instead, he rode in a carriage beside the banker to a splendid club, where he was served with the finest dishes the chef could provide on short notice. Moreover, Mr. Marvin introduced him to several substantial gentlemen as "Mr. John Merrick, of Portland"; and each one bowed profoundly and declared he was "highly honored."

      Yet Uncle John seemed in no way elated by this reception. He retained his simple manner, although his face was more grave than Patsy had often seen it; and he talked with easy familiarity of preferred stocks and amalgamated interests and invested, securities and many other queer things that the banker seemed to understand fully and to listen to with respectful deference.

      Then they returned to the bank for another long session together, and there was quite an eager bustle among the clerks as they stretched their necks to get a glimpse of Mr. Marvin's companion.

      "It's John Merrick" passed from mouth to mouth, and the uniformed official strutted from one window to another, saying:

      "I

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