Show r BOYS PAPER GIRLS' AND "I 11 ll I W ysjk yy IfW JJ H XlMxl I II Jff ' Al Millville (Copyright by tha All Reilly & Britton rights reserved By Company ) Edith Dyne Van SYNOPSIS u iwuij juwn nnos mmson me unexpcctra owner of & farm near the little town of Millville N Y He decides to take his three nieces Patsy Beth and Louise there to spend the summer The girls are delighted at the prospectof a laxy summer l V— CHAPTER (Continued) of miles desolate country not dampen the spirits of the girls Secretly each one was confident that Uncle John’s un-known farinwould prove to be impossible and that in a or at day so least they would retrace their steps But In the meantime the adventure was novel And interesting and they were prepared to accept the inevitable with all gra- SEVEN could l — - H hiddenby they beheld the placid lake half its stately pines and gazed up the rugged and picturesque foothills to' the great mountains beyond then indeed they drew in dbep breaths and began as Patsy exclaimed came" "That Millville?" to be "glad asked Uncle V' VA hip f the his pines hide it" said the man horses into a trot as they the bridge good farm?" inquired Uncle county" was the reply "Half rocks an’ half Cap’n Wegg wasn’t no farmer Ol’ lie 6 disconcerting a were cap’n sea so it’s 7 a ' farm?’’"What a it k J v y inquired T per-haps if H I 1 a'-‘hunker’ : H - ' i "Want to stop at the village?" he asked 1 xkt' “ ‘Welcome home sir’ he 1m-pressed T' observed the driver’ is “for the house o’ the by odds the best part Weg It’s big farm enough fer a ho-tel an’ cost a lot o’ money in its day Seems like the lunatics all crowd thet ol’ Cap’n Wegg wasted of his an': substance on it nowr’’ c£ 'f A v $ '? - t - -the ’ ' ' ' ' : w-ith I- i ' 4 ' V - ’- 1 1 -' " r I - yr - ’ "’ ' ‘f nothin’?”he - tt t r- r®js' 4 i f f S t' - I ’ ’ J i i I replied betrayed Ik N Hucks Thomas sir J to rjin chicken-coop a on the "Is Uncle Jbhn said ‘‘They’re here sir” Old Hucks his who had watched each with one persistent smile and now stood awaiting his new master’s commands “But w® didn’t know jest where ye wanted ’em put” She had taken off came out and donned her white apron her things wonderful Mr “The house is quite Merrick” she said “There is everything possibly need and all as we can neat as wax" The report stirred the girls to explore trooped into the big living They all and were at once captivated by its charm Nora led them upstairs to their chambers finding the way as if as she possessed perfect here vision and new chorus of was evoked “The blue room mine!” cried Louise the pink room” said Beth “Mine “And choose the white room” de dared Patsy "The Major’s is just next will and please him because all and gold But whero will green Uncle John room?” “The master will use the right wing” said old Nora who had listened with pleasure to the exclamations of real “It delight were Cap’n Wegg’s room all ye know an’ we've fitted new” indeed Uncle John was at that inspecting his- apartment and he sighed contentedly as he congratulated foresight in himself upon his sending the furnishings on the chance of down their being needed They had effected a complete transformation of the old house But who had arranged everything? Surely the perfect taste and dainty touch evidenced everywhere was not to Nora The little be attributedto blind man was thoughtful as he turned to old Hucks did Thomas?’’ he asked Who “Miss Ethel sir the school-ma’am” A “Oh city girl?” sir “No Crazy Will Thompson’s granddaughter She lives ’bout nine mile away" -Mary -room unerringly a delight is is I it it is it moment it she Hucks’ now?” here “Went home this moimlng sir It werp great pleasure to her she said an like she hoped as how you’d everything a an’ Uncle w-ith He paused perhpps fearing he might become personal in his remarks and Uncle John coughed while the girls shrieked with laughter Expecting nothing they were amazed when they passed the orchard and the group of pines that had concealed the house and suddenly drew up beside the highsent - r I ‘I'm ’ admirable i j -'A John lawn where a fussy hen was calling her children that strangers had arrived Beth exclaimed at the honey-suckle vines and Louise sank into a rustic chair a sigh of content “I’m so glad brought us here you Uncle” she said “What a surprise it is to find the place sb pretty!” They could hear the rush of the Little Bill in the wood behind them and a soft breeze stirred the pines and wafted the nostrils of their fragrance to the Uncle John squatted on new arrivals 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 outstretched upon the cool grass while the chickens eyed her suspicion with evident Beth was picking a bouquet of honeysuckles just because they were sweet and homely “I’m almost sure I sent some hammocks and a croquet set” remarked old-fashioned I ’s Uncle to side be-cause I said Patsy place—first drive on to the farm” The scene was bo rude and at the-same time so picturesque that it all them very agreeably Per-' stile built into the rail haps they were the more Relighted fence Every eye was instantly upon the they had expected nothing quaint tlie roomy mansion grassy in this all but forsaken spot sward extending between it and the They did not’ notice the people who road and the cozy and homelike setting stared after them as of they rattled the outbuildings the through village or they would 'have e8dJ said the liveryman Uncle Been John’s "agent” in front of Oh Uncle” cried Beth “how lovelv’” 'his office his round eyes fairly bulging Louise s pretty face was wreathed from his head with smiles Patsy drew in a long It had to never occurred McNutt to breath and scrambled the be out of at the Junction to welccync his pa-' his tron He had follow ed instructions On the of corner the front porch stood and set Mr Merrick s house iji order Nora in arrayed her neat there he considered that his duty ended! gray gown and a cap Her face was composed lie would of course call On but nabob felt she herself trembling a little presently and render an account of the Old Hucks came slowly down the money he had received to steps greet the company in his Never Sun Cotting the storekeeper gazed memory had his dress been so immricu-late after the livery team a ’1 he sour countenance queer old fellow to He resented the fact that five appreciate this as ho raised hisseemed big boxes of smiling groceries bad been forface from the stooped shoulders and to warded from the city the Wegg farm it side like on one a ‘"What’n thunder’s the use havin’ city sparrow ?Vel?r!ne rhrome sirhG ef saw to Uncle folks here they don’t buy tJohn “I’m Hucks sir Thomas Hucks " asked the boys and they agreed it and without more words he proceeded iwas no use at all to the remove satchels from I’roceeding at a smart trot the hordes the wagon Ah’ es’ returned Mr Merriok’ came to the I’earson farm where they u cheered by the welcome and the smile turned into the lane at the left of and the old “I’d forgotten abiur man straightway subsided to a slow walk you but I’m glad you’re here” the wheels bumping and jolting over is my wife Nora the stony way porch She’s the housekeeper sir”on the “What’s this?” exclaimed Uncle John And then lowering his voice so that who had narrowly escaped biting his only the s gir and Uncle John could tongue through ant! through “Why did he added simply: “She’s blind” Ue you turn down here?” Patsy walked straight up to the “It’s the road" returned the driver earn pathetic figure of the a chuckle “it’s the cobblestone her woman and took with hand in a warm clasp lane to yer farm an’ the farm’s ’bout I in Patrieih Nora’’ she said the same sort o’ land as the lane” “and I’m sure we shall be friends” moments the passengers or a few Beth followed her cousin’s lead maintained a dismal silence “And I am Beth Nora Will country's lovely” you re “The said Patsy member me? glancing at the as panorama they “Surely miss by your voice" return-od mounted a slight elevation the old woman beaming delightodii-at Uncle that there is a “Are you sure these evidences of kindliness house or any place of refuge on your is "Here another Nora” said their farm?” askbd Louise in a mischievous eousin in gentle tones "I am Louise ” tone ’Three young and pretty girls Nora-and there’s a “Why rumor of a house as as good they are pretty” an’ and the rumor says it’s a hunker” nounced Uncle John proudly "w n Mr Merrick in a voice that you show us in Thomas will or vour a slight uneasiness wife?” "Doubtless the house matches the will "Nora take tho young ladies to said Beth "I farm" calmly imagine their rooms sir” it has two and a leaky roof rooms “Not how Uncle!” they all protested But never mind girls This has been in nearly identical w’ords and Louise a and we can seek shelter pleasant trip added: “Let us drink in the delights of elsewhere if the worst comes to the this pretty picture before we shut ourselves worst” in the stuffy rooms I up hope "I guess the worst has come a’ ready” they’ve been aired" “No I ' It g a ' Z1 ' ft no wonder he got took In when he bought place" Uncle John sighed "I’ve Just bought myself" he obn served "There’s a ol’ addige" said the man grinning “’bout fool and his rrioney The house is hunker but w’at’s the of house without a use please?" Louise curiously The liveryman ventured no' reply because he was guiding his horses over the rickety bridge :'' S-- H I the ’ W- hr J approached o Of they "Pretty John hopefully in “Worst the I iLv John " trees M i “Yessir” "And which of those houses belongs to the Wegg farm?” "Ye can't see the Wegg house from urging j ' eagerly- ‘here Ar ’27 -11 ciousness AVhen after the long climb up 'the hill they saw the quaint mill and the town lying just across fuslilng Little Bill creek when from their elevation ' wEOT J(W— I27 ' “We be John must “We imagine and thanks" happy here” nodded call bn owe she’s that girt he I her a good deal entitled to our grateful remarked CHAPTER Peggy Presents VI waited MILLVILLE suspense Bill His in agonized for three days for tangible evidence that "the nabob was in their midst” as Nib Corkins poetically expressed it but the city folks seemed glued to the farm and no one of them had yet appeared in tho village As a matter of fact Patsy and Uncle John were enthusiastically fishing in the Little Bill far up in the pine woods and having "the their lives” in spite of their scant success in capturing trout Old Hucks could go out before breakfast and bring in an ample supply of speckled beauties for Mary to fry but Uncle John’s splendid outfit seemed scorned by the finny folk and after getting her dress torn in sundry places and a hook in fleshy part of her arm Patsy learned to seek shelter behind atree whenever his her uncle cast fly But they reveled in the woods and would lie on the bank listening to the murmur for hours of th® broo-k of and the songs the birds The temper of the other two girls was different Beth De Graf had bTbught along an archery outfit and she got up her target on the ample green the day following her arrival Here sho practiced persistently shooting at sixty yards with much skill But occasionally When Louise tired of her novel and her cushions in the hammock the two girls would play tennis or croquet together— Beth invariably winning Such delightful laziness could brook for interference no the first days of their arrival and It was not until Peggy McNutt ventured over on Monday morning for a settlement with M!r Merrick that from the little any world around them dared intrude upon the dwellarw timexf -the Wegg farm Although the agent had been late in starting from Millville and Nick Thorne’s sorrel mare had walked every step of the way Peggy was obliged to at -the wait the in the yard a good half hour for “nabob” to finish his breakfast he During that time to tried decide which of the two statements of accounts he that had prepared he was most justified in presenting He had learned from the liveryman at the Junction Mr Merrick had paid five dollars for a trip that usually was made for two and also that the extravagant man had paid seventy-five cents more to Dually Todd the hotel keeper than his bill came tb' Of The Buch knowle® reckless -that |