Aunt Jane's Nieces

by L. Frank Baum

  CHAPTER XXV

  UNCLE JOHN ACTS QUEERLY.

  When Patsy and the Major had both departed for work on Monday morningUncle John boarded a car and rode downtown also. He might haveaccompanied them part of the way, but feared Patsey might think himextravagant if she found him so soon breaking into the working fund offorty-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 thelower Broadway establishments were open. To pass the time he turnedinto a small restaurant and had coffee and a plate of cakes, in spiteof the fact that Patsy had so recently prepared coffee over thesheet-iron stove and brought some hot buns from a near-by bakery. Hewas not especially hungry; but in sipping the coffee and nibbling thecakes he passed the best part of an hour.

  He smiled when he paid out twenty-five cents of his slender store forthe refreshment. With five cents for car-fare he had now but twelvecents left of the forty-two Patsy had given him! Talk about theMajor'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 aswinging pace, and presently paused before a building upon which wasa sign, reading: "Isham, Marvin & Co., Bankers and Brokers." Aprosperous looking place, it seemed, with a host of clerks busilyworking in the various departments. Uncle John walked in, although theuniformed 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 hisbreast.

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

  The official strutted up and down, watching the customers who enteredthe bank or departed, and keeping a sharp watch on the little man uponthe 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 andcountryfied air. But something in the angry glance of the shrewdeye made him fear he had made a mistake. He opened a small door anddisappeared.

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

  "My dear Mr. Merrick!" he exclaimed, "I'm delighted and honored to seeyou 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 thedoor 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 cheapluncheon; but he did not heed her admonition. Instead, he rode in acarriage beside the banker to a splendid club, where he was servedwith the finest dishes the chef could provide on short notice.Moreover, Mr. Marvin introduced him to several substantial gentlemenas "Mr. John Merrick, of Portland"; and each one bowed profoundly anddeclared he was "highly honored."

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

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

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

  "I showed him in myself. And he came into the bank as quiet like asanyone else would."

  But he didn't go away quietly, you may be sure. Mr. Marvin and Mr.Isham both escorted their famous client to the door, where the Marvincarriage had been ordered to be in readiness for Mr. Merrick'sservice.

  But Uncle John waived it aside disdainfully.

  "I'll walk," he said. "There are some other errands to attend to."

  So they shook his hand and reminded him of a future appointment andlet him go his way. In a moment the great Broadway crowd had swallowedup John Merrick, and five minutes later he was thoughtfully gazinginto a shop window again.

  By and bye he bethought himself of the time, and took a cab uptown. Hehad more than the twelve cents in his pocket, now, besides the checkbook which was carefully hidden away in an inside pocket; so the costof the cab did not worry him. He dismissed the vehicle near an uptowncorner and started to walk hastily toward Danny Reeves's restaurant, ablock away, Patsy was standing in the doorway, anxiously watching forhim.

  "Oh, Uncle John," she cried, as he strolled "I've been really worriedabout you; it's such a big city, and you a stranger. Do you knowyou're ten minutes late?"

  "I'm sorry," he said, humbly; "but it's a long way here fromdowntown."

  "Didn't you take a car?"

  "No, my dear."

  "Why, you foolish old Uncle! Come in at once. The Major has beenterribly excited over you, and swore you should not be allowed towander through the streets without someone to look after you. But whatcould we do?"

  "I'm all right," declared Uncle John, cordially shaking hands withPatsy's father. "Have you had a good day?"

  "Fine," said the Major. "They'd missed me at the office, and were gladto have me back. And what do you think? I've got a raise."

  "Really?" said Uncle John, seeing it was expected of him.

  "For a fact. It's Patsy's doing, I've no doubt. She wheedled the firminto giving me a vacation, and now they're to pay me twelve a weekinstead of ten."

  "Is that enough?" asked Uncle John, doubtfully.

  "More than enough, sir. I'm getting old, and can't earn as much as ayounger man. But I'm pretty tough, and mean to hold onto that twelve aweek as long as possible."

  "What pay do you get, Patsy?" asked Uncle John.

  "Almost as much as Daddy. We're dreadfully rich, Uncle John; so youneedn't worry if you don't strike a job yourself all at once."

  "Any luck today, sir," asked the Major, tucking a napkin under hischin and beginning on the soup.

  Uncle John shook his head.

  "Of course not," said Patsy, quickly. "It's too early, as yet. Don'thurry, Uncle John. Except that it'll keep you busy, there's no needfor you to work at all."

  "You're older than I am," suggested the Major, "and that makes itharder to break in. But there's no hurry, as Patsy says."

  Uncle John did not seem to be worrying over his idleness. He kept onquestioning his brother-in-law and his niece about their labors, andafterward related to them the sights he had seen in the shop windows.Of course he could not eat much after the feast he had had atluncheon, and this disturbed Patsy a little. She insisted he wastired, and carried her men away to the tenement rooms as soon aspossible, where she installed them at the table to play cribbage untilbed-time.

  The next day Uncle John seemed to be busy enough, although of coursePatsy could not know what he was doing. He visited a real-estateoffice, for one thing, and then telephoned Isham, Marvin & Co. andissued a string of orders in a voice not nearly so meek and mild asit was when he was in Patsy's presence. Whatever he had undertakenrequired time, for all during the week he left the tenement directlythe Major and his daughter had gone to the city, and bustled aboutuntil it was time to meet them for dinner at the restaurant. But hewas happy and in good
spirits and enjoyed his evening game of cribbagewith the Major exceedingly.

  "You must be nearly bankrupt, by this time," said Patsy on Tuesdayevening.

  "It's an expensive city to live in," sighed Uncle John.

  She gave him fifty cents of his money, then, and on Friday fifty centsmore.

  "After a time," she said, "you'll manage to get along with less. It'salways harder to economize at first."

  "How about the bills?" he inquired. "Don't I pay my share of them?"

  "Your expenses are nothing at all," declared the Major, with a wave ofhis hand.

  "But my dinners at Danny Reeves' place must cost a lot," protestedUncle John.

  "Surely not; Patsy has managed all that for a trifle, and the pleasureof your company more than repays us for the bit of expense."

  On Saturday night there was a pint of red wine for the two men, andthen the weekly cigars were brought--very inexpensive ones, to besure. The first whiff he took made Uncle John cough; but the Majorsmoked so gracefully and with such evident pleasure that hisbrother-in-law clung manfully to the cigar, and succeeded in consumingit to the end.

  "Tomorrow is the day of rest," announced Patsy, "so we'll all go for anice walk in the parks after breakfast."

  "And we sleep 'till eight o'clock, don't we, Patsy?" asked the Major.

  "Of course."

  "And the eggs for breakfast?"

  "I've bought them already, three for a nickle. You don't care for morethan one, do you, Uncle John?"

  "No, my dear."

  "It's our Sunday morning extra--an egg apiece. The Major is so fond ofthem."

  "And so am I, Patsy."

  "And now we'll have our cribbage and get to bed early. Heigho! butSunday's a great day for folks that work."