Aunt Jane's Nieces at Millville

by L. Frank Baum

  CHAPTER XV.

  THE MAN IN HIDING.

  Cautiously the Major approached the cabin, which seemed to have beenbuilt as a place for the berry pickers to assemble and pack their fruit.It was constructed of rough boards and had a little window in the sidenearest the dwelling house and a door on the opposite side.

  Creeping near to the window the Major obtained a clear view of theinterior. Upon a dilapidated wicker settee, which had one end proppedwith a box, partially reclined the form of a man whose right arm was insplints and supported by a sling, while his head was covered withplasters and bandages. The man's back was toward the window, but fromhis slender form and its graceful poise the Major imagined him young.

  Old Nora held the left hand of this mysterious person in a warm clasp,bending now and then to press a kiss upon it, while Hucks busied himselfopening the parcel he had brought and arranging various articles of foodon a rickety stand at the head of the couch. The old man's smile wasmore benevolent and cheery than ever, and his actions denoted thatstrange, suppressed eagerness the Major had marked when he had takenthe money.

  The three spoke little, and in tones so low that the spy outside thewindow failed to catch them. Soon the injured man began to eat, feedinghimself laboriously with his left hand. But his hunger was quicklysatisfied, and then he lay back wearily upon his pillows, while Noratenderly spread a coverlet over him.

  After this the old couple did not linger long. Hucks poured some waterfrom a jug into a tumbler, glanced around the little room to see thateverything was in order, and then--after he and Nora had both kissed thebandaged forehead--blew out the candle and retired.

  The Major crouched low in the berry bushes until the couple had passedby; then he rose and thoughtfully followed after them.

  Whatever Patsy's father might have thought of the Wegg farm mysterybefore, this adventure convinced him that the girls were not altogetherfoolish in imagining a romance connected with the place. And,notwithstanding Patsy's loyal defense of Old Hucks, he was evidentlytangled up in the affair to a large extent, and could explain if hechose much that was now puzzling the girl detectives.

  After careful thought the Major decided to confide in Uncle John, atthis juncture, rather than in the nieces; since the latest developmentswere more fitted for a man's interference.

  By good fortune the girls had an engagement the next day, and set outtogether in the surrey to visit Ethel Thompson and lunch with her in therose bower, which was the pride of the little school teacher's garden.As soon as they were gone the Major hunted up Uncle John and said:

  "Come with me, sir."

  "I won't," was the brisk reply; "I'm going fishing, and whoever wishesmy society must come with me."

  "You'll not catch anything fishing, but you're very liable to catchsomething if you follow my lead," said the Major, meaningly.

  "What's up, Gregory?"

  "I'm not sure what it is, John." And then he carefully explained hisdiscovery that an injured man was occupying the cabin in the berrypatch, and seemed to be the object of the Hucks' tender care.

  "It's the secrecy of the thing that astounds me most, sir," he added."If all was open and above board, I'd think little enough of it."

  Uncle John's kindly interest was at once aroused, and he proposed thatthey go directly to the cabin and interview the man in hiding. Hucksbeing at the time busy in the barn, the two men sauntered into the berrypatch without being observed, and then walked briskly along the windingpaths until they sighted the building.

  Pausing at the window, they saw the man still reclining upon his cot,and holding in his left hand a book--one of Patsy's, the Majorobserved--which he was quietly engaged in reading. Then they movedaround to the door, which Uncle John pushed open.

  Without hesitation, the two men entered and stood gazing down upon thestrange occupant of the place.

  "Good morning," said Mr. Merrick, while the Major nodded a greeting.

  The man half arose, moving stiffly.

  "Pardon me, sirs," he said, rather startled at the interruption; "Iregret that I am physically unable to receive you with more courtesy."

  The Major gazed into the partially bandaged face with a glimmer ofawakening recognition.

  "H-m! Ha! If I'm not mistaken," said he, "it's Joseph Wegg."

  "Oh; is it?" asked Uncle John, looking upon the young man curiously."What's happened to you, Joseph?"

  "Just an automobile accident, sir. The steering gear broke, and we wentover an embankment."

  "I see."

  "Are you Mr. Merrick, sir."

  "Yes."

  "I owe you an apology for intruding upon your premises in this way, andbeg you to forgive the seeming impertinence. But I've been ratherunlucky of late, sir, and without this refuge I don't know what wouldhave become of me. I will explain, if you will permit me."

  Uncle John nodded.

  "After I had squandered the money you paid me, through Major Doyle, forthis farm, in a vain endeavor to protect a patent I had secured, I wasforced to become a chauffeur to earn my livelihood. I understandautomobiles, you know, and obtained employment with a wealthy man whoconsidered me a mere part of his machine. When the accident occurred,through no fault of mine, I was, fortunately, the only person injured;but my employer was so incensed over the damage to his automobile thathe never even sent to inquire whether I lived or died. At a charityhospital they tried to mend my breaks and tinker up my anatomy. Myshoulder-blade was shattered, my arm broken in three places, and fourribs were crashed in. The wounds in my head are mere abrasions of thescalp, and not serious. But it has taken me a long time to mend, and thecrowded, stuffy hospital got on my nerves and worried me. Beingpenniless and friendless, I wrote to Thomas and asked him if he couldfind a way to get me to the old farm, for I never imagined you wouldyourself take possession of the deserted place you had bought.

  "Thomas and Nora have cared for me since I was born, you know, and theold man was greatly distressed by the knowledge of my sad condition. Hedid not tell me you were here, for fear I would hesitate to come, but hesent me the money you had given him and Nora for wages, together withall that the young ladies had kindly given him. I was thus enabled toleave the hospital, which I had come to detest, and journey to my oldhome. I arrived at the Junction on a night train, and Thomas met me withyour surrey, drove me here under cover of darkness, and concealed me inthis out-of-the-way place, hoping you would not discover me.

  "I regret that I was thus foisted upon you, believe me, sir; but, beinghere, I have no means of getting away again. Thomas Hucks has had littleworldly experience, and cannot realize the full extent of the impositionhe has practiced. He feeds me from your table, and is hoarding up hismoney for me against the time I shall have recovered sufficiently toleave. I think that is the full explanation, Mr. Merrick."

  Again Uncle John nodded.

  "How are you?" he asked.

  "Doing finely, sir. I can walk a little, and my appetite is improving.The doctors said my shoulder would never be very strong again, but I'mbeginning to hope they were mistaken. My ribs seem all right, and inanother ten days I shall remove the splints from my arm."

  "You have no medical attendance?"

  "Not since I left the hospital. But I imagine this pure, bracing air isbetter for me than a dozen doctors," was the cheerful reply.

  "And what are your future plans?"

  The young man smiled. He was little more than a boy, but his questionernoticed that he had a fine manly face and his eye was clear andsteadfast.

  "Nothing further than to get to work again as soon as I am able toundertake it," he said.

  Uncle John looked thoughtfully, and drummed with his finger upon thelittle table.

  "Joseph," he remarked, presently, "I bought this farm at a pricealtogether too small, considering its value."

  The boy flushed.

  "Please do not say that!" he exclaimed, hastily. "I am well aware that Ivirtually robbed you, and my only excuse is that I believed I would winmy fight a
nd be able to redeem the place. But that is over now, and youmust not think that because I am ill and helpless I am an objectof charity."

  "Phoo!" said the little man; "aren't you accepting charity from OldHucks?"

  "But he stands as a second father to me. He is an old retainer of myfamily, and one of my ambitions is to secure a home for him and Nora intheir old age. No; I do not feel at all embarrassed in accepting moneyor assistance from Thomas."

  "Young man," said Uncle John, sternly, "one of the follies of youth isthe idea of being independent of the good-will of your fellow-creatures.Every person who lives is dependent on some other person for somethingor other, and I'll not allow you to make a fool of yourself by refusingto let me take you in hand. Your brain is affected--"

  "It is not!"

  "You are mentally unbalanced, and need a guardian. That's me. You arehelpless and cannot resist, so you're my prisoner. Dare to defy me, dareto oppose my wishes in any way, and I'll have you put in astraight-jacket and confined in a padded cell. Understand me, sir?"

  Joseph Wegg looked into the little man's round face until the tearsfilled his own eyes and blurred his vision.

  "Won't you protect me, Major Doyle?" he asked, weakly.

  "Not I," said the Major, stoutly. "This brother-in-law of mine, whoconnected himself with me without asking permission, is a perfect demonwhen 'roused, and I'll not meddle with any opposition to his desires. Ifyou value your life and happiness, Joseph Wegg, you'll accept Mr.Merrick as a guardian until he resigns of his own accord, and then it'slikely you'll wish he hadn't."

  "I don't deserve----" began the young man, brokenly; but Uncle Johnquickly interrupted him.

  "No one deserves anything," said he; "but everyone gets something orother, nevertheless, in this vale of tears. If you'll kindly rememberthat you've no right to express an opinion in the presence of yourguardian, we'll get along better together. Now, then, you're going toleave here, because the place is not comfortable. My guests fill everyroom in my house, so you can't go there. But the hotel in Millville is acheerful-looking place, and I've noticed some vine-covered windows thatindicate pleasant and sunny rooms. Major, go and tell Hucks to hitchthat groaning, balky Daniel to the ancient buggy, and then to drive thisyoung man over to the hotel. We'll walk."

  The Major started at once, and Uncle John continued: "I don't knowwhether this arrangement suits you or not, Joseph, but it suits me; and,as a matter of fact, it's none of your business. Feel able to takea ride?"

  The boy smiled, gratefully.

  "Yes, indeed, Mr. Merrick," said he, and was shrewd enough not toventure a word of thanks.