Aunt Jane's Nieces
"
"What did she say?"
"That you would be more wise then, and would probably decide to keep
it."
Patsy turned impulsively to the boy.
"Kenneth," she said, "I faithfully promise, in the presence of these
witnesses, to give you Elmhurst and all Aunt Jane's money as soon as I
am of age."
"Good for you, Patsy," said Uncle John.
The boy seemed bewildered.
"I don't want the money--really I don't!" he protested. "The five
thousand she left me will be enough. But I'd like to live here at
Elmhurst for a time, until it's sold or some one else comes to live in
the house!"
"It's yours," said Patsy, with a grand air. "You can live here
forever."
Mr. Watson seemed puzzled.
"If that is your wish, Miss Patricia," bowing gravely in her
direction, "I will see that it is carried out. Although I am, in
this matter, your executor, I shall defer to your wishes as much as
possible."
"Thank you," she said and then, after a moment's reflection, she
added: "Can't you give to Louise and Beth the ten thousand dollars
they were to have under the other will, instead of the five thousand
each that this one gives them?"
"I will consider that matter," he replied; "perhaps it can be
arranged."
Patsy's cousins opened their eyes at this, and began to regard her
with more friendly glances. To have ten thousand each instead of
five would be a very nice thing, indeed, and Miss Patricia Doyle
had evidently become a young lady whose friendship it would pay to
cultivate. If she intended to throw away the inheritance, a portion of
it might fall to their share.
They were expressing to Patsy their gratitude when old Donald suddenly
appeared in the doorway and beckoned to Uncle John.
"Will you please come to see James, sir?" he asked. "The poor fellow's
dying."
CHAPTER XXII.
JAMES TELLS A STRANGE STORY.
Uncle John followed the coachman up the stairs to the little room
above the tool-house, where the old man had managed to crawl after old
Sam had given him a vicious kick in the chest.
"Is he dead?
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In a village there lived two men who had the self-same name. Both were named Claus. But one of them owned four horses, and the other owned only one horse; so to distinguish between them people called the man who had four horses Big Claus, and the man who had only one horse Little Claus. Now I'll tell you what happened to these two, for this is a true story.
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