Aunt Jane's Nieces
The connection
was rather curious.
But it was not until Saturday morning that the truth dawned upon him,
and struck him like a blow from a sledge-hammer.
He had occasion to visit Mr. Marvin's private office, but being told
that the gentleman was engaged with an important customer, he lingered
outside the door, waiting.
Presently the door was partly opened.
"Don't forget to sell two thousand of the Continental stock tomorrow,"
he heard a familiar voice say.
"I'll not forget, Mr. Merrick," answered the banker.
"And buy that property on Bleeker street at the price offered. It's a
fair proposition, and I need the land."
"Very well, Mr. Merrick. Would it not be better for me to send these
papers by a messenger to your house?"
"No; I'll take them myself. No one will rob me." And then the door
swung open and, chuckling in his usual whimsical fashion, Uncle John
came out, wearing his salt-and-pepper suit and stuffing; a bundle of
papers into his inside pocket.
The Major stared at him haughtily, but made no attempt to openly
recognize the man. Uncle John gave a start, laughed, and then walked
away briskly, throwing a hasty "good-bye" to the obsequious banker,
who followed him out, bowing low.
The Major returned to his office with a grave face, and sat for the
best part of three hours in a brown study. Then he took his hat and
went home.
Patsy asked anxiously if anything had happened, when she saw his face;
but the Major shook his head.
Uncle John arrived just in time for dinner, in a very genial mood,
and he and Patsy kept up a lively conversation at the table while the
Major looked stern every time he caught the little man's eye.
But Uncle John never minded. He was not even as meek and humble as
usual, but laughed and chatted with the freedom of a boy just out of
school, which made Patsy think the new clothes had improved him in
more ways than one.
When dinner was over the Major led them into the sitting-room, turned
up the lights, and then confronted the little man with a determined
and majestic air.
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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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