Aunt Jane's Nieces
Misery, send
the man here!"
CHAPTER XII.
UNCLE JOHN GETS ACQUAINTED.
Beth went out to find Louise, and discovered her standing near the
stables, where a boy was rubbing down the sides of a sorrel mare with
wisps of straw.
"Something has happened," she said to Louise in a troubled voice.
"What?"
"A man has arrived who says he is Aunt Jane's brother."
"Impossible! Have you seen him?"
"No; he says he's Aunt Jane's brother John."
"Oh; I know. The peddler, or tinker, or something or other who
disappeared years ago. But it doesn't matter."
"It may matter a good deal," said practical Beth. "Aunt Jane may leave
him her money."
"Why, he's older than she is. I've heard mother say he was the eldest
of the family. Aunt Jane wont leave her money to an old man, you may
be sure."
Beth felt a little reassured at this, and stood for a moment beside
Louise watching the boy. Presently Oscar came to him, and after
touching his hat respectfully took the mare and led her into the
stable. The boy turned away, with his hands in his pockets, and
strolled up a path, unaware that the two dreaded girls had been
observing him.
"I wonder who that is," said Beth.
"We'll find out," returned Louise. "I took him for a stable boy, at
first. But Oscar seemed to treat him as a superior."
She walked into the stable, followed by her cousin, and found the
groom tying the mare.
"Who was the young man?" she asked.
"Which young man, Miss?"
"The one who has just arrived with the horse."
"Oh; that's Master Kenneth, Miss," answered Oscar, with a grin.
"Where did he come from?"
"Master Kenneth? Why, he lives here."
"At the house?"
"Yes, Miss."
"Who is he?"
"Master Tom's nephew--he as used to own Elmhurst, you know."
"Mr. Thomas Bradley?"
"The same, Miss."
"Ah. How long has Master Kenneth lived here?"
"A good many years. I can't just remember how long."
"Thank you, Oscar."
The girls walked away, and when they were alone Louise remarked:
"Here is a more surprising discovery than Uncle John, Beth.
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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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