Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad
Afterward the amphitheatre and the ancient street of the tombs were paid
a final visit, with a stop at San Giovanni, where St. Paul once
preached. And at noon the tourists returned to the hotel hungry but
enthusiastic, in time for the table-d'-hote luncheon.
CHAPTER XXIX
TATO WINS
"This is funny!" cried Patsy, appearing before Uncle John with a white
and startled face. "I can't find Tato anywhere."
"And her new trunk is gone from her room, as well as her gowns and
everything she owns," continued Beth's clear voice, over her cousin's
shoulder.
Uncle John stared at them bewildered. Then an expression of anxiety
crept over his kindly face.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"There can't be a mistake, Uncle. She's just _gone_."
"None of you has offended, or annoyed the child, I suppose?"
"Oh, no, Uncle. She kissed us all very sweetly when we left her this
morning."
"I can't understand it."
"Nor can we."
"Could her father have come for her, do you think?" suggested Mr.
Merrick, after a moment's thought.
"I can't imagine her so ungrateful as to leave us without a word," said
Patsy. "I know Tato well, Uncle, and the dear child would not hurt our
feelings for the world. She loves us dearly."
"But she's a queer thing," added Louise, "and I don't trust her
altogether. Sometimes I've surprised a look in her eyes that wasn't as
innocent and demure as she would have us imagine her."
"Oh, Louise!"
"And there's another reason."
"What is it?"
"She reformed too suddenly."
Uncle John slapped his forehead a mighty blow as a suspicious and
dreadful thought flashed across his mind. But next instant he drew a
long breath and smiled again.
"It was lucky I lost that key to the trunk," he observed, still a little
ashamed of his temporary lack of confidence in Tato. "It's been locked
ever since we left Taormina, so the child couldn't be tempted by that."
"She wouldn't touch your money for the world!" said Patsy, indignantly.
"Tato is no thief!"
"She comes of a race of thieves, though," Beth reminded her.
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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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