Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad
"
The girl's sweet, low laughter sounded very pleasant, and served to calm
his irritation. From her demure yet amused expression Uncle John guessed
that Louise knew the tenor of her mother's letter as well as if she had
read it over his shoulder, and it comforted him that she could take the
matter so lightly. Perhaps the poor child was not so deeply in love as
her mother had declared.
He was greatly annoyed at the confidence Mrs. Merrick had seen fit to
repose in him, and felt she had no right to burden him with any
knowledge of such an absurd condition of affairs just as he was starting
for a holiday. Whatever might be the truth of the girl's
"entanglement,"--and he judged that it was not all conveyed in Martha
Merrick's subtle letter--Louise would surely be free and unhampered by
either love or maternal diplomacy for some time to come. When she
returned home her mother might conduct the affair to suit herself. He
would have nothing to do with it in any way.
As soon as luncheon was finished they rushed for the deck, and you may
imagine that chubby little Uncle John, with his rosy, smiling face and
kindly eyes, surrounded by three eager and attractive girls of from
fifteen to seventeen years of age, was a sight to compel the attention
of every passenger aboard the ship.
It was found easy to make the acquaintance of the interesting group,
and many took advantage of that fact; for Uncle John chatted brightly
with every man and Patsy required no excuse of a formal introduction to
confide to every woman that John Merrick was taking his three nieces to
Europe to "see the sights and have the time of their lives."
Many of the business men knew well the millionaire's name, and accorded
him great respect because he was so enormously wealthy and successful.
But the little man was so genuinely human and unaffected and so openly
scorned all toadyism that they soon forgot his greatness in the
financial world and accepted him simply as a good fellow and an
invariably cheerful comrade.
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There was once an honest journeyman tailor, by name Labakan, who learned his trade with an excellent master in Alexandria. It could not be said that Labakan was unhandy with the needle; on the contrary, he could make excellent work: moreover, one would have done him injustice to have called him lazy. Nevertheless, his companions knew not what to make of him, for he would often sew for hours together so rapidly that the needle would glow in his hand, and the thread smoke, and that none could equal him.
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