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Main > Fairy tale > All authors > Frank Baum > Fairy tale "Aunt Jane's Nieces at Millville"

Aunt Jane's Nieces at Millville

"

Joe said nothing more, but his expressive face was smiling and eager.

Uncle John pressed the boy's hand and left him, promising to call

again soon.

"Now, then," muttered the little millionaire, as he walked down the

street, "to beard the lion in his den."

The den proved to be the hardware store, and the lion none other than

Robert West. Mr. Merrick found the merchant seated at his desk in the

otherwise deserted store, and, with a nod, helped himself to the only

other chair the little office contained.

"Sir," said he, "I am here to demand an explanation."

"Of what?" asked West, coldly.

"Of your action in the matter of the Almaquo Timber Tract Company. I

believe that you falsely asserted to Captain Wegg and Mr. Thompson that

the timber had burned and their investment was therefore worthless. The

news of the disaster killed one of your confiding friends and drove the

other mad; but that was a consequence that I am sure you did not intend

when you planned the fraud. The most serious thing I can accuse you of

is holding the earnings of the Wegg and Thompson stock--and big earnings

they are, too--for your own benefit, and defrauding the heirs of your

associates of their money."

West carefully balanced a penholder across his fingers, and eyed it with

close attention.

"You are a queer man, Mr. Merrick," he said, quietly. "I can only excuse

your insults on the grounds of ignorance, or the fact that you have been

misinformed. Here is the newspaper report of the Almaquo fire, which I

showed my friends the night of Captain Wegg's sudden death." He took a

clipping from a drawer of the desk and handed it to Uncle John, who read

it carefully.

"As a matter of fact," continued West, "you are not cutting that portion

of the Almaquo tract which this fire refers to, and which Thompson and

Wegg were interested in, but the north half of the tract, which they had

never acquired any title to."

"I suppose the stock will show that," suggested Mr. Merrick.

"Of course, sir."

"I will look it up.

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Michael Scott
Category: Scotland folktales
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