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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

"Who's Peggy?"

"That's McNutt, the man you hired to do things."

"Ah, yes; he surely ought to have sent some sort of a team to meet us,"

agreed Uncle John. "What's that group of houses yonder?"

"Thet's the Junction."

"Any hotel?"

"Sure."

"And a livery stable?"

"'Course there is."

"Then we'll get along," said Uncle John, assuming a sudden brisk manner.

"Just keep your eye on our baggage till we get back, my good fellow.

There are no people to interfere with it, but some bears or tigers might

come out of the hills and eat it up. Now, girls, away we go!"

Uncle John's nieces were not so greatly dismayed at this experience as

might have been expected. They had recently accompanied their erratic

relative on a European trip and had learned to be patient under

difficulties.

A quarter of a mile down the dusty road they came to the hotel, a

dismal, unclean looking place that smelled of stale beer. Uncle John

routed out the proprietor.

"Folks up?" he inquired.

"Long ago," said the man.

"Get us some boiled eggs, bread and butter and plenty of fresh

milk--right away," ordered Mr. Merrick. "The quicker it comes the more

I'll pay you. Bring a table out here on the porch and we'll eat in the

open air. Where's the livery stable--eh? Oh, I see. Now, step lively, my

man, and your fortune's made. I'll add a quarter of a dollar for every

five minutes you save us in time."

The fellow stared, then woke up with a start and disappeared within.

"By gum, I'll bet a hen it's thet air nabob!" he muttered.

Leaving his girls and Mary to sit on the wooden benches of the porch

Uncle John crossed the road to the livery stable, where he discovered a

man and a boy engaged in cleaning the half dozen sorry looking nags the

establishment contained. A three-seated democrat wagon was engaged to

carry the party to the Wegg farm at Millville, and a rickety lumber

wagon would take the baggage. The liveryman recognized his customer as

soon as the Wegg farm was mentioned, and determined to "do the city guy

up brown.

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