Aunt Jane's Nieces at Millville
"What's this?" exclaimed Uncle John, who had narrowly escaped biting his
tongue through and through. "Why did you turn down here?"
"It's the road," returned the driver, with a chuckle; "it's the
cobble-stone lane to yer farm, an' the farm's 'bout the same sort o'
land as the lane."
For a few moments the passengers maintained a dismal silence.
"The country's lovely," said Patsy, glancing at the panorama as they
mounted a slight elevation.
"Are you sure, Uncle, that there is a house, or any place of refuge, on
your farm?" asked Louise, in a mischievous tone.
"Why, there's a rumor of a house, and the rumor says it's a hunker,"
replied Mr. Merrick, in a voice that betrayed a slight uneasiness.
"Doubtless the house matches the farm," said Beth, calmly. "I imagine it
has two rooms and a leaky roof. But never mind, girls. This has been a
pleasant trip, and we can seek shelter elsewhere if the worst comes to
the worst."
"I guess the worst has come a'ready," observed the driver; "for the
house is by odds the best part o' the Wegg farm. It's big enough fer a
hotel, an' cost a lot o' money in its day. Seems like the lunatics all
crowd to thet place--fust ol' Cap'n Wegg wasted of his substance on it,
an' now----"
He paused, perhaps fearing he might become personal in his remarks, and
Uncle John coughed while the girls shrieked with laughter.
Expecting nothing, they were amazed when they passed the orchard and the
group of pines that had concealed the house and suddenly drew up beside
the old-fashioned stile built into the rail fence. Every eye was
instantly upon the quaint, roomy mansion, the grassy sward extending
between it and the road, and the cosy and home-like setting of the
outbuildings.
"Here's Wegg's," said the liveryman.
"Oh, Uncle," cried Beth; "how lovely!"
Louise's pretty face was wreathed with smiles. Patsy drew in a long
breath and scrambled out of the high seat.
On the corner of the front porch stood Nora, arrayed in her neat gray
gown and a cap. Her face was composed, but she felt herself trembling
a little.
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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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