Aunt Jane's Nieces at Millville
Who
was this woman? What had rendered her so unhappy and despairing?
Thirdly, the Captain's only friend had been a crazy man named Will
Thompson. Was he crazy before the Captain's death, or had he become
crazed at that time, some terrible tragedy unhinging his mind?
Fourthly, the granddaughter of Thompson, Ethel, and the son of Captain
Wegg had been in love with each other, and people expected they would
marry in time. But at his father's sudden death the boy fled and left
his sweetheart without a word. Why--unless something had occurred that
rendered their marriage impossible?
In the fifth place there was Old Hucks and his blind wife to be
considered. What did they know about their old master's secret history?
What tragic memories lurked beneath the man's perpetual smile and the
woman's composed and sightless face?
Surely there was enough here to excite the curiosity and warrant an
effort to untangle the mystery. And as instruments to the end there were
several people available who could be of use to her; McNutt, the agent,
who evidently knew more than he had cared to tell; Old Hucks and his
wife and Ethel Thompson, the school-teacher. There might be others, but
one or another of these four must know the truth, and it would be her
pleasant duty to obtain a full disclosure. So she was anxious to begin
her investigations at once.
When her uncle returned from his visit to the pigs Louise said to him:
"I've been thinking, dear, that we ought to call upon that young lady
who arranged our rooms, and thank her for her kindness."
"That's true," he replied.
"Can't we drive over to Thompson's this morning, Uncle?"
"Beth and Patsy have planned a tramp to the lake, and a row after
water-lilies."
"Then let us make our call together. We can invite the girl to come here
and spend a day with us, when Patsy and Beth will be able to meet her."
"That's a good idea, Louise. I was wondering what I'd do this morning.
Tell Old Hucks to get the nag harnessed."
The girl ran eagerly upon her errand.
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There was once a king who was very powerful. He had great influence over the wild beasts and animals. Now the tortoise was looked upon as the wisest of all beasts and men. This king had a son named Ekpenyon, to whom he gave fifty young girls as wives, but the prince did not like any of them. The king was very angry at this, and made a law that if any man had a daughter who was finer than the prince's wives, and who found favour in his son's eyes, the girl herself and her father and mother should be killed.
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