Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West

Mrs. Montrose advised the girls to get their clothes on, as all were

shivering--partly from nervousness--in their wet bathing suits.

They were ready an hour before Mr. Merrick returned, and his long absence

surprised them until they saw his smiling face as he drove up in his car.

It gave them a thrill of hope as in chorus they cried:

"Well--Uncle John?"

"I think he will live," returned the little man, with an air of great

satisfaction. "Anyway, he's alive and breathing now, and the doctors say

there's every reason to expect a rapid recovery."

"Who is he?" they asked, crowding around him.

"A. Jones."

"A--what?" This from Patsy, in a doubtful tone.

"Jones. A. Jones."

"Why, he must have given you an assumed name!"

"He didn't give us any name. As soon as he recovered consciousness he

fell asleep, and I left him slumbering as peacefully as a baby. But we

went through his clothes, hoping to get a trace of his friends, so they

could be notified. His bathing suit is his own, not rented, and the name

'A. Jones' is embroidered on tape and sewn to each piece. Also the key to

bathhouse number twenty-six was tied to his wrist. The superintendent

sent a man for his clothing and we examined that, too. The letters 'A.J.'

were stamped in gold on his pocketbook, and in his cardcase were a number

of cards engraved: 'A. Jones, Sangoa.' But there were no letters, or any

other papers."

"Where is Sangoa?" inquired Beth.

"No one seems to know," confessed Uncle John. "There was plenty of money

in his pocket-book and he has a valuable watch, but no other jewelry.

His clothes were made by a Los Angeles tailor, but when they called him

up by telephone he knew nothing about his customer except that he had

ordered his suit and paid for it in advance. He called for it three days

ago, and carried it away with him, so we have no clue to the boy's

dwelling place."

"Isn't that a little strange--perhaps a little suspicious?" asked

Mrs. Montrose.

"I think not, ma'am," answered Mr. Merrick. "We made these

investigations at the time we still feared he would die, so as to

communicate with any friends or relatives he might have. But after he

passed the crisis so well and fell asleep, the hospital people stopped

worrying about him. He seems like any ordinary, well-to-do young

fellow, and a couple of days in the hospital ought to put him upon his

feet again."

"But Sangoa, Uncle; is that a town or a country?