Aunt Janes Nieces on Vacation | Page 4

said suspiciously.
It seemed to the girls, who were curiously watching the scene, that the
tramp flushed under his bronzed skin; but without reply he searched in
a pocket and drew out four copper cents, which he laid upon the table.
After further exploration he abstracted a nickel from another pocket
and pushed the coins toward the landlord.
"'Nother cent," said Todd.
Continued search seemed for a time hopeless, but at last, in quite an
unexpected way, the man produced the final cent and on receiving it
Todd set down the milk.
"Anything more, yer honor?" he asked sarcastically.
"Yes; you might bring me the morning paper," was the reply.
Everyone except Todd laughed frankly at this retort. Uncle John put
two silver dollars in Mrs. Todd's chubby hand and told Thomas to drive

on.
"I dunno," remarked old Hucks, when they were out of earshot,
"whether that feller's jest a common tramp or a workman goin' over to
the paper mill at Royal. Jedgin' from the fact as he had money I guess
he's a workman."
"Wrong, Thomas, quite wrong," said Beth, seated just behind him. "Did
you notice his hands?"
"No, Miss Beth."
"They were not rough and the fingers were slender and delicate."
"That's the mark of a cracksman," said Arthur Weldon, with a laugh. "If
there are any safes out here that are worth cracking, I'd say look out for
the gentleman."
"His face isn't bad at all," remarked Patsy, reflectively. "Isn't there any
grade between a workman and a thief?"
"Of course," asserted Mr. Merrick, in his brisk way. "This fellow,
shabby as he looked, might be anything--from a strolling artist to a
gentleman down on his luck. But what's the news, Thomas? How are
Ethel and Joe?"
"Mr. an' Mrs. Wegg is quite comf't'ble, sir, thank you," replied old
Hucks, with a show of eagerness. "Miss Ethel's gran'ther, ol' Will
Thompson, he's dead, you know, an' the young folks hev fixed up the
Thompson house like a palace. Guess ye'd better speak to 'em about
spendin' so much money, Mr. Merrick; I'm 'fraid they may need it some
day."
"Don't worry. They've a fine income for life, Thomas, and there will be
plenty to leave to their children--if they have any. But tell me about the
mill at Royal. Where is Royal, anyhow?"
"Four mile up the Little Bill Creek, sir, where the Royal Waterfall is. A

feller come an' looked the place over las' year an' said the pine forest
would grind up inter paper an' the waterfall would do the grindin'. So
he bought a mile o' forest an' built a mill, an' they do say things is
hummin' up to the new settlement. There's more'n two hundred hands
a-workin' there, a'ready."
"Goodness me!" cried Patsy; "this thing must have livened up sleepy
old Millville considerably."
"Not yet," said Hucks, shaking his head. "The comp'ny what owns the
mill keeps a store there for the workmen, an' none of 'em come much to
Millville. Our storekeepers is madder'n blazes about it; but fer my part
I'm glad the two places is separated."
"Why?" asked Louise.
"They're a kinder tough lot, I guess. Turnin' pine trees inter paper mus'
be a job thet takes more muscle than brains. I don't see how it's done, at
all."
"It's simple enough," said Mr. Merrick. "First the wood is ground into
pulp, and then the pulp is run through hot rollers, coming out paper. It's
a mighty interesting process, so some day we will all go to Royal and
see the paper made."
"But not just yet, Uncle," remarked Patsy. "Let's have time to settle
down on the farm and enjoy it. Oh, how glad I am to be back in this
restful, sleepy, jumping-off-place of the world again! Isn't it delightful,
Arthur Weldon? Did you ever breathe such ozony, delicious mountain
air? And do you get the fragrance of the pine forests, and the--the--"
"The bumps?" asked Arthur, as the wagon gave a jolt a bit more
emphatic than usual; "yes, Patsy dear, I get them all; but I won't pass
judgment on Millville and Uncle John's farm just yet. Are we 'most
there?"
"We're to have four whole months of it," sighed Beth. "That ought to
enable us to renew our youth, after the strenuous winter."

"Rubbish!" said Uncle John. "You haven't known a strenuous moment,
my dears, and you're all too young to need renewals, anyhow. But if
you can find happiness here, my girls, our old farm will become a
paradise."
These three nieces of Mr. Merrick were well worth looking at. Louise,
the eldest, was now twenty--entirely too young to be a bride; but
having decided to marry Arthur Weldon, the girl would brook no
interference and, having a will of her own, overcame