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AUNT JANE'S NIECES AT WORK
BY
EDITH VAN DYNE
1909
LIST OF CHAPTERS
I MISS DOYLE INTERFERES
II THE ARTIST
III DON QUIXOTE
IV KENNETH TAKES A BOLD STEP
V PLANNING THE WORK
VI A GOOD START
VII PATSY MAKES PROGRESS
VIII THE HONORABLE ERASTUS IS ASTONISHED
IX OL' WILL ROGERS
X THE FORGED CHECK
XI A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE
XII BETH MEETS A REBUFF
XIII THE BOOMERANG
XIV LUCY'S GHOST
XV SIGNS OF THE TIMES
XVI A CLEW AT LAST
XVII MRS. HOPKINS GOSSIPS
XVIII ELIZA PARSONS
XIX PATSY INDULGES IN EAVESDROPPING
XX PRICKING A BUBBLE
XXI THE "RETURNS" FROM FAIRVIEW
XXII THE AWAKENING
CHAPTER I
MISS DOYLE INTERFERES
"Daddy," said Patricia Doyle at the breakfast table in her cosy New Yorkapartment, "here is something that will make you sit up and takenotice."
"My dear Patsy," was the reply, "it's already sitting up I am, an'taking waffles. If anything at all would make me take notice it's yourown pretty phiz."
"Major," remarked Uncle John, helping himself to waffles from a freshplate Nora brought in, "you Irish are such confirmed flatterers that youflatter your own daughters. Patsy isn't at all pretty this morning.She's too red and freckled."
Patsy laughed and her blue eyes danced.
"That comes from living on your old farm at Millville," she retorted."We've only been back three days, and the sunburn sticks to me like aburr to a kitten."
"Pay no attention to the ould rascal, Patsy," advised the Major,composedly. "An' stop wavin' that letter like a white flag of surrender.Who's it from?"
"Kenneth."
"Aha! An' how is our lad?"
"Why, he's got himself into a peck of trouble. That's what I want totalk to you and Uncle John about," she replied, her happy face growingas serious as it could ever become.
"Can't he wiggle out?" asked Uncle John.
"Out of what?"
"His trouble."
"It seems not. Listen--"
"Oh, tell us about it, lassie," said the Major. "If I judge rightthere's some sixty pages in that epistle. Don't bother to read itagain."
"But every word is important," declared Patsy, turning the letter over,"--except the last page," with a swift flush.
Uncle John laughed. His shrewd old eyes saw everything.
"Then read us the last page, my dear."
"I'll tell you about it," said Patsy, quickly. "It's this way, you see.Kenneth has gone into politics!"
"More power to his elbow!" exclaimed the Major.
"I can't imagine it in Kenneth," said Uncle John, soberly. "What's he infor?"
"For--for--let's see. Oh, here it is. For member of the House ofRepresentatives from the Eighth District."
"He's flying high, for a fledgling," observed the Major. "But Kenneth'sa bright lad and a big gun in his county. He'll win, hands down."
Patsy shook her head.
"He's afraid not," she said, "and it's worrying him to death. He doesn'tlike to be beaten, and that's what's troubling him."
Uncle John pushed back his chair.
"Poor boy!" he said. "What ever induced him to attempt such a thing?"
"He wanted to defeat a bad man who now represents Kenneth's district,"explained Patsy, whose wise little head was full of her friend'sdifficulties; "and--"
"And the bad man objects to the idea and won't be defeated," added theMajor. "It's a way these bad men have."
Uncle John was looking very serious indeed, and Patsy regarded himgratefully. Her father never would be serious where Kenneth wasconcerned. Perhaps in his heart the grizzled old Major was a bit jealousof the boy.
"I think," said the girl, "that Mr. Watson got Ken into politics, for hesurely wouldn't have undertaken such a thing himself. And, now he's in,he finds he's doomed to defeat; and it's breaking his heart, UncleJohn."
The little man nodded silently. His chubby face was for once destituteof a smile. That meant a good deal with Uncle John, and Patsy knew shehad interested him in Kenneth's troubles.
"Once," said the Major, from behind the morning paper, "I was inpolitics, meself. I ran for coroner an' got two whole votes--me own an'the undertaker's. It's because the public's so indiscriminating thatI've not run for anything since--except th' street-car."
"But it's a big game," said Uncle John, standing at the window with hishands deep in his pockets; "and an important game. Every good Americanshould take an interest in politics; and Kenneth, especially, who hassuch large landed interests, ought to direct the political affairs ofhis district."
"I'm much interested in politics, too, Uncle," declared the girl. "If Iwere a man I'd--I'd--be President!"
"An' I'd vote fer ye twenty times a day, mavourneen!" cried the Major."But luckily ye'll be no president--unless it's of a woman's club."
"There's the bell!" cried Patsy. "It must be the girls. No one elsewould call so early."
"It's Beth's voice, talking to Nora," added her father, listening; andthen the door flew open and in came two girls whose bright and eagerfaces might well warrant the warm welcome they received.
"Oh, Louise," cried Patsy, "however did you get up so early?"
"I've got a letter from Kenneth," was the answer, "and I'm so excited Icouldn't wait a minute!"
"Imagine Louise being excited," said Beth, calmly, as she kissed UncleJohn and sat down by Patsy's side. "She read her letter in bed andbounced out of bed like a cannon-ball. We dressed like the 'lightningchange' artist at the vaudeville, and I'm sure our hats are not onstraight."
"This bids fair to be a strenuous day," observed the Major. "Patsy's hada letter from the boy, herself."
"Oh, did you?" inquired Louise; "and do you know all about it, dear?"
"She knows sixty pages about it," replied Major Doyle.
"Well, then, what's to be done?"
The question was addressed to Patsy, who was not prepared to reply. Thethree cousins first exchanged inquiring glances and then turned theireager eyes upon the broad chubby back of Uncle John, who maintained hisposition at the window as if determined to shut out the morningsunlight.
Louise Merrick lived with her mother a few blocks away from Patsy'sapartment, and her cousin Beth DeGraf was staying with her for a time.They had all spent the summer with Uncle John at Millville, and had onlyreturned to New York a few days before. Beth's home was in Ohio, butthere was so little sympathy between the girl and her parents that shewas happy only when away from them. Her mother was Uncle John's sister,but as selfish and cold as Uncle John was generous and genial. Beth'sfather was a "genius" and a professor of music--one of those geniuseswho live only in their own atmosphere and forget there is a world aroundthem. So Beth had a loveless and disappointed childhood, and only afterUncle John arrived from the far west and took his three nieces "underhis wing," as he said, did her life assume any brightness or interest.
Her new surroundings, however, had developed Beth's characterwonderfully, and although she still had her periods of sullen depressionshe was generally as gay and lovable as her two cousins, but in aquieter and more self-possessed way.
Louise was the eldest--a fair, dainty creature with that indescribable"air" which invariably wins the admiring regard of all beholders.Whatever gown the girl wore looked appropriate and becoming, and hermanner was as
delightful as her appearance. She was somewhat frivolousand designing in character, but warm-hearted and staunch in herfriendships. Indeed, Louise was one of those girls who are so complex asto be a puzzle to everyone, including themselves.
Beth DeGraf was the beauty of the group of three, and she also possessedgreat depth of character. Beth did not like herself very well, and wasalways afraid others would fail to like her, so she did not win friendsas easily as did Louise. But those who knew the beautiful girlintimately could read much to admire in the depth of her great darkeyes, and she was not the least interesting of the three nieces whosefortunes had been so greatly influenced by Aunt Jane and Uncle JohnMerrick.
But Patricia Doyle--usually called "Patsy" by her friends--was after allthe general favorite with strangers and friends alike. There was asubtle magnetism about the girl's laughing, freckled face and dancingblue eyes that could not well be resisted. Patsy was not beautiful; shewas not accomplished; she had no especial air of distinction. But shewas winning from the top of her red hair to the tips of her toes, and soabsolutely unaffected that she won all hearts.
"And for wisdom she's got Solomon beat to a frazzle," declared the Majorto Uncle John, in discussing his daughter's character. But it ispossible that Major Doyle was prejudiced.
"Well, what's to be done?" demanded Louise, for the second time.
"We don't vote in Ken's district," remarked the Major, "or there wouldbe six votes to his credit, and that would beat my own record by four!"
"Ken is so impressionable that I'm afraid this defeat will ruin hislife," said Beth, softly. "I wish we could get him away. Couldn't we gethim to withdraw?"
"He might be suddenly called to Europe," suggested Louise. "That wouldtake him away from the place and give him a change of scene."
Patsy shook her head.
"Kenneth isn't a coward," she said. "He won't run away. He must accepthis defeat like a man, and some time try again. Eh, Uncle John?"
Uncle John turned around and regarded his three nieces critically.
"What makes you think he will be defeated?" he asked.
"He says so himself," answered Patsy.
"He writes me he can see no hope, for the people are all against him,"added Louise.
"Pah!" said Uncle John, contemptuously. "What else does the idiot say?"
"That he's lonely and discouraged, and had to pour out his heart to someone or go wild," said Patsy, the tears of sympathy filling her eyes.
"And you girls propose to sit down and allow all this?" inquired theiruncle sternly.
"We?" answered Louise, lifting her brows and making a pretty gesture."What can we do?"
"Go to work!" said Uncle John.
"How?" asked Patsy, eagerly.
"Politics is a game," declared Mr. Merrick. "It's never won until thelast card is played. And success doesn't lie so much in the cards as theway you play 'em. Here are three girls with plenty of shrewdness andenergy. Why don't you take a hand in the game and win it?"
"Oh, Uncle John!"
The proposition was certainly disconcerting at first.
"Yes, yes!" laughed the Major, derisively. "Put on some blue stockings,read the history of woman's suffrage, cultivate a liking for depravedeggs, and then face Kenneth's enraged constituents!"
"I shouldn't mind, daddy, if it would help Kenneth any," declared Patsy,stoutly.
"Go on, Uncle John," said Beth, encouragingly.
"Women in politics," observed their uncle, "have often been a tremendouspower. You won't need to humiliate yourselves, my dears. All you'll needto do is to exercise your wits and work earnestly for the cause. Thereare a hundred ways to do that."
"Mention a few," proposed the Major.
"I will when I get to Elmhurst and look over the ground," answered UncleJohn.
"You're going on, then?"
"Yes."
"I'll go with you," said Patsy promptly.
"So will I," said Beth. "Kenneth needs moral encouragement and supportas much as anything else, just now."
"He's imagining all sorts of horrors and making himself miserable," saidLouise. "Let's all go, Uncle, and try to cheer him up."
By this time Uncle John was smiling genially.
"Why, I was sure of you, my dears, from the first," he said. "TheMajor's an old croaker, but he'd go, too, if it were not necessary forhim to stay in New York and attend to business. But we mustn't lose anytime, if we're going to direct the politics of the Eighth DistrictElection the eighth of November."
"I can go any time, and so can Beth," said Louise.
"All I need is the blue stockings," laughed Patsy.
"It won't be play. This means work," said Uncle John seriously.
"Well, I believe we're capable of a certain amount of work," repliedBeth. "Aren't we, girls?"
"We are!"
"All right," said Mr. Merrick. "I'll go and look up the next train. Gohome, Louise, and pack up. I'll telephone you."
"That bad man 'd better look out," chuckled the Major. "He doesn'tsuspect that an army of invasion is coming."
"Daddy," cried Patsy, "you hush up. We mean business."
"If you win," said the Major, "I'll run for alderman on a petticoatplatform, and hire your services."