<h2 id="id01941" style="margin-top: 4em">CHAPTER XXIX.</h2>
<h5 id="id01942">THE MAJOR DEMANDS AN EXPLANATION.</h5>
<p id="id01943" style="margin-top: 2em">That was a happy week, indeed. Patsy devoted all her spare time to her
lessons, but the house itself demanded no little attention. She would
not let Mary dust the ornaments or arrange the rooms at all, but
lovingly performed those duties herself, and soon became an ideal
housekeeper, as Uncle John approvingly remarked.</p>
<p id="id01944">And as she flitted from room to room she sang such merry songs that it
was a delight to hear her, and the Major was sure to get home from the
city in time to listen to the strumming of the piano at three o'clock,
from the recess of his own snug chamber.</p>
<p id="id01945">Uncle John went to the city every morning, and at first this
occasioned no remark. Patsy was too occupied to pay much attention to
her uncle's coming and going, and the Major was indifferent, being
busy admiring Patsy's happiness and congratulating himself on his own
good fortune.</p>
<p id="id01946">The position at the bank had raised the good man's importance several
notches. The clerks treated him with fine consideration and the heads
of the firm were cordial and most pleasant. His fine, soldierly figure
and kindly, white-moustached face, conferred a certain dignity upon
his employers, which they seemed to respect and appreciate.</p>
<p id="id01947">It was on Wednesday that the Major encountered the name of John
Merrick on the books. The account was an enormous one, running into
millions in stocks and securities. The Major smiled.</p>
<p id="id01948">"That's Uncle John's name," he reflected. "It would please him to know
he had a namesake so rich as this one."</p>
<p id="id01949">The next day he noted that John Merrick's holdings were mostly in
western canning industries and tin-plate factories, and again he
recollected that Uncle John had once been a tinsmith. The connection
was rather curious.</p>
<p id="id01950">But it was not until Saturday morning that the truth dawned upon him,
and struck him like a blow from a sledge-hammer.</p>
<p id="id01951">He had occasion to visit Mr. Marvin's private office, but being told
that the gentleman was engaged with an important customer, he lingered
outside the door, waiting.</p>
<p id="id01952">Presently the door was partly opened.</p>
<p id="id01953">"Don't forget to sell two thousand of the Continental stock tomorrow,"
he heard a familiar voice say.</p>
<p id="id01954">"I'll not forget, Mr. Merrick," answered the banker.</p>
<p id="id01955">"And buy that property on Bleeker street at the price offered. It's a
fair proposition, and I need the land."</p>
<p id="id01956">"Very well, Mr. Merrick. Would it not be better for me to send these
papers by a messenger to your house?"</p>
<p id="id01957">"No; I'll take them myself. No one will rob me." And then the door
swung open and, chuckling in his usual whimsical fashion, Uncle John
came out, wearing his salt-and-pepper suit and stuffing; a bundle of
papers into his inside pocket.</p>
<p id="id01958">The Major stared at him haughtily, but made no attempt to openly
recognize the man. Uncle John gave a start, laughed, and then walked
away briskly, throwing a hasty "good-bye" to the obsequious banker,
who followed him out, bowing low.</p>
<p id="id01959">The Major returned to his office with a grave face, and sat for the
best part of three hours in a brown study. Then he took his hat and
went home.</p>
<p id="id01960">Patsy asked anxiously if anything had happened, when she saw his face;
but the Major shook his head.</p>
<p id="id01961">Uncle John arrived just in time for dinner, in a very genial mood,
and he and Patsy kept up a lively conversation at the table while the
Major looked stern every time he caught the little man's eye.</p>
<p id="id01962">But Uncle John never minded. He was not even as meek and humble as
usual, but laughed and chatted with the freedom of a boy just out of
school, which made Patsy think the new clothes had improved him in
more ways than one.</p>
<p id="id01963">When dinner was over the Major led them into the sitting-room, turned
up the lights, and then confronted the little man with a determined
and majestic air.</p>
<p id="id01964">"Sir," said he, "give an account of yourself."</p>
<p id="id01965">"Eh?"</p>
<p id="id01966">"John Merrick, millionaire and impostor, who came into my family under
false pretenses and won our love and friendship when we didn't know
it, give an account of yourself!"</p>
<p id="id01967">Patsy laughed.</p>
<p id="id01968">"What are you up to, Daddy?" she demanded. "What has Uncle John been
doing?"</p>
<p id="id01969">"Deceiving us, my dear."</p>
<p id="id01970">"Nonsense," said Uncle John, lighting his old briar pipe, "you've been
deceiving yourselves."</p>
<p id="id01971">"Didn't you convey the impression that you were poor?" demanded the<br/>
Major, sternly.<br/></p>
<p id="id01972">"No."</p>
<p id="id01973">"Didn't you let Patsy take away your thirty-two dollars and forty-two
cents, thinking it was all you had?"</p>
<p id="id01974">"Yes."</p>
<p id="id01975">"Aren't you worth millions and millions of dollars—so many that you
can't count them yourself?"</p>
<p id="id01976">"Perhaps."</p>
<p id="id01977">"Then, sir," concluded the Major, mopping the perspiration from his
forehead and sitting down limply in his chair, "what do you mean by
it?"</p>
<p id="id01978">Patsy stood pale and trembling, her round eyes fixed upon her uncle's
composed face.</p>
<p id="id01979">"Uncle John!" she faltered.</p>
<p id="id01980">"Yes, my dear."</p>
<p id="id01981">"Is it all true? Are you so very rich?"</p>
<p id="id01982">"Yes, my dear."</p>
<p id="id01983">"And it's you that gave me this house, and—and everything else—and
got the Major his fine job, and me discharged, and—and—"</p>
<p id="id01984">"Of course, Patsy. Why not?"</p>
<p id="id01985">"Oh, Uncle John!"</p>
<p id="id01986">She threw herself into his arms, sobbing happily as he clasped her
little form to his bosom. And the Major coughed and blew his nose, and
muttered unintelligible words into his handkerchief. Then Patsy sprang
up and rushed upon her father, crying;</p>
<p id="id01987">"Oh, Daddy! Aren't you glad it's Uncle John?"</p>
<p id="id01988">"I have still to hear his explanation," said the Major.</p>
<p id="id01989">Uncle John beamed upon them. Perhaps he had never been so happy before
in all his life.</p>
<p id="id01990">"I'm willing to explain," he said, lighting his pipe again and
settling himself in his chair. "But my story is a simple one, dear
friends, and not nearly so wonderful as you may imagine. My father had
a big family that kept him poor, and I was a tinsmith with little work
to be had in the village where we lived. So I started west, working my
way from town to town, until I got to Portland, Oregon.</p>
<p id="id01991">"There was work in plenty there, making the tin cans in which salmon
and other fish is packed, and as I was industrious I soon had a shop
of my own, and supplied cans to the packers. The shop grew to be
a great factory, employing hundreds of men. Then I bought up the
factories of my competitors, so as to control the market, and as I
used so much tin-plate I became interested in the manufacture of this
product, and invested a good deal of money in the production and
perfection of American tin. My factories were now scattered all along
the coast, even to California, where I made the cans for the great
quantities of canned fruits they ship from that section every year.
Of course the business made me rich, and I bought real estate with my
extra money, and doubled my fortune again and again.</p>
<p id="id01992">"I never married, for all my heart was in the business, and I thought
of nothing else. But a while ago a big consolidation of the canning
industries was effected, and the active management I resigned to other
hands, because I had grown old, and had too much money already.</p>
<p id="id01993">"It was then that I remembered the family, and went back quietly to
the village where I was born. They were all dead or scattered,
I found; but because Jane had inherited a fortune in some way I
discovered where she lived and went to see her. I suppose it was
because my clothes were old and shabby that Jane concluded I was a
poor man and needed assistance; and I didn't take the trouble to
undeceive her.</p>
<p id="id01994">"I also found my three nieces at Elmhurst, and it struck me it would
be a good time to study their characters; for like Jane I had a
fortune to leave behind me, and I was curious to find out which girl
was the most deserving. No one suspected my disguise. I don't usually
wear such poor clothes, you know; but I have grown to be careless of
dress in the west, and finding that I was supposed to be a poor man I
clung to that old suit like grim death to a grasshopper."</p>
<p id="id01995">"It was very wicked of you," said Patsy, soberly, from her father's
lap.</p>
<p id="id01996">"As it turned out," continued the little man, "Jane's desire to leave
her money to her nieces amounted to nothing, for the money wasn't
hers. But I must say it was kind of her to put me down for five
thousand dollars—now, wasn't it?"</p>
<p id="id01997">The Major grinned.</p>
<p id="id01998">"And that's the whole story, my friends. After Jane's death you
offered me a home—the best you had to give—and I accepted it. I had
to come to New York anyway, you know, for Isham, Marvin & Co. have
been my bankers for years, and there was considerable business to
transact with them. I think that's all, isn't it?"</p>
<p id="id01999">"Then this house is yours?" said Patsy, wonderingly.</p>
<p id="id02000">"No, my dear; the whole block belongs to you and here's the deed for
it," drawing a package of papers from his pocket. "It's a very good
property, Patsy, and the rents you get from the other five flats will
be a fortune in themselves."</p>
<p id="id02001">For a time the three sat in silence. Then the girl whispered, softly:</p>
<p id="id02002">"Why are you so good to me, Uncle John?"</p>
<p id="id02003">"Just because I like you, Patsy, and you are my niece."</p>
<p id="id02004">"And the other nieces?"</p>
<p id="id02005">"Well, I don't mean they shall wait for my death to be made happy,"
answered Uncle John. "Here's a paper that gives to Louise's mother the
use of a hundred thousand dollars, as long as she lives. After that
Louise will have the money to do as she pleases with."</p>
<p id="id02006">"How fine!" cried Patsy, clapping her hands joyfully.</p>
<p id="id02007">"And here's another paper that gives Professor De Graf the use of
another hundred thousand. Beth is to have it when he dies. She's a
sensible girl, and will take good care of it."</p>
<p id="id02008">"Indeed she will!" said Patsy.</p>
<p id="id02009">"And now," said Uncle John, "I want to know if I can keep my little
room in your apartments, Patsy; or if you'd prefer me to find another
boarding place."</p>
<p id="id02010">"Your home is here as long as you live, Uncle John. I never meant to
part with you, when I thought you poor, and I'll not desert you now
that I know you're rich."</p>
<p id="id02011">"Well said, Patsy!" cried the Major.</p>
<p id="id02012">And Uncle John smiled and kissed the girl and then lighted his pipe
again, for it had gone out.</p>
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