Free L. Frank Baum_Aunt Jane 01 by Aunt Jane's Nieces Page A

love sober
and scholarly books, and picked out a treatise that proved ineffably
dull and tedious.
    Aunt Jane sniffed, and then smiled slyly and proceeded to settle
herself for a nap. If the girl was a fool, let her be properly
punished.
    Beth read for an hour, uncertain whether her aunt were intensely
interested or really asleep. At the end of that dreadful period old
Misery entered and aroused the sleeper without ceremony.
    "What's the matter?" asked Aunt Jane, querrulously, for she resented
being disturbed.
    "There's a man to see you, Miss."
    "Send him about his business!"
    "But—"
    "I won't see him, I tell you!"
    "But he says he's your brother, Miss."
    "Who?"
    "Your brother."
    Miss Jane stared as if bewildered.
    "Your brother John, Miss."
    The invalid sank back upon her cushions with a sigh of resignation.
    "I thought he was dead, long ago; but if he's alive I suppose I'll
have to see him," she said. "Elizabeth, leave the room. Misery, send
the man here!"

Chapter XII - Uncle John Gets Acquainted
*
    Beth went out to find Louise, and discovered her standing near the
stables, where a boy was rubbing down the sides of a sorrel mare with
wisps of straw.
    "Something has happened," she said to Louise in a troubled voice.
    "What?"
    "A man has arrived who says he is Aunt Jane's brother."
    "Impossible! Have you seen him?"
    "No; he says he's Aunt Jane's brother John."
    "Oh; I know. The peddler, or tinker, or something or other who
disappeared years ago. But it doesn't matter."
    "It may matter a good deal," said practical Beth. "Aunt Jane may leave
him her money."
    "Why, he's older than she is. I've heard mother say he was the eldest
of the family. Aunt Jane wont leave her money to an old man, you may
be sure."
    Beth felt a little reassured at this, and stood for a moment beside
Louise watching the boy. Presently Oscar came to him, and after
touching his hat respectfully took the mare and led her into the
stable. The boy turned away, with his hands in his pockets, and
strolled up a path, unaware that the two dreaded girls had been
observing him.
    "I wonder who that is," said Beth.
    "We'll find out," returned Louise. "I took him for a stable boy, at
first. But Oscar seemed to treat him as a superior."
    She walked into the stable, followed by her cousin, and found the
groom tying the mare.
    "Who was the young man?" she asked.
    "Which young man, Miss?"
    "The one who has just arrived with the horse."
    "Oh; that's Master Kenneth, Miss," answered Oscar, with a grin.
    "Where did he come from?"
    "Master Kenneth? Why, he lives here."
    "At the house?"
    "Yes, Miss."
    "Who is he?"
    "Master Tom's nephew—he as used to own Elmhurst, you know."
    "Mr. Thomas Bradley?"
    "The same, Miss."
    "Ah. How long has Master Kenneth lived here?"
    "A good many years. I can't just remember how long."
    "Thank you, Oscar."
    The girls walked away, and when they were alone Louise remarked:
    "Here is a more surprising discovery than Uncle John, Beth. The boy
has a better right than any of us to inherit Elmhurst."
    "Then why did Aunt Jane send for us?"
    "It's a mystery, dear. Let us try to solve it."
    "Come; we'll ask the housekeeper," said Beth. "I'm sure old Misery
will tell us all we want to know."
    So they returned to the house and, with little difficulty, found the
old housekeeper.
    "Master Kenneth?" she exclaimed. "Why, he's just Master Tom's nephew,
that's all."
    "Is this his home?" asked Beth.
    "All the home he's got, my dear. His father and mother are both dead,
and Miss Jane took him to care for just because she thought Master Tom
would 'a' liked it."
    "Is she fond of him?" enquired Louise.
    "Fond of the boy? Why, Miss Jane just hates him, for a fact. She won't
even see him, or have him near her. So he keeps to his little room in
the left wing, and eats and sleeps there."
    "It's strange," remarked Beth, thoughtfully. "Isn't he a nice boy?"
    "We're all very fond of Master Kenneth," replied the housekeeper,
simply. "But I'll admit he's a queer lad, and has a