e them. There is the kernel of the matter. They are handsome
girls. I suppose everyone knows that they have a rich uncle--and
prospects, eh?"

"Neither my daughters nor anyone else has been deluded in that
respect," answered Mrs. Prescott, with a touch of spirit.

"Hum. Well, that's good, I should say. Nothing puts anyone in such a
false position as to be generally regarded as having--prospects. It's
ruinous, especially for girls."

"My daughters have been taught that they must rely entirely on
themselves. You need not have come to repeat the lesson to them, Uncle
Thomas," returned Mrs. Prescott, trying to conceal her temper. Mr.
Prescott affected not to notice her rising annoyance, which was a
natural enough reaction from her earlier nervousness. Instead he next
addressed himself directly to Alma.

"So you think I'm a regular old ogre, don't you, my dear?" His eyes
suddenly twinkled at her palpable terror and distress, but only Nancy
caught the twinkle. "You think I'm a queer, crotchety old fellow, eh?
Well, don't let's talk about me. I want to know what you are planning
to do with yourselves--an old man's curiosity. Your face is your
fortune, my dear--though a pretty face is not infrequently a
misfortune, so the wiseacres say. I understand that you two young
ladies are going now to a fashionable school,--to learn how to be
fashionable, no doubt. That's a folly--it would be better if you
stayed at home and learned how to cook and darn."

"We _can_ cook and darn," said Nancy, demurely.

"So? Good. Now tell me why are you going to this school? It's no
place for poor girls. I suppose it's some woman's notion of yours,
ma'am?" pursued the old gentleman, turning to Mrs. Prescott.

"My plans for my daughters can concern you so little, Uncle Thomas----"
began Mrs. Prescott, throwing her usual diplomacy to the winds.

"That it behooves me to mind my own business, eh?" Mr. Prescott
finished for her with perfect good-humor. "You are quite right,
madam." He seemed really pleased at Mrs. Prescott's spirit, and went
on, "You do right to tell me so. I have acted in a most unkinsmanly
way toward my nieces, and consequently it's none of my business what
they do or what they don't do. Well, if you had allowed me to
interfere in this matter, I should have imagined that you were doing so
simply because you wanted to get into my good graces, and so forth,
which would have been quite useless in as far as it