him of a future appointment and
let him go his way. In a moment the great Broadway crowd had swallowed
up John Merrick, and five minutes later he was thoughtfully gazing
into a shop window again.

By and bye he bethought himself of the time, and took a cab uptown. He
had more than the twelve cents in his pocket, now, besides the check
book which was carefully hidden away in an inside pocket; so the cost
of the cab did not worry him. He dismissed the vehicle near an uptown
corner and started to walk hastily toward Danny Reeves's restaurant, a
block away, Patsy was standing in the doorway, anxiously watching for
him.

"Oh, Uncle John," she cried, as he strolled "I've been really worried
about you; it's such a big city, and you a stranger. Do you know
you're ten minutes late?"

"I'm sorry," he said, humbly; "but it's a long way here from
downtown."

"Didn't you take a car?"

"No, my dear."

"Why, you foolish old Uncle! Come in at once. The Major has been
terribly excited over you, and swore you should not be allowed to
wander through the streets without someone to look after you. But what
could we do?"

"I'm all right," declared Uncle John, cordially shaking hands with
Patsy's father. "Have you had a good day?"

"Fine," said the Major. "They'd missed me at the office, and were glad
to have me back. And what do you think? I've got a raise."

"Really?" said Uncle John, seeing it was expected of him.

"For a fact. It's Patsy's doing, I've no doubt. She wheedled the firm
into giving me a vacation, and now they're to pay me twelve a week
instead of ten."

"Is that enough?" asked Uncle John, doubtfully.

"More than enough, sir. I'm getting old, and can't earn as much as a
younger man. But I'm pretty tough, and mean to hold onto that twelve a
week as long as possible."

"What pay do you get, Patsy?" asked Uncle John.

"Almost as much as Daddy. We're dreadfully rich, Uncle John; so you
needn't worry if you don't strike a job yourself all at once."

"Any luck today, sir," asked the Major, tucking a napkin under his
chin and beginning on the soup.

Uncle John shook his head.

"Of course not," said Patsy, quickly. "It's too early, as yet. Don't
hurry, Uncle John. Except that it'll keep you busy, there's no need
for you to work at all."

"You're older than I am," suggested the Major, "and that makes it
harder to break in. But there's no hurry, as Patsy says."

Uncle John did not seem to be worrying over his