ajor and I will make our last visit to Becker's flats."

CHAPTER XXVII.

LOUISE MAKES A DISCOVERY.

Uncle John did not stay to guard the treasure, after all, for he knew
very well it would not disappear.

As soon as Patsy and the Major had departed for Becker's flats, he
took his own hat from the rack and walked away to hunt up another
niece, Miss Louise Merrick, whose address he had casually obtained
from Patsy a day or two before.

It was near by, and he soon found the place--a pretty flat in a
fashionable building, although not so exclusive a residence district
as Willing Square.

Up three flights he rode in the elevator, and then rang softly at the
door which here the card of Mrs. Merrick.

A maid opened it and looked at him enquiringly.

"Are the ladies in?" he asked.

"I'll see. Your card, sir?"

"I haven't any."

She half closed the door.

"Any name, then?"

"Yes, John Merrick."

She closed the door entirely, and was gone several minutes. Then she
came back and ushered him through the parlor into a small rear room.

Mrs. Merrick arose from her chair by the window and advanced to meet
him.

"You are John Merrick?" she enquired.

"Your husband's brother, ma'am," he replied.

"How do you do, Uncle John?" called Louise, from the sofa. "Excuse my
getting up, won't you? And where in the world have you come from?"

Mrs. Merrick sat down again.

"Won't you take a chair?" she said, stiffly.

"I believe I will," returned Uncle John. "I just came to make a call,
you know."

"Louise has told me of you," said the lady. "It was very unfortunate
that your sister's death deprived you of a home. An absurd thing,
altogether, that fiasco of Jane Merrick's."

"True," he agreed.

"But I might have expected it, knowing the woman's character as I
did."

Uncle John wondered what Jane's character had to do with the finding
of Tom Bradley's last will; but he said nothing.

"Where are you living?" asked Louise.

"Not anywhere, exactly," he answered, "although Patsy has offered me
a home and I've been sleeping on a sofa in her living-room, the past
week."

"I advise you to stay with the Doyles," said Mrs. Merrick, quickly.
"We haven't even a sofa to offer you here, our flat is so small;
otherwise we would be glad to be of some help to you. Have you found
work?"

"I haven't tried to, yet, ma'am."

"It will be hard to get, at your age, of course. But that is a matter
in which we cannot assis