e, and they never batted an
eye, but Bunch took the full count.

Of course he couldn't deny the relationship without giving himself
away, so he simply stood there and looked foolish.

"Have you been in the city very long?" my wife said most pleasantly
to Signor Petroskinski,

"No, Madam," he answered, with a most courtier-like bow; "we only
broke away from the cars this morning, and we bumped into nephew
quite by chance, didn't we, nephew?"

Bunch growled something that wouldn't sound well on the graphophone.

"Do you like New York?" Aunt Martha asked the other half of the
sketch in an effort to be pleasant.

"You betcher sweet!" said Dodo, whereupon Aunt Martha fell back two
paces to the rear and looked pityingly at Bunch.

"If you'll excuse us, Uncle Cornelius and Aunt Flora, I'll take my
wife and her mother to the train," I said nervously.

"Not at all, not at all," piped Skinski. "Dodey--I mean Flo--and I
don't mind a bit, do we, Flo?"

"You betcher sweet!" she answered, and I saw Peaches glance
questioningly at Bunch, who was giving a brilliant imitation of the
last rose of summer.

"But, John, I'm so hungry," Peaches pleaded.

"I know, my dear, but you see Bunch has an awful lot of family
happenings to discuss with his relatives," I said; "and we must
give him a chance to get acquainted with Uncle Cornelius and Aunt
Flora."

Whereupon I grabbed my hat and ducked for another eat shop without
ever glancing at Bunch.

CHAPTER V.

JOHN HENRY GETS EXCITED.

The next day being Sunday, I determined to forget all my troubles
and take Peaches out buggy riding.

I felt sure that Bunch was rid of his grouch by this time, and that
he wouldn't have a rock in his hat for me for pulling that "Uncle
Cornelius" gag.

I rather expected he'd show up at Ruraldene some time Sunday
evening. At any rate, I was sure Skinski and the Dodo bird had
conned him back to real life, and that by Monday morning he'd be
ripe for work again.

Peaches and Aunt Martha said very little about Bunch's new
relatives. They decided that "Uncle Cornelius" was eccentric and
rather interesting, but when they thought of "Aunt Flora" they both
got nervous and changed the subject.

When I suggested the buggy ride to Peaches she was delighted, and I
moseyed for the Ruraldene livery stable to get staked to a horse.

Anybody who has ever lived in a suburban town will doubtless recall
what handsome specimens of equine perfection