e the nice voice of that Mr. Peter Scudder of Philadelphia from the
other side of me.

"No, with much gratitude to you both; I must wait the arrival of my
Uncle," I made answer to them with my head held very high.

"Then we'll see you at the Ritz for tea at five as per promise," said
Mr. William Raines as he walked away and left Mr. Peter Scudder, who
was assisting the lady from Cincinnati to transport her very lovely
dog to a handsome car which awaited her. She also had I promised to
visit from that great Ritz-Carlton hotel and she smiled in sweet
friendliness to me as I stood with the letter in my hand and watched
all of the friends I had found upon that ship, depart and leave me
with not a place to go. I stood for many minutes motionless and then
my eyes perceived the letter in my hand. Surely it must be opened and
read. It was from the wicked Uncle, I knew, but it might be that it
was not of the cruelty that I had expected. It would excuse him no
doubt from arrival in person for the expected greeting to his
relatives, Pierre and myself.

"Go to it, Bob," I advised myself in the language I had heard Mr.
Saint Louis use when he was forced to ask a nice lady, who danced with
disagreeable heaviness, to trot the fox with him because of a
friendship with his mother.

And this is the letter that my eyes read with astonishment, while both
the good Nannette and small shivering Pierre sat with their eyes fixed
upon my countenance:

"My dear nephew Robert:

"Your arrival in America at this time suits me exactly. I need
you immediately in my business. If you had been the girl,
instead of the little one, I would have had to dispose of you
some way--even murder. I have no use for women. Leave the
little crippled girl and her nurse, who I feel sure is an old
fool, with my good friend Dr. Mason Burns, of 222 South 32nd
St. He has cured more children of hip joint disease than any
man in the world, and he will straighten her out for us and we
can give her away to somebody. I've written him instructions.
Leave her immediately and come down here to me on the first
train. The deal is held up without you. Enclosed is a check
for a thousand dollars. If you are like Henry you'll need it,
but keep away from Broadway and the women. Come on, I say, by
next train.
Your uncle, Robert Carruthers.
Hayesville, Harpeth."

"The Uncle of America has come to a confu