as if
he were treading the decks of the _Charlotte_.

To see him one would have imagined that he had always lived at Mulberry
Court. How naturally, for example, he wandered into the market,
bringing back with him mysterious bundles which on being opened
disclosed lamb chops, sweet potatoes, and oranges. And what a feast big
and little McGregors had when such parcels made their advent in the
kitchen! Or he would venture into the shopping district and appear with
his pockets bulging with rubbers, mittens, and caps. Oh, there never
was such an uncle! His purse seemed lined with gold; or if it were not
lined with this precious metal at least the supply of pennies it
contained was unending.

And not only was there one of these shiny pennies for each child in the
family but before long the train of benefactions lengthened until there
was scarce a boy or girl to be found in all Mulberry Court who did not
have tucked away in his mitten a golden disc with the shining face of
Abraham Lincoln upon it. So it was that he became uncle not alone to
the wee McGregors but to the community as well.

Now of course it followed that such a visitor could not be more than a
short cycle of hours in the neighborhood without making the
acquaintance of the Harlings, and running in to amuse the shut-ins with
his tales of foreign lands. For he was a rare story-teller, was Uncle
Frederick. Never was there a better. And with running here and running
there was it to be wondered at that he found himself as busy if not
busier than he had been when aboard the _Charlotte_--a very lucky thing
too, for he confided that he always got fidgety for his ship if he was
idle when on shore.

Now he had no chance to become nervous or fretful. Much travel had
rendered it easy for him to establish contacts with persons. In
consequence all types of human beings interested him and with a charm
quite his own he swept aside the preliminaries and by simple and direct
methods made straight for the hearts of those he met. He reached them,
too--there was no doubt about that. Had he chosen he could have
astounded Mulberry Court with all he knew about Julie O'Dowd, the
Murphys, and the Sullivans. Why, he even knew all about Davis and
Coulter's mills before he had been in Baileyville twenty-four hours!

Now this delightful relative could not but increase in the community
the prestige of the McGregor family. To have a connection so popular,
traveled, and prosperous--a man