Page:The mislaid uncle (IA mislaiduncle00raym).pdf/173

 "Notice the superscription. Ever been any others with the same?"

"Yes, suh, heaps. Most all of them comes to Miss Kimono. Though some is just plain Miss Smith."

"Hmm! Hmm! This is—this is—disturbing," admitted Mr. Smith.

Uncle Joe dropped into deep thought and sat so long in profound quiet that Josephine, playing on the carpet near by, folded her hands and watched him anxiously. She had grown to love his stern old face, that was never stern to her, with all the fervor of her affectionate heart; and presently she could not refrain from tiptoeing to him and laying her soft fingers tentatively upon his arm. He looked up at her, smiled, and murmured, more to himself than to her:

"Strange, strange. I've noticed something, a familiar trick of manner, something unforgotten from boyhood, Aunt Sophronia—Little Josephine, where is your—your nurse?"

"In the sitting room with Mrs. Merri