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 casually¹ 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 entirely², and was gone several minutes. Then she came back and ushered³ him through the parlor⁴ into a small rear room.
 
Mrs. Merrick arose from her chair by the window and advanced to meet him.
 
"You are John Merrick?" she enquired⁵.
 
"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 assist you."
 
"Oh, I'm not looking for help, ma'am."
 
She glanced at his worn clothing and soiled white necktie, and smiled.
 
"But we want to do something for you," said Louise. "Now," sitting up and regarding him gravely, "I'm going to tell you a state secret. We are living, in this luxurious⁶ way, on the principal of my father's life insurance. At our present rate of expenditure⁷ we figure that the money will last us two years and nine months longer. By that time I shall be comfortably married or we will go bankrupt—as the fates decide. Do you understand the situation?"
 
"Perfectly⁸. It's very simple," said the old man.
 
"And rather uncertain, isn't it? But in spite of this, we are better able to help you than any of your other relatives. The Doyles are hard-working folks, and very poor. Beth says that Professor De Graf is over head and ears in debt and earns less every year, so he can't be counted upon. In all the Merrick tribe the only

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