"You'rethetinsmithshetalksabout?"saystheincredulousboy,lookingatthestrangerintheshabbytravellingclothes.
"Thesame,"saysJohnMerrick."Badpenniesalwaysreturn,theysay.I'vecomebacktolookupthefamilyandfindhowmanyareleft."Heeyesthelad."SomysisterJanehasadoptedyou,myboy--andshenowownsthistown!"
Acuriousman,thisUncleJohn,returningtothevillageofElmhurstwherehewasborn.Hehasgivenuphisworkinthecanningbusiness,outWest,andhasarrivedlookingaspoorasabeggar.
Besideshissister,inElmhurst,JohnMerrickalsofindsthreenieces--alldifferentgirls,withdifferentqualities.Janehasbeenstudyingthemcarefully...forshehasafortunethatsomeonemustinherit.
NowtheirUncleJohnstudiesthemcarefully,aswell--forhe,too,hasacarefullyguardedsecret.