CHAPTER I 

THE ARRIVAL OF THE BOY 

"What's the news, Uncle?" asked Miss Patricia Doyle, as she entered the cosy breakfast room of a suite of apartments in Willing Square. Even as she spoke she pecked a little kiss on the forehead of the chubby man addressed as "Uncle"--none other, if you please, than the famous and eccentric multi-millionaire known in Wall Street as John Merrick--and sat down to pour the coffee. 

There was energy in her method of doing this simple duty, an indication of suppressed vitality that conveyed the idea that here was a girl accustomed to action. And she fitted well into the homely scene: short and somewhat "squatty" of form, red-haired, freckle-faced and pug-nosed. Wholesome rather than beautiful was Patsy Doyle, but if you caught a glimpse of her dancing blue eyes you straightway forgot her lesser charms. 

Quite different was the girl who entered the room a few minutes later. Hers was a dark olive complexion, face of exquisite contour, great brown eyes with a wealth of hair to match them and the flush of a rose in her rounded cheeks. The poise of her girlish figure was gracious and dignified as the bearing of a queen. 

"Morning, Cousin Beth," said Patsy cheerily. 

"Good morning, my dear," and then, with a trace of anxiety in her tone: "What is the news, Uncle John?" 

The little man had ignored Patsy's first question, but now he answered absently, his eyes still fixed upon the newspaper: 

"Why, they're going to build another huge skyscraper on Broadway, at Eleventh, and I see the political pot is beginning to bubble all through the Bronx, although--" 
How are Patricia and John related?
How is Patricia related to Beth?
What about Beth and John?
Who is the more beautiful cousin?
Did they ask John the same question?
Who asked first?
Who did he answer?
How?
What was he looking at?
Did he say anything to Patsy?
Is he rich?
How rich?
Who poured his coffee?
Is she beautiful?
What is she instead?
Where are they?
In a house?
What kind of home?
Where are they located?
Where is John known?
He's her Uncle
Uncle
She's her Cousin
Cousin
He's her Uncle
Uncle
Beth
Beth
Yes
What is the news,
Patsy
Patsy's first question,
Beth
Beth
absently
absently
the newspaper
 the newspaper
No
had ignored 
Yes
 multi-millionaire
a multi-millionaire
multi-millionaire
Patricia
Patricia
No
Wholesome rather than beautiful
Wholesome
Wholesome
the breakfast room
the cosy breakfast room
No
 of a suite of apartments 
a suite of apartments
 a suite of apartments
in Willing Square
in Willing Square
in Wall Street
in Wall Street