Mr. Middleton's Brother

"God bless you, sweet girl," said Mr. Middleton, stooping to kiss the
innocent face which looked up into his with so much earnestness. "For your
sake, if for no other, your father shall not be laughed at."

As the carriage drove off, Julia turned to Fanny and said, "Won't they
have fun, though, with the old man? I can fancy it all. Father's beard
will probably be long enough to do up in papers, and it will be a miracle
if he does not have on those horrid old bagging pants of his."

Fanny was only too fearful it would all be as Julia predicted, but she
made no answer, and soon returned to her room.

We will now follow the carriage, which, with its load of gentlemen, was
proceeding rapidly toward the house of our friend Uncle Joshua. Mr.
William Middleton, or Mr. Stafford, as we will call him for a time, seemed
to grow excited as he approached nearer to a brother whose face he had not
looked upon for more than twenty long years.

"I say, boys," said he, speaking to his companions, "you must help me, and
when I begin to ask Joshua concerning his parents and brothers, you, too,
must talk, or he will suspect I have some design in questioning him."

The gentlemen all promised to do their best, except Frank, who could
promise nothing, because he knew nothing concerning the man they were
going to visit. His curiosity, however, was aroused, and forgetting the
presence of Mr. William Middleton, "Do they keep the old fellow caged? And
must we pay anything for seeing him?"