And the reason is readily explained when I state the fact that Patsy's Uncle John Merrick, the round little bald-headed man who sat contentedly eating his soup, was a man of many millions, and this girl his favorite niece.

An old bachelor who had acquired an immense fortune in the far Northwest, Mr.Merrick had lately retired from active business and come East to seek any relatives that might remain to him after forty years' absence.

His sister Jane had gathered around her three nieces--Louise Merrick, Elizabeth De Graf and Patricia Doyle--and when Aunt Jane died Uncle John adopted these three girls and made their happiness the one care of his jolly, unselfish life.

At that time Major Doyle, Patsy's only surviving parent, was a poor bookkeeper; but Uncle John gave him charge of his vast property interests, and loving Patsy almost as devotedly as did her father, made his home with the Doyles and began to enjoy himself for the first time in his life.
At the period when this story opens the eldest niece, Louise Merrick, had just been married to Arthur Weldon, a prosperous young business man, and the remaining two nieces, as well as Uncle John, were feeling rather lonely and depressed.

The bride had been gone on her honeymoon three days, and during the last two days it had rained persistently; so, until Patsy came home from a visit to Beth and brought the tiny dog with her, the two old gentlemen had been feeling dreary enough.
Patsy always livened things up.