Guy had never met with so much frankness and simplicity in any one,
unless it were in Lucy Atherstone, of whom Maddy reminded him
somewhat, except that the latter was more practical, more--he hardly
knew what--only there was a difference, and a thought crossed his mind
that if Maddy had had all Lucy's advantages, and was as old, she would
be what the world calls smarter. There was no disparagement to Lucy in
his thoughts, only a compliment to Maddy, who was waiting for him to
answer her question. There was no retracting now; he had offered his
services; she had accepted; and with a mental comment: "I dread Doc's
fun the most, so I'll explain to him how I am educating her for the
future Mrs. Dr. Holbrook," he replied: "As soon as I am rested from my journey, or sooner, if you like; and
now tell me, please, who is this Uncle Joseph of whom you speak?"
He remembered what the doctor had said of a crazy uncle, but wishing
to hear Maddy's version of it, put to her the question he did.
"Uncle Joseph is grandma's youngest brother," Maddy answered, "and he
has been in the lunatic asylum for years. As long as his little
property lasted, his bills were paid, but now they keep him from
charity, only grandpa helps all he can, and buys some little nice
things which he wants so badly, and sometimes cries for, they say. I
picked berries all last summer, and sold to buy him a thin coat and
pants. We should have more to spend than we do, if it were not for
Uncle Joseph," and Maddy's face wore a thoughtful expression as she
recalled all the shifts and turns she'd seen made at home that the
poor maniac might be more comfortable.
"What made him crazy?" Guy asked, and after a moment's hesitancy Maddy
replied: "I don't believe grandma would mind my telling you, though
she don't talk about it much. I only knew it a little while ago. He
was disappointed once. He loved a girl very much, and she made him
think that she loved him. She was many years younger than Uncle
Joseph--about my age at first, and when she grew up she said she was
sick of him, because he was so much older. He wouldn't have felt so
badly, if she had not gone straight off and married a rich man who was
a great deal older even than Uncle Joseph; that was the hardest part,
and he grew crazy at once. It has been so long that he never can be
helped, and sometimes grandma talks of bringing him home, as he is
perfectly harmless. I suppose it's wicked, but I most hope she won't,
for it would be terrible to live with a crazy man," and a chill crept
over Maddy, as if there had fallen upon her a foreshadowing of what
might yet be. "Mr. Remington," she continued suddenly, "if you teach
me, I can't, of course, expect three dollars a week. It would not be
right."