Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work

At a breakfast table alive with family chatter, Patsy Doyle brings troubling news that Kenneth Forbes is likely to lose his hard-fought race for Congress. In the affectionate Merrick household, where Patsy, Louise, and Beth each shine with distinct charm and wit, Uncle John sees more than a problem to sympathize over: he sees a mission. He urges the girls to go to work, and they travel to Elmhurst determined to help the lonely, restless young heir find purpose. Kenneth's life has been shaped by neglect at Elmhurst, followed by unexpected inheritance, European travel, and a return home still marked by immaturity and hunger for meaning. A ride through the countryside awakens his love of the land—and his fury at gaudy advertising signs defacing the rocks and streams he admires. What begins as a personal grievance becomes a stubborn crusade, drawing in Mr. Watson and testing Kenneth's idealism. As the campaign expands, Kenneth and Beth are pulled into a deeper human drama: the case of Tom Gates, a young forger who sacrificed himself for Lucy, whose family has been shattered by blindness and hardship. Their search for justice leads to painful bargains, hidden family history, and the promise of a larger struggle for loyalty, compassion, and moral courage. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.