CONTENTSCHAPTER I CAUGHT BY THE CAMERA II AN OBJECT LESSON III AN ATTRACTIVE GIRL IV AUNT JANE'S NIECES V A THRILLING RESCUE VI A. JONES VII THE INVALID VIII THE MAGIC OF A NAME IX DOCTOR PATSY X STILL A MYSTERY XI A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS XII PICTURES, GIRLS AND NONSENSE XIII A FOOLISH BOY XIV ISIDORE LE DRIEUX XV A FEW PEARLS XVI TROUBLE XVII UNCLE JOHN IS PUZZLED XVIII DOUBTS AND DIFFICULTIES XIX MAUD MAKES A MEMORANDUM XX A GIRLISH NOTION XXI THE YACHT "ARABELLA" XXII MASCULINE AND FEMININE XXIII THE ADVANTAGE OF A DAY XXIV PICTURE NUMBER NINETEEN XXV JUDGMENT XXVI SUNSHINE AFTER RAINCHAPTER ICAUGHT BY THE CAMERA"This is getting to be an amazing old world," said a young girl, still inher "teens," as she musingly leaned her chin on her hand."It has always been an amazing old world, Beth," said another girl whowas sitting on the porch railing and swinging her feet in the air."True, Patsy," was the reply; "but the people are doing such peculiarthings nowadays.""Yes, yes!" exclaimed a little man who occupied a reclining chair withinhearing distance; "that is the way with you young folks--alwaysconfounding the world with its people.""Don't the people make the world, Uncle John?" asked Patricia Doyle,looking at him quizzically."No, indeed; the world could get along very well without its people; butthe people--""To be sure; they need the world," laughed Patsy, her blue eyestwinkling so that they glorified her plain, freckled face."Nevertheless," said Beth de Graf, soberly, "I think the people havestruck a rapid pace these days and are growing bold and impudent. The lawappears to allow them too much liberty. After our experience of thismorning I shall not be surprised at anything that happens--especially inthis cranky state of California.""To what experience do you allude, Beth?" asked Uncle John, sitting upstraight and glancing from one to another of his two nieces. He was agenial looking, round-faced man, quite bald and inclined to be a triflestout; yet his fifty-odd years sat lightly upon him."Why, we had quite an adventure this morning," said Patsy, laughingagain at the recollection, and answering her uncle because Bethhesitated to. "For my part, I think it was fun, and harmless fun, atthat; but Beth was scared out of a year's growth. I admit feeling alittle creepy at the time, myself; but it was all a joke and really weought not to mind it at all.""Tell me all about it, my dear!" said Mr. Merrick, earnestly, forwhatever affected his beloved nieces was of prime importance to him."We were taking our morning stroll along the streets," began Patsy, "whenon turning a corner we came upon a crowd of people who seemed to begreatly excited. Most of them were workmen in flannel shirts, theirsleeves rolled up, their hands grimy with toil. These stood before abrick building that seemed like a factory, while from its doors othercrowds of workmen and some shopgirls were rushing into the street andseveral policemen were shaking their clubs and running here and there ina sort of panic. At first Beth and I stopped and hesitated to go on, butas the sidewalk seemed open and fairly free I pulled Beth along, thinkingwe might discover what the row was about. Just as we got opposite thebuilding a big workman rushed at us and shouted: 'Go back--go back! Thewall is falling.'