Aunt Jane's Nieces at Millville

In Short

This book follows a group of city-dwelling cousins and their uncle as they relocate to a rural property inherited by a young man named Joe Wegg. Once established in the isolated village of Millville, the girls become fascinated by the strange atmosphere surrounding their home, including a “crazy” relative and a greedy local agent named Peggy McNutt. The narrative blends lighthearted family comedy with a gentle, amateur detective story. It remains a charming example of early twentieth-century juvenile fiction, defined by its warm character dynamics and quaint, small-town setting.

The Story

Uncle John Merrick, a wealthy man prone to impulsive acts of philanthropy, travels with his nieces—Louise, Beth, and Patsy—to a farm he has acquired in the sleepy, forgotten hamlet of Millville. Upon arrival, they discover the property is not merely a house but a theater of secrets. The previous owner, a retired sea captain named Wegg, left behind a strange legacy: a paralyzed and allegedly insane man, a blind housekeeper named Nora, and an old sailor named Hucks. The village itself is insular and suspicious of outsiders, especially the local agent, Peggy McNutt, who serves as a constant, comic nuisance in his attempts to overcharge the "nabobs" from the city.

The girls, led by the astute Louise, quickly suspect that the circumstances of Captain Wegg’s death and the subsequent "great trouble" of the household are not what they seem. They resolve to play detective, convinced that the local hardware dealer, Bob West, is a villain who swindled the captain’s estate out of valuable investments. As the summer progresses, the nieces use their wit to navigate the village’s oddities. They encounter Skim Clark, a local boy who comically attempts to court them, and manage to involve their uncle’s friend, Major Doyle, in their investigations.

The tension rises when Joe Wegg, the captain’s son, arrives at the local hotel, injured from an accident. Through Joe, the mystery begins to unravel. He reveals that Bob West had orchestrated a complex financial betrayal regarding a timber tract in Canada, leaving the Wegg family destitute. The nieces, now joined by their uncle and the Major, gather evidence to confront West. While the girls successfully thwart West’s attempt to ransack the farmhouse for incriminating documents, it is Uncle John’s persistence and business acumen that ultimately force a reckoning.

The resolution provides a happy ending for the Wegg family, as the stolen assets are recovered and justice is served. The story concludes with a final, humorous incident involving a "watermelon raid" orchestrated by the girls to vex the meddlesome McNutt. With the mystery solved and the village’s secrets laid to rest, the family departs, having successfully transformed the lives of their new acquaintances through their intervention.

How It Unfolds

The arrival of the nabobs Uncle John and his nieces arrive at the isolated Millville, immediately clashing with the slow, primitive pace of the village and the opportunistic scheming of the local agent, Peggy McNutt. The girls are struck by the strange, mournful atmosphere of the Wegg homestead and the secrecy surrounding its inhabitants.

Three amateur detectives Louise recruits her cousins to uncover the truth behind Captain Wegg’s death, forming a secret society to observe the suspicious behavior of Old Hucks and the townspeople. They soon suspect that a larger, hidden crime links the local hardware dealer to the family’s sudden decline.

The trap is set When Bob West attempts to break into the Wegg house to secure missing stock certificates, the girls outmaneuver him, catching him in the act. They coordinate their findings with Uncle John and Major Doyle, who prepare to confront the merchant with legal authority.

Good news at last The truth of the financial swindle is exposed, restoring the Wegg family’s fortune and clearing the air of the long-standing mystery. The narrative closes with a final, lighthearted victory over the local pest, McNutt, leaving the family in high spirits.

The People

Uncle John Merrick is a generous, impulsive, and slightly impatient millionaire who prefers to fund the success of others rather than manage his own affairs. His willingness to trust his nieces and the Major drives the plot forward.

Louise, Beth, and Patsy are the nieces who serve as the story’s driving force. Louise is the analytical leader, Beth is the intuitive judge of character, and Patsy is the charming, quick-witted prankster who often disarms their antagonists with humor.

Peggy McNutt is the quintessential local parasite—a man with a wooden leg and a talent for creating "bills" for nonexistent services. He provides constant comic relief, serving as a foil to the wealthy visitors.

Bob West is the antagonist, a cold and calculated hardware merchant who views the world through the lens of profit. His greed is his undoing, as he underestimates the intelligence of the city girls.

Joe Wegg is the vulnerable, injured heir to the Wegg name. His recovery and eventual reclamation of his family’s legacy provide the emotional core of the mystery.

In Its Own Voice

"The tourist seldom penetrates these inaccessible foothills; the roads are too rough and primitive for automobiles; so Millville is shamefully neglected, and civilization halted there some half a century ago."

The narrator sets the scene for the isolated, stagnant village where the story takes place.

"It's a part of my duty, in attending to those affairs you won't look after yourself, to lend certain sums of your money to needy and ambitious young men who want a start in life."

Major Doyle explains the philanthropic, if chaotic, nature of Uncle John’s finances.

"I'm sure I couldn't. I'm awfully sorry to break your heart, Skim, dear, and ruin your future life, and make you misanthropic and cynical, and spoil your mother's investment and make her mad as a hornet."

Patsy playfully rejects a local suitor, showing the girls' ability to use wit to navigate social discomfort.

What It's Really About

The central theme is the collision between modern, urban prosperity and the stagnant, suspicious poverty of isolated rural life. The book argues that wealth, when paired with kindness and intelligence, serves as a catalyst for restoration rather than mere indulgence. Beneath the mystery lies a question of justice: how can those who are "neglected" by civilization defend themselves against the predatory local figures who exploit their ignorance? The narrative asserts that the "simplest" people—the girls, the Major, and Uncle John—are actually the most capable of cutting through the complex webs of corruption woven by small-town villains like Bob West.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the cozy, slow-burning mystery genre will find a great deal to love here. The book captures the feeling of a summer adventure, filled with light, conversational humor and a genuine affection for its cast. It is a gentle, low-stakes read that focuses as much on the interplay between the cousins as it does on the detective work.

However, modern readers should be prepared for the specific conventions of its era. The dialect—particularly that of Peggy McNutt—is written phonetically and can be dense or difficult to parse at times. There is also a distinct class consciousness; the characters are clearly defined as "nabobs" (the wealthy city folk) versus the rural villagers, and this dynamic occasionally colors the story with an attitude of paternalistic superiority. The pace is leisurely, reflecting the "neglected" nature of the setting, which might feel slow to those accustomed to modern, fast-paced thrillers. Yet, the warmth of the characters and the genuine, unforced humor of the girls’ antics remain as engaging today as they were a century ago. It is a book for those who want to spend time in a vanished, simpler world where a few clever girls can right the wrongs of a sleepy village.