Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1868-08-14
Sflistellan;ous.
UNCLE BuNoE

HE snail never nave penny, STORM
cd Uncle Bunce; Il will cut him off
with shilling"
"My dear Bunce," said l, "you have
already contradicted yourself in first
denying him penny, and then prom
ising him twelve. l never heard you
contradict yourself (although often 9TH
er peoplc) except when in passion, and
that is not the frame of mind in which
to sit down to alter your will"
mind your own business, sir, and
leave me to manage mine,' was the
prompt and severe rejoinder.
"Your business is mine, Nicholas, y
continued I, quietly, "since we are
partners. We have been friends, boy
and man, for these forty years, and |
am not going to permit you to quarrel
with me-"
"Who wants to quarrcl?n said Uncle
Bunce, peevishly.
"Well, I don't; but I would rather
even that should happen, than that my
old friend should do himself such an
injustice as to condemn q young fel-
low, who has no other relation in the
world, unheard: your own sisters son
George! l am ashamed of you.'
"Unheard? Pack ofnonsense," spnt
tered the old fellow ''The thing is as
plain as the nose on your face"
Thank you" said l. "Howevcr
you may say as oii' asiye things as you
please about my nose, only don't be
unjust to Charley"
Il am not unjust The facts arc
these. had adopted that boy, ant
meant to treat him as my own son.
He has disgraced himself by betting
on public racecourse sum he had nc
honest means of paying if he lost,-a
gambler, sir, and cheat. that's what
he has proved himself; and I'll have
nothing more to do with him."
"You had better inquire into thu
matter little further, Mr.. Bunce,
said I, with some dist'netness Of man
ner; for liked Charley upon his owr
account, as we'll as because he was the
only relative of my friend and part
ner, one of the most sound hearted and
grossly prejudiced men within mile
Of Royal Exchange.
''There is nothing to be inquired
about, Mr.. Coe. Even if my late neph
ew" It was just like what his flatter
ers called his ''stern determination" to
use that phrase; just like his internal
obstinacy,' I say E"yes, sir, even il
my late nephew had had the fifty
pounds to pay, which I am sure he
had not, l would disinherit him for
betting it; and even if he didn't bet
he was on the racccourse, and that is
a place no nephew ofmine should show
his face and remain my heir.-There is
a letter from our Vienna correspond.
ent which requires your immediate at
tcntion, Mr.. Coc.H And with that
Uncle Bunce withdrew himself into
the glass case that is his peculiar sane.
tum in this Office, and slammed the
door behind him.
Our firm was Bunce and Coe, and
there had been no other member of it
save us two, for five-and-twenty years
We were no relatives Though perhaps
not less fast friends upon that account)
but l called him Uncle Bunce because
Charley did, who, until that unlucky
Derby day, had been as great favor
ite of his as of mine; and here were the
young fellows prospects blighted, and
the old mans affections left without
any human trellis-work to cling to, all
because some ill-natured busybody
who knew Nicholas Bunce's hatred OF
the turf, had told him that Charley
Thornton had bet fifty pounds to ten
agaist Palmyra for the Derby, on Ep-
som Downs.
l had no greater love for Racing,
nor perhaps for Charley, than Nicholas
had, but could make more allowance
for the follies of youth; and when l
found myself crossed, or even DISC
beycd, all the milk of human kindness
within me did not instantly turn sour,
as it had done i'll Uncle Bunce's dairy,
with the sad effect l have described. -
He had gone straight to Charley upon
the information received, and said
did you go doNn to EPSON Downs
sir, and bet fifty pounds to ten pounds
against . race horse? Answer me-
Yes or No And Charley-tor
the boy could not have told a lie if he
had tried-had answered.: "Yes, I'm
cle;" and there the matter had ended
So, now, beiug well convinced that
Uncle Bunce was as inflexible as the
iron in which he dealt, in his resolve
to make no further inquiry into the
matter, determined to make it my
self for both their sakes. l was no,
very hopeful as to the result of the in
vcstigation, bnt still l thought there