Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-11-10

sand pounds.'
| .Nonsensc y said Charley; He'll out
| live us both; look at his constitution. A
! cnlsty old curmudgeon, without civil
word for any one.
NY dear demonstrated, don't speak
30 loud. OF course we are suffering on
these hard chairs, but think OF the BEDS OF
| down that six thousand pounds viii buy.
Don't be angry; think ! shall wear the
comb while Uncle stays"
.The what 7" asked Charlie.
"The comb he gave me, ! said
you shan't put the hideous thing on
/ your head" said Charlie.
Six thou-vI began. fiff
six thousand racks and thumb-screws.
You may enjoy sitting UP all night ON
Kitchen chair. for an old fellow who may,
! or NAV not. choose to leave you something
/ when he dies said Charlie; 9 / don't. he
asked me NOT TO smoke, this evening, too.
And never felt so sorry for anyone as |
did for that poor fellow with his
! hair all tossed about, his eyelids heavy
with sleep, his feet on one chair, and
| his head against the side Of the
manilepicce: but, in spite OF all, re-
solved that Uncle Buncle should stay IS
| long as he chose-yes, stay, though we
slept il, the coal cellar or did not sleep at
all for think Of my JOY when, some time
/ in our iife-some time, perhaps, when it
was most wanted-I should fly into Char
/ lies arms. and say to him, My dear, you
are worth Fix Thousand pounds; and have
won il for you by never allowing myself to
1 be put out by Uncle Buncle.
The next morning wore my gigantic
comb The Misses Jones giggled and
| Miss Brown laughed outright. No matter
Uncle Buncie's good will was worth more
thar, ANYTHING else / bore their smiles
like a martyr, and only frettcd because,
after all, my uncle did not look perfectly
satisfied On the contrary, although he
had a habit Of scowling, ] had never seen
him scowl so much as he did that morning
He snecred at the milk, and scotfed at the
butter, pooh.poohcd the rolls, and des-
cribed TO us with his mouth full, breakfasts
which he had eaten elsewhere, which were
what breakfasts ought TO be; and ever
and anon, he cast toward my unhappy self
a glance Of inexplicabe disapproval.
! However, he staid with Us through the
week, growing more iil-tempcrcd as time
passed on. shall never forget that week
the weary nights during which we tried
TO take maps on chairs, or reposed on the
kitchen tablc--the humiliation and self
suIICEcu Will my
self to be scolded, Charlie 10 be snubbed
and our guests to he sneered at by Uncle
! Buncle-the pcrsistency with which l
wore that awful comb-thc things ! said
| that did not mean---the manner in which
| I abased myself, shaved myself, suppressed
myself ! shut up the house at nine TO
please Uncle Buncle. locked up the
piano for the same reason. did it ALL not
| for love Of him or respect for him, but be-
cause of his six thousand pounds.
Dear Charlie, who worked 80 hard and
| was SO kind TO me, might some day have
reason to rejoice that he married poor lit
tic me.
At Last, one evening Uncle Buncle snid,
az he took his bedroom candle.
"Shall go to town tomorrow. Air here
don't agree with me;" and vanished with
out 40 much as q nod.
! Charlie" said, as accommodated my
self to circumstances on the kitchen dress
cr with my waterproof cloak around me,
and the rag bag under my head, "try to
bear up for this one night longer After
all, it's worth It," "A
"Mark my words" said Charlie from
the window.sil, with his big ovcrcoat for
4 pillow" mark my words you'll never
get anything but rudcness from that old
fellow"
"And mark my words, Charlie'I said,
"this will happen. After we've struggled
on, perhaps to middle age, and begin to
feel as if we should always be poor, one
/ day-you know he's seventy now-uncle
| B1ncie will leave this world for q better"
~ don't know said Charlie, doubt
fully
"And we" / went on, will be sorry.
Rut ncvorf IA nleaa-n
mo humbugging, Hctty," said Charlie
i, ~ shall be sorry" said, but neverthc
less, will not gricve bitterly, Of course"
"Of course not" said Charlie.
"And We'll sit talking over the news,
when some one will inquire for you; and
being shown in, will prove to be Uncle
Bunclc's lawyer, who will say: Sir, 1t Is
my duty TO inform you that my laniented
client, Mr.. Bunclc, prior to his deccasc,
signed will which leaves all his fortune
To your wife, hissnicce.'"
There paused. sss, -
"What il thatY' cried Charlie. t8
"Oh, what Is it?" I echoed.
"Hclpf screamed Uncle Buncle's voice.
"Fire! murder help!
Police" screamed Mrs. Jones
Somebody Somebody" screamed Mrs.
Brown.
cousin Charlie! screamed CHfissa
from the sofa," your poor Uncle Buncle is
being murderrdr' aIs
COW! Oww howled Miranda Jane from
the store room.
And above 1t all we heard a sound OF
many waters.
"What is 1t, love-" asked, "what can
have happened"
/. "1'hat COMPOUNDED pipe has burst
again. said Charlie, AN Uncle Buncle
Is drowning in the bath rom"
J In moment comprehended II all. The
Barley Hillitcs were proud of having a
good supply Of water from Barley through
} our town. But the arrangementsfo supply
had not been Of the first order, and the
consequence was that every house had
been flooded in turn, that tho main street
had been inundated twice, and the reservoir
burst as often. At this unfortunate
moment, when Uncle Bunclc rcposed In
the deccitful arms Of the bath, without an
idea Of his danger, the pipe above his head
had given way, and the flood Of waters
had poured itself out upon him. The door
was locked inside We heard him splut-
tering and swearing, In our agitation we
!, | could III ,othiur Int v,o,,,,A ~ IN ,,a,olv