Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-01-16

gan to enjoy ourselves among on
friends, when late one warm after
noon some one raped at the door
and l was greeted with, HIN AM
how do you DOR
1t was Uncle Buncle, and he ha,
come 10 stay.
Delighted" gasped.
Charmed 10 zee you, sir" saiC
Charlie.
Then we exchanged glances, anC
each mutely asked the other
"Where shall we put him p
Echo answered, where"
$50 glad you've come sale
again.
Uncle Buncle answered, grufily
Thanks.
He had seized upon this one
fashionable variation with avidity
because it seemed to do away with
the personal politeness involved in
the words, "Thank you"
"Tbanks. Like to go TO my
room at once-wash my hands"
His room-he must be taken
somewhere /; not TO the spare bed
room, for there Mrs. Jones and
daughters were dressing for dinner
nor to ours, for there the Misses
Brown were crimping their tresses.
| So perforce | led him to the bath
room, and there left him to sacrifice
to the graces.
Remarkable bedstead that OF
yours" he said, when he returned
to US. "Some new patent, sup
pose. Very ricketty, generally,
those new patents. Old fashioned
things much the best much
However, curtains all very we'll
like old times. All, everything
dreadfully changed-dreadfully."
To which we, the guilty parties,
answered only by bushes.
That night Uncle Bunclc slept
upon our couch, and we sat up in
the kitchen. We bore it very well
for while +; bnt finally, maddened
with want of sleep, Charlie, sup
porting his aching head, inquired
of me in a plaintive whine, "Why
didn't you kick the old brute out,
Hetty!'
Don't DEAR" / pleaded. II
know it's very uncomfortable: but
still, though he is rough and I'M
pleasant, think of the six thousand
pounds"
Nonsense - said Charlie. "He
will outlive US; look at his consti-
tuition. A erusty old curmudgeon,
without q civil word for any one"
"My DEAR" demonstrated, "don't
speak so loud. OF course we are
suffering on these hard chairs, but
think of the beds Of down six
thousand pounds will buy. Don't
be angry. / think l shall wear the
comb while he stays"
"The what Z" asked Charlie.
"The comb he gave" | said.
"You shan't put the hideous
thing on your head" said Char lie.
"Six thou" ! began.
"Six thousand racks and thumb
screwsl You may enjoy sitting up
all night on q kitchen chair for al
old fellow who may, or may not,
choose TO leave You something when
he dies" said Charlie ~ don't.
He asked me not 10 smoke this
evening, too"
And l never felt so sorry for any
one as l 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 mantelpiece; but,
in spite of all, l resolved that
Uncle Buncle should stay as long
as he chose-yes, stay, though we
slept in the coal cellar, or did not
sleep at all J.; for think of my JOY
when, some time in our life-some
time when it was, perhaps, most
wanted-I should fly into Charities
arms, and say to him: "My dear,
you are worth six thousand pounds /;
and | have won it for you by never
allowing myself to be put out by
Uncle Buncle."
The next morning ] wore my gil
gantic comb. The Misses Jones
giggled, and Miss Brown laughed
outright. No matter; Uncle Bun
cle's goodwill was worth more
than anything else. j bore their
smiles like a martyr, and only fret
ted 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 sneered at the milk,
and scoffed at the butter, pooh
poohed the rolls and described to
US, with his mouth full, breakfasts
which he had eaten elsewhere,
which were what breakfasts ought
to be; and, ever and anon, he east
towards my unhappy self glance
of inexplicable disapproval.
However, he stayed with us
through the week, growing more
ill-tempered as time passed on. ]
shall never forget that week-the
weary nights during which we
tried to take maps on chairs, OF
reposed on the kitchen tshle--the
humiliation and self-contempt / suf-
fered when | permitted myself &c
be scolded, Charlie to be snubbed
and our guests to be sneered at by
! ITncla Rnncla-tba narsietancy