Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-01-18

aNot . word Of isi Did your
why. certainly. Uncle seemed 70 think
your absence somewhat marked. fancied, IN
The midst Of such . largo s0emhiAge a
tr,endxr
As soon as Herbert wise's back was turned
bis cousin went hastily to the nearest news
stand and bought . paper Of the day before.
Il took him hut moment 10 find that the
old gentleman had been injured aud narrowly
escaped death, in a runaway accident, and
that many citizens had called to congratulate
him on having attained bis Spth bifthday IN
safety.
At the large gathering the previous night,
when Mr. Herbert Wise was about taking
leave Of bis uncle. the genial old gentleman
o. remarked:
Il am disappointed at not seeing Archie
here tonight Have you beard that be vss
away or inilsposedr'
oh. no." replied Herbert hesitatingiy. he
may not have known Of it,
But think be must rejoined his uncle;
the occasion was noticed twice In bis pa
per"
Perhaps he takes no paper regularly, sug-
gested the nephew who seemed TO have de
veloped a sudden aptitude for drawing CON
illusions
And perhaps he does said the old gentle
man sereneiy, at the same time he thought a
keen. forbidding thought concerning the man
he felt had cast rather a slur toward his
favorite nephew.
Rejecting on the subject later in the soil
tude of his chamber, Uncle Erastus solilo-
quized audibly:
IL looks To me as il Herbert might have
said that for the purpose of alternating me
from Archie can recall having heard him
speak slightingly OF his cousin on former &C
casions | wonder if he thinks
But there the old man sank into profound
reverie After a moment, however, he
aroused and added, emphaticaIly;
mo, indeed That would not be Archie at
all! I'd be ashamed, indeed. Of a relative Of
mine who would go without daily paper for
any cause Except extreme poverty, but l be
lieve there's no danger that Wise would do
50 foolish a thing"
At noon Mr. Archibald Wise was emerging
from the newspaper office when he met his
uncle just going in. In eager, sin ere terms
the nephew began explaining his absence the
night before
II entirely missed hearing Of the accident"
he said, simply
Il see you have your paper" said his uncle,
CHANGING at the ample sheet in his nephew's
hands
YES, I've just been in to pay for my sub
scriptioa.'
And I'm going in to renew mine; wait a
bit, Archie, and well go to dinner together"
True to the latent manliness of his nature,
Mr. Archibald Wise told the whole story to
bis wife that night and added what seemed
q redeeming confession He said:
why is it a man seems possessed to per-
sist in resolve he knows is only danag-
ing and hazardous simply because he has de-
termined to do soi can't tell, only know
I'm done with trying to economic in such a
costly way as discover is involved in doing
without my valuable paper"
A few years later, when Uncle Erastus' will
was opened, it was found that Herbert Wises
prejudicial hints had not injured his cousin in
the least For besides stubboruly appor-
tioning a large sum to the city hospital, Of
which he had long been the senior visiting
physician, the old doctor had further demon
strated the cuntrariness of human nature by
leaving to his nephew, Archibald Wise,
twice as much money as he left his more am
bilious cousin Herbert, who unconsciously
displeased his good uncle by base yet per
fectly truthful insiuuation, only its truthful
ness was fortunately conc eal'd Harriet A
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