The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-12-08
UNCLE JOBS TURKEY
nForavermorei,' walls Mrs. Tom.


,erts Mrs. Harry, ''and if that is the
,ase it's assuredly one Of those cases
hat circumstances alter wonderfully r
II don't believe he's rich man, for
me. y affirms Mrs. Tom, looking rueful-
" at the letter in her hand. Why,
when wrote to Uncle Job-of all the
names / do detest, Job comes first
when / wrote and ever so delicately
,inted that I'd swallow my preju-
7ices'-
"a terrible iudigestible mass you'd
ind 'eU, Belr'
land name Plantagenet Job If 1t
would be to the boys interest later IN
life. what do you think he said?''
Don't ask me. What did he say?'
sHis answer was terse enough and
orief enough to be easily remembered.
He wrote: Dear niece pray do not sad
lie upon your son a name Ineyer should
nave chosen for myself had had the
smallest choice in the matter. Ii you
must call him for some Biblical person
age, | should suggest Malhalaieel as a
sognomen euphonious enough to har-
nonize well with our family name, and,
believe me, Niece Isabel, he will have
lust as much of my good will when !
lie, if that is your desire, as if he had
been named after your affectionate un-
lie, Job Altick. 2
s'Of course he's as poor as poverty,
hen. Bel. Poor people are always the
witty ones, with sharp answers ever
ready at tongues or pens points. One
If us Tor shall we take turns?) will be
sure to have old Uncle Job foisted npon
MS. and if it wasn't for those heavy
mortgages Harry has TO clear of III the
spring he would not mind, know, one
extra mouth to feed.
.sAnd if / had an extra bedroom to
sparep r says Mrs. Dick.
ssAnd if | had an extra couple OF
servantsp' whines Mrs. Tom. ITO be
sure, il I could be certain that he was a
wealthy man, it would make vast diff
ference. and for the children's $ sake =
ssWhat sordid es-in-law | have,
10 be sure r laughs Mrs. Harry. "Speak-
ing of the children, Bel, how is Plants
love affair coming on?"
1T isn't son at all. Ruth; it's off
and forever, hope. =
'sBel Altick, what do you. mean?'
II mean that he shall never marry
that good for nothing Man
MARK my words. he will marry her
and neither you nor Tom nor your pro
posed heiress can keep him from it
Mans worth dozen Gwendolines -
ssThen Tom will disinherit him, and,
though he's my own son, ! shall not
blame his father.
''You hard hearted, mercenary WON
AMI cries Mrs. Harry, moving toward
the door. How you can deliberately
20 to work to break the heart Of so good
son as Plant Altiek confess cannot
comprehend. Good morning, BeI-if
you think it's good--seems to me if ]
were you I'd be obliged to taste the Bit
ter Of too many selfish reflections to en-
jey it much. . And the hall door closes
with bang between the sisters-in- law.
Days, weeks and months pass by, and
there is nc outward showing Of the pre-
sumptive wealth of Professor Altick.
Save penny now and then to the
smaller fry of the Altick family. he has
never shown to. them the color Of his
money, and as he lives-simply and in
dnlges sparingly in life's Injuries he is
at length accounted an eccentric indi
viduaI Of small means and left religious
Iy alone.
Alone and uncared for-that is, if we
except the little friendly trimmings in
Of Plantagenet, his grandnephew, who
has taken to the gentle old man from
the first. and who is never weary Of
hearing of the professor S late trip to
the petrified tree tract Of Arizona or
looking at the rare specimens SO careful
" collected, for Uncle Job is learned
geologist and has written several re-
markable treatises ON the subject, his
Sermons In Stones having been
adopted as textbook in many colleges.
And from stones Piantagenet easily
leads the conversation to scarcely less
adamantine subjects-the hearts of his
unyielding parents--for, cold, calculat-
ing and worldly, they have softened not
one whit under the warmth of Plan
tagenet's young love, and it is Uncle
Job who unconsciously encourages him
in his grim determination to brave the
ire.of his parents and marry his sweet
Nan in the teeth Of all opposition.
And so they are quietly married
Plantagenet Altick and Nanette Gray
and go to housekeeping in pretty lit
tie cottage. in a pretty suburb, some
miles from the splendid city home Of
his father
Uncle Job, who has begun a new
work on geology, shuts himself up in
his third story back room and allows the
world without to wag as it will
And it soon begins towag in very
cherries manner for the two welded
young folks
But though shut ont from one loved
paradise, he has his Nan-his dear, lit.
tie, brave Nan, who smiles through
great, unshed tears upon him, when
suddenly she meets his sorrowfuI gaze
after many long quarter Of an hours
silent rakrosupctI0f1