The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-12-08

with just Indignation at an unreason
able opposition and great and absorb
1 ing love, broke bounds and besought
the faithful Nan to leave her position
as governess in wealthy family and
share his five roomed cottage and his
meager salary
Nan, too used to poverty to let 1t
frighten her. and imagining, innocent
soul, that no one could long be angry
at so dear a boy as Plant, consented.
and the home coming, though lone
some little affair, brought with it hap.
piness enough to last fortnight at
least
Then Plantagenet saw that there was
to be no relenting on the part of those
he loved and reverenced with all the
strength of his boyish nature, and his
grief grew greater with every passing
hour. To crown all, he had lost his po-
sition the second week in the November
following, owing to the insolvency of
the firm by which he had been employ
ed, and, though they have given him
splendid recommendations there is no
position easily obtainable.
One morning a stray thought, finding
its way from out that great, mysterious
silence SO full of untried possibilities,
comes to him suddenly and sends him
upon its own little errand straight to
Uncle Job,
Up long fight of front stairs, up
short back fight and several knocks
upon door panel cause it to open and
discover to young Altick room Uttered
with papers, books, trays of specimens
and two or three volumes of Hugh Mil
ler
'sGood morning, Uncle Jobl''
.sHow dye do, Plantagenet?"
II do miserably, thank you, sir. I'm
Gle. Job, I've lost my position, and--and
If Icould help you in any way--copy-
ing or the like-I write a tolerably de-
cent hand, sir. and thought perhaps
you like to hire me''
No-no-nol Not even though
you re a Yale fellow we'll met. I'd
not trust you with theml Not soul
save myself shall do line Of writing
on these particular manuscripts. What's
the matter?'
Firm worked for failed.
sHumphl How's Nan?''
How should she be? Happy and
Joyous as befits bride-the bride of a
man shut out from home, and who has
not red cent in his pocket Heaven
knows where tomorrow's bread and
butter will come from p
"Aud it won t tell. lisa sort of hab-
it it has got into, you see, about be-
ing sort of mysterious over the ends 1t
has in view But there, you may sort
out the numbered pages for me from
among the litter yonder, and We'll see
about the bread and butter for tomor
row. Tomorrow is Thursday-bless me,
boy, it's Thanksgiving -
Thanksgiving SO it is, Thanks
giving.
"Your tone of voice would suggest
that you hadn t. the dearest little wife
in the world to be thankful for. Shame
upon you, my nephew. There, I'm not
a rich man, as rich men go, but take
this bill to Nan and tell her it's from
her Uncle Job. 4
Late upon this same afternoon Pro
fessor Altick, baszeten arm, goes from
greengrocer to butcher shop, intent
upon his purchase Of a Thanksgiving
turkey. This fowl he means to buy he
viii offer to his nephews IN turn, feel
ing sure that be who accepts it will no
doubt ask him to share their dinner, be
it Tom, Dick or Harry or Toms dis
obedient son. With an unmistakable
grin of amusement the dealer in poultry
places very thin, very poor, very blue
about the breastbone, low priced tur-
key in Uncle Jobs basket.
Early Thanksgiving morning the old
professor starts out through the cold,
uncertain sunlight that shines fitfully
through the riffs Of hurrying, wind
swept clouds, and, basket on arm, finds
his way to Thomas Altick's elegant
home. He rings and is admitted.
''Good morning, Uncle Job. Any
thing I can do for You this morning?"
''No, Thomas, thank you. It's some
thing want to do for you. chanced
to remember it was Thanksgiving
odd indeed, my remembering it--and
DOuSub you Il buTkcJ. w ia wv bdNC ~,
Thomas?" and out comes the old gentle
man S sad little specimen of the genus
meleagris gallopavo.
1t is too much for Tom Altick. With
a laugh that fetches Mrs Tom quickly
from an adjoining room and provokes
her to join in its hearty roulades he
declines the poor fowl with thanks with
a sarcasm yelled so lightly that the ugly
features of rude and insolent nature
shine full upon poor Uncle Job.
Quietly he replaces the turkey within
the basket, quietly he takes his hat and
gloves, and as quietly, with a brief
good day, he leaves the house of his
nephew Thomas.
4 AS for Richard Altick, he 'roars
amain'' and has the turkey he has pur
chased for his own dinner brought up
into the very parlor that he may place
it in odious comparison beside the
small fry in Uncle Jobs basket. Again
rebuffed, the old gentleman bids Mrs.