The Somerset reporter., 1898-11-24
UNCLE JOBS TURKEY
"Forevermorel" walls Mrs. Tom

How proyokingr' cries Mrs Dick.
But then he's reported rich, as
serts Mrs. Harry, land if that is the
case it's assuredly one of those cases
that circumstances alter wonderfully p
81 don't believe he's rich man. for
one, " atfirms Mrs. Tom, looking rueful-
ly 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
limited that I'd swallow my preju-
dices"-
"A terrible indigestibe mass you d
find 'em, Bel p
land name Plantagenet Job if it
would be to the boys interest later in
life, what do you think he said?''
Don't ask me. What did he say
His answer was terse enough and
brief enough to be easily remembered
He wrote: Dear niece pray do not sad
die upon your son name never should
have chosen for myself had | had the
smallest choice in the matter If you
must call him for some Biblical person
dR6t L bIOula SllSSCbb as u
cognomen euphonious enough to har-
monte well with our family name, and,
believe me, Niece Isabel, he will have
just as much of my good will when l
die, if that is your desire, as if he had
been named after your affectionate I'M
Gle, JOB Altiok.
"Of course he's as poor as poverty,
then, Bel Poor people are always the
witty Ones with sharp answers ever
ready at tongues or pens points. One
of us Tor shall we take turns9 will be
sure to have old Uncle Job foisted upon
us, and if it wasn't for those heavy
mortgages Harry has to clear off in the
spring he would nc mind. know, one
extra mouth to feed -
And if | had an extra bedroom to
spare 81" says Mrs Dick
And if | had an extra couple of
servants' whines Mrs. Tom ITO be
sure, if | could be certain that he was a
wealthy man, it would make "a vast diff
ference and for the children's sake'-
What a sordid sisterin-law | have,
to be sure I" laughs Mrs Harry Speak
ing of the children, BEL how is Plants
love affair coming on?'
1T isn't ON at all, Ruth; it's Off
and forever, l hope"
"Bel Altick, what do you mean?"
Il mean that he shall never marry
that good for nothing Nam
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
Then Tom will disinherit him, and,
though he's my own son. shall not
blame his father.
You hard hearted, mercenary wom-
an - cries Mrs. Harry, moving toward
the door "How you can deliberately
go to work to break the heart of SO good
son as Plant Altick confess cannot
comprehend. Good morning, Bel-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-
JOY it much. And the hall door closes
with bang between the sistersinlaw.
Days, weeks and months pass by, and
there is no outward showing of the pre-
sumptive wealth of Professor Altick.
Save a 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
dulges sparingly in life's luxuries he is
at length accounted an eccentric indi.
vidual of small means and left religious
ly alone.
Alone and uncared for-that is, if we
except the little friendly trimmings in"
of Plantagenet, his granddaughter, 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 petrifed tree tract of Arizona or
looking at the rare specimens SO careful
" collected, for Uncle Job is learned
geologist aud has written several re-
markable treatises ON the subject, his
Sermons In Stones having been
adopted as textbook in many colleges.
And from stones Plantagenet 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