Middletown transcript., 1898-11-19
UNCLE JOBS TURKEY
"ForevermoreI" walls Mrs. Tom.

"How provokingp cries Mrs. Dick.
"But then he's reported rich," as
serts Mrs. Harry, "and if that is the
case it's assuredly one of those cases
that circumstances alter wonderfully" !"
"I don't believe he's rich man, for
one, " afirms Mrs. Tom, looking rueful-
Iy at the letter in her hand. "Why,
when wrote to Uncle Job-of all the
names I do detest, Job comes first
when wrote and ever SO delicately
hinted that I'd swallow my preju-
dices"-
"a terrible indigestible mass you'd
find 'em, Bell'
-''and 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 Inever should
have chosen for myself had I had the
smallest choice in the matter. If you
must call him for some Biblical person
age, should suggest Malhalaleel as
cognomen euphonious enough to har-
monize well with our family name, and,
believe me, Niece Isabel, Isabel be will 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 affeetionate un-
Gle, Job Altick. "
"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 Cor shall we take turns?) 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 not mind, know, one
extra mouth to feed"
"And if I had an extra bedroom to
sparel" says Mrs. Dick
"And if had an extra couple of
servantsl" whines Mrs. Tom. "To be
sure, if could be certain that he was a
wealthy man, it would make vast diff
ference, and for the children's sake''-
tWhat sordid sister-in-law have,
to be sureP laughs Mrs Harry. "Speak-
ing of the children, Bel, how is Plants
love affair coming on?''
''It isn't on at all, Ruth; it's off
and forever, hope"
"Bel Altick, what do you mean?"
II 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, I shall not
blame his father"
"You hard hearted, mercenary Wom-
AMI" cries Mrs. Harry, moving toward
the door. "How you can deliberately
go to work to break the heart of SO good
a 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 sisters-in-law.
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 grandnephew, who
has taken to the gentle old man from
the first, and who is never weary of
hearing of the professors late trip to
the petrified tree tract of Arizona or
looking at the rare specimens SO careful
ly 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 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
Plantagenet Altick and Nanette Gray
and go to housekeeping in pretty lit
tie cottage, in pretty suburb, soyle
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 to wag in very
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