The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-06-23

est in his family affairs, it was natura
that | should ask what was the matter
with him.
"A dreadful and shameful oaks has
been played on me, Mr. 'Opkinson, sir
he said. Nevil was always erratic witt
his his when put out"
Sit down, my man, and tell me all
about it,, I said, for, much as I dsliked
the man, I could not help feeling sorry
! for him. so distressed did he seem.
| You know" he continued, that we
| have always looked forward to Uncle
| Jerry leaving some of his wealth to us
or the children when the end came"
well, Nevil," I interrupted, has he
died?"
| mo, sir; worse than that, am afraid
| l would not be so cut UP about that, but
! he has played such a dirty trick on me
and mine that I am as much Disguised
as disappointed
AS I saw he was bursting to tell mo
his sorrows l told him to proceed with
the story Of his wrongs.
you must know that Uncle Jerry last
Christmas as was his usual custom, in
vited all his poor relations to dine with
him. l don't mean all our children, as
well as the 'grown-ups;' no, he did not
like children well enough for that. even
II hia house could have held them,
which it could not. NO! only the pa
rents, and there were enough of them to
crowd a good-sized table
AFTER a satisfactory but plain dinner
we disposed ourselves in little groups,
some at cards and others to chat. The
night passed smoothly, excepting that
two cousins got excited In political
argument. These evenings wound up
with a doch an doris, or speech from
our host, and them after singing Aud
Lang Syne,' we We're separate. The
speech last Christmas was memorable
one, and | remember each word burnt
Itself into my memory as 1t fell from
Uncle Jerry's lips.
" My dear relatives he commenced,
you will be sorry to learn, as I am to
announce it, that this gathering which
1t has been my pleasure as we'll as my
duty to hold at this season of good will
towards all men, is to be the last.
Yes, the last, l grieve to repeat.
You are all, think, aware of the sud-
den collapse of the company which
promised to be one of the greatest and
most successful undertakings of mod
ern times. l will be brief, as the sub
ject Is to me painful one. In that
company | was foolish enough to invest
my money, not so much for myself as
for the benefits l could bestow upon my
kth and kin, That dream has ended as
dreams to-suddenly. My riches have
taken to themselves wings. ! remember
with pleasure the many professions of
affection from you all-yes. all-without
a single exception Those presents
which you see on the sideboard' here
every one mentally totted UP what his
own contribution had cost.
Those presents are, as you know,
souvenirs of your affectionate regard
and membranes on my birthdays. l
will treasure them as they deserve to be
treasured. l am about to try the exper-
imeht, painful one at my age, of ex-
listing on seventy pounds per annum,
instead of on nearly as many hundred. |
But l feel confident that such affection
as you have always shown me, and such |
solicitude for my health, was not |
prompted by mercenary motives. My |
declining days will be solaced, even I'M |
der my grievousy altered circumsan-
ces, by my relatives. who will, | am |
ing entertained
THE assembled relations gasped |
With astonshment at the first few sem
fences, but before Uncle Jerry conclu-
aed his speech, and he was in no hurry,
assure you, they had recovered them
selves sufficiently to applaud in the
right places and to utter the usual
platitudes at the end
AUD Lang Syne" was sung rather
and we drew a lonS breath
Of relief when we were OUTSIDE the
house. A small indignation meeting
vas held round the corner but, ho. as
we were in Indignation the weather
was too cold for outside defamation,
80 1t was broken UP as futile waste
If energy, and we dispersed to our le-
;pective homes.
"As to myself" continued Nevl', II
vas as mad as any Of them, but as my
wife and | were walking along our
street / was suddenly struck with the
lotion that it might be plant You
lee, sir, / am great reader, and in
lovels and those short stories which
me reads In the evening papers rich
Id uncles have habit of Gpringing
hese surprises on their poor relations
t such festive gatherings In order to
est the genuineness of their professed
Fiction"
! remarked that l had read Of such
ests.
We'll sir, stopped and danced on
he pavement until my wifecaught
old of my arm and said, Sam, are
GU drunk or mad? You'll have
rowd round us in minute
Mad, Sally Not L. | see through
he artful old hypocrite's dodge. It's l
he old, old joke and Iexplainedmat- t
ars to her !
Next morning I called to see Bah
lecombe, of the Northern Shires bank, |.
here Uncle Jerry has his account, and l
Did him my suspicious. Babblecombe I
under an obligation to me, which / +
eed not specify, and although this :
lade him inclined to answer my ques- :
ons, the fear Of the bank act prevent
! his going into details. At last, af-
n a lot of consideration, he said
Jevil, you place me in an awkward
lat your questions are irregular. But
5 ] wish to do you turn, | win tell
III that | think there is every proba-
lily Of your being right in your sur
isaS