Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1906-06-14
Uncle Belrttrag11's
Curate
Copyright by Joseph B. Rpwles-l
By SHIREIANA

lie parish, which all told, only mus
tiers 500 souls. did not really want one.
and we-mother, Constance, George
and I-certafnly did not want one But
It was no use. Uncle had made I'd his
mind to it and nothing would have
stopped him. It was one of his new
fads.
must tell you that mother Is a
widow, and, with US, keeps house for
our sacheIor uncle. As long as can
remsmeeF, the rectory had been our
kcnle.
We all-except Constance, who IS
just IT and ssntimentaI-tried the
usual amount OF arguments, and we ALL
OF course, failed, as we usually did
when Uncle Bertram was bent upon
some new scheme. But the shadow Of
this latest fad hung over our heads
with unusual heaviness; and when the
following advertisement appeared in
che leading church paper We felt that
the new trouble was indeed upon US:
Wanted, by a country rector, a
young curate. No objection to one
fresh from the university to whom a
title might be given Broad-minded
preferred. Offered: board and resi-
dence in charming old rectory, VITA
small salary, Dry, bracing climate.
Plenty of spare time could be guaran-
teed. Tennis, golf, boating bathing,
hockey, bicycling, riding, driving, mo-
Corins, and the use of stables"
npiA
his advertisement Oh. those replies,
Some Of them were worth keeping
After much consideration uncle weed
ed them down to five, And then the
fun began.
The five selected candidates were
each requested to come. in turn. to
have personal interview: and Is we
are ten miles from the nearest railway
station, We had to put each OF them up
for the night.
The first, Mr.. L0veI21e, delicate
pOetica!-locktn5 man, arrived on bit
cerly cold day. After the ten miles in
our COny cart, with Nebuchat1a Zzar il
a stubborn mood Mr.. Loyelace pre-
sented / tCrIorn appearance indeed
was sure that Uncle Berrr3m had
tried his best to be CHEEKY and equally
sure that ne failed signauy all along
the way.
All" he sais, as he brought his
drenched victim into the hall, now
thAC we're home at last. Mr. LOvelace,
all the trials of the Journey will be for
gotten"
We ware all in the hall and Con-
stance looked compass iOnately at the
haf-drp wned man, who rolled his eyes.
towards hers as though he deserted in
them the only kindred spirit. Mother
said she hoped he had not taken cold
that she had ordered a fire in his bed
room, and that tea would be ready
soon,
After he had become a few degrees
less cold and a few shades less blue,
at a given signal-a cough from IN
Gle Bertram-we all left the drawing
room, that the rector and his select
ed candidate might be alone.
| never heard exactly what passed
between them, but after about an hour
and a half uncle came out Of the draw
ing room, excited and rather cross,
and said to mother in the dining room:
Mr.. Loveiace has taken a chill and
will retire to his room at once He
would like small quantity of quaker
oats, some sweet spirits Of nitre, and
a hot water bottle.
Then he returned to the drawing
room, left the door open and said to
Mr. Lovelace: There is a very good
express train early in the morning, and
no doubt, with this chill, you will be
glad to get back to your aunt in Lon
don as soon as possible
Uncle, nothing daunted, speedily ar
ranged for the next man, a Mr. Robin
from Nottingham, to come on approval.
The fates were kinder to him, mas
much as he arrived on a fine warm
day; and Northumberland, driven by
George-the only person who can make
him Cocaine home in his best style. !
Uncle, who hates monotony, had this
time arranged quite different plan OF
campaign.
Tea was sent in for them in the
study and Constance (though for that
matter all Of US, but Constance espe-
clally), for obvious reasons was kept
out OF the way as much as possible
However we cleaned a good deal
about Mr.. Robin from George, who had
not wasted the opportunities afforded
by a ten miles drive.
He's a bounder,' said George, and
can't possibly do. His chief reason for
replying to the advertisement was that
he might live in a rectory"
Mother - poor mother said she |
hoped he had been vaccinated and /
wished she had not given him the best
spare ROOM
The atmosphere seemed charged |
with possibilities, and we wondered
how long Uncle Bertram would keen
him bottled up in the study After a
time our patience and curiosity We're |
relieved, fer when uncle came to- us I |
saw by his face that the mans fate
,EL