Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1913-03-20
TANNING HIS UNCLE
How Ready Wits Of a Woman
Subdued a Crusty Old
Bachelor.
BY ). ANDREW WHITE.


Tommy Burchell had always been
impractical; furthermore he had al
ways been INDUCED and pampered by
his wealthy old uncle. Many persons
predicted that Burchell's life would
not always be q bed of ~roses-and
their predictions came true.
Whsa he ran of with little Mabel
Stockbidge things took a sudden
change for the worse. Now Mabel was
q pretty little girl. as sweet and re-
fined and clever a'little lady as one
could find In many u days search, but
Burchell's Uncle Abner wasn't search
ing for little ladies to run of and
marry his nephew. So old Abner
Burchell, retired bank president. and
accustomed to strict obedience. did
exactly what could be expected under
the circumstances. Young Burchell
found himself cut of without a cent
He didn't mind that SC much at first.
He was more disturbed v the fact
that the guardian who had been al
most a father to him. refused to meet
the bride. Tommy had a little money
in the bank when the elopement took
place, and although 1t was not a very
great sum, in fact only the remains OF
MS generous quarterly allowance. to
him 1t seemed quite enough.
Furniture, even II 1t is for a coy
little apartment blissfully termed the
dove COTE" is expensive. Moonlight
sails. theater tickets. hats, gowns,
even though they give pleasure out
Of all proportion to their cost, are
also costly. Burchell learned this
very soon. And a little later he was
ready to admit that unless a young
mar has some one to provide for him.
has some business experience or
adaptability to some particular line In
the realms of commerce, 1t is not so
easy to secure the funds required by
two young people with healthy appe-
tiles. Tommy finally did get one job,
but 1t lasted only until the end OF the
first week. His employer gave In
competence as his reason for dispens-
ing with further services, but the wor-
shipping little bride, Mabel, could not
be expected to believe that, and she
was given some other eason
Four more spasmodic attempts at
starting a business career resulted
about the same way; although in n
case the period of employment ran.
or rather dragged, according to Buzz
chell, over into the third week. FL
nally this impractical young man de-
cided he was not exactly a ucces
as a business man, and sat himself
down to think.
The pressing need of immediate
funds brought young Tommy's wits
to a very sharp point; which, when
aimed in the general direction of the
most likely source of relief, pune
tured the very center of an idea. The
idea grew into a plan, and 1t in turn
assumed the proportions Of a marvel
of strategy when detailed to the ever
adoring Mabel.
Next morning the policeman sta
toned at a certain awe-inspiring cor
ner on Fifth avenu might have been
noticed rolling a watchful and suspi-
eious eye toward the brownstone steps
leading up to the iron grilled portals
that barred from the public gaze the
almost sacred domain presided over
by n Abner Burchell, retired bank
er; for from the first crack of dawn
until the last Of the neighboring POM
eranians had returned from its female
attended morning constitutional those
irreproachable steps were the scene
Of a decidedly unusual series Of
events.
Girls, scores Of them, tall ones,
short ones, pretty ones and others not
so pretty were seen to ascend the
steps, ring the bell, hold a few words
with the formidable butler and then
slowly descend to the street, an. air
of bewilderment on each face. As
the sun rose higher they came in
greater numbers, each n carrying a
newspaper and wearing, among other
things, an air Of expectancy. Finally
an outraged butler slammed the door
for the last time and refused to an.
swer the peremptory summons of the
doorbell. THEN the late Corners gath.
cred in excited groups about the house
and aired their grievances in no sub
dued tones. Gradually more strag-
glers Joined them until the whole
street overlooked with girls Of all de-
seriptions, and the air became filled
with a hum Of indignation.
About this time old AbDsr Burchell,
happening to glance from his library
window, beheld the remarkable DEM
onstration. Straightway the invaluable
Hoffman was summoned and an ex-
PLANTATION demanded. The admirable
butler, bereft of his habitual impene-
trability and his entire supply Of HIS,
spluttered out an %incoherent tumble
of words which did not enlighten the
ex-banker a particle. He ordered that
the most %prescntable young lady be
chosen from the continually swelling
multitude and that she be brought to
him after the others had been dis