The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-08-14
Uncle Jake's Best
Joke
Copyright. 1919. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicats.)
BY JANE OSBORN

lnuulSe IN now tnut Sne WAS reul'!
truly married to the embodiment, in
her eyes, of all masculine charms and
virtues-Rodney Blaine.
II think you are mean old thing.
she announced with some heat. ITO
have to have him along with us. He'll
just spoil everything. It isn't that
don't like him. but he is such Il dread
full Joker"
The joker referred to was none 9th
or than ROdney's uncle, Jacob Blaine,
II slightly built but erect old gentle
man, who at three score and five had
given up business and determined to
lead the rest of his days in the open.
If he had none of the crotchets which
are sometimes ascribed to those of adj
vancing years he had some of the
fOibles that had been characteristic of
his boyhOOd. Nothing pleased him bet
ter than a practical joke, though his
jokes were always of kindly nature
and, so far us any one knew. they had
never caused any one real discomfort
But Maud took herself. and above
all she took Rodney. amazingly seri-
ouois. wv" mat ha'b NoihS,
the Rodney Blaines had made Arrange,
ments to depart from the city for the
woods where Rodney owned n small
mountain cabin.
He had just announced his inten.
tiOn of encouraging Uncle Jake to oc.
cupy smaller cabin not many rods
from theirs which he would make the
hoe dn, r-fn fnv AchJnU onl y
ing trips; and he wsuld share the
company of his nephew and niece in
many of his hours Of inactivity.
swell, my dear" Rodney assured
his wife, ut isn't at all as II he were
critical or intended to interfere with
you in any way. There is no one else
he likes so well as yOu-and me. He's
the best sport in the world and what
II he does pull Off practical joke
once in a while? l rather like his
Joking"
Like his joking!" echoed Maud,
and her eyes snapped fire as much as
eyes us blue as hers ever could snap
fire.
"And besides" said Rodney. as he
went on inspecting the fishing para
plernalia that he had recently pur-
chased as preliminary to the vaca-
ton in thc woods, besides, uncle has
wilied everything he has to us. That
shows that he is devoted to u.s."
Maud at this accused her husband
of being mercenary. though had amy
one else made this accusation she
would have ragged indeed
The result was that Uncle Jake
went with the Rodney Blaines, and
this was not because Rodney acted
contrary to his wife's pleadings, hut
because after having protested and
pOuted she assured her husband that
he was right as In all other cases anu
that she was sorry that she had shown
such prejudice and would try to feel
as strong attachment for Uncle Jake
as did her husband.
Then she regretted her good nature.
First he disguised as possible game
warden and called at the cabin one
day when Rodney was not ut home
and informed Maud that her husband
had been violating the game law and
would have to serve n life imprison-
ment. Maud. in spite Of her ardent
suffrage principles, was quite ignO-
rant of the law and before she recOg-
nized Uncle Jake in the heavily
false-bearded person, she had offered
him her entire worldly wealth II lie
would go away and say nothing to the
authorities concerning Rodney's guilt.
Then on the day that she went fish
ing with him he cOntrlved to have
her book attach itself to little pack
age that he had brought with him to
the brook and which proved. after
Maud had excitedly angled for five
minutes, to contain a can of sardines
"a delicacy for which she had de-
cided aversion and of which Rodney
and Uncle Jake. not knowing this, had
set in large supply.
Mild and even stupid jokes both of
these-yet Maud allowed herself to be
annoyed by them.
"He's dear in many ways" she
told Rodney. the evening after the sar-
dine episode. hut so long as he jokes
l cannot stand him."
II wasn't going to tell you." Rod
ney replied, "but you see 1t is just be-
cause Uncle Jake does joke that I'm
so attached to him. II he hadn't been
n Joker, you'd now be Mrs. Somebody
else and I'd be a disconsolate old
bachelor"
1t was in midsummer and Maud
the eighteen-year-old Maud who pout-
ed very archly then and still wore her
curls merely tied at the back of her
neck instead of in the present psyche
was four or five hundred miles
away from Rodney. who was working
In the city in the office Of the Uncle
Jake who had not yet found occasion
to retire.
Rodney had danced with Maud and
sent Acy-crs to Maud on occasions,