Hermanner Volksblatt. [volume] (Hermann, Mo.) 1875-1928, 1920-12-03
UNCLE HENRI
BY JACK LAYTON.

strangers In the home city where o
pitable doors were opened In welcome
at their coming. This renting a tiny
cottage in Wclist0wn village was one
of Beatrix's IDEAS. 10th girls were
studying ambitiously for their future
chosen caTeers
Ii was .Beatrix who heard the re-
mark which first ranklcd and later
brought amusement. The vi girls
wondered vaguely, after q time of resi-
dence elapsed. why their village neigh
borS failed 10 return their o%vertures
of friendlinesS.
II was leaving the post office" Bea-
triX said, land Miss Callie, the post
mistress, thought | was out of hear
ing.
"'Those. queer girls in Barton's cot
tage were at the lawn fete last night
she told a caller. but | guess they
found out that WellStown doesn't take
notice of strangers who belong 10 no
body"
Dora looked up from her French.
$50 we are strangers" she said.
shall we send for the mayor of u
city to present US, or settle down re-
signed in our ignored state?"
81 am going to astOnish this exact
Ing village with my commendable re-
I%ations," Beatrix precisely answered.
"adopt-say an uncle and aunt of re-
nown and send to them lovely init.
mate post cards-via Miss Callie. Who
shall the receiver be? I'll add a line
to the effect that uncle need not re-
ply to my postal messages"
stop raying," Dora interrupted,
i've thought out your ~man-your
uncle, / mean. As we are not sisters
he can't be my uncle, too" Don't you
remember the name Henri Smith on
that big lumber factory over in Gas
ton? Some one said that Henri Smith
was a millionaire. owned most of the
town. Smiths a good universal name.
How would you like an Uncle Henri"
Fine" agreed Beatrix.
Merrily she ran for some VILLAGE
view cards, and with a giggling OBJ
server, inscribed her first postal.
Dear Uncle Henri" it read. Dora
and | are having a quiet time in Wells
town. hope to 20 over to see you soon.
Your loving niece -"
Beatrix hesitated.
"Just sign TriX," Dora suggested.
mo n has ever called you Trix."
The card was o returned. Neither
was IA second. which told Uncle Honri
how the girls had enjoyed his short
visit with them at Rose Lodge" Love
to Aunt Elna was added TO this com
munication. The girls congratulated
themselves over the naming Of the
imaginary aunt.
Might be her family pet name"
BeatriX said.
Miss Callie vas certainly interested.
Moreover. certain heretofore distant
young Wellstown Ome smiled and
bowed to the strangers In passing.
The postals had done the work. A
niece of the great lumber manufac.
turer was worth c%ultivating.
Reckon" Miss Callie said sound.
ingly, as she handed over a square
white envelope, that's an invitation
for you to the usual midsummer cole
hration at Green Acres, your Uncle
Henri Smiths place. We always read
In the paper of the famous garden
party he gives each year"
All at once Reatrix was possessed
of an intentionally guilty feeling.
The letter that Dora had merrily
mailed from CASTOR during her shop
ping trip of the day before, might
seem OppOrtune. hut the joke was go.
ing a little too far. 1t was weighing
heavily on the girls conscience. She
wished desperately that the prank had
never started. 1t must stop now and
with some explanation. But what
could the honest explanation be? A
man was waiting on the steps of Rose
Lodge when she returned, a youngish
Eindly-faced man with a quizzical
smile.
Miss Fairfax" he inquired.
Beatrix wOnderingIy nodded.
Il am Henri Smith of CASTOR" the
man appallingly announced. ~ have
received several communications from
a certain Miss "Trix' of Wcllstown, As
/ spell my name Henri, to distinguish
1t from the other Henry Smiths,
could not think the address mistaken.
Yet have no niece. So upOn driving
through your village today asked
your postmistress experimentally, If
she could direct me to the niece of n
certain Henri Smith. Directly she
sent me here. I'll confess" the man
added frankly, that | was curious
concerning the solution of the small.
mystery"
And then-the overburdened con.
science Of Beatrix found it's relief.
Honestly she made confession.
You cannot think more contemptut
ously OF 1t all than l do myself" she
ended. But Mr.. Henri Smith was real.
" a great man. Great enough To IN.
derstand the humOr of the circum.
stance and to Sympathize in its hui
initiating outcome. SO he sank back
IN the rocker on the flower bordered
porch waiting to meet, he smilingly
sald' mis- niece's friend" 1t was after