Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-02

Being @m uncle can
And to confeund the skeptics Benny pro-
duced visible proof Of his uncles prCwess. One
morning he brought over handsome toy sail
boat. nearly three feet long. I'm really sail"
Benny informed Eustace. Uncle Steve made
1t hisscR. why dontcha get your uncle to
make you q boat an we'll have q raee?"
My nephew looked at me doubtfully. Can
your" he asked.
TIL try" replied with reckless abandon
A FTER two days Of strenuous and painful
n carpentry evolved q boat Of sorts. made
of several cigar boxes, q piece Of Mshpole and
bits Of Irvine. 1t looked more like rabbit
trap than q boat. Enstace regarded it with
Suspicion, but he had to admit that It was
larger than Bennys.
Before the day Of the race, Eustaoe and I
launched the boat from the end Of the pier
for O trial sail. It bobbed around listlessiy for
o while, rs IL uncertain which way 10 20. And
then. suddenly and quite unaccountably. it
sank
NY nephew locked crestfallen 'Tts . sub
marine" I explained resourcefully. 'Bennys
boat may 20 faster than yours bat yours goes
much deeper. Look, you can hardly see it
now."
nut we can't get 1t unless we dive for it,"
he sobbed. Can you dive, Nunkie?"
NO" admitted.
"Bennys uncle can dive an stay under for
two minutes" said Eustace. sadly.
That's not long enough" muttered. ~E3ut
never mind, Eustace. III make you another
boat. This one was-er-just an experiment"
And that night I stole into town. bought .
trim little 28-inch sailboat at q toy shop and
presented it to my nephew next morning. Just
. little knick I whitfield out last night
after you went to bed" I remarked nom
chalantly.
Eustace was delighted. and he and Benny
he'd their race that afternoon - scheduled.
Both boats promptly capsized as soon as the
breeze struck their sails. But felt that my
reputation as an uncle had been saved.
The following morning, however, Benny
brought over q wildcat-stuffed and mounted.
with glaring glass eyes, It was, he said, the
smallest Of dozen that Uncle Steve had killed
when he was rancfing in Montana. recog-
nized 1t as challenge; but had nothing to
Ofer, not even a mouse.
Did you ever see this trick?" asked des-
pcrately, patting my head and rubbing my
stomach ut the same time.
The boys were unimpressed Uncle Steve
can keep two lariats spinnin' ut once" said
Benny, lust like WIN Rogers"
IT don't believe it," said Eustace
"You wait an see," Benny retorted. Uncle
Eteves comm to visit us next week. He'll
SHOW you!"
This was distinctly bad news. As long as
Uncle Steve was at distance legendary
figure in the Far Vest could cope with him,
in my fashion. But the prospect OF meeting
him face to face disturbed me. I even felt .
little frightened. Benny had described him as
q hot-headed hero who was ready to fight at
the drop of o hat I played safe by going
bareheaded, but so. I dreaded my first
encounter with this midde-aged firehrand
TWO days later, as was dozing on the porch,
! there was q gentle knock on the screen
door ON the steps stood q small slightly
bald man with shell-rimmed spectacles and q
Wispy mustache.
Excuse me for disturbing you," he began
rs opened the door. THE pilot on our water
heater has gone out and Z" He paused and
peered at me through his thick lenses. II say,
you're Eustace,s uncle, aren't you?"
admitted that was We'll, WE'LL" he
cried effusively seizing my hand and pumping
It up and down. Mighty proud to meet you.
Benny has told me lot about you, sir. I'm
stopping next door, you know Stephen Mish
Is the name"
mot Uncle Steye2" I demanded incredu-
lousy.
SsBenny's uncle" he nodded. 81 just got In
from California yesterday. Ard by the way.
now that we're neighbors. I wonder II you'd
mind giving me . little help on JOB I've