The Coolidge examiner., 1934-10-12

They were as pleased with the pros
pect. and aided us no end 10 paint
Ing Uncle Nesblt as the distin.
guished parsonage We thought him
TO be.
In fact. ere fortnight had
passed we had come to visualize
Uncle Nesbit In no other role than
that OF the tall. distinguished west
erner OF story book fiction.
A letter arrived from Uncle Nesblt
n week before the day OF his ex-
pected arrival He would. he said.
be delayed a week or more because
Us for our eagerness 10 have him
with US. and declared he was look
Ing forward 10 the day when once
more be would be united with the
last surviving members OF his fam
lly. The letter contained q check
OF no small amount which he di'
rec;ed US to use FOR our personal
needs.
We welcomed this delay In his
arrival. for IL gave US further time
10 complete preparation Moreover.
the postponement and the check
served TO Increase our mental pie
ture OF the man who, IL appeared,
was 10 become our benefactor.
Thereafter. for a months time.
we heard no further word from
Uncle Nesbit And when another
week had passed we began to de-
spair OF his coming. His tnrdiness
was annoying. our friends began
TO talk and wonder and suggest
among themselves that our Uncle
Nesblt was mythical" after all.
Molly wrote again. but received no
answer. And as the weeks dragged
by we spoke OF Uncle Nesblt less
often when folks were about. for
fear OF hearing n snlcker In some
remote corner OF the room.
It was nearly fall when next we
heard OF Uncle Nesblt. A knock
sounded on our door one evening.
and upon opening II. I discovered
there a small man with gray
beard The beard was stained with
tobacco juice. The face OF him was
wizened and leathery looking. His
eyes were red and watery. He
seemed shrunken and bent and dried
up. | would have closed the door
on him had he not thrust himself
inside and said be had word for us
from Uncle Nesbit.
There was a dlrtiness about the
little man that provoked our dis
gust, though we listened 10 his tale
and then sent him away.
lie told Us that he came from
Uncle Nesbit 10 deliver a message,
which message he presented me in
rather bulky envelope As we
talked. the watery eyes OF him dart
ed about the room. and saw on
AAA1 Aa&f A"Hh MAAAA Nh1Ai AAFt
aroused In me a feeling OF pity had
Il been a less despicable counte-
nance.
The little man departed at last.
having told Us but vaguely about
Uncle Nesbit. confirming only the
facts about him we already knew.
As soon as he had gone we opened
the package and found Il TO contain
the last will and testament OF our
dear old uncle. He had bequeathed
US his entire fortune. which was
greater than we had at hrst sup
/ posed A brief note accompanied
the testament. written In Uncle Nes-
bits curious hand. stating that he
had been suddenly stricken and was
al deaths door. He had learned.
be said. OF our plans for bis recep-
ton and OF the picture We had con
/ jured In our minds OF his personal
appearance. He hoped we would
carry that memory with US always.
on the day following. the body OF
n man was recovered from the river
below the Statler mill. The man
was small and bearded and dirty
looking No papers of Identification
were on his person. though we rec
ognlzed him as our visitor OF the
night previous. And In memory of
our distinguished uncle we saw
that the poor chap had a proper
| burial
And that was the last we ever
heard OF Uncle Nesbit.