The story
“A young New Yorker has ‘expectations,’ the same being a wealthy uncle who lives in the country, and who had signified his intentions of making the young man his heir. While he and his wife were entertaining some friends at a bridge party in their home one evening, they are shocked on receiving a telegram from a friend in the country, informing him that uncle is on his way to town, intending to visit the young man and find how he is withstanding the temptations of great city. The nephew sees that something must be done at once, and having little time at his disposal, hastily adjourns the bridge party, and organizes his laughing friends into a literary society, so as to make a ‘front’ with uncle. The elder man arrives and is thoroughly impressed with the fact that his nephew is a serious-minded youth, possessed of all the virtues we read about. As the days pass, this conviction becomes deeper, for the nephew and his wife take the uncle on a round of sight-seeing, seeing the most solemn things and hearing the most highbrowed lectures.
“Finally, when they go to a particularly deep discourse, they get away by a ruse, leaving uncle alone to enjoy the lecture, while they run off and have a real ‘city time’ by themselves. Having spent a jolly afternoon, they return and take uncle home again, pleased with the thought that he had not been neglected. One evening after uncle had gone to bed, carrying an encyclopedia to read if he should wake during the night, the young couple steal into the sitting room. From its hiding place behind the row of books, the nephew produces a decanter, and a box of cigars. Chatting gaily with his wife, he prepares for a drink and a smoke. Suddenly his uncle stands glaring behind him. He takes the glass of strong liquor from the young man’s trembling hand, the cigar from his left. The young man tries to explain; the elder with a nod, indicates a note on the table. It is from the uncle to his would-be heir, and contains the information that he, uncle, has had the most dreary time in the world. He had come to the city for a good time, but all that came his way were lectures no person could or would want to understand and he wound up by telling his nephew that he was a mutt and was disinherited. The uncle watched the young folks while they read this letter. Then he winked and drank liquor prepared for the nephew. He next lighted the cigar and, finding this good, forgave the culprits. Then they took uncle out to ‘see the town.’”
Summary from The Moving Picture World · 9 December 1911
