Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-11-11
oENN.s AND 4 PUDDLE.
origiA Of = hit OF SLAMS That AAiaes
Near Boston.

y iAA8S NWA0SO
Neaf Boston.
In ono d the suburbs Of Boston there h
alocalE bitEof slang which always puxxles
strangers. Whenever bargain 10 driven
or argument over some small matter grows
heated some one is sure to say facetiously,,
"Oh, well,ayo might throw In tho pud-
dlel'' pr steTshe puddle Is thrown IN" A
New York woman who has, for her hus-
bands SIM, moved into the shadow Of
BUNKER hill, after hearing Of tho puddle
from butcher, baker and Scandlestick
maker, finally went to q friend and asked
for an explanation. Here 10 the story:
This PARTICULARS suburb of Boston Is hon.
ored BY being the homo Of q literary NO.
man known to fame. Like many another
genius, she has marked eccentricities. In
this particular case genius testifles to It.
self In an exceeding great care. Of pennies.
Frugalitys isn't the ordinary hall mark Of
the artistic temperament, but this case IL
exceptional, and the 3tradespeople have
been heard TO wonder how one could find
time to write immortal books when one
consumed 10 much valuable time In hag-
Cling over an extra 3 cents q pound on
lib roast. .9a
The homo which is the shrine OF genius
ls o charming. one, but 1t is on the very
outskirts of the town and crowns q high
hill. The view from the hilltop Is In
spring, but the climb is o worrying one,
especially in bad weather. Perhaps the
site was chosen q a~llegorical after the nu-
thor had arrived. When the dweller up
on the hilltop wa obliged to come down
among the profane crowd and 60 into
Boston, she drove back and forth to the
station In her own carriage, but one rainy
day she came out from the city, and,
through some mistake, her carriage did
not meet her. She waited and fumed and
finally asked the only cabman what he
would charge to take her home.
Fifty cents, num- said cabby.. /.
"Absurdl I" snapped the celebrity. "I'll
not pay any such price,"
Every we'll. num-"
After another five minutes genius de.
scended to argument.
"You don't charge any one else more
than rs cents"
"Well, mum, your house Is the last one
In the town, and there's tho bad hill, to be
climbing"
There was silence for another five min
utos. Then genius inquired:
How far will you take me for a6
centsp" &
"Half way, num-" .55
6he closed her umbrella with a a
Every we'll, I'll ride 20 cents worth"
Cabby drove for Is minutes and thon
stopped. A head appeared Mt the window.
"You haven't gone half way"
"1ndade and Thew, num-"
"You won't take me any farther"
"Not fer the price,"
Every well, drive me So cents WORTH -
Tho cab logged onfor five minutes, then
stopped aRain. This time it was on the
town side Of an Immense puddle which
stretched not only across the rond. but
across the gravel path as well. Tho car
riagc door opened, and genius picked up
It's skirts for descent, then caught sight OF
the puddle, taltcrcd, stood with one foot
on the step and looked up tho hill toward
tho imposing house. The cnbman thought
the so cents vas his, but he. didn't know
his passenger. She stepped back into the
cab, but thrust an irato face out of tho
window.
"Thc very least you con do after such
extortion is to throw In the puddle" she
said.
Tho cabmnn was overwhelmed. He
drove across the puddle, sct his fare down
on tho muddy path and drove slowly back
to town, whore he told tho story that since
has become town propcrty.-New York
SIM