Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-08
A Dis aStrOaaS Cab Ride o 0
By HOWARD DEvINE
.1 &kkkkk3kkkikk-k k&h1kkR&kk (Copyright, 1908. by Daily Story Pub Co.,,

Copyright, Isos by Daily Story Pub. O.,
 IF ANYBODY had told Ralph Huston
 that one short cab ride of six blocks could destroy the reputation he had built up by years of hard work and righteous living; lose him the position at the bank which he had acquired by so many years of faithful work and drag his beloved wife and himself into the divorce court, he would have laughed at the idea. Now, however, he laughs not at all at such a story and shuns cabs as something diabolicaI and devil ish
 And yet the cab ride referred to was the most innocent thing that could happen. On the morning of September 10 as Illus ton was gulping down his breakfast in his daily effort to catch the 7:30, his wife spoke from behind the coffee pot.
 How much was the gas bill this month, dear?" she asked.
 He paused in the process of throwing large spoonsful of the newest advertised health food into his mouth, and a start led expression spread over his coun- tenance.
 By jingo, forgot to pay it" he an nounced in dismsy. Let's see, what day is this?" And he hastily grabbed the morning paper
 "Oh, it's all right It's the 10th"
 e'Well, don't forget it, continued Mrs. Huston. This is the last day and remember the gas office closes at one o'clock on Saturdays 7
 No danger of his forgetting it. The discount on the bill was 28 cents and every cent counted in the effort they were making to pay for that suburban cottage they had bought op the install ment plan. He could notsget away from his desk until 11:30, when he had half hour for lunch. The gas office was six blocks away and he had to calculate pretty closely to find time to make the trip and get time to snatch a mouthful of lunch in the brief half hour.
 As he dashed down the stone steps three at time and started on half run down the street, familiar voice hailed him:
 .'TIi there, Huston; where ye going so .fast?"
 Turning, he beheld his old friend Ben Phillips sitting on the box of shiney new cab driving leisurely down the street. He and Phillips had been ship ping clerks together in a wholesale house years ago, when he first went to work. He knew in a general way that Ben had become cab driver, but had not seen him for years.
 Mentally chafing at the loss of pre- cious moment he shouted in reply:
 1"Goin' to the gas office. I'm in the deuce of a hurry. How are you?'
 He waved his arm and hurried on
 Wait minute" shouted Phillips I'm going right past the door on my way to the barn. Hop in and I'll land you there in jiffy."
 This struck Huston as most prac- tical suggestion, and in he climbed and a moment later was being hurried along at thrice the pace he could have made on foot As he whirled along the grim humor of the situation appealed to him, and he chuckled to himself The cab was a new one of the latest model, rub Der tires and all that sort of thing, and it shone like piano. Here am riding in a swell cab like drunken sport to save 2S cents on my gas bill. thought Huston, and he laughed aloud.
 Phillips was true to his word and made his best time, dashing down the street as though he was making train, finally coming up in front of the gas of flee with whirl and a flourish. He pro- posed to show his old friend that he was strictly onto his job.
 Huston leaped from the cab, waving his thanks to Phillips and rushed into the office, where he paid his bill to an astounded clerk who had beheld his ap- proach, and a moment later was whist ling up the street toward the dairy lunch room, where he arrived in ample time to swallow his pie and coffee with no more than normal haste
 Now all this seems innocent enough and commonplace enough, does it not