Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-04-13

She caught Thomas going down the steps and whispered to him that she had got rid of the incubus.
 Lady, lady" a voice sounded behind her just then. You've fogot some thing"
 It was the other porter, and in his hand he bore the devoted pudding. He, came running down after her and hand ed over the package with smile so com polling that Sarah felt forced to ask Thomas for dime with which to reward him.
 Never mind," she said, we'll get rid of it on the train, all right" Her hus- band nodded his head.
 Let's drop it out of the window she suggested, with a sudden burst of inspiration, after they had found their seats in the sleeper. That seemed a good idea to Thomas, but, unfortunately, the train was one of the latest vestibuled arrangements, with not an unguarded opening from one end to the other. Thomas wrestled in vain with window, and when the porter was appealed to for assistance he raised the window, indeed, but it was protected by screen which prevented the egress of anything more substantiaF than a hairpin. Be- sides, it was cold outside, and both Thomas and Sarah were presently shiv- ering in the draughts of icy air which swept in on them. They were both re- lieved when red-faced man across the aisle leaned over and said in an injured tone: Say. my baby isn't well, and I wish you'd put that window down"
 The porter came and lowered the win- dow with look on his face that seemed to indicate that the two passengers on that seat were mentally unsound. In the morning, after the berths were made up, Sarah showed the rice pudding out of sight under the back of one of the seats. Now, she was sure, they would get away from it in safety. They got off at the station, the negro porter assisting. Thomas felt so good at noticing the ab- sence of the pudding that he gave the man 50 cents. They climbed into cab and were half block away when their ears were saluted with shrill cries from the rear. The cab came to stop at the side of the street.
 "Heah's package you lef' undah the seat, sah," said the negro porter, stick ing his head into the open door of the cab. q done run t will Ah'm out uv breef a-catchin' up to you suh."
 Thomas groaned, took the loathsome thing in his right hand and handed the porter quarter with the other.
 "Oh, don't, Thomas" his wife pleaded "If you do, we'll be arretsed for littering the streets, I'm sure."
 Do you expect me to carry rice pud- ding about on my lap during the whole of our wedding trip, madam?' he de- manded. with dignity.
 'Just wait till we get to the hotel, dear," she said. '1ll get rid of it, some- how"
 For more than week the unfortunate couple were haunted by that rice pud- ding. A dozen times they thought they had got rid of it, only to have some por- ter or other messenger come running after them, panting and out of breath, to restore the treasure and collect his fee for thoughtfulness. Once they tried to feed it to dog, but the animal turned up his nose at rice and almost bit Thomas, who was trying to force it to eat. They left it in their room in hotel, and the boy who carried down their bags brought that also, with the remark: q found dis on de top shelf in de room, mum. Once 1 found mans laundry up dere an he give me half dollar" Finally they and the pudding, by this time riding their necks like Nemesis, came to little inn in the old Connecti- cut town where Thomas had been born and reared. One side of their room was occupied by an old-fashioned brick fire place. The chimney was old and there were big cracks between the bricks.
 Now" said Sarah, I'm going to get rid of it."
 She crumbled the pudding into tiny flakes of rice. her husband sitting by hopelessly. Then she put chair into the fireplace opening and climbed up on 1t. A handful at time she stuffed that pudding into the cracks between the bricks on the inside of the chimney.
 Perhaps" said Sarah, when she was through. perhaps the chimney swal- lows will find it"
 Thank heaven" said her husband, fervently, What should 1 have done without you?'-Chicago Tribune.