Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-12-08

opened on a fire escape and raised it.
Then she uttered Il faint shrek Of
dismay and turned to her husband
ITS gomez she cried dramatically.
''What-the pudding?r Timothy APP
preached the window and made a care
full examination of the impromptu re-
, frigerator Nothing here: not a blamed
pudding of any kind" he reported.
"Sure you didn't bring it inside and
forget about it?"
Laura opened the pantry door and
revealed its cupboard-like interior.
There were the plump chicken and the
deIicately tinted celery and the Grim
| son cranberry sauce and bowl of fruit.
but there was no sign of that snugly
bagged plum pudding that was to be the
/ chef d'oeuvre of the Christmas feast
! The hour that followed was an ex-
| citing one for the Bells. They searched
! high and low, in the most impossible
| places, for the delectable pudding that
/ Laura had made. but in vain. At last
! Timothy went down to the basement
and consulted the genial janitor, who
| listened with interest to his tale Of
! woe, but offered no solace.
| 1t was after o'clock on Christmas
morning when Laura was awakened
! by a ringing of the hall bell. Throw
! ing on a warm wrapper and thrustinF
her feet into furry slippers, she has
tened into the narrow hall, careful not
to disturb her sleeping husband.
| Laura opened the door the merest
| crack and peered inquisitively through.
! What she saw caused her to throw the
| door open with cordial hospitality.
| Merry Christmas! Come in, do"
she said to the little brown girl who
stood there, looking rather pale and
| frightened.
| For just a moment. There is some
thing 1 must explain" She slipped in
side and sank into the chair that Lau-
"a offered. II know you will think it
| strange that I have come, n perfect
stranger, but the janitor said you had
lost a pudding"
81 have. Did you find it," cried
Laura eagerly. Its the greatest mys-
| terry what has become of it."
| The girl smiled sadly, and a flush
Redeemed her cheek for a brief in
! slant and was gone. 81 shall have to
| tell you about ourselves" she said.
/ with dignity, so that you will under
stand why we have eaten half OF
! your pudding. We're all alone, both
/ of us, and we've had bad luck ever
/ since we were married. In September
/ Paul was taken down with typhoid
| fever and lost his position as book
keeper. He's just able TO get around
! now and look for work, and he hasn't
been at all successful. Things have
been going from bad to worse, and
/ we're going to move out the first of
| the year. We've been running low for
/ a long time. and for the last two days
| we haven't had much to eat, so there
| Just milk or something like that. To
| night before we went out the dumb
waiter whistle sounded, and when 1
opened the slide there was our bottle
of milk, with a plum pudding in bag.
81 thought-honestly 1 did-that some
/ body had sent it up 70 US, though
we're not acquainted with a soul here.
! and so I heated it up, and we ate half
/ of it. 1t was lovely. A little while
! ago the janitor came and inquired If
| we'd seen a plum pudding, so l came
right down to tell you, as Paul is
asleep. I don't know what to say to
| you"
| Don't you dare say another word
| about that pudding" commanded Lau-
! ra 'If you only knew how lonesome
/ we are today you and your husband
would come down and spend the day
| with US. We were wishing we knew
! somebody in the house here to ask.
! I'm so thankful about that pudding.
| Why, If 1 hadn't put it in the dumb
waiter instead Of the fire escape Q'm
! very absentminded when I'm busy
| you would never have received ii. and
we might never have been acquainted.
! Isn't it a blessed old puddingT
These two lonely young women hug
! ged each other delightedly, and after
ward Laura went to arouse Timothy
| that he might accompany her to the
! floor above, where the Robinsons lived,
| and add his persuasions to bear
against the pride of Mr.. Paul Robin
| son.
you might find a position for him
in the Office, Timothy" suggested his
wife hopefully.
'I think that Will be easy" prom
ised Mr.. Bell.
It was a merry little gathering that
! did justice to Laura's Christmas din
ner. The tragedy that was beneath
the eating of half the pudding was
| quite forgotten in the Joy of the pres
ent and the hopeful outlook for the
| future When the day was over and
the Robinsons had returned to their
rooms. cheered in mind and purse by
| Timothy's delicately proffered gener-
/ oslty, Laura slipped her hand in her
husbands arm and leaned her head
against him, saying:
Its been different from any Christ
mas / ever spent, Timothy. and I've
been wondering what might have hap
! pcned to them if that blessed pudding
hadn't opened the way"
!
1t is better to i've rich than to die
I -Vnhnann