Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-11-16
PLUM PUDDING BOY
BY VILLA BLAINE.

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career, but since any kind of star
10 business as well as the law studies
that ne sometimes contemplated, was
more or less dependent upon the pos.
session OF some amount of capital, he
accepted his mothers proposition to
make plum buildings.
Harry's mother was a plain coun.
try woman who wore u bingham apron
out OF preference eight hours of the
twenty-four, and to help out the small
annuity her husband had left her she
had of late years been making plum
buildings to sell to several of the
grocery stores in the nearest city.
Ii wasn't because Harry was exactly
ashamed of plum buildings that he
mad hesitated-it was because of
Genevieve and Harriette and Mildred
ana Laura-girls In general rather
than any girl in particular.
Bradley, the small town where Harry
Illson had been brought up. boosted
no very definite younger social set.
put. so long as there were pretty girls
IKE Mildred Brewer and Laura
stevens In town, and any young un-
married men, there was sure to be an
occasional picnic down the river. an
evening entertainment" Sunday aft
ernoon strolls through the woods or
buggy rides into the adjacent coun-
ties.
IN other years, on Harry TilsOn's
snort visits home In vacation time. he
mad figured rather prominently In
these diversions. He wondered wheth.
er Laura and Mildred and the other
girls would be inclined to laugh at him
II he made plum pudding.
One of the consignments Of mate
rails having been delayed in shipment,
Harry sauntered forth one morning
to pure. Use from the local grocer a
sack OF flour, so that the days energy
need not be thrown away for lack Of
materials. He passed Laura Stevens.
who called to him: "Hello. Mr.. TIL
ston, 1 don't suppose you'll have time
to come to the picnic tomorrow, now
you've taken to making buildings with
your mother?"
Mildred Brewer, gayly decked out in
lowered hat and many-ruffIed
dress. In spite of the early hour of
the day. was giving her mothers pro-
vision order at the store when Harry
reached there.
MY word, Harry" she said. Don't
mind my saying so, but | certainly
thought you'd have got some sort of
an opening from your studies at COL
lege without having to come back here
TO Bradley to take up pudding max
Ing. Honest. Hurry, are you going to
do 1t all summer?"
The rest of the morning Harry beat |
the pudding batter with unusual fer
vor. so much so that little Molly, the
hired girl" whom Mrs. Tilston had
recently employed, watched him with
like alarm written on her
yirlish young features.
do you see anything so very funny
about a man making puddings?" he
asked her abruptly.
Funny Why, of course not" she
laid with conviction. "Why, some of
he most successful business men In
he country are what they are because
hey managed to make something like
better and in larger numbers
han their competitors"
So the summer passed-the
trangest, hardest yet, in many ways,
most satisfactory summer that Harry
lad ever passed. AS n result Of sew
raj trips to the big city he received
riders for four times as many pud-
ings as his mother had ever made be-
ore.
The last pudding had been packed
way. and still Mrs. Tilston had not
ad the heart TO mention to Molly that,
ecause the work was ended, she
'ould not need her services any
niger.
Harry had hurried off after their
nipple supper for the usual walk in
he hemlOcks, and within Is minutes
the time they had left the house
larry was filled with the wonderful
that the girl whom he
,garded as the most wOmanly and
he sweetest of all the girls he had
yer known had agreed to be his
ife. I
81 never thought O college man like
Du would marry q poor little hired I
H." she told him.
"And l never thought such a nice {
ri as you are would marry a man {
hose idea Of starting a career was '
make plum buildings In his mothers a
added Harry with laugh. q
Molly clasped and unclasped her h
lnds nervOusly. perhaps I look diff
rently Mt this plum pudding project f
an most people," she began. I'm
ct, 1t was those plum buildings that
ade me come to work for you. I'll
i've to tell you how 1t was. Really +,
I'd truly. am Mary Louise Juxton- q
Try, daughter Of Juxtonbury. the Z
ker-"
Harry i'll concealed whistle Of sur. .
Use, for that was the name of one
the leading financiers Of the state. q.
hose millions had been made by his :,
ain of bakeries. -.
II wanted to do somethIng-make
)ney all myself. instead Of floating
ound In society. So asked dad what ;,
,ud be a good line. and he said :
lm puddings. He knew there was !.
demand for them. and he happened =
get one Of the buildings your moth :.
And-wnll