The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1918-06-08
PLUM PUDDING BOY
~ VILLA BLAINE.

his pride that Harry Ttl1t0n decided TO
make his plum puddlngs the summer
after he graduated from college. He
had not decided as yet on his future
career, but since any kind Of . start
In business as well as the law studies
that he sometimes contemplated. was
more or less dependent upon the pos
session of some amount Of capital, he
accepted his mothers proposition to
make plum puddings.
It wasn't because Harry was exactly
ashamed of plum buildings that he
had hesitated-it was because Of
Genevieve and Harriette and Mildred
and Laura-girls in general rather
than any girl in particular.
Bradley, the small town where Harry
Tllson had been brought up, boasted
no very definite younger social set.
but. 80 long as there were pretty girls
like Mildred Brewer and Laura
Stevens In town. and any young I'M.
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 Tiison's
short visits home In vacation time. he
had 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 purchase from the local grocer q
sack Of flour, 70 that the days energy
need not be thrown away for lack Of
materials. He passed Laura Stevens,
who called to him: "Hello, Mr.. I'll.
ston, don't suppose you'll have time
to come to the picnic tomorrow. now
you've taken to making puddings With
your motherf"
Mildred Brewer. gayly decked out 10
lowered hat and q many-ruhied
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 30, but I 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. Harry. are You going to
do II all summer
The rest Of the morning Harry beat
the pudding batter with unusual fer
vor, 10 much 10 that little Molly. the
''hired GIRL" whom Mrs. Tilstou had
recently employed. watched him With
something like alarm written on hef
girllsh young features.
"Do you see anything no very funny
about n man making puddingsr he
asked her abruptly.
"Funnyf Why. Of course not" she
said with conviction. "Why. some Of
the most successful business men 10
the country are what they are because
they managed to make something like
buildings better and in larger numbers
than their competitors"
So the summer passed-the
strangest. hardest yet, In many ways.
most satisfactory summer that Harry
had ever passed. As result Of ssv.
eral trips to the big city he received
orders for four times ~ many pud-
dIngs as his mother had ever made be.
fore.
The last pudding had been packed
AWAY. and still Mrs. Tilston had not
had the heart to mention to Molly that,
because the work was ended. she
would not need her services any
longer.
Harry had hurried of after their
simple supper for the usual walk IN
the hemlocks. and within IS minutes
Of the time they had left the house
Harry was filled with the wonderful
consciousness that the girl whom he
regarded as the most womanly and
the sweetest Of all the girls he had
ever known had agreed to BE- his
wife.
II never thought q college man like
You would marry . poor little hired
girl" she told him.
"And I never thought such Q nice
girl As you are would marry q man
whose idea Of starting q career was
to make plum puddines In his mothers
Kitchen" added Harry with laugh.
Molly clasped and unclasped her
hands nervously. "Perhaps look DIFF.
ferently Mt this plum pudding project
than most people," she began. sIn
fact. 1t was those plum puddinss that
made me come to work for you. ri
hive to tell you how 1t was. Really
and truly. am Mary Louise Juxton.
bury. daughter Of Juxtonbury, the
baker,
Harry III concealed whistle Of s,,r.
prise. for that was the name Of one
OF the leading nnanciers Of the state,
whose millions had been made By bis
chain Of bakeries.
af rauto1 - H. .~-Aa.