Newspaper Page Text
A Pudding
Distress,
By FANNIE MEDBURY PEND! ETON.
Copyrighted. 1908, by Associated
Literary Press.
Perhaps It was fate that belated
Cartwright and caused him to rush
across the station platform just aa
the Inst passenger climbed aboard the
train, if so, then fate was materially
assisted by a little old lady over
whom he nearly stumbled and who
wildly clutched his arm.
She was very much otft of breath,
and her hair had blown free from her
hoxmet until the stray locks stood out
ia the wintry winds like a silver halo.
"Oh,” she cried breathlessly, "my
granddaughter has forgotten the
Christmas pudding! She's od the
train. Will you please give it to her?
Her name’s on the wrapper.”
Cartwright mechanically accepted
the pudding thus thrust upon him.
“Promise to put it into her own
hands,” pleaded the little old lady
anxiously,
Cartwright nodded as he clutched
the railing of the last car and pulled
himself up. As the train swept around
the curve he caught a last glimpse of
her face. I bar eyes were fixed upon
the package under hts arm.
“I actually believe she thinks I want
her old pudding,” grinned Cartwright.
“She doesn’t trust me.”
The train, which was the last local
for the city, was crowded with would
be shoppers, with homegoers and
guests bound cityward. Every seat
was occupied. At last Cartwright
found a place beside a young woman
who obligingly made room for him and
immediately resumed the study of the
snowy landscape through which the
train was rushing.
Cartwright glanced casually at her
voluminous brown veil; then Ill's eyes
fell to the traveling pudding, and he
turned over the package to find the
name.
It was written In a fine, old fash
ioned hand and read, “Mary Lang,
1019 Essex place.”
A pucker appeared between his eyes
and hade fair to develop into a scowl
when he became conscious that the
gaze of the girl was fixed likewise
upon the package.
“Pardon ine," he cried Impulsively;
“you don’t happen to be Miss Mary
Lang, do you ?”
The girl turned a very pretty and
astonished face toward bitn.
“You see,” he continued eagerly, “I
don't know a soul at the station where
I got on—changed ears there and near¬
ly got left. Just as I was making for
the train a lady requested me to deliv¬
er this. It Is a pudding,” he explained
impressively, "and from the evident
value set upon It by the maker I judge
that it Is a good one and that my re¬
sponsibility is vast.”
There was a responsive twinkle in
the girl's eye.
"Sorry 1 can't help you out,” she
said. "“Why not ask the conductor?
He will know who got on at that sta¬
tion. I did myself, but wo had to
hurry to catch the train, and I didn’t
notice my fellow passengers.’"
’•Tickets, please.”
“Say, conductor,” cried Cartwright,
“can you tell me who got on at Alton
Junction?" and he explained the prob¬
lem of the pudding.
The conductor grinned.
“There was the lady two seats
ahead,” he answered, “the one with
glasses.”
Cartwright inspected her with comic
dismay.
“I’m a shy man,” he announced, "and
If it be she perhaps you had better
tackJe her, conductor, i don’t want the
job.”
“Well, there’s the fat lady in the yel¬
low waist with buttons, and the girl
in the front seat, and the family just
behind, and”—
“You don’t know even if she’s grown
up, do you?” queried the girl, who had
become quite interested in the proceed¬
ings.
“That's so,” assented Cartwright rue¬
fully. “But I feel by the pricking of
my thumbs that she's homely as a
hedge fence, cross eyed and at. least
fifty.”
“That may not interfere with her ap
petite for plum pudding,” suggested the
ghi mirthfully. She had put back the
enveloping brown veil, and her dark
eyes gazed straight into Cartwright’s.
“I w'sh you were Mary Lang,” he
slid, with decision.
"I’m very well satisfied as I am,” she
a..«wered, dropping her eyes demurely.
The conductor had returned.
“Lend me the precious pudding,” he
suggested. “Guess I can help you
out.”
He walked to the front of the car
arsd faced about.
“Is there a lady In this car by the
name of Mary Lang?” he shouted above
the roar of the train.
There was much turning of heads,
but no response. The conductor dis¬
appeared Into the car ahead, while
Cartwright wiped Imaginary drops of
perspiration from his forehead.
“This susnense Is awful.” he ob
served. With hands clasped dramat
icnlly he awaited the outcome.
The door opened. A giggle came
from the girl and a groan from Cart
wrlght as the conductor returned.
bearing before him the pudding, still
unclaimed. He dropped it Into Cart
wricht’s hand.
“Sorry,” he chuckled, “but there’s
nobody’ on the train who will own to
betug Mary Lang and thus become
the proud possessor of the pudding.”
“It is not a pudding.” declared Cart
wright resentfully, "It’s an old man
of the sea.” And ho leaned back,
with the look of a martyr. The girl
watched him with twitching lips.
“There is the address,” she sug¬
gested. “You can send it when you
reach the city.”
"But 1 promised,” said Cartwright
wrathfnlly—“I promised the woman
to see it delivered in person, ami now
it is my fate to go on a still bunt for
this horrible woman, this gorgon. I'm
very much afraid that Maud Cart
wright’a dinner will he late if she
waits for me.” lie added the last
wratlifully.
"Oh!” said the girl sympathetically.
“Still,” she continued, "the poor wom¬
an is probably mourning the loss of
her pudding, and you can figure as
the restorer of happiness. She is like¬
ly one of those timid souls and didn't
dare own up to her name, or- 1 have
it!—she is probably deaf and didn't
hear the conductor.”
The train pulled into the station,
and the passengers gathered up their
various belongings.
“Goodby,” said the girl sweetly. ”1
hope you find her all right. May you
enjoy as good a Christmas pudding
as Mary Lang’s.”
Cartwright watched her ruefully as
she disappeared In the crowd.
“I'd like to know that girl.” was his
mental ejaculation; then he walked
Into the waiting room, eagerly scan¬
ning the crowd for a woman who ap¬
peared to have lost something At In. i.
refreshing hts memory by a glance at
the address, he took an uptown ear
and started for 1019 Essex place.
The storm had increased, traffic was
slow, and It was some time before tie
mounted the steps and rang the bell
at his destination. He wondered if lie
should ask for Miss or Mrs. Lang, and
when the door opened he slurred the
prefix and laid emphasis upon tin*
name. Miss Lang was at home, and
he presently found himself comforta¬
bly seated and awaiting her advent.
He glanced mechanically about the
tastefully appointed room: then (here
was a step on the stair, and he turned
to behold a tall girt In a black lace
dinner gown and with a spray of
holly caught in her dark hair.
"You!” he cried.
She came forward, a half shamed,
wholly mischievous expression on lier
face.
“I suppose I owe you an apology,”
she said. “You see, I fully Intended to
own up before you reached the city—
you were so deliciously funny that I
simply couldn’t before—and then you
mentioned your cousin, Maud Cart¬
wright, who Is my best friend, and 1
knew that you must be Bobby’s
cousin, of whom I’ve heard all my
life. And so”—she darted a mirthful
glance at him from under her dark
lashes—“and so, well, the temptation
was too overwhelming. I have heard
of you in a variety of roles, but never
before as a restorer of puddings.” She
held out her hand. “Please try quite
hard to forgive me,” she finished in
assumed contrition.
They looked at each other, and both
broke into a merry peal of laughter.
“You,” cried Cartwright when lie
couid speak—“you led mo thiH wild
goose chase!” He tried to summon a
reproachful air.
She raised one hand and plucked a
tail rose from a vase on the mantel.
Her mouth was drawn into demure
lines, but her eyes danced wickedly.
Then she held out to him the long
stemmed rose.
“I had to punish you for calling me
a gofgon and believing rno to be such
a dreadful looking creature. The score
Is not so uneven, Is It?”’
They looked at each other above the
rose and laughed again.
“I will even It up, my Christmas
lady," declared Cartwright. Then his
voice fell into a humbler tone. “And
with Cousin Maud to introduce me I
may come again?” *
“Are you sure that Bobby Cart¬
wright Is your cousin?”
“Positive.”
“Well, I have iuvited Bobby and
Maud and the cousin who was expect¬
ed to Christmas dinner. We are to
have tlie pudding, but perhaps It
would not agree with you after what
has happened.”
“Food for the gods!" cried Cart
wright. “Give me a chance at that
pudding. It will afford a very excel¬
lent substitute for bumble pie.”
It was snowing heavily when Cart¬
wright reached the street, but be
yilunged resolutely into the storm.
“Heavenly pudding,” he cried with
enthusiasm, “I must relinquish you,
but I will not give you up so easily,
my Christmas lady,”
Breaking Up a Witness.
In no way can barristers better dis¬
play their acuteness than by seeing at
a glance the character of the wit¬
nesses they are about to examine and
by treating them accordingly. Erskine
was famous at this. Irt a case In
which lie was engaged a commercial
traveler came into the witness box
dressed In the height of fashion and
wearing a starched white necktie fold
ed in the Brutnmel fold, In an in
stant Erskine knew his tnan, though
he had never seen him before, and said
to him, with an air of careless amuse
ment, “You were born and bred in
Manchester, I perceive.” Greatly as
tonished at this opening remark, the
man admitted that he was. “Exactly,”
observed the great cross examiner in
a conversational tone. “I knew it
from the absurd tie of your neck
cloth.”
The roars of laughter, coming from
every person in the court, with the
single exception of the unfortunate
witness, which followed this rejoinder
completely effected Ersklne’s purpose,
which was to put the witness in a
state of agitation and confusion be
fore touching on the facts concerning
which be had come to give evidence.—
London News.
THE MURRAY NEWS, FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 1909.
FROM TEXAS
They Appreciate The News and
Show Their Appreciation.
Fort: Worth, Tex.,April 12.—
Yours of the 28th. nil., to
hand, containing olfer of two dol¬
lars worth of paper for one do)
tar. A fellow that won’t take
this, don’t know a good tiling
when he sees it. So here is your
check.
My regards to Gollnel’s J, J,
Bates, G. N. King and alt the
good people of old Murray.
Please fake care of some of
the i i Fried (J h i c, ken ”
when you go to that old time
Sunday school celebration, Lots
of good tilings in Texas, but
m thing just like that. When
yon swipe a drumstick through
your mouth, just think of me
and imugin I’m smiling. L shall
not be suip-nsed to learn that
Oum Henley, Lee Galt and.
other old tinie Munayil.es show¬
ed up at that' celebration about
dinner time. I’d like to, but
will depend on you and other
friends to s. e that no chicken is
wasted, besides, I’ve been in
Texas so long that 1 could not
hold a hand with a regular up-to
date. “Goober Grabbler.
May Hie Gods of good fortune
smile upon The Murray News,
its Editor and all its readers.
Y ours truly.
M. B, IImuuS,
Moody, Tex., April JL—Mr.
Hull Kerr, Dear sir: I. will en¬
close $1.00 for the Murray News.
I have been away frtfm Murray
8 years.
J like your paper fiitte. Just
like getting a letter from home.
Yours respectfully,
W. W. Nki,hon.
Liquor Sold in Rome.
Rome, Go... April 1! —That
liquor is being sold in Koine iri
flagrant violation of the law, is
the statement of Mayor T, YV.
Lipscomb, in his annual message
to Hie csty council.
The may°r 11 Liquor-sell¬
says :
ing lias given ns more trouble
than anything else,in the en¬
forcement of law. It is just a
question of a little time before
some of the most prominent vio¬
lators of the law will ho in the
chaingaug. They are going to he
caught if they persist in selling
it, for the officers and good peo¬
ple in this city are not going to
stand for it.”
Sunday School Celebration.
Olratsworth Sunday School
joins the old rime Sunday School
Celebration. 'Die Editor was
out 1 here last Sunday and invited
Bro, Iiyan, who is Superintend¬
ent, of the school, wit li the school,
to attend, Tim school took a
vote to accept the me *4 ion in
which the whole school accepted.
Mi you may look for a big tiling
fr mi Chats v- ortli, as they have
g'ii the vn.-i that dm s thing#.
('omo on, other S u n d a y
Schools, and join the band,
There is sumo hope for the bay
who fins to be driven into the
lmhtnb, hut there L« mighty lit¬
tle hop-- for the boy who has to
be ut iv--n away from the mirror.
—Atchison (ilone.
When you buy a monument or
tombstone and want first class work
at lowest prices, write to the
Soiiilijn Granite and Marble Co.
DALTON, GEORGIA.
It you don’t buy from them, get
lit. ir ptices before you place your
order an! it will save you money.
MOSF FRAKER, : Agent.
Local and Personal.
Neal Fowler, of Chattanooga,
paid us a visit Wednesday.
M. T. Waterhouse, of little
Slums called on us Wednesday,
Mark i , one of Murray’s Lest
farmers.
Thanks to Mr. J. M. Sanders,
of Dalton Ga., the father of the
famous General Overalls, for a
nice pocket memorandum.
The fellow who sold Ins cotton
yesterday, wishes he hadn’t, the
fellow who didn’t sell, wishes he
had. Well all we want, is we
want it all.
Mrs Onie Starr, of Ox¬
ford, (la , visited her mother,
Mrs. Kelley, in Spring Place I
this week.
The cotton market is the
all-absorbing subject just now.
Whether ’tis better to sell or
to hold, that is the question.
k takes a man of great
strength of mind to he a spring
gardener and afterwards a
philosopher.
Work on what will ho the lar¬
gest ships afloat.— two 800-foot
steamers for the White Star Line
—was begun in January last.
The Junior Order is coming.
We have several names and more
promised liurry and join so we
can organize soon. We need the
.1 uniors to help us.
Ben L. Hatch, Sr., was killed
near Greenville, Miss., Monday
by his brother-in-law, Needham
Mi'Nuiry, in a pistol duel. Both
men were prominentlikewise
I heir pistols.
The pocket pistol got in its us¬
ual work at a soft drink stand at
Ilunt-viilo Monday evening.
One respectable citizen is dead
dead and another is in jail as a
consequence. The pistol is tire
oidy party to the affair that die
not suffer; it will continue to do
business without hindrance.
Farmers’ Union
AREHOUSE
South Hamilton St. : ; DALTON, GA.
Wants all kinds of Country Pro¬
duce and will pay the highest
marker, price for the same.
Will well all kinds of goods at
Union prices.
J. M. CASH, Mgr.
W. A. Buchanan,
East / Dalton,
For Guano and General Merck
uidise. Get your corn rneal and
God stulV ground at my mill.
Rhone 167, £> rings.
W. A. BucEianan.
4 t
T. J. BRYANT’,
Dalton, Ga.
1 have gentle and fine
teams, and sober men for dri¬
vers. 1 can handle with care.
Call on me when in need of
safe and trusty service.
T. J. Bryant, Dalton, Ga.
THE LOUISVILLE & NASHVILLE R. R.
operates two fast trains daily
To Cincinnati, Louisville, Chicago and Points North
with through sleeping cars,
coaches, and dining cars.
THROIIH SOLID TRAINS OAILY FOR MACON AND JACKSONVILLE
For rates to any point address
H. C. BAILEY, D. P. A., Atlanta, Georgia.
This Space Belongs to
Baker & Buchanan
Furniture Dealers
DALTON, GEORGIA
Night and Pay Knmlnation
TF.lKVHOsK 50 ,FKKE
Dalton Veterinary Infirmary.
Dr. A. B. ALLISON, Proprietor.
Surgery and Dentistry a Specialty.
Witli T. J. Bryant, Dalton, 6eor{ia
Prompt Attention Given to All Calls.
Dr. Allison has had the advantage of association with one
of Chattanooga’s most noted Veterinarians.
Look to the condition of your horses, mules and cattle. If you
have any sick ones, or any with warts, tumors,large joints,sprains,
or other defects, you can save yourself money by giving me a
chance. My charges are reasonable. Spend a few dollars and
save many,
Look to the condition of your horse’s teeth. lean fix his grind¬
ers go they will last longer and keep stock in good condition.
Advice and examination FREE.
HATS! HATS! HATS!!
LADIES’ AND CHILDREN’S HATS,
See The New Milliner.
Don’t buy until you do.
MISS LILLIE McCURRY.
You will find her at The Sing¬
er Sewing Machine Building,
45 N, Hamilton St„ Dalton, 6a,