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Show k LO ESCAPE FOR. HIM MR. DENSON CONDEMNED TO A DIET OF HAM. - Pcllcy of Deception Brought Woe to New Yorker Who Was "Batching" "Batch-ing" It While Hit Wife Wat Vltltlng. The last time Mr. Ilonson told a llo ho told It to his wlfo, nays the New York Times Ho told It Just beforo sho went to Hoaton. The morning sho wont nway Mrs. Bonson took Mr. IIciiBnn Into tho kitchen and showed him tho Icebox: "I know," Bhe said, "how you dislike eating In restaurants, so I have left enough provisions cooked to last you for several days. Here are cakes, preserved fruits, salads and boiled ham. You can make your own coffee and by boiling potatoes whenever you foel hungry for them you will be spared tho horror of restaurant faro for at least a week." Benson surveyed his well-stocked commissariat With pangs of inslplent dyspepsia. The prospect of dining alone on cold viands and bolted potatoes pota-toes offered but fow moro attractions than a course In public eating houses, but his habitual regard for Mrs. Benson's Ben-son's feelings prevented his saying so. On the contrary, he thanked her effusively ef-fusively for her tender thoughtful-ncss. "That ham," said he, "looks particularly par-ticularly find. 1 am anxious to get at it now. I shan't step a foot,!nsldo of a restaurant so long as there Is a scran nt It left" Mrs. Tienson beamed with tho hap-pinoss hap-pinoss of the well-doer whose deeds of kindness are appreciated by the recipient. re-cipient. "I thought you would like It," sho said. The next day when writing from Uoston Mrs. licnson appended a postscript post-script to her slx-nage letter. "How Is tho ham?" she asked. In reply, to this query Benson wrote: "The ham is delicious. I eat It for breakfast and for dinner. Yesterday I happened to be in tall neighborhood at lunch time, aud-wlll you believe me I couldn't bear to go downtown again without a bite of that ham, so I came and had a snack. You were a trump to leave me so well provided for." Thencoforward Ilenson forwarded to Boston dally bulletins of the state of the ham market. For, tho most part this Information was convoyed In letters let-ters and postal- cards, but on the eighth day he rushed into telegraphic activity. That morning he had dumped four-fifths of the whole ham Into the garbage can, so he wired with a strict regard for truth: "The ham Is gone." On the twelfth day after Mrs. Den-son's Den-son's departure Benson received an express package from Boston. Won-derlngly Won-derlngly ho paid the charges of 7G cents, and wonderlngly he unwrapped the box. "For tho lovo of heaven," groaned Benson, and resolved henceforward to stick valiantly by the truth. Mrs. Benson had 'sent him 'another ham. |