The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-11
A WASTED GIFT.
If She Had Only Known. Tt Might Have
Been Saved.


Been Saved.
Her pet dog had crawled under the bed.
and the whole room had the look of having
been visited by small cyclone when her
friend came in.
MERCY on US! What is the matter
now?" she cried in cheerful tone. II
suppose you have been shopping and none
of the things will match, now you've got
them home. All, we'll, it is not as bad as
if you had really to pay for them yourself.
You can easily coax more money out of
your father. just tell him something
nice ono of the girls has said about him.
A father who is a widower ought to be the
easiest creature in the world to manage"
Eyes, and let him get an idea into his
head that he is a lady killer? think see
myself doing anything SO foolish. Good
ness knows, have a hard enough time
keeping him up to his age anyhow! I've
gotten him a Bible and a carved medicine
chest this year for Christmas gifts. They
will serve as a gentle reminder. Oh,
don't look SO cheerful. I looked just that
way before the postman rang the bellt'
"Gracious You don't mean to say
that your aunt is dead? And you with
your winter wardrobe all laid imp
"Oh, could bear thatl She is alive
and threatening to visit me. No, it is
about Jack Brownsmith. He''-
"Ah, pshawl If he and Willis have
both invited you to go somewhere the
same day and hour, accept both and pre-
tend to one that you thought he meant
the day before. You can be offended and
tell him that you vainly waited hours.
That is always worth five pounds of candy
If it is properly DONE"
mot in this case. All, why did I hur-
ry off my New Years gifts in this wayP''
"To make sure of return, dear. Even
a man could answer as plain question as
that
81 suppose so. And only an hour ago
was sitting here trying to decide whether
1 would rather he would send me q mando-
lin or an afternoon teakettle in return.
Actually was doing that when the post
man rang"
"And which did you decide on9 Oh,
Ethel, can't you manage to let Howard
know that I am pining and dying for a
banjo? Iwouldn't for the world be SO I'M
feminine as to hint to him that want it.
Still, if his intends to give me gift any
how, it might just as well be the thing
want
ST suppose I could manage it if you
could trust him alone with mo long
enough. though I don't see where he
would get the money to pay for it.
ooh, pshaw, he could charge it, could
he notF But what did Jack sayP You
are as mysterious as if he were your first
sweetheart. -
''Wel1, to begin at the beginning, I fin
ished his gift today. 1t was the lowell
est''-
ST know, I know. You told me all
about it. 1 know by heart the story of
how you could not match the ribbon for
1t unless you took a remnant in which
there was full quarter of yard too much
for your purpose, and how saucy the sales
girl was because you wanted her to cut it. 4"
"Never mind, my dear, paid for it
with punched quarter was saving for
just such an emergency"
''Well, tell me about the letter. What
did he say, anyhow"
''Didn't say anything. 1t wasn't a
letter, after all 1t was
you don't mean to say that he wrote
to you postal card9 What has happen
ed? Has he lost all his money that he is
economizing so? Well, now, 1 think that
was actually dishonest not to let you
know before you''-
''It was. Oh, the horrid thingl 1t
was not a letter. 1t was his w-wedding
cards, which came today"
''Is it possible? STILL you once said
that you could never really love man
who had red ears, and his are of a lively
crimson hue"
"Oh, don't you see how tragic it iss''
'tMercy! Then you really did care for
him, after all? How DELIGHTFULLY."- roman
ticp'
"Care for hims Nothing of the kind.
He always bored me to death. But oh,
think of It'll I have not only sent him
New Years gift for which shall receive
no return, but shall be obliged to make
a wedding present, too, or that horrid girl
will think that I w-wanted him myself. -
New York Journal.