The morning times., 1896-01-05
The Holiday Gin
Thai Was WaSf6d.
New York journal.

New York Journal.
Her pet dog had crawied 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 new7"
she cried, 10 q cheerful tone. II suppose
you have been shopping and none of the
things win match. now you've got them
home. A hl well, 1t is-Dot 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 one
of the girls has said about him; a father
who is n widower ought TO be the easiest
creature In the world to manage"
'Ycs; and let hin get an idea into his
head that he Is a lady-killer? l think /
see myself dong anything so foolish. Good
ness knows, l have hard enough time
keeping him up to his age. anyhowi I've
gotten him Bible and a carved medicine
chest this year for Christmas gifts-they
will serve asa gentle reminder. On! don't
look SO cheerful: i looked just that way
before the posiInan rang the bell!''
Gracious! You don't mean to say that
your aunt is dead? And you with your
winter wardrobe all laid in.'
'.0h. could bear that She Is alive and
threatening to visit me. No, 1t is about
Jack Brownsmith-he--''
'.Ah, pshaw. II he and Willis have both
and hour, accept both and pretend 10 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 il tits properly done
Not In this case All, why did / hurry
off my New Years gifts in thIs way?"
ITO make sure OF a return, dear. Even
man could answer as plain a question IA
that
II suppose so. And only an hour ago
was sitting here trying to decide whether
/ bad rather he would send me a mando-
lin or an afternoon tea kettle, in return.
Actually. was doing that when the post
man rangP'
And which did you decide on? oh, Ethel,
can't YOU manage to let Howard know that
/ am pining and dying for a banjo? /
wouldn't for the word be so unfeminine
as to hint to him that want it. Still, II
he intends to give me New Years gift
anyhow. II might just as~weii be the thing
want"
Il suppose could manage 1t If you could
trust him alone with me long enough
though don't see where he would get the
money to pay for it,"
"oh, pshaw; he could charge IT, could
not he? But what did Jack say7 You are
as mysterious as if he were-your first sweet
heart.'
We'll, to begin at the beginning, finished
loveliest-'
Il know, l know; you told me all about
IT. know by heart the story OF how you
could not match the ribbon for it unless
YOU took remnant in which there was
fun quarter OF q yard too much for your
purpose, and how saucy the salesgirl was
because you wanted her to cut it,
Never mind. Iny deaxr j paid for IL
with punched quarter was saving for
Just such an emergency. Yes, and got
twenty cents IN change, too. Well, sent
off my presents at once, for reasoned that
he would not have bnught any OF his gifts
yet-he always puts off everything until
the last momeDt-and would rush off to
get mine while he still had money enough
can't calculate on what man is going 10
do"
well, tell me about the letter; what
did he say, anyhow?'
Didn't say anything; # wasn't let
ter, after all: II was"
You don't mean Ia say that he wrote
TO You postal card? What has happeDed7
Has he lost all his money, that he is
economizing so? Well, now. | think that
was actually dishonest, not TO let you
know before you"
LIT was. on, The horrid thing! 1t was
not letter; # was his w-weddiug cards,
which came today
..Is il possible? Still. You once said that
you could never really love a man who
had red ears and his are OF lively
crimson hue
..oh, don't you see how tragic 1t is2"
MERCY. Then YOU really did care for
him. after all? II CIV delightfully."- TO-
mantic,''
Care for him? Noihing of the kindi He
always bored me TO death! But Oh.
think of i'll Lave not only sent him
New Years gift for which j shall receive
no return. but / 81 all lie obliged 10 make
a wedding present. TOO, or that borrid girl
will think that w-wanted him myselfr'