The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-27
CHRIsTMAs PRESENT PROBLEM.
How One Innocent Buyer Was Saved
From Suicide.


The young man mentioned the other
evening. when he was calling on a young
woman whom he does not know very
well. that he was in despair about what
manner of Christmas gift TO present 70
his parents. He didn't mind buying pres
ents. he said: &c was the choosing Of them
that drove him 10 the merry highbau. and
then he rested his head on his hand and
looked so miserable that his hostess, who
Is nothing if not amiable. made up her
mind TO help him If she could.
why don't YOU buy them a drop light
for the lfbrarvP'' she suggested. 81 saw
a perfect beauty downtown the other day
for $3.50 u would be the very thing, /
should think.
,Ihe young man taoggh it over and dc
drop light" ne said "but III is old and
not particularly beautiful. What q help
woman can be to man. TO be sure I
wouldn't have thought of a drop light in
thousand years. Can YOU so down town
with me tomorrow to look at the thing
The girl said she could. And she did
she met MIN by appointment az a certain
library, and then together they Wenued
their way 70 a department store
The young man had exactly S6 In his
pOcketbook. This would be enough. he
thought. for the lamp and box Of candy.
He would have had more. except that ono
of his fellows had borrowed S. from him
just before he left the office.
The lamp was really a very good-loOl1-
ing one. he found, and, with that eNpedi-
ton for which the stern sex is noted, he
ordered il up az once with but one cur
sorry glance In its direction He was TAX
4 ing out his money TO pay for it when his
companion interrupted him.
You viii want the attachments, she
said.
Certainly" replied the man, wondering
the while what attachment a lamp could
have and whether il could be as deep ana
devoted as the one which he felt was
getting hold Of him.
THE burner viii be % cents" said the
Tho masculine shopper added g cents to
$3.50 as hard as be could, and decided that
there wouldn't be any more box of candy
than a jay bought thar evening.
And this little attachment will be 10
cents went on the implacaDle merchant
The young man did little more mental
I arithmetic. and breatned sign When ne
found that he had car fare lett
and the glow mantel VIII be Sl.-5.
went on THIS heartless clerk.
The young man grew quite dizzy with
I figures. He gave the salesman an I'M
ploring look. but that individual was So
busy looking uD other attachments that
: he didn't even see IT, The young man had
I in his pocket n book of street car tickets.
but he couldn't take his companion home
ON them, and he really DIDN'T Know hef
well enough TO admit that De didn't carry
{ with him enough money TO buy humble
/ lamp Ills face grew red. So intense was
: his agitation and SO difficult was it Tor
him 70 decide what he should DO.
And Their 81 was that the eternal fem-
I mime came TO the rescue. Perhaps she
! read CONSERVATION I'm his face but at am
( events. she interfered just in time 20 keen
the man from committing suicide By lea b
/ ing into the elevator shaft
IL wouldn't buy the glow mantel. said
she Perhaps they like the ordinary
! burner best You can find ont diplomatic
ally and without their suspectins-
( Oh. joyl oh. rapture What a sensible
/ creature that EirI was.
Z The yOun@ man conducted her out OF
/ the store. after he had ordered the Iamp
and it's accOutermelts, as teuderly as ~
she had been a piece of porcelain. and
took her home on a car thar was so
crowded that she had her little hat
! crushed TO q cooked one and her little
& temper ruffled; but the next day he sent
I her "a big bunch OF viOlets and n box ot
candy as a mark of his gratitude and
eternal devotion.