Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1907-12-20

W
M11 and let her pick
ont anything she wants within the lin
1t of my spending capacity, and then
I'm going to let her take me around
and fix me up with a pair of embroi
dcrcd suspenders or gold cuff links
or any old thing she likes and that
will make her happy. Neither OF us
has quite got over the effects of the
last holiday season yet.
Such a system, it seemed to me-
would be far more practical than the
miscellaneous guessing. We had been
doing with such decidedly poor re-
suits.
You see, we had been married
Just long enough last Christmas to
wear out our first installment of fur
nilrre, and most of our wedding
gifts Things were looking a little
shabby around the house, so we both
agreed that in selecting our little re.
membranes for one another we ought
to cOnfine ourselves to something
which would be mutually useful and
attractive. Both of us had been Sc
crctly longing for a Morris chair, one
Of those new mission things with big
leather cushions that swallow you up
in a delirium of comfort Mrs. c..
wanted it for the beauty Of the
library and her afternoon siestas and
wanted it for evening recreation We
also needed new portieres, a new rug.
a lamp globe and dozens Of other
things to make our happy home "the
complete house beautiful" but we
we're satisfied always to buy such
things one at a time, and to get what
We wanted at any price
Months before the Christmas sea.
SON began putting by little sum
weekly, with the Morris chair in mind.
Two weeks before the 18th l went
down to a dealers to look at chairs.
had been looking casually for weeks
before, but it was not until l came
upon this particular shop that l dis
covered what l wanted 1t was a
beauty in the darkest and finest of
weathered oak, with all attachments
and pair of fat, greeny-brown leath-
er cushions that fairly felt like pipe
dreams, laced with leather strappings
and tied to the woodwork with
thongs. The minute l saw the chair
I knew it was for me; but the price
was rather staggering. The dealer
wanted sos for it at first, and when
l had got him down to $50, he acted
as though he thought he were giving
the thing away. l thought it best to
hold out little, so l merely requested
that he give me days option on the
chair, and paid a small deposit for
the privilege.
Meanwhile my wife had been saving
every penny, cutting down on The
grocery bill and keeping me on cheap
meats with Christmas in view. 1t
seems that she, too, had a Morris
clair on the brain. On the afternoon
of the same day on which I discover
"l my prize, she strollcd into the
s'ne shop. The first sight of the
c&air was enough for her, and sAe
offered to buy it on the spot. The
& aI2r was inconsolable. He had sold
"" chair, he believed, at least he had
given a gentleman an option on it.
and Inc gentleman had paid deposit,
l"t if madam would leave her name
something might be done.
When my wife spelled out her cog
70 fn, him, no lifted hjc oynbrny-c
in ;,stonis hment That was exactly
tie name and those were the initials
Of The gentleman who had aMsldy
SPOKEN for the chair. My wife thought
for a moment Then she controlled
her emotions and merely remarked
that such condolences were quite
common, and walked out without leav
Ing her address.
Next day hied me to the dealers |
quickly prepared to leave my order |
for the chair. But the dealer did not !
seem half SO inclined to sell. A lady /
had been there it seems-a lady of |
my own name, with the same initials !
odd, was it not?-who was willing !
to give the full price for the article.
Then it was my turn to think. On
the whole, I decided I did not want !
the chair after all. If Ellen wanted |
to buy it, I'd let her have that pleas.
ure. The man seemed glad to give !
ne back my deposit and that was the
last saw of that Morris chair
Christ Gas morning we both fused
about the house expectantly. l won.
dered where on earth Ellen was keep.
Ing my Morris chair After breakfast
unloaded pair of green portieres |
mad bought for her. AS the wrappings
came off I saw her face fall. Then she
went over to a corner and produced
an exactly similar bundle and unrolled
another pair Of green portieres-for
HE.
"'B-but,' l stammered thought
you bought a Morris chair!'
II! o John, didn't you buy 1t
after all?'
And then. in the light Of our under
standing, we wept on one another's
ShOu16orc