The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1907-12-12

II of my spending capacity, and then
I'm going to let her take me around
and fix me up with a pair of embroi'
dered 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 aystem, II 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.
niture and most Of our wedding
gifts Things we're looking 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
cretly longing for a Morris chair, one
Of those new mission things with big
IN a delrium of comfort. Mrs. G
wanted It for the beauty of the
| library and her afternoon siestas and
wanted II for evening recreation. We
also needed new portieres, new rug,
lamp globe and dozens of other
things to make our happy home the
complete house beautiful but we
were 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 25th ! went
down to a dealers to look at chairs.
| had been looking casually for weeks
| before. but IL was not until | came
upon this particular shop that ] dis.
! covered what | 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 ] saw the chair
/ knew II was for me; but the price
was rather staggering The dealer
wanted $05 for Il at first, and when
| had got him down to $50, he acted
as though he thought he we're giving
the thing away. ! thought II best to
hold out a little, so 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. II
seems that she, too, had a Morris
chair on the brain. On the afternoon
of the same day on which / discover.
| ed my prize, she strolled into the
same shop. The first sight of the
chair was enough for her, and she
offered to buy 1t on the spot The
dealer was inconsolable He had sold
the chair he believed, at least he had
given a gentleman an option on It
and the gentleman had paid a deposit,
but II madam would leave her name
something might be done
When my wife spelled out her cog
nomen for him he lifted his eyebrows
in establishment. That was exactly
the name and those were the initials
of the gentleman who had already
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 II seems-a lady Of
my own name, with the same Initials
odd, was II not?-who was willing
to give the full price for the article.
Then 1t was my turn to think. On
the whole, | decided | did not want
the chair after all. II Ellen wanted
to buy it, I'd let her have that pleas.
ure, The man seemed glad to give
me back my deposit and that was the
last saw of that Morris chair
Christmas morning we both fused
about the house expectantly / won.
dered whore on earth Ellen was keep.
ing my Morris chair After breakfast
unloaded a pair of green portieres /
had bought for her. As the wrapplngs
came of 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
me.
"'B,but, l stammered I thought
you bought a Morris CHART
"Il o John didn't you buy It
after all?
And then. In the light Of our under.
standing, we wept on one anothers
shoulders"
See - 81. --.