Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-12-05
The Evening Story
MY WIFE'S
Birthday
b. Carl SARGENT CHASE

4 4
b. cAFu. SARGENT CHASE
my dear" said to ny wifs. ''nsxt
Thursday viii b. your birthday. You
know how busy I am and bow the fur
nishing Of gifts for members Of the
family diskressse me. Bobby must
have birthday gift for you a. we'll
a. me. and I must provide his q well
a. mine. VIII you please relieve mo
Of the responsibility BY buying some
thing for me to give you and some
thing for Bobby 10 give your
This was not displeasing to my wife,
for she 10 . frugal woman and would
rather buy gifts for herself than that
I should buy them for her. fearing
that would be too extravagant In the
matter. Beaides, she has for some
time provided the family gifts for
birthdays and Christmas. However.
there Is one feature Of the matter that
needs careful attention. Our boy, Bob
BY, aged ten. u not taken into the
secret He II supposed to assume that
I buy his and my own gifts for biz
mother.
On this anniversary, being very much
engaged. after throwing the burden on
my wifs's shoulders I did not even
take the precaution to have the usual
consultation with Bob as to what /
should procure for him for his mothers
birthday. The day before the annivsr-
sary came round suddenly remember.
ed the matter. reminded him Of It and
asked him what he would like to give.
He prefers to pay for his gifts out of
his own money and, having an eye to
business, suggested candy. well know
ing that nine-tenths OF It would 60 Into
bis own stomach. He gave me the
money for the purchase. and I straight
way informed his mother of his choice.
telling her just what kind Of sweets
he preferred for her, or, rather, for
himself.
My wife left a box containing my
gift for her in my closet. and 90 busy
was that never thought to look at
It The afternoon before her birth
day we walked out together, and, dur
ing the walk she dropped In at candy
store and. finding better article than
Bob had suggested for less money.
bought It, carefully instructing me a.
to the reasons l should give Bob for
the change from his order.
That evening / took Bob into my
study. shut the door 20 that his mother
could not overhear our conversation
and showed him the candy, explaining
at the same time why the change had
been made. Unfortunately I told him
double the price paid. He heard me
through then said: ~
Papa, didn't suppose you would
allow any one to make such . guy Of
you"
what do you mean r I asked, quite
taken aback.
ITO charge you 80 cents for half .
pound OF candy"
Not being able to explain the matter.
l tried to get out Of 1t BY directing his
attention elsewhere, 80 / took the box
containing my own present for bis
mother from the closet and began to
open 1t.
Now. 1t suddenly occurred to me that
/ was ignorant of the contents Of that
box. While unwrapping It Bob asked
me several times what 1t was.
"You shall see" said But the I'M
patient Bob did not see, for there was
knot In the string that bound It
which found It difficult to unite, %
kept repeating. "You shall see. my boy.
what it Is II you win only be patient"
When l got the cover OF I discovered
that the gift had been packed in ex-
celsior, and was obliged to hunt for
it This caused more delay, during
which Bob continued to ask "What 10
ity' and l to reply you shall See"
But was cornered after all. for when
/ produced q little round glass recep-
tacle profusely gilded, with q hole In
the cover, l didn't know what It was
"what II It, papar' again Bob que
ried, this time with q new meaning,
for he had never seen one Of the kind
before any more than had.
Here was q pretty predicament I
had bought a present for mother with
ont knowing to what use 1t was to be
put That was q dead giveaway. l
looked it over. turned 1t upside down
and took of the lid. but for the life OF
me | could not make out for what 1t
was intended. Finally l haxardeI:
"Why, don't you know what that II.
Bob? Why, it's IA thing . lady puts
on her bureau to hold powder. and
that hole in the top II for the handle
of the thing she puts the stun on her
face with. The handle sticks out
through the hole"
Having said this ] directed Bob's at.
tention again to his own present and
he asked me II It would b allowable
for him to take just onA