El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-01-15
Married Life the Third Year
Helen Exchanges One of Her Christ
mas Gifts, but Has Reason
to Regret 1t.
Il
By Mabel Herbert Urner -


/ thing they come tn?" exclaimed Helen
Why. it would cheaper the whole
| apartment"
Warren shrugged his shoulders
| Chuck it out of Eight, then. I'm not
| Keen on having it around"
/ Oh, but dear, we must nave u
\ out somewhere She'll be sure to look
| for it when she comes"
What if she does? Anybody VIVID
| didn't have any more sense than &c
] send a thing like that
| "Oh, she wanted to send something
/ snowy" interrupted Helen she OughI
/ to have known I'd rather have the
/ frowninS at Mrs. OsbOrne's gaudy
! Christmas present, which still ranked
\ in her mind
1t was an electric table lamp with a
cheap glaring red and green glass
! shade The base was a S1lded hal1-
! nude figure of a woman with wind
| blown hair, holding the lamp with an
/ upraised arm 1t was a hideOus exam
/ pie of hideOus type. An to Helen
| whose home was furnished in charm
/ ingly simple things-mOstly antiques
\ the gaudy decorations of this lamp
! seemed to Shrek at her.
J Even Warren had admitted that II
/ was pretty bad" And when Helen
| thought of the sterling silver berry
| spoon she had sent Mrs. Osborne, she
/ resented it even more.
/ L have it." laughed Warren, as
Pussy Purrmew suddenly jumped on
| the table and shifted inquiringly at
| the lamp Chuck it away somewhere
| and say Pussy PurrmeW knocked II
/ over. About time she did something
/ to earn her chopped meat"
Blaming 1t On the Cat.
"Oh, but she couldn't knock It
/ over! She isn't strong enough
| Like to know why she isn't2 She
could get tangled up in that cord, all
! right and pull the whole blame thing
: yes, I suppose she could" admitted
Helen But it's a shame, isn't 1t
kitten-cat?" strOking her soft fur.
TO blame you with something you've
| never dOne?"
But Pussy Purrmew, who was
purringly rubbing her nose against
Helen's hand, seemed quite satisfied TO
take the blame
Long after Warren had gone, Helen's
mind kept revolving around the lamp.
/ Could she really tell Mrs Osborne that
Pussy Purrmew had broken it? Why
not2 At least she was determined not
70 dlSflgure her apartment with its
she do with it? Put it in the maids
room? But Mrs Osborne would be
furious If she ever saw it there
That afternoon Mrs Stevens came by
In her car to take Helen driving.
On, VINO gave you thatZ was al
ard the lamp
Helen laughed. Isn't it dreadfuI?-
Il know who sent it, persisted Mrs.
Stevens, with the familiarity Of a long
friendship Mrs. OsbOrneP'
Helen flushed How did you know
oh, it looks just like her. She
only sent me a card; you know we
haven't been very friendly since Mrs
Dawson's tea But what are you go
ing to do with that?"
Were going to say that Pussy
Purrmew knocked it off and broke it,
laughingly, "and then stow it away
in the trunk room"
'Why not exchange it2'' demanded
Mrs Stevens. I'm sure she got it at
Kahn & Robins s-thats where she al
ways trades. Take it back there and
exchange it for something decent
"Oh, could I do that?'
Why. Of course you can That's
what everybOdy's doing this week-re-
turning the Christmas presents they
don't want Wrap 1t up now and wen
take il right down in the car"
Mrs. Stevens had an Irresistible way
of sweeping aside all objections, and
it ended by the lamp being put in the
bottom Of the car, and the chauffeur
ordered to drive first to Kahn & Rob
bins's.
When they entered the lamp depart
ments they were confronted with a
large table filled with lamps, most of
them plaearded with plainly marked
'Look!" Mrs. Stevens pointed to one
In the center. There's one right now
exactly like yours. What's il marked
-S1.9S2 And I suppose she wanted you
to think she paid twice thatr'
Fifteen minutes later they left the
department with a credit slip for S7.SS.
"Oh, can't help but feel guilty
about" persisted Helen. 1T seems
almost like getting the money back.
Nonsense You don't know how
many of the presents you gave are
being exchanged"
Helen finally decided on an en-
hrOidered tea cloth. the price of which
was S1O.75, so besides her credit cheek
she had to pay $2.77 additional.
"Oh, I'll never be able to say that
Pussy Purrmew broke it That story
seems so far fetched now
Let me write it for you. I'd love
the lamp in one paragraph and tell her
PuSSW PurrmeW broke it in the next -
And when little later, they stopped
again in front Of Helen's apartment,
hurriedly wrote off the note
Listen, isn't this a masterpiece ,"
reading it aloud.
Dear Mrs. OsbOrneI wish TO
thank you for, your charming gilt.
IL was very thoughtful and kind OF
you, and We both appreciate it
But 1 hardly know how to tell
you about the very unfortunate
lLllS lnal happened 70 1t the day
after Christmas. We had the laun
on the table and Pussy Purrmew
In some way got tangled in the cord
and dragged it off Of course. tha
shade was broken, but we are hopine
we may be able to have it fixed. Per-
naps I should not have told you this.
but I feared you might miss the lamD
when SOU called and think we did
not appreciate it"
Doesn't that sound convincing
demanded Mrs Stevens triumphantIy.
Helen admitted that it did, and Mrs
stevens left it for her to copy and
mail.
Mrs. OsbOrne's Reply.
1t was about a week later when |
Helen stopped to pick up some mail
showed under the han door, that she
found a letter addressed in Mrs. Os, /
oorne's handwriting Helen opened |
opened the letter with tremuloUs /
fingers.
My Dear Mrs. Curtis:
I was down at Kahn & RObins's !
his morning and the clerk in the lamp /
department. happened to mention that /
he lamp I had bought there before l
christmas had been returned. To be i
lutte sure, / had the head of the de- i
)artment look it up, and found this
vas correct, and that the credit slip
lad been issued in your name.
I believe you wrote me that your
at had knocked it off the table and I
broken it. I am glad you were able
n have if rannfra6 crrfficfanf1r- MI !