The Newark journal., 1917-05-10
The Gift

 caught the same train to Lastburg, and . both were just one train later than usual. They dropped into the same seat, and each exhibited a small pack . age as they had been wrapped by the . clerks in the stores where they made . their purchases.
 "Some little present, mfne," Seymour offered.
 The other grinned answer. "Good thing we got together" he agreed. Say, it's lucky our wives birthdays come on the same day, ain't it? Friend wife at my house is surely hard to please"
 Cant be any worse than the missus at my place" Seymour retorted. But two heads, you know better than one woman's idea of what she ought to get for her birthday
 All the way home the men continued their conversation, and they were still laughing when Jermyn elapped Sey- mour on the back at Seymours steps and went on to his own home next door.
 Mrs. Seymour was the first to sus- peet. She saw the men laughing on the sidewalk, and as she kissed her husband she snfffed for the occasional clove odor. It was not th ore and she was puzzled though she knew it must be something It was after Seymour had gone next morning that she chanced to glance into his bureau drawer and knew that he had been there. Then an examination that held nothing of chance revealed the package Seymour had brought home and hidden here. Then q peek and a longer look showed her that there was a necklace in the box. Not for one instant had Mrs. Seymour forgot ten that tomorrow was her birthday, and now she knew that her husband re- membered as well. And then Mrs. Jermyn ran over.
 Mrs. Seymour couldn't resist swear ing Mrs. Jermyn to secrecy and show ing her what splendid husband she had and how much he thought of her witness the birthday necklace. Mrs. Jermyn looked. She could not help but see that it was a nice necklace, and that Mrs. Seymour admired it. She was half sorry that she came over. But she managed to keep envy out of her glance and tone and then she pro- duced the box Jermyn had carried home last night.
 q just happened to run on it. she confided. "He had hidden it away in his den.''
 It was gold watch. A pretty thing. And as Mrs. Seymour looked at it the beauty faded out of her necklace in thought she would have preferred a watch to a necklace, but now she did. Both the women returned the boses to their hiding places.
 The morning after the joint birthday Seymour and Jermyn caught the same train to town. They looked at each other, then they broke into laughter. They clapped each other on the back. Say" Jermyn offered, "the wife is tickled to death with her present. First time I ever succeeded in quite suiting her, too"
 "She can't be any happier than my wife is over her present" Seymour came back.
 An acquaintance in the seat ahead turned. "You fellows talk as if you had discovered the original recipe" he said. Just how do you manage to please your wives with presents, any how? I never could"
 The two men laughed.
 Make them think" began Sey- mour.
 "They are not going to get them," finished Jermyn.
 "As a matter of curiosity" the ac- quaintance went on, what did you fellows give your wives for their birth days, anyway"
 Seymour thought of the necklace he had hidden where Mrs. Seymour would surely find it. "Why," he answered, Il gave mine a nice watch"
 Jermyn chuckled as he remembered how he had put that watch away in the desk in his den. And I gave mine a nrnttv neplxIaca" hp admitted
 "Humph" the acquaintance re- marked, "a watch or a necklace wouldn't satisfy my lady. I'd have to find something more out of the ordi- nary than that"
 "Oh, it isn't giving the gift that does it." Seymour explained.
 "No," Jermyn elaborated, tits the gift of giving"