THE GIFT THAT FAILED,

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 61, 9 September 1905, Page 10

THE GIFT THAT FAILED,

lfr,s. Weston is on* of. those busy women who always leaves everything until the eleven-thirtieth hour, bo it happened thfltj having purchased a bust of Dickens to present to her pretty niece and namesake, Elaine, [as a wedding ' gift, she neglected sending it to her until the eventful day, whereupon it came to pass that She decided to> carry it in her own proper person. The day of the wedding the thermometer promised to break all previous records by sending its mercury higher every minute, Until by eleven o'clock Mrs. Weston, who had done a hundred and one things in ordei to get ah early start, felt too exhausted to take even a Jlook at the bulky box in which the great writer's replica was supposed to rest. Shfe had'had nb rest, and as her niece lived on the South Side, while her own home was on the north shore, it was no easy task to start off with ;a cumbersome box in her arms. She did^sb manfully, thollghi she knew that its weight and' the slift combined were fast reducing both her ,and her cotaplexion to anything but a stiite of beatitude. She climbed the stairs of the elevated, falling over her trailing skirt as she did so, but unable to hold it lij> because her arms we're otherwise engaged. A. gust of hot wind had given a vicious tug at her hat, and she could feel trickling drops of perspiration washing off the last dab o^powder 1 , hastily pub on as a finishing touch. But through all the discomfort and the weariness she was buoyed by the th6ugßt that Eiai,no would have the gift On 'her wedding day, and would see it before she. started away on the European trip, which was to make the honeymoon memorable. She reached the house, much the worse for weaT, but in time to help adjust the bride's veil, and to catch tne curiosity in that young-lady's eye at the Right of the big, clumsy box, which auntie had^ carried all the way from the lforth shore, touch to the detriment of both her' gloves and her teinpjfr. ' ' ' "Oh, I know Aunt Ellie has brought something beautiful. , Dear auntie, you always shqw such perfect tasto'and discrimination in selecting your giftsl Won't you tell nic what is in the b&si?" ■ "No," ; ;said "dear auntie," "but if you will ge^ine a, hatchet, I'll pry open the cover and show you." Sonje one brought the required implement, and surrounded by the bridesmaids in their fluffy white gowns, aunlio caiefully, opened the box, still more carefully lifte/1 some sheets of protecting paper, arid' then,' With a great gasp, fell back int.o hysterics, for the box which she ha y d carried, so far and so carefully as a gift to a niece who 'had made the bdsfc match of the season, contained one dozen bottle's of 'household ammonia. —Chicago Record Herald.