New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-21
CONCERNING UMBRELLAS.

And feel I'm boy once more.
New Orleans, February IS, 1875.
CONCERNING UMBRELLAS
I'm wager the best box of cigars in tn
city"
-Done."
This short dialogue took place between
two young men az they rushed breathlessl,
down two flights of stairs, and. Selling hat
and umbrellas, issued from the door Of
fashionable clearinghouse ON - street
stepping upon q horse car before the door
and DO tn hurried towardit The car passed
on, lea wing the two lines of aristOcratit
houses that composed the street wrapped il
the mists Of the rainy afternoon.
That evening young lady entered thu
diningr DOM of one of these aristOcratit
houses, and on being chidden for lateness
rej0ined, pettishly:
II couldn't help it, mamma. I've beer
90 unfortunate to-day. declare l could
cry"
"Why, how! What do you mean9"
''In the first place, left my purse on my
toilet table, was in such hurry to catch
that car. Stuffed the hank check into my
glove for safety. l went to the bank and
got it cashed-$5O, you know-and it
0ccurr ed to me the money wouldn't be safe
of the handle of my umbrella and put the
bills n that hollow within the broad part.
Then / went to the photographers and got
my proofs, and, for want of q better place,
1 foo lishly put those in the hollow too.
Well, it rained in torrents, and two young
gentlemen were following me. You needn't
look shocked, mamma-they were, though
they did it very unobtrusively. I've seen
Dot If them before, and I believe they
room ppOsite. At any rate, they got on
the car hat l did, this noon, and they got
an the ono came home in. One of them
sat next 10 me, and the other near the door
on the Opposite side, and if l turned my
eyes anywhere but straight forward I was
sure to Receive glance of admiration"
Wary"
"NO, We can't, mamma" was the demure
response, 'f"r my confusion, and the fact
of my umbrellas dripping over my dress,
caused the catastrophe. 1 had to set the
umbrella asid a little, you see, and when l
got up to leave the car, both these young
men rushed for the door. 1t was really
cOmica mamma. l was no sooner outside
the car when two umbrellas met over my
head, and there stood the two young gen.
tlemen both quite determined to escort me
to the house doe; Ineyerwanted to laugh
so much; but l didn't laugh. 1 thanked
them with 3 very dlgniGed bow-one
apiec e-and then producing my own UNI.
brella from the folds of my waterproof,
opened that and walked off. Mamma"
continued the spraker, tragically, 90 ncrer
will have anorher umbrella that is like
every one elses.'
81 don't see at all what you are coming to-
Mary" said her mother, perplexedly
"What was the troubled"
TROUBLED Why. mamma, when got
home found hadn't my own umbrella at
sllI. buf sOma OnA plsp'a mat like rniDev'
yroofs9'
Were gone"
"Why, you careless girl! How could you
nave done such q thingF
1T j. - 2 greatest shame in the world that
unior- re made 30 much alike" was the
vexed ,eponse.
eli vne you have just like yours!'
p ,sely; black alpaca, with an ivory
lsn0io."
- ..nebody must have stolen yours, or,
RI r, exchanged purposely."
don't think, mamma; in fact, l know
they couldn't. No one could have known
what was in the handle of mine; and the
one brought home is much sprucer. I'm
sure the person who took mine would never |
think of looking in the handle"
Perhaps not"
"But mamma, want the fifty dollars, |
else how can ! have that light silk DRESS"
Il dare say you do, but you can't have it |
just now"
..But must have it," And the speaker |
ooaxingly put her hand ON her mothers |
arm.
Nonsense. Advertise your umbrella. |
Some of the people on the car must have it," |
Two days later appeared an advertisement |
in the Herald to this effect:
LOsT.-on Tuesday last on an Eighth, Avenue
car, at six O'Clock, black alpaca umbrella with 1
a. fndpr Rill he ra-
warded if it is returned to No. g. street.
"H'm!" said Miss Mary Armstrong, as she
glanced over this paragraph in the mornings
paper; "that'u never bring back the um-
brella."
In the bachelor apartments across the
street the advertisement was differently
commented upon. Mr.. Frank Kennedy,
who had been tilted back in the arm chair,
when his eye fell upon it suddenly sprang
to his feet with an exclamation:
"By George, IN win that wager!'
81 wonder" he continued, apprehen-
sively, "if Courtenay III see itl I'll borrow
his morning paper for fear he will. Why,
what royal road to an introduction this is!
I'll take an umbrella-any umbreIla-my
own would answer the descri ption-no, BY
George! it's too much worn out, and I'd be
ashamed OF it-and go over and present
myself. COurtenay III be furious-ha! ha!
BY George, though, how did this umbrella |
get 50 shabbyf I've only had it four weeks.
III 60 buy new one black alpaca with a |
carved ivory handle, and introduce myself
to Miss Armstrong with that feel that
box of cigars already in my pocket"
Mr.. Kennedy walked across the hall and
tapped thrice, each time louder, upon the
opposite door. Getting no answer, he called
through the key hole.
II say, COurtenay?"
No reply. Mr. Kennedy shook the door,
then hailed the chambermaid.
Where's Mr. COurtenayl'
Gone down town. Sir, half an hour ago"
Mr.. Kennedy, searching dis
tractcdly for hat and gloves. sayw-to
inc hambermaid-"where's the nearest |
stOre!"
hight round the corner" II
run out and buy me an umbrella, will |
your There's good soul! Take this bill,
and keep the change, and get me black
alpaca umbrella (ladies' size, remember +,
natl with "a, an ornamented ivory handle.
"All right, SIR" Il
"And hurry-do!' Ii
The maid vanished, and Mr.. Kennedy q
began to make himself irresistible as far az j
taste would allow. He met the returning | 3
hambermaid at the door, inspected the | b
Umbrella in the hall, and then triumphantIv | \
marched across the street. He rang the n
,ell, inquired confidently for Miss Arm.
trong," and was ushered in. With um. h
rella still in hand, he walked into the par. A
Dr., but was arrested and stricken speech. q
- almost on the threshold by the sight Of l,
u chum, Ellis Courtenay, who, also hold b
Il an um brella in hand, occupied an easy 4