The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-04-14
The Story of an Umbrella.

I'Il wager the best box Of cigars
in the city"
"Donc."
This short dialogue took place be-
tween two young men as they rushed
brcathlcssly down two flights Of stairs,
and scizing hats and umbrellas, is
sued from the door of a fashionable
boarding house in New York city
A young lady was just stepping upon
q horsc.car before the door, and both
hurried toward it. The car passed
on, leaving the two lines Of aristo-
cratic houses that composed tho
street wrapped in the mists of the
rainy afternoon.
That evening q young lady entered
the dining.room Of one Of these aris-
tocralic houses, and, on. being child
den for lateness, rejoined pittishly:
81 couldn't help it, mamma. I've
been so unfortunate today. l de-
clare l could cry"
"Why how? What do you mean ?"
"ln the first place, 1 left my purse
on my toilettc-table, l was in such q
hurry to catch the car. | stuffed the
bank check into my glove for safety.
l went to. the bank and got it cash
fifty dollars, you know and it oc-
Cured 10 me the money wouldn't be
safe in my cloak pocket, so un-
screwed the top of handle Of my um
brella and put the bills in that hollow
within the broad part. Then 1 went
to the photographers and got my
proofs, and, for want Of q better
place, l foo!ishly put those in the
hollow, too. Well it raincd in tor
rents, and two young gentlemen
were following me. You needn't
look shocked, mamma-they were,
though they did it very unobstusivc.
ly. I've seen both Of them before,
and believe they room opposite
At any rate, they got on the car that
| did, this noon, and they got on the
one l came homo in. One of them
sat next me, and the other near the
door on the opposite side, and if
l turned my eyes anywhere but
straight forward, | was sure to re-
ccive q glance Of admiration"
"Wc'll dispense with that part Of
it, Mary"
mo, wo can't, mamma" was the
dcmurc response, "ior my confusion,
and the fact Of my umbrellas drip.
ping all over my dress, caused the
catastropc. | had 10 set the umbrel'
Ia aside Il little, you sec, and when I
got up TO leave the car both these
young men rushed for the door. II
was really comica, mamma. l was
no sooner outside the car than two
umbrellas met over my head, and
there stood the young gentlemen
both quito determined TO escort me
10 the house door. I never wanted
to laugh so much; but 1 didn't laugh
| thanked them with very dignificC
bow-one apiece-and then produc
ing my own umbrella from the folds
of my waterproof, opened that anC
walked off, Mamma" continued The
speaker, tragicalIy, "l never will hav,
another umbrella that is like every
one elsc's."
81 don't see at all what you're com
ing 10, Mary" said her mother, per
pIexcdIy. What was tho trouble ?"
"Troublc? Why, mamma, when
; got home | found | hadn't my owI
umbrella at all, but some one else
just like mino!"
"And the fifty dollars and photo
graph proofs p
"Were gOnc.'
Is the one you havo just lik
yours p
"Precisely, black alpaca, with a
ivory handle"
"Somebody must have stolen your
, or, rather, exchanged purposely."
IL don't think it, mamma, in fact,
know they couldn't. No one coul
have known what was in the hand
of mine and the one brought HON