The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1875-03-06
"By George!" finished Mr.. Kennedy, ~beine
ON the car, you know, felt as | might say, in
terested, YOU know"

sake, but for the sake of fifty dollars and some
Photographic proofs, which were screwed into
the handle"
och By George!"
Constraint was forgotten in the sudden sur
prise created by this statement Before half
an hour had passed, the three were quite at
ease together. They passed frem speculation
about the fate Of the umbrella to the weather,
and to locality and season, to amusements and
to music. When they left, it was with the un-
derstanding that there might be future visits.
However, neither of the young gentlemen
had his cup of satisfaction full to the brim, be-
cause of the other. Not sentence did either
utter as they crossed the street. In the upper~
hall of the boarding house at last Mr. Kennedy
broke silence:
~ say, Courtenay, when did you see that ad
"About eight this morning." was the laconic
response, as the one addressed tumble with
his key.
"And you went down town and"
ri always 60 down town"
.i1i pshawl Das. Z be hi fshf--sss.i rfi.:--
wen J.uown IowH az d bought an umbrella. IN ,
no, ho, no p And Mr.. Kennedy's voice grew
fainter as be retired into the depth Of his dress
ing room. Presently be emerged therefrem,
and shouted across the hall
"Well, we neither of us won the cigars. Both
got introduced the same minute, by George !
Lets go halves on box"
"All right" responded Mr.. Courtenay, and
shut his door, soliloquizing, as he stroled to the
front window and gazed on the house opposite,
GAS if l cared for cigars %
1t was noticeable after this that the young
gentlemen both cared very much tor two things.
They cared for their front windows, and they
cared more yet for the owner OF the lost um-
| brella, the lady of No. 8.
The umbrella was not returned 1t became
thing of the past. Whether or not Miss Arm.
strong had the light silk dress is uncertain, but
taking into consideration the number of enter
tainments she attended, first with Mr. Kenne-
dy, then with Mr.. Courtenay, and so on, it is
safe to assume that she did. And the winter
wore away.
Now the state Of feeling between Miss Arm
strongs two cavaliers was anything but cordial.
To say that they avoided each other is a mild
description They insisted on being apart
Instead OF having social cigar together, they,
whenever they spent an evening in, sat apart
in moody unapproachability. Toward spring
matters grew still worse, aud Mr. Kennedy be-
came oblivious of his former friends existence.
He, moreover, ceased going to Ne 8 entirely,
and, to Mr.. Courten9ys amazement, appeared
to have made up his mind to course OF dssi.
patton. Probably this did not agree with his
health, for toward the middle of March he be-
came invisible for several days, aid it was re-
ported that he ill., Confinement and soli-
tude are terrible affections TO volatile persons.
So it happened that, one windy March evening,
neuralgia and lonesomeness conquered pride,
and he sent a message to know if Courtenay
would "come over"
Courtenay had no engagement and no objec-
ton. He was really shocked at the change in
his friends appearance, and was so cordially
sorry for him that Mr.. Kennedy leserve utter
ly relaxed.
"You're a good fellow, Courtenay; but it
isn't neuralgia altogether that is using me up.
There are things worse than neuralgia, by
Georgep
His hearer replied, "Of course-of course
there are"
"Thercs nothing" resumed the invalid
"nothing in this world, and hope nothing in
the next, so bad aoom,en.'
"Women?" echoed his surprised companion.
"They're the coldest-the-by George! l
never saw a woman who had heart. Did
your"
Mr.. Courtenay wondered vividly whether the
lady across the street possessed one but he
only said vaguely:
ga rather strong statement"
Mr.. Kennedy nodded grimly.
"You'll come to my conclusion--you're re on She
way to it now. You have been ever since that
confounded umbrella matter. l say, old fell
low, I've great mind to save you, the preach
ers say, from yourself. Eh ?"
"I don't follow you. But go ahead, by all
means"
"a month ago." resumed Mr.. Kennedy, sol
emnly-"just month Tonight went over
to No. to make a call. Frankly, l went for
more than that-to make declaration, and
had every reason to think I'd be accepted, if
smiles and bushes and all that are signs. Miss
Armstrong was alone, and was playing some
sentimental thing other on the piano; and,
by George how sentimental felt myself =
1t makes me sick now to think of it. We went
into the conservatory to look at the stars, and
then and there made fool of myself and
m at
standing in draught staring at the sky-I
know that's the way got this neuralgia-and
when / had finished, and stood there feeling
that life or death depended on her answer,
what do you think she said?"
Mr.. Courtenay responded, in q strangely
muffed tones, that he hadn't an idea.
"Give guess"
81 can't. Go ahead"
"She said, and l could have sworn she was
laughing, why, Mr.. Kennedy, don't you know
I've made VOW? Pm going to marry some
one.' gasped out, 'Who?' THE person who
returns my umbrella Confound umbrellas ?"
finished Mr.. Kennedy, savagely kicking the
| table leg.
Mr.. Courtenay's face, surrounded by wreaths
of tobacco smoke, was very solemn indeed
1t was more solemn still the next morning at
| the breakfast table. For almost week it was
as dolorous as the weather, and not once did
he sit in his accustomed place at the front
| window or call at No. 8.
Crank" he shouted one morning across the
hall, "lend me your umbrella, will you? l
can't find either of mine"
There was q sound of rummaging in Mr..
Kennedy's apartment, then an umbrella came
flying across the passage, and landed on the
door mat.
@You'd better loose it somewhere down town."
grcwled the owner. 81 never want to see it
| again."
In similar gloomy mood, Mr.. Courtenay
began to perambulate the rainy and muddy
streets. Whether his state of mind made him
desperately careless and oblivious of his fell
low pedestrians is uncertain. At any rate, he
came in violent contact with hackman, and
was sent staggering blindly back into a door
way by the force of the conclusion. AS for the
| mbrella, it looked like wrecked vessel, for
three of its ribs were broken, and the stick,
minus the handle, pointed protestingly upward.
The handle was still clutched in Mr.. Courte-
nays hand, but that too seemed suddenly to
have become rckety. AS he tossed it angery
against the opposite wall it fell back disjoint-
ed, and little roll of papers tumbied at Mr..
Courtenay's feet. For once in his life, and on
ly once, the latter individual was betrayed IN,
to using his friend Kennedy's favorite expires
sion, "By George"
He did not &c down town, but returned home
and shut himself up till after dinner. AT sew
en- o'clock he might have been seen crossing
- street, with disreputable looking um-
brella in his hand, which just held together
and that was all. Bearing this, he entered
Miss Armstrong; presence, and answered her
merry inquiry as to where he had been the
last week, briefly.
"Tve been finding your umbrella. Here 1t
is."
Somehow it took a great while for Miss Arm
strong to understand how it come about. she
was freshly amazed every five minutes to think
that cher identical umbrella" had been all this
time in Mr. Kennedy's possession, just across
the street. And to think, beside, that she had
taken Mr. Kennedy's umbrella on the horse
car 1t was the very strangest thing thateyer
happened, and she must go straight and tell
mamma all about it..
"But you have not done your BEST" inter-
posed Mr.. Courtenay. "You said the finder
would be suitably rewarded"
"For returning q soh0le umbrella. Thanks
pay fer broken one, replied Miss Armstrong,
saucily.
"Do you think so3 But you have to keep
your vow beside" said Mr.. Courtenay, with
perfect gravity.
"she looked at him with wide eyed surprise,
then flushed and faltered as she asked,
"What vow9
"TO marry the person who returned your
umbrella" -
"oh !" was the hOrried response. "Did Mr..
Kennedy -.
Speaking Of Mr.. Kennedy, that individual
was interrupted as he was lighting his first ci-
gar on the following morning by tap at the
door, at which appeared Mr.. Courtenay, hold
inc In unhralla