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

| speculation ABOUT the tate OF Cn0 UNI r0lla
to the weather, and to locality and season
to amusements and to music. When they
left, it was with the understanding thai
there might be future visits.
| However, neither of the young gentlemen
had his cup of satisfaction full to the brim
because Of the other. Not q 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
| advertisement
"About eight this morning." was the
lacOnic response, as the one addressed FUN.
bled with the key.
"And you went down town and"
81 always go down town"
"Oh, pshaw! Don't be high and mighty
You went down town and bought an uin.
brella. Oh, no, no, hop And Mr.. Ken
nedy's voice grew fainter as he retired into
the depth of his dressing room. Presently
he emerged therefrom, and shouted across
the hall:
"Well, we neither of US won the cigars.
Both got introduced the same minute, by
George! Let's 60 halves on q box"
"All right" responded Mr.. COurtenay,
and shut his door, sOlilOquizing. as he
str0lled to the front window and gazed on
the house opposite, 'As if 1 cared for
cigarss"
1t was noticeable after this that the young
gentlemen both cared very much for two
things. They cared for their front win.
dows, and they cared more vet for the
owner of the lost umbrella, the lady of
Nos.
The umbrella was not returned. 1t be-
came thing of the past. Whether or not
uncertain, but taking into consideration the
number of entertainments she attended,
first with Mr.. Kennedy, 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
Armstrong; two cavaliers was anything
but cordial. To say that they avoided each
other is mild description. They infested
on being apart. Instead of having social
cigar together. they. whenever they spent
an evening in, sat apart in moody unap-
probability. Toward spring matters
grew still worse, and Mr.. Kennedy became
oblivious of his former friends existence
He, moreover, ceased going to No. en-
tirely, and, to Mr.. Courtenay's amazement,
appeared to have made up his mind to
course of dissipation. Probably this did
not agree with his health, for toward the
middle of March he became invisible for
several days, and it was reported that he
was i'll. Confinement and solitude are ter
rible affections to volatile persons. So it
happened that, one windy March evening.
neuralgia and lonesomeness conquered
pride, and he sent q message to know if
COurtenay would "come over
C0urtensy had no engagement aud no OBJ
lection. He was really shocked at the
change in his friends appearance, and was
SO cordially sorry for him that Mr.. Ken
nedy's reserve utterly relaxed.
you're good fellow. Courtenay; but
II icn't 1u;o oil tLoA .,
me up. There are things worse than neu-
ralgia, by George"
His nearer replied: "Of course-of
course there are"
"There's nothing" resumed the inva-
in this world, and l hope
nothing in the next, so bad as women"
''WOmen!" echoed his surprised CON-
panion.
'They're the coldest-the-by George!
never saw a woman who had a heart!
Did your"
Mr.: Courtenay wondered wildly wheth-
Or the lady across the street possessed
one; but he only said, vaguely:
IA rather strong statement"
Mr.. Kennedy nodded grimly.
you'll come to my cOnclusiOn-you' re on |
he way to it now. You have been ever |
'lnce that COMPOUNDED umbrella matter. l |
ay, old fellow, I've a great mind to save |
you, as the preachers say, from yourself. |
Gh!"
;, 81 don't follow you. But go ahead, by
"a month ago." resumed Mr.. Kennedy,
a month to.night-I went
'ver to No. 8 to make call. Frankly, l
vent for more than that-tO make q de-
laration, and l had every reason to think
d be accepted, if smiles and bushes and
ii that are signs. Miss Armstrong was
lone, and was playing some sentimental
hing or other on the piano; and. by George!
low sentimental l felt myself! 1t makes
ne sick now to think of it, We went into
he conservatory to look at the stars, and
hen and there made a fool of myself, and
made a declaration at the same time. l
vas standing in u draft staring at the sky
know that's the,way got this neuralgia
nd when had finished, and stood there
selling that life or death depended on her
nswer, what do you think she said :"
Mr.. C0urtenay responded, in strangely
,uff1ed tones, that he hadn't an idea
Give q guess"
II can't. Go ahead"
"She said, and l could have sworn she
as laughing, why, Mr.. Kennedy, don't
OIL know I've made vOw9 I'm going to |
The person who returns nv UMBRELLA
onfound umbrellasw finished Mr Kennedy, |
svagely kicking the table leg.
Mr.. COurtenay's face, surrounded by |
resths of tobacco smoke, was very solemn |
deed. 1t was more solemn still the next |
orning at the breakfast table. For almost |
week it WAS as dOl0r0us as the weather,
I'D not once did he sit in his accustomed |
ACE ct the front window or call at No. 8.
Frank, /" he shouted one morning across
10 hall, "lend me your umbrella, viii! you |
can't find either of mine."
There was sound of rnmmaging in Mr..
apartment, then an umbrella
me flying across the passage, and landed
/ the door mat.
"You'd better lose it somewhere down !
wn," growled the owner. II never want
see it again"
In similar gloomy mood Mr.. COurtenav
gan to perambulate the rainy and muddy
reefs. Whether his state Of mind made
8 fellow pedestrians is uncertain. At any | t
te, he came in violent contact with
hickman, and was sent staggering blindly t
ok into doorway BY the force of the |
ncussiOn. As for the umbrella, it looked | p
re wrecked vessel, for three Of its ribs g
ere broken, and the stick, minus the Enp,l {
Q, pointed protestingly upward. I'M
ndle was still clutched in Mr.. Courtenay's | |.
nd. but that too seemed suddenly to have /,
come rlckety. AS he tossed it angrily | q
ainst the opposite wall it fell back dis a
nted, and little roll of papers tumbled v
Mr.. Courtenay's very feet. For once in "
J life, and only once, the latter individual "
Is betrayed into using his friend Ken C.
dy's favorite expression, "By Georgew I
lie did not 60 down town, but returned n
me and shut himself up till after dinner c
seven o'clock he might have been seen ii
'esing street, with disreputable Y
1sr~ sn hand vDhsoh I h
ID together, and that was all. Bearing Il
8. he entered Miss Armstrong; presence, p