Connecticut western news., 1875-02-05
THE STORY OF AN UMBRELLA.

!" I'll wager the best box of cigars in the city" -.-. ,.-Sq
 "Done." +'- .~--
 This short dialogue took place between two young men as they rushed breath lessly down tive flights of stairs, and, seizing hats and umbrellas, issued from l the door of fashionable boarding l house in New York city. A young lady was just stepping upon a horse-car be- 1 fore the door, and both hurried toward | it. The car passed on, leaving; the two lines of aristocratic houses that composed the street wrapped in the mists of the rainy afternoon. -.-. ...- | That evening young lady entered the dining-room of one of these aristocratic houses, and on being chidden fer late ness, rejoined, pettishly:
 "I couldn't help it, mamma. I've been so unfortunate to-day. I declare I could cry" a- ..
 "Why, how? What do you mean s''
 .' (" In the first place, I left my purse on my toilette table, was in such a hurry to catch that car. I stuffed the bank check into my glove for safety. I went to the bank and got it cashed fifty dol lars. you know-and it occurred to me the money wouldn't be safe in my cloak pocket, 50 l lnscrewed the top of the | handle of my umbrella and put the bills l in that hollow within the broad part. 1 Then l went to the photographers and got my proofs, and, for want of better place, I foolishly put those in the hollow, too.---Well, 5 1t rainsd-in- torrents and two young gentlemenwere following me- You needn't look shocked, mamma they were, though they did it very unob- trusiveiy. I've seen both of them be- fore, and l believe they room opposite. At any rate, they got on the car that I 1 did, this noon, and they got on the one came home in. One of them sat next me, and the other near the deor on the opposite side, and if I turned my eyes anywhere but straight forward, I was sure to receive a glance of admiration" "We'n dispense with that part of it, l Mary" :e''-'' .' ': s" l No, we can't, mamma" was the de mure response, flor my confusion, and the fact of my umbrellas dripping all over my dress, caused the catastrophe. l had to set the umbrella aside little, you see, and when I got up to leave the car, both those young. men rushed for the door. It was really comical, mann ma. | was no sooner outside the car than two umbrellas met over my head, and there stood the two young gentle men, both quite determined to escort me ts the house door. I never wanted to laugh so much; but I didn't laugh. ] thanked them with very dignifed bow
 -one apiece-and then producing nay own umbrella from the folds of my water. proof, opened that, and walked off. Mamma, continued the speaker, tragi- cally, CT never will have another um- brella that is like every one else's. u5
 B "I dent see at all what you're coming ts, Mary, said her mother, perplexedly. "What was the trouble2"
 Trouble Why, mamma, when ] got home I found hadn't my own um- brella at all, but some one else's just like mine l"
 "And the fifty dollars and photograph proefsf'' I Were gone.
 "Is the one you have just like yoursa' "Precisely;, black alpaca, with al ivory handle"
 Somebody must have stolen yours, or, rather, exchanged purposely."
 "l don't think 1t, mamma; in fact, ] know they couldn't. No one could have known what was in the handle of mine and the one l brought home is mucl sprucer. I'm sure the person who took mine would never think of looking il the handle." t # ss
 Perhaps not, but you had better ad vertise your umbrella Some of tht seople on the car must have it."
 Two days later appeared an advertise ment to this effect: ss
 "Lost, on Tuesday last, on an Eightl avenue car, at o'clock, black alpacs umbrella, with ornamented ivory handle The finder will be rewarded if it is re turned to No. B. street. - "H'm !" said Miss Mary Armstrong as she glanced oyer5this paragraph in thu mornings paper; ihat'n never briae back the umbrella"
 In the bachelor apartments acrosss tn, street the advertisement was differentl, commented upon. MT. Frank Kennedy who had been tilted back in his arm chair, when his eye fell upon it, sud denly sprang to his feet with the excla , nation:
 By George, I'll win that wager '" ss ytt II wonder, The continued, apprshen
 siyely.T .T if fyCourtenay Il sec it I'll bor
 row his morning paper, for fear he will Why, what airoyal road to an introduc : tion this is I'll take an umbrella-an
 umbrella la-my own wonld answer the de , scription-no, by George! it's too mus
 worn out, and I'd be ashamed of it-an
 go over and present myself. Courtena
 II be fIlrious-ha ha! By George though, howgdi this embrella get s s shabby I've only had il, four weeks ]: I'll go and buy 3 new one, black alpacs l. with Q carved ivory handle, and intro [ duce myself to Miss Armstrong wit t that. I feel the box of cigars already i g tYny pocket. 'a9 Q s;t 3 tG Ess>'2 o7n's SFF}