The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-01-30

"Eh ? slap-up girl, isn't she
Thought you we're sweet that way9"
"Perd-! Oh no, not at all
There's my omnibus. 'By-bye p
Going to propose when he took he,
home from Twig's! By all the powers
he should not take her home from
Twig's!
It had been agreed that I should es
cort Mary Jane to the halls of Twig. Il
was fine night apparently, but I tool
my umbrella. It was a new one. sur
mounted by an aligator's head in Ger
man silver. Fortunately I invoked
Jupiter Pluvius to befriend me, and
hoped that johnson would leave hit
umbrella at home.
! It was less than ten minutes walk
but there was time enough to show O
little preliminary tenderness, if not tc
put the grand question itself. With an
artless girl like Mary Jane, it was best
to approach such subject by degrees.
"Twas just such a night as this,
said softly, "when you and ], Mary
Jane, trod the grassy turf beside that
murmuring brook"
"Oh, I remember |" she exclaimed,
laughing in her guileless way. 81
know what you are going to say. That
was the time you fell over the stile, run
ming away from the bull. And your
nose was done up in sticking plaster,
you know and you scratched my face
with it, sir p
I had forgotten that circumstance
but what did it matter?
"Yes, Mary Jane," I said, passion
ately. "And why did my nose scratch
your face? Because my lips were seek.
ing that paradise which now"
"Good evening, Miss Bowles." 1t
was johnson. I saw his grin in the
moonlight, and-confusion !-he had
brought his umbrella.
There was little dancing at Twig's,
but I had no pleasure in it. My mind
was full of Johnson's umbrella. 1t
came before my diseased vision like
Macbeth's dagger. I clutched at it,
and I had it not.
Time wore on. Istood at the window
alone, and looked out at the weather.
Heavy clouds obscured the moon.
Heavy drops began to fall. Then the
temptation had me in it's grip.
ellis umbrella !" I gasped. "I-IIl
hide it."
"It's going to be a nasty night, after
ALL" said q hated voice at my elbow.
81 believe only you and I have brought
umbrellas. There'll be an awful scrim-
mage for cabs. Luckily we haven't far
to walk.
He was grinning more than ever, but
he could not have heard me. A cab
would not suit him, of course He
wanted to walk home with Mary Jane.
slowly-very slowly, 80 that-frenzy l
would do the deed. I would throw his
umbrella
ooh, Sam, do take me down to re-
freshments. I asked Mr.. johnson, but
he has forgotten me-"
She looked up into my face 80 bewitch-
ingly that my heart thumped as if it
were door-knocker in the grasp OF a
demon postman. Careless brute What
husband he would make! Whereas
in me-in me-she would find.
"Mary Jane" I whispered as we left
the giddy crowd that stood around the
liquids, "Mary Jane, may I see you
home2"
eff you are good boy, perhaps you
may. But here's Mr.. johnson, I owe
him dance"
He took her away, but she looked
back at me with smile. I really never
saw such an artless girl in my life.
And now, to mike assurance doubly
sure, I crept up stairs to the room where
the umbrellas had been left. The gas
was out and the window open. The
melancholy voices of divers cats seemed
20 protest against the crime, but my
nerves were firm. I could see nothing.
No matter; I knew where my enemy
had put his umbrella. T groped for it.
grasped it by the ferruled end. Just
then footstep startled me. rushed to
the window, and dropped the hateful
thing into the black abyss below. There
was splash. Ifelt sardonic JOY. He
had brought his umbrella for fear Of
rain. Well, it might do it's duty in the
waterbutt.
I listened. All was quiet. The next
room was in darkness. There could be
no one there. I went down to the re-
freshment-room, chatted awhile with
Mrs. Twig, and recovered my self-poses-
sion. Then I sought Mary Jane. John
son had just crossed the room to her
when I entered. Suddenly she was
seized with violent fit of coughing. I
ran for glass of water. When re-
turned the coughing became worse than
ever. Yet that unfeeling monster, John
son, grinned until I thought the corners
of his mouth would meet in the nape of
his neck.
When asked if she felt better, Mary
Jane went off again; and presently the
cough was 80 bad that she had to leave
the room. I remarked to johnson that
she must have caught cold; and then he
coughed. No doubt she had been out
on the balcony with him to see whether
the rain had ceased. But wait little,
my grinning friendl
Everybody was now going away.
With fiendish delight I saw johnson
walk up stairs to get his hat and coat
and his-Ha! ha I waited till he
came down. he was perfectly cool,
and-did my eyes mock me ?-he had in
his hand an umbrella! I could not see
the handle, but of course it was mine.
The fellows impudences taggered me.
tore up into the room above. There
was no umbrella there. It was mine
went down, resolved to make an ex-
ample of Johnson. He stood in the hal, !,
leisurely putting on his gloves.
Excuse me-" I said calmly; "but
you have got my umbrella.
"I think not" he replied, with his
everlasting grin.
"But you have, sir ! There can be
no mistake about it. Pray is your um-
brella-handle an alligators's head in
Germ-in solid silver
81 think not" said johnson, cody.
he held up an umbrella. 1t was not
mine!
II am quite ready, Sam. What's the
matter u? You can find your umbrella ?
Oh dear! And Mrs. Twig says she has lent
every umbrella she has. Are you sure
you brought it? Oh, thank you, Mr..