The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-08-02
A CAPTAINS UMBRELLA.

Captain Fortescue danced for the
best part of one happy evening with
the prettiest girl of the season. And
the gallant Captain fell desperately in
love with her. He went home in the
bright mistiness of an early summer
morning in high fever of excitement,
for he believed that Miss Bracegrdle
viewed him with considerable favor.
The next afternoon he went to call
on her. She seemed to him even more
beautiful in the daylight, and in a
simple dress; he became momentarily
fancied that not only Miss Bracegirdle
but her mother regarded him with
kindly eyes. In that case he had but
to go in and win. He resolved so to
do, and left the house so full of his
passion and his thoughts that he forgot
his umbrella! This was no unusual
circumstance. Captain Fortescue was
given to forgetting his umbrella, and
leaving it in hanson cab or any other
convenient place. Thus it happened
that this which he had now left was the
only one he possessed. The next day
he knew Miss Bracegirdle was going to
an afternoon fete at the Botanical Gar
dens. He intended to meet her there
But it was showery, thunderous weather,
and he felt that to visit the Botanical
Gardens without an umbrella would be
dangerous and difficult Besides, an
umbrella is often admirably useful
during the progress of Above affair.
He had learned by accident that the
Bracegirdles were going out shopping
in the morning. He determined, there
fore, to call and ask the housemaid to
give him his umbrella. Thie seemed
exceedingly simple, but luck was
against Captain Fortescne. The maid
who admitted him on the day before
had this verv morning departed in a
four-wheeled cab with two boxes on the
top of it, her month being up"
A new maid had taken her place-one
of less smiling disposition than the
last
Il called here yesterday afternoon"
said the Captain, land left my UNI
brella; will you let me have it?'
Something in the sternness of the
eyes which were upon him made him
falter. before he had said the last word
of his request; it suddenly occurred to
him that he might find it little diff
cult TO prove that the umbrella in ques-
ton was indeed his own.
mo, thank you," said the maid /;
'I've had enough of that at my last
place. I'm not going to get into trouble
here. Better take to an honest trade,
young man. With which piece of adj
vice she shut the door in Captain For
tescue's face, leaving the officer aston
ished, quenched and crestfallen. He
went straightway and bought new
umbrella. Armed with this, and ad-
mirably attired in other respects, he
went to the Botanical Gardens, where
he met Miss Bracegirdle, who seemed
more beautiful, more charming and
more graceful than ever.
called again, feeling very contented
with himself and his fate. But when
he asked whether Mrs. Bracegirdle was
at home. and the stern maid eyed him
for a silent, awful instant, his spirits
fell strangely.
'sShe is not" said the maid, and shut
the door with an abruptness that gave
him singularly disconsolate feeling.
When, about an hour later, the ladies
came in and the maid brought them
some tea, she said to Mrs. Bracegirdle;
'If you please, ma am, that young man
has been here again who came one day
with the umbrella dodge. He asked if
you were at home-of course he knew
you were not and I suppose he had
some plan of getting into the house;
but I shut the door in his face and
would not listen"
''That'sright, Eliza, said Mrs. Brace
girdle, ''never give them chance to
get inside the hall. There's been too
much of that stealing of coats and UNI
brellas in this neighborhood; it never
would happen with sensible house
msidss~Alpster Harry leaves his things
hankine ia the hall, SO that it would be
quite easy to carry off a coat or UNI
brellasff you left the man there alone
only for q minute. If he is SO impudent
as to come again, the moment you see
who it is shut the door.
TAenext afternoon was Mrs. Brace
gifdle's day sat home" Captain
Fortescue had not intended to 60 then;
he wanted the lovely Miss Bracegirdle
to himself, not surrounded by crowd
of admirers. But rs he had not been
ahla tn goa her the dav before he deter