The Mineral argus., 1884-06-26
THE 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 a high fever of excitement, for he be-
lieved that Miss B~racegirdle 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 sim
pie dress; he became momently more
and more in love. And now he 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 TODD, and left the
house SO full of his passion and his
thoughts that he forgot-his umbrella
This was no unusual circumstance. Cap
tain Fortescue was given TO forget
ting his umbrella, and leaving it in a
handsome cab or any other convenient
place.
Thus it happened that this which he
had now left was the only one he pos
sessed. The next day he knew Miss
B~racegirdle vas going to an afternoon
fete at the Botanical Gardens. He in
tended to meet her there. But it was
showery thunderous weather, and he
felt that to visit the Botanical Gardens
without an umbrella would be danger
Gus and difficult. Besides, an umbrella
is often admirably useful during the
progress of a love 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 umbr ella. This seemed
exceedingly simple but luck was against
Captain Fortescue. The maid who had
admitted him on the day before had
this very 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 a less
smiling disposition than the last.
II called here yesterday afternoon"
said the captain, "andleft my umbrella;
will you let nj have it?"
Something in the sterness 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 a little difficult to
prove the umbrella in question was in
deed his own.
"No, thank you," said the maid; 81, We
had enough of that at my last place.
I'm not going to get into trouble
here. Better take an honest trade,
young man." With which piece of
advice she shut the door in Captain
Fortescue's face, leaving that officer
astonished, quenched and crestfallen.
He went straightway and bought a new
umbrella. Armed with this and adj
mirably attired in other respects, he
went to the Botanical Gardens, where
he met Mess Blacegirdle, who seemed
more beautiful, more charming and
more gracious than ever.
AS soon as he seemed at all decent he
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.
"She is not, " said the maid, and shut
the door with an abruptness that gave
him a singularly disconsolated feeling.
When, about an hour later, the la
lies came in, and the maid brought
some tea, she said to Mrs. Brace
eff you please, ma'am, that young
nan has been here again who came one
lay with the umbrella dodge. He
if you were at home-of course
lie knew you were not-and 1 suppose
he had some plan for getting into the
house, but [ shut the door in his face
md would not listen"
'"That's right, Eliza" said Mrs.
3~racegirdle. 'Never give them a
,hance to get inside the hall. There's
,een too much of that stealing of coats
md umbrellas in this neighborhood; it
lever would happen with a sensible
lousemaid. Master Harry leaves his
hings hanging in the hall, so that it
would be quite easy to carry off a coat
n umbrella if you left the man there
lone only for a minute. If he is so
mpUdent as to come again, the moment
-ou see who it is shut the door.
The next afternoon was Mrs. Brace
day 'at home" Captain For
had not intended to go then; he
vanted the lovely Miss Bracegirdle to
imself, not surrounded by a crowd of
dmirers. But as he hadnOt been able to
her the day before he determined to