The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-06-29
The Colonel's Umbrella,
BY II. s..

more quickly. He snapped the ashes
from his cigar, paced to the farther end
of the veranda, and returning to the
, q~acstioner's side he said:
Harry, what made you ask me that
question:"
The young man upon whose shoulder
the colonel's hand rested lightlya lifted
his eyes in astonishmcnt. Evidently the
colonel is deeply moved. As evidently
the young man is at his wits ends to find
possible reason for the others honest
toned voice, which seems to have search
ed out the motive for asking the question
which opens my story.
"Why, all men marry; that is, mon
of means, or, at least they should marry"
"You have not"
"And for a good reason. 1 am not
able"
'You could keep up a very comforta-
BILE household if you were not-wcll,
what you are," said the colonel us he
moved away.
"Ah, hold on, colonel! Don't leave
me in that mattcr-of-fact MANNER" said
the young man. But the other paid no
attention to his words. He went down
the steps and walked slowly away in the
moonlight.
81 know what he means. He might
just as we'll have told me in so many
words that I was q spcndthrift. Hang
it all! I know I am very careless about
money matters. If had been forced to
win my way up from the ranks it would
have been different. l would then know
, the value of a dollar. All, we'll! Life is
short, my dear colonel, and here she
comes"
Was it the tap-tap Of the tiny shoes or
the frou-frou of the snowy skirts that
made Harry Lancaster's heart throb tu-
m~ultuously2 1t was both, and the know
ledge that the woman he loved better
than all the world was approaching.
Rising, he lifted his hat, tossed his cigar
over the rail and offered this charming
creature in white his chair.
"Do not get up, Mr.. Lancaster; I
merely came out for n sh Tor walk up and
down the veranda. Isn't it lovely eve
ming" There was q witchery in the
tones of that low, sweet voice. Harry
Lancastcr's heart pumped away more Wig
orously than ever in his bosom. If the
veranda roof hadn't been cavc-fringed
with ivy, the moonlight would have dis
closed the hot flush that mantled the
young mans face. Bowling low, he was
one of the most polite men alive, he said:
1T is, indeed, a delightful evening.
If you will not accept my chair, will you
permit me to offer you my arm for the
s~troll?"
r She laid her pretty white hand upon
his arm. When they reached the other
end of the vcranda they turned to retrace
their steps.
"Ah, was that not a fre-fy9 Over
there among those bushes to the right2
See-there it is again. Now it has dis
appeared"
'It may be a FREELY, but it is my opin-
ion that the colonel is smoking a cigar
there among the shadows" said Harry.
els that charming old beau here2' she
suddenly asked, allowing her hand to
slip from the others arm.
"He came this afternoon"
"And as I was not down to tea I did
not meet him."
"You seem to be well acquainted with
the colonel, Miss Lislc."
"Fairly. Really I ought not to have
spoken SC shamefully about him. He is
a perfect gentlcman-but I detest that
quaint idea Of his strange umbrella"
"Umbrellal What umbrella, may I
Inquirer asked Harry.
"Why, have you never heard about
the colonel's umbreua2"
Never"
Colonel Stone possesses a blue, old
fashioned umbrella which is supposed to
be a very potent love charm; or, in other
words, when he invites a lady to share
his shelter against the rain the lady's
heart is won forthwith. Strange, is it
mott"
81 should dislike you to accept its
shelter" softly said Harry, lifting the
white hand and pressing it to his lips.