, 1889-01-10

the umbrella E2d H"t been -
Hut v1uii not listen 70 any further eX-
pIauati"n; Ia" h;ld already said that he st
great >tnr. hv th, umbrella, and l did not
want I" hear that fact again with the rain
Cruliu.- ,lowlI like a wstrrspout, and the wind
LInwiu.- every way n uucr. l Clu~'rl tiS.'
window s:muariy and cut short his F"lu-
hilirv. and t!t.. instant aftcrward heard him
rl!uuin- along towards New Oxford str,Ft -
ii Ia make up for lost time, OF To- oVcrtaLc ..
passing cab uc winch Ia. had probably caught
sight.
II was some tune before could get to sleep
after 50 lengthy q discussion under such pc
culiar circumstances l was annoyed At the
mlu'S Icrtlul.i:y concerning his trumpcrN
umbrella, his il Inference to time, and thv
personal Inconvenience 10 which he exposed
rruy,lr bv his unreasonable request. and lay
in rnnSidcr;.Il" fear Of his third return and
another series of questions at the top of his
lungs But hc came not again, and I dropICl
off to sleep at las,. ami was troubled hy
dreams Of tcInT.csts and t"rnadocS, and white
squalls carrying away whole crosses OF uni
Lrcllas, until Sarah kHuckod at the panels Of
Iny door with her customary information
that 1t was G::m O'Clock
was pcrfurce an curly riser. There was
a great deal to suIcrintend. and my parlor
railway goods traffic department who was
always getting up "ariy and going out Il
business ami letting himself III again with his
latch KEY about : IN tho morning, when hc
expected breakfast ready, and ate it walking;
about the room, rs rule, preparatory To
running away again i'll hot haste. should
hnvc considered Mr.. GOOde an irritable
lud.rr If it had not hvcu for the angelic con
traSt that he afforded to Capt. Choppers. As
it was, he seemed ONLY a little bit fussy and
prcciSa, which was attributable chiefly to his
lot III life Mr. GUUdc was widowcr with
two SorS ut boarding school, and if those
BOYS had lived and died III boarding school,
instead of comin:. home twice year for thu
holidays, | think Bridget and Sarah wOul'l
have rcj"icvd exceedingly.
| remember Nr Giunde a'hrd Sarah that
morning if hc could Sir;tk with Miss NeiId
before lac left, and | went up stairs at once I"
SEQ him. He was walking about with h:S
mouth full and slice of bread and butter Ill
his hand.
That was r dreadful noise last night, Miss
Neild," he began; Il couldn't get wink q:
sleep. The captain, l suppose, again: l I!I;l~t
certainly ask you in my name to present Iay
compliments to him, aud"-
ut was not Capt. Choppers
.'Indeedt No Well, | thought l heard
his voice. said Mr.. GooLe, very much diSaIe
pointed.
There was no humOgcncuusncsS between
Mr.. Goode and Capt. Choppers may say
even that there We're times when they hated
and luathcd each other.
Hes a bcggarly upstart civilian, mad
am, the captain would roar in excited mo-
ments; and He II captain Mr. Goods
would say, with witherinS contempt. Cap
tain of penny steamboat, perhaps, nothing
more"
But TO my strange story.
~ gentleman dropped his umbrella down
the area and knocked inc up for it, ex-
planned, with little acrimonious emphasis.
well, of all the confoundcd impcrti-
ncncc.' exclaimed Mr.. Goode; II should
like to treat that party to q bit of my mind.
You never got up and gave it to him!"
No, l did not
Il am glad to hear that. For you must
tlhe care of yourself, Miss Ncild, and kcc.,
strong. You are not looking well, hc said,
r,f.sarding me with his head on one side ~ if
he had u troublcsOmo wen on the other which
he was anxious tc keep clear of the edge of
his shirt collar, upon my word You are not.
You are pale and fragile looking. \ little
change Mt the seaside now would do you q
world of good"
YES, / dare say it would
This large house is trial to you-and
that captain, with his absurd fancics and his
ridiculous tempers, would worry the life out
of saint-and you arc really locking ex-
tremeiy pale this morning. And-good gra-
cious, had no idea it was SO later
Mr.. Goode swallowed the last portion of
his bread and butter whole and dashed like
n harlequin out of the front door. When he
had gone / surveyed myself in his parlor
glass and wondered if was looking very ill,
or whether, being dismal man, he was try
ing TO frighten me, and arrived Mt the con
cluSion l was looking about the same as Usu-
nl-a prim, pale, pert little pusS, ns my dear
Did dad'called me once, when was arguing
with him on the housekeeping expenses, ami
how the weekly money would never hold out
if lie would continually ask the dodgers i'll TO
supper and game at cribbage aftcrward
Poor dad; he died next year and left me
sole proprietor of the lease and furniture of
the house in ProSSitrr street, and there were
no late suppers and crinhagc any moro. l
was Il when he died, and l had had five
years charge of No 10 since-"gctting quite
an old maid, Lily Brian, who lived next door,
said; but then Lily was four years younger
than /, and assumed upon her youth, rs girls
will. \ nice girl was Lily Brian, and my one
friend and contidantc, but perhaps too fond
Of laughing at everything, although that
showed she was happy and had keen sense
of humOr and u fine set of teeth.
Well, perhaps l was a trife paler, was I:lT-
second conclusion after the first five minutes,
and with tinge OF redncSS-l mere tingc-
about the nose, just if l was breeding u
cold, rs Bridget put i. And this was not
| remarkable, considering last nights expert
| ences, and sure enough the cold was bred be-
fore my early dinner huIr, when the sneez-
ing stage had set in with considerable forcc.
| This reminded me once more of the umbrella
which had been dropped into the area last
night, and asked Bridget to bring il to me-
THE what, m'm:' asked Bridget, with
a wild stare.
The umbrella"
"Umberellcr, and down our airy, did ye
| say, MN. There's not II scrap of umbereller
down our airy. I've been in and out twenty
| tonnes, and must have seen it." continued
| Bridget
Bridget, there must bc an umbrella, " l
| said; ''Go and sec.n
Bridget departed, and returned with the
| information that there was no umbrella in
| the area, and then went and looked for my.
| self. and. rs it was still lrizzIin- with rain
caught another cold on top Of the IirSt one,
and was at fever heat ere twcnty-four hours
| had cnsued. But before then the gentleman
| had called for his property, and | had met
face to face the individual who had rendered
last night hideous
He came at ) il the afternoon, sending IL
his caro- by way or prcrminary annnu-
| ment that he had arrived did not uSr
ate him with the umbrella-indced Y
feeling drowsy and ''out OF sorts, with ;,.
| ct the back Of my head, when huge i
card was presented to me bearing tIic l.
scription in large, fancy letters, of ''tico.- q.
Bird, carver and glider and picture fr.:....
maker, !GT GOswell road, Isliugton, N
Il don't want any picture frames, Sar..
l said to my small help, wearily.
''It's the gentleman about his umbrella
MUM, said Sarah
GOOD heavens! Oh, indeed Well. asl
him to step in, them
My sitting room was a small apartment a
the end Of the long passage, the only littl'
room had to myself and my day Dreams
yes, my day dreams!-whcn the house VA
full, which it had been all these years, fol