The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-11-02
THE MAJORS UMBRELLA.

ssIsn't she ridiculous?' said Fanny
Drew.
sT declare" gasped Rhoda Filley, 'sTve
laughed until my sides ache!'
''You ought to be an actress, Patty
Price," said Mary Ellis.
The girls stood around, in a little
group, laughing and applauding. TWAS
dull, rainy day, and business was not
brisk at the ''Dry Goods and Fancy En-
porium" on the corner of Main street and
Willow avenue.
Mai. Carson had just been in to look at
yellow silk pocket handkerchief tall,
slender man with very black eyes, and a
complexion that matched the pocket
handkerchiefs-and had gone away,
leaving a curious old Madras silk UNI
brella with a hooked ivory handle, carved
In the similitude of a stork's head, on
the counter.
And Martha Price, the youngest, mer-
riest and prettiest of all the shop maid
ems, had caught it up, twisted a yellow
bandanna around her neck, put one of
the NEWEST styles" Of gentlemen's felt
hats on the side of her chestnut curls,
and was parading down the middle of
the side aisle, with an excellent imitation
of the half halt that characterized Maj.
Carson's gait. Even Mr.. Hoyt, the dig
nified floor walker, looked on from dis
lance and smiled.
''That Patty Price is a regular little
lump of withcraft," said he to Miss DAILY,
the cashier. "Just look at her, will you?
I'm told she is capital in private theatre
Gals. And she is certainly very pretty"
"Ye-es," primly assented Miss DAILY.
She had nothing against Patty Price,
but it is hard for woman of 30, afflicted
with chronic neuralgia, to sympathize
heartily in the praises of woman thirty
years her junior.
Just at the moment when the laughter
was loudest, the store door noiselessly
opened, Mai. Carson himself re-entered.
"Did l leave my umbrella hereP' he
asked, with a quiet glance which swept
the whole auditorium, and took in every
detail of the scene. ooh, yes, see. A
thousand thanks!"
He lifted his hat with the quaint, old
fashioned bow, and left the store.
Patty Price stood aghast, the felt hat
still topping her crop of curls, the yellow
pocket handkerchief yet displaying it's
fiat bow under the central dimple of her
chin.
The sudden laughter of her audience
was hushed. Miss DAILY uttered little
gasp of horror. Mr.. Hoyt raped sharply
with hissknuckles on the nearest counter
''Girls," said he, ego back to your de-
partments. This isn't business"
The knot of damsels dispersed at once,
but Patty Price carried the heaviest heart
of all beneath the coquettish surplice
folds of her blue delaine frock.
81 oughtn't to have done it," she falt-
cred, busying her hands among the rolls
of colored ribbon that the porter had Just
brought upstairs. prudence always told
me that my foolish, Eighty ways would
bring me into trouble. I'm quite, quite
sure that he saw mel''
"What if he dids" encouraged Rhoda
Filley. "He can't have you arrested,
can he?"
"Oh, but he has been so good to u.s."
half whispered Patty. "He left his
handsome suit Of rooms at the hotel and
took board with mother just to help us
along; and sister Prudence says he is the
most perfect gentleman she ever knew.
Oh, don't know how shall ever look
him in the face again.
sis he an old beau of your mother?"
asked Rhoda, indifferently.
Patty started.
"No!' she cried; 'of course mott Why,
he's not 90 yet, for all he looks SO old.
It's the East Indian climate has done
very handsome and"-
t'Ohl" laughed Rhoda; "then it's sister
Prudence he's in love within
81 wish you wouldn't say such dis
agreeable things" said Patty, frowning.
''Hush! don't you see there's customer
comingr'
ALI day long Patty was in low spirits.
She went home at night with head
ache, taking care to be a, little behind the
regular family tea time, so as not to see
Maj. Carson.
eff he told mother" she pondered, "as
it would serve me entirely right for him
to do, what will she sayp Prudence, too
If Rhoda speaks truth, and she is re-
ally in love with Mai. Carson-she will
never forgive me. And now / come to
think of it, Maj. Carson's profile is per-
feet, and his quiet, courteous ways are
not bit like those Of the other men
around here. He does walk a little lame
on one ankle. but when one remembers
that he got the bullet wound in protect
US d pdily vi "OLleIl from I0o mali
robbers on the Neilgherry Hills-oh, dear!
what evil spirit did possess me to mimic
him today? 1t was the sight of that
queer old umbrella, / do believe. that
put it into my head. Old Daphne always
said that piece of ivory on the handle
was carved out of an eastern amulet, and
| believe she was right Daphne don't
| like to pass that umbrella in the dark.
She always utters some spell as she goes
by. There it is nowl'
She stopped and looked at the UNI
| brella as it leaned against the rail of the
hat stand in the hall, where single gas
jet burned feebly in the lantern over
head.
sis it a good spirit, I wonder" she
asked herself, "or an evil one, that
Daphne is afraid off"
She took the umbrella in her hand and
looked wistfully at the carvings of the
stork's head.
'The Sacred Ibis, suppose" she pom
| dered. ''And wish / hadn't made fun
Of it. Prudence will be SO angry"
She was still looking intently at the
/ majors umbrella when the street door
opened and the major himself came in.
Continued on fourth page.) eszu