The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-02-03

Cntcago Tribune
1t had rained for three weeks and
was still rainipR when George Fergu-
son made up his mind to buy mack
intost. .eR fe
Il want the best you've got,' he said
TO the clerk at the rubber goods store.
III had bought when 1t began TO rain
clothes"
George Ferguson paid the price the
salesman demanded and went out.
When he had entered the store, five
minutes before, heavy rain was fall
ing. When he went out with his mack
intosh on the rain had stopped, the
clouds had almost disappeared and the
sun was shining.
at will be raining again in little
while" he said, ''pll keep 1t on
He, took it to the office where he was
employed.
Perfectly dry, isn't itT inquired one
of his associates.
"Yes.n -..-
It cost him $3.50 to go out with the
boys and "wet it."
desk, and for whole week 1t remain
ed there undisturbed. There was not
a sign of rain In all that time. He
ached for an excuse to wear that mack
intosh, but the weather gave him no
opportunity. ....
At last came cloudy, lowering day.
he carried the macintosh out with
him when he went to lunch, and took
1t home in the evening, but 1t rained
not. He wore his heavy fur beaver
overcoat down town next morning
and the weather became warm.
The day following was cloudy again,
and he brought his macintosh to the
ofice and hung it on its accustomed
hook.
In the afternoon It cleared of, turn
ed suddenly cold, and he nearly froze
riding home in North Side car with
out any oyercoat.
This would not do. He removed his
lodgings to place within five or ten
minutes walk of the Office, so that he
could make hasty trip from one to
the other for the macintosh when
necessary. When 1t looked like rain
he brought 1t with him to the office,
and when IL was clear he brought his
fur beaver.
One morning, when everything was
frosty, he came down with his heavy
overcoat on and buttoned up to the
chin. 1t became cloudy and somewhat
warmer later in the day, and he left
his overeoat at the office and started
briskly for his lodgings. It began to
rain heavily before he had gone half
the distance, and when he reached his
room he was wet to the skin, Then II
cleared OF, and the wind blew from
the north, and when he went back TO
the Office with his macintosh on and
a fierce gale blowing about his ears
and Tapping the long skirts of his
garments about his legs everybody
on the streets stopped and looked at
him. .....-
And so it went on for several weeks.
Whenever George had his macintosh
at the Office and his heavy overcoat at
home Il turned colder. ..."
Whenever he had his oyercoat with
him and his macintosh at the other
end of the route, it rained like all pos
sessed. ....5..-
When he bought that macintosh he
weighed lS3 pounds, At the end of
six weeks his weight had fallen to
1927. Dark rings had made their ap-
pearance under his eyes, his hand
trembled when he attempted to use
the pen, and he grew careless of his
personal appearance and lost his appe-
tite.
And never drop of rain had fallen
on that macintosh.
Yesterday morning the sky was clear
and he wore his heavy overcoat. About
noon II began to rain slightly and he
rushed to his lodgings, getting the full
benefit OF the shower on the way. He
put on his macintosh and went back
to the office and not drop fell. 1t had
cleared on.
"Will any of you give me So for the
beastly thingT he asked, with Wild
look In his eyes, as he threw the fateful
macintosh ON the floor and danced
up and down on 1t.
One of the young men bought it,
hung 1t up on his own hook, and George
Ferguson went to work again with a
feeling of contentment to which he
had long been stranger.
And at the hour at which this ehroni-
Gle closes-4.80 Saturday afternuon-it
looks decidedly like rain, and George
has lust gone out and spent the 81 for
an umbrella.