The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-07-20
AN UMBRELLA EPISODE,

HN UNlUtllLLH IL lOUUll
81 beg pardon!" Excuse mel" A
pair of black eyes and pair of blue
eyes met defiantly, while small white
hand and large white hand each
grasped the handle of an umbrella.
"This umbrella is mine, | think; did
you wish to use it?" murmured black
eyes with polite fierceness.
81 am sure it is mine. l bought it
last year and have never seen another
like it," answered blue eyes, with a
firm hand on the article in question.
Vexation and polite unbelief were
expressed on each face. Then the gen
tleman, with an indulgent, provoking
little smile, said:
"If it is mine I can show you my
name on the inside, if you will allow
me to open it."
"very well, pray do So" said she,
stepping back.
He opened it, and, behold, inside
was small tag with "Richard Ran
some" inscribed thereon. She fell
back in confusion, rosy red and humil-
lated.
81 am very sorry! 1 beg your par
don! Where can mine be? am sure
l left it here" she exclaimed in dis
tress, glancing at the falling rain
without.
He magnanimously joined in the
search, but no duplicate umbrella
could be found. He was ashamed of
his ill-temper and also made the dis
covery that she was lovely girl: so,
much to Lucy Deans dismay, he in
sisted upon eseorting her home.
She felt very much like convicted
thief, and wondered if he believed that
she had ever really had an umbrella
like his.
81 am afraid our evening has not
been as successful as we hoped" he
remarked, hesitatingly, touching upon
a topic about which both were sensi-
tive.
"Oh, no! I am so disappointed! 1t
didn't seem to take well-that is, they
did not appreciate it as we thought
they would-as they ought to have
done, | mean"
Lucy paused, conscious that she was
making bad much worse. They had
now reached cross street which led to
her home. Here she paused, and, act
ing on an impulse born of desire to
fly from what she felt must be his re-
proachful and indignant glances, she
said:
81 see an old friend who is going
past our door, and l will not trouble
you farther. l am much obliged for
your kindness. Goodnight" And
then she hastily left him.
He stared after her and saw her join
a gentleman whose face, as seen in
the struggling gaslight, showed both
surprise and delight at being so hon.
ored
Richard Ransome, on discovering
that his umbrella rested on his shoul-
der and that the rain was beating on
his shiny tile pulled himself together
and went on his way, soliloquizing as
follows:
"Well, this is a queer place! Odd
folks, especially the girls. Seemed in
great hurry to get rid of me. Didn't
seem to take-evidently blames me,
too. However, | don't usually talk to
empty seats" Then he laughed.
@Fancy ms getting cross and rowing
with that poor little girl about the um-
brella! But she was game and | had
to prove my claim. She evidently
thought 1 was determined to make
sure of some remuneration Tor my
services. Hope l shall see her again"
This hope was destined to be speed
lily realized. The next day when Mr..
Ransome went to the society rooms to
meet the committee for whom he had
lectured Lucy Dean was there and
shyly apologized to him for her blum
der of the evening before. She ex-
planned that her mother had borrowed
| her umbrella without her knowledge.
He found her pretty embarrassment
very attractive and asked for permis-
sion to call at her home; this was given
him and he soon availed himself of it.
She was a merry, intelligent little
thing, and her fits of shyness, when a
sense of his awfulness as a dominic
came over her, added touch of piqu-
ancv which fascinated him.
He found Mrs Dean, who was only
a plumper and maturer Lucy, pleas
| ant companion when her daughters s
| conversation resolved itself into prim
monosyllables, and he paid the elder
lady so many fattering attentions that
she was half-inclined to believe Lucy's
admirer her own. Indeed, Lucy might
have been of that opinion, too, if it
had not been for an occasional express
sion in his eyes when they rested on
her, which always brought the blood
to cheek and brow.
AS the days passed on Mr., Ransome
discovered that Lucy exactly realized
his ideal of womanhood. The idea OF
final separation from her was intol-
erable When the time for him to re-
sumo his city duties drew near he
knew that he wanted to take her with
him, that he desired her for his wife.
But, puzzled by her shyness, he was
not able to discover how she regarded
him.
They were walking together one
evening when he suddenly resolved tC
end his suspense and ask her to be-
come his wife. Lucy listened, dazed
She could not realize that her secre
dreams had become real. The tre
mendous fact that he whom she hac
set upon a pedestal of dignity anC
learning was only a man, pleading
for her love, seemed impossible t.
face. She could not lift her eye
to his, and when he tried to draw
her nearer, she felt sudden, lovin.
fear of him. Habit and girlish mod
esty were barriers too great to over
come at once. She gave him on
swift glance and then broke away ant
fled toward home.
He stood there, gazing after the fly
ing figure. Disappointed love, Wounds
. pride and amazement struggled withi
him. He tried to think how he ha
offended her. He searched his mem
ory to see if he had ever heard of an
girl who had received declaration c
y love in like manner Alas! he had not
He sadly concluded that some othe
man must have been before him an
that she dreaded to tell him so.
"Eyen though she does not love n
she would have given me chance
there were no one else," he said.
The next few days were wretche
ones to both. Lucy knew that 81