The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-01-25
HE MASTERED THE UMBRELLA.
But Triumph Turned to Dismay When
He Tried to Call "Aunty's Attention.

But Triumph Turned to Dismay When
He Tried to Call "Aunty's Attention.
They entered the elevated train to-
gethcr two men stylishly dressed, who
had evidently been dining well, very
we'll. One was dark and of bilious
temperament. He was asleep as soon
as he sank into a seat. The other was
light and of sanguine temperament.
He was still enjoying his dinner, and
beamed on every one in sight. He
seemed to see ever so many more peo-
pie than there were in the car. BY his
side sat an old colored woman with
large bundle in her lap, says the N. Y.
San. He accidently trod on her foot
and took his hat off with elaborate po-
liteness and said:
BEG pardon, aunty. Thousan' par
don"
Aunty smiled indulgently, as if she
had seen a great many men who had
dined we'll.
"Dat's all right, honey" she said.
He smiled again on everybody and
then said, as if he had overlooked it
before:
"Lemme carry bundle, aunty."
Aunty laughed then said:
mo, indeed, chile. 'Twould break
yo' legs, deed it would"
He laughed with her, and then sud-
denly became deeply engrossed with
his umbrella. It was not rolled up.
He rolled it up, and rolled it up, over
and over again, and seemed surprised
and panied that its folds would
not stay put. They flew apart every
time he let go, and finally he gave it
up as bad job, and only regarded it
reproachfully.
"Wha's yoi cover, honey?" asked the
colored woman, sympathetically.
"B'jove f'got all bout zat," he an
swered. "Took cover off cause thought
-thought-rain y'know. Rain diden
come. THAI fun, too"
He hunted in all his pockets a great
many times for the cover, and the pas
sengers all became interested in the
hunt. A sportive-looking old gentle.
man opposite whispered to his neigh
Dor he'd bet him bottle the cover
would not be found.
just then it was found though. L
was thin silk cover, rolled up in {
tight little wad, and crammed into thu
fob pocket of his trousers. There wa.
an audible sigh of relief when it wal
safely produced, and the man smiled
, cheerfully upon all about him.
He unfolded the cover, and after re
garding it some time very seriously
+ Slipped the metal ring of the small ent
of the cover over the ferrule of tn
! umbrella. 1t only went to the plac
+ where the cloth of the umbrella be
} gins, and the long end hung over lik
Q whip lash. He tried from Eighteentl
g to Twenty third street to get it furthe
Y on, and then stopped to wipe the pei
spiration from his brow.
d "Yo' has put it on the wrong end
8 honey" the colored women said.
j He thanked her, took the cover rim
off the ferrule, and tried to slip it owe
i the handle.
Several people laughed, and h
: smiled. Then he said:
:, "Aunty, you're wrong. Goes o
ozzer way. Don't you try fool m
aunty."
: : Then he put the ring over the fel
. rule again, and became so deeply il
: terested in trying to find out why
+ would not go any further than th
, y cloth that he did not notice aunt
( leave the car at Twenty-eighth stree
Il nor that a stylish young woman too
/. aunty's seat by his side.
}, At Thirty-third street somethin
IS happened that gave him great sati
faction and amost caused sensatio
b in the car. In his efforts to push tt
ring over the cloth he accidently star
ed the cover on the way woma
turns stocking inside out. 1t ws
going on inside out, going over itsel
4 but it was going on, and he nudge
Il the woman by his side to call her a
N tention to his success.
H Don't you fool, me, aunty," he sait
not looking up from his work. Cue
l know how 'brella covers go. 1t W;
giddy of you, aunty (another nudge
to try get me put 'brella cover on ws
+ woman puts on chem"
II He did not progress further in hi
speech than that unfinished word, fc
start at his side caused him
look around toward "aunty," and b
was met with such glare of haught
horror that he closed his eyes to shU
out the sight. His eyes being close
he found it easier to go to sleep tina
to open them again, and was carrie
miles beyond his station, smiling, how
ever, blissfully.
Knows Something About Cats.