The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-11-07
| My Husbands Umbrella

| 9-s-a-1-a-@
! 1t is seven years since the following
adventure took place, but even now l
'annot recall the weary, heartrending
trouble without feeling of profound
thankfulness to Providence for shaping
the end to our benefit.
My husband was then, as now, a col
lector for the Safety Insurance company
and he had gone down to Birmingham
to collect the sums gathered by the
agents in that town.
| He had already been away q week
and had telegraphed me that morning to
the effect that he intended returning that
same afternoon. but it was 10 o'clock
p m. before | heard the welcome click of
his latchkey. As we crossed the hall he
stopped and took down his overcoat from
| the peg, at the same time taking his
umbrella in his other hand and saying:
''Rhoda, my dear, you may as well put
| this in the lumber room; it is smashed en-
tirely now" And he laughingly opened
his old CAMP" which was indeed COM
plete wreck. l took it from him when he
had closed it, and while he went to kiss
our little ones l flung the umbrella into
a distant corner of dark closet under
the attic stairs.
Next morning Edward kissed us as
usual and set off. looking bright. strong
and happy. About IL o'clock l was busy
making a pudding for an early dinner,
when an unusually peremptory knock at
the hall door startled me.
| FASTENED to omen r. and wa. srr-
prised to confront two strangers, my
husband-looking pale and troubled-and
Mr.. Smell, the director Of the company
4 4
l. Tbev woIted in and Mr Snail a. orce
addressed me
"Nrs. FaIkner forgive tbis intrusion
but YOUR husband has lost his nocket.
book-or at laast ba savs so-conto;n;ne
hills to the va,ne of 50 5OO"
M,osti oh Edward how could II
happep ?~ cried
"J don,t know - he said nournfu,,v "y
had II in INV overcoo+ nocLo+ Lost n;ob+
after came home and as WOW tnow 7
took INV cont info onr badroom and II
was there ftbe coatl tbis morning for
nobody went info our room except our.
selves"
care Won sure vou brought II home 7,'
I asked
"Surei Yes. Of course. Tn surep' he
said impatientlv.
saThen in that case we must search
| hOnSQ-
"Oh. do: oh. do" l said eagerly. sIt
must be somewhere about"
"In the meantime l must ask YOU to
stay in this room" he responded. and
they went out of the room. leaving us
alone with Mr.. Smell.
The book could not be found in the
house, and though all was done that
could be in the way of advertising and
offering rewards. all our efforts were un.
availing.
Edward was discharged from his situa.
ton. and many of the people of the town
did not scruple to say he had appropriat.
ed the money to his own use. However
the directors were not among these, and
as they quite believed them lost, prose
cution was of no avail; still, they could
not keep in their employ man guilty OF
such culpable carelessness.
The house we lived in was our own
having been presented to me as q wed
ding gift, so we decided to stay in it, but
to sell the better part of the furniture
This we did, and Edward went to Ameri'
ca, where he succeeded in obtaining g
post as clerk in New York.
lime went on, and more than two
years had passed since our trouble.
had let my unfurnished rooms to a nict
quiet family and undertook to attend te
them, which enabled me to keep the vol
from the door.
My two little girls were now growing
, up and would soon require to 20 to school
an expense which was not as vet pre-
pared to meet. For two years had moi
seen my husband and l felt the separa
ton keenly. and l could not help ths
yearninps of NV heart creenin1 info nv
letters. Edward noticed this. and IL
, March, 1880. he wrote. telling me to pre
pare and come out te him next month
He would forward me the requisite funds
, We were greatly excited and begar
packing at once. l sold the house fol
81 900 and paid the money to Mr.. Smell
as part payment of the missing $3, 500
and also sold the larger articles of furni
ture. The latter sum helned me TO pro
W, ~" "eNe"i iSs AoA W. ""A
ne 'lone' ."e iion Au a.u, "u1
az "S ~" p.epaieu wy"