Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-10-17
exhibition of that particular

rainy-day exhibition of that particular
! shop.
Miss Robertson paused and looked at
the display with interest. There were
| also costly gowns and fine furs in the
same window showcase, which was as
big as some drawing-rooms.
Eyes, that is very NICE" she said,
with something of sigh. Evidently
the sight of so much silk and satin
made her envious.
Why" l asked, "does every woman
sigh deeply as she turns away from such
display or from a jewelers. window?
Five women turned away from that
window in the last three minutes, and
every one of them gave deep sigh as
she did So"
ibid l sigh too?"
You were the fifth"
ut was not covetousness that made
me SIGH" she said. ut was the sight of
that umbrella held against what was
supposed to be driving storm. Have
you ever noticed how easy it is to run
into lamppost or into another person
when you carry an umbrella in that
way? Of course you have. My poor
father made that observation several
years ago, and was unfortunate enough
to devise remedy"
"Unfortunate?'
Eyes. Do you remember my men,
tioning, the day we first met, that my
fathers eyesight had been almost de-
stroyed by an accident? One night
during storm, when people staggered
blindly along, their umbrellas held
straight in front of them, woman put
the point of her umbrella into my IA
theirs eye. AT the time he thought but
little of the matter, but some nerve
was injured, and he has been almost
blind ever since. That is nearly three
years ago. While laid up, he invented
a way to prevent such accidents. He
proposed to sew an eyeglass into the
umbrella, so that person could look
ahead and avoid any obstruction"
"Not bad idea, should think. l
suppose he patented it and lost a pile
OF money; inventors always do"
eyes, he lost more money than we
could afford, making experiments, and
did my best to spoil dozen fine UNI
hrellas-we had quite lot of them
by cutting holes in them and sewing
in bits of glass that wouldn't stay in
place after all"
"But the patent? Why couldn't he
sell that for lots of money!"
"The patent? Oh, he never got pat
ent. It seems that some one took a
patent on the same idea more than 40
years ago. 1t cost papa about $500 to
find that out. Patent lawyers are ex-
pensive. Poor papa Between the
Spanish Inquisition and his patent UNI
brella-" And sigh finished the SEN
tence.
ibid he show his idea to any UNI
brella makers?"
"Oh, yes. But when he found that
he couldn't get a patent he lost heart
and put the dozen umbrellas away in
a corner, each umbrella with a big
hole but with no glass as yet. That's
why have no umbrella to-day"
BLESSED inventionl" ventured, and
! really meant 1t.
Miss Robertson flushed slightly.
"You wouldn't say so if you knew
what it has cost u.s."
II know an umbrella maker" went
on. Hes an intimate friend of mine.
Do you think your father would object
to my taking one of his sample UNI
brellas to my friend? Patent or nc
patent, it might be worth something,
You might at least get your $500 back
again"
"You are very kind. l will speak to
him about it. Here is my street; good
night, and thank YOU"
was loath to let her go.
Suppose ask your father at once;
would that do any harm2"
Miss Robertson's pretty brow con-
tracted for few seconds. II think
not" she said, finally, and we went
on. my father is little peculiar
| Illness has made him so; If he is a
trifie brusque, you must put 1t down
to the whim Of an invalid"
We stopped at an old-fashioned, com
Portable house of the palmer sort, and
| ASs -