Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-10-28
| My Husbands Umbrella

4-sNsSSSse:-H @-.e.-s-:-s
1t is seven years since the following
adventure took place. but even now
cannot recall the weary, heartrendin;
trouble without feeling of profount
flankfulness to Providence for shapinj
The end 10 our benefit.
My husband was then, as now, a col
lector for the Safety Insurance compan!
and lie had gone down to Birmingham
to collect the sums gathered by the
agents in that town.
He had already been away a weel
and had telegraphed me that morning t.
the effect that he intended returning thai
same afternoon. but it was 10 O'Clock
p. III. 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 ''gamp." which was indeed com
plete wreck. took it from him when he
had closed it, and while he went to kiss
our little ones l flung the umbrella into
distant corner of a dark closet under
the attic stairs.
Next morning Edward kissed us as
usual and set off. looking bright. strong
and happy. About II o'clock l was busy
making a pudding for an early dinner,
when an unusually peremptory knock at
the hall door startled me.
| hastened TO open it, and was sur
prised to confront two strangers, my
misunderstanding pale and troubled-and
Mr.. Smell, the director of the company
by which my husband was employed.
They walked in, and Mr.. Smell at once
addressed DE.
Mrs. Falkner, forgive this intrusion,
but your husband has lost his pocket
book--or at least he says so-containing
bills to the value of $1,000
Lost! Oh. Edward, how could it
happen?" cried.
81 don't know" he said mournfully. 81
had it in my overcoat pocket last night
after | came home. and as you know. |
took my coat into our bedroom. and it
was there tthe coat this morning, for
nobody went into our room except our
selves"
Are you sure you brought it home?"
l asked.
Sure. Yes, of course, I'm sure!" he
said impatiently.
'1Then in that case we must search
the house," said one Of the strangers.
'Oh, do; oh. do" ! said eagerly "It
must be somewhere about
''In the meantime | 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 appropriate
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 we'd
ding gift, so we decided to stay in it, but
10 srll The better part of the furniture.
This we did. and Edward went to Ameri-
ca. where he succeeded in obtaining a
post as clerk in New York.
Time went on. and more than two
years had passed since our trouble. l
had let my unfurnished rooms to n nice
quiet family and undertook to attend to
them. which enabled me to keep the wolf
from the door
My two little girls were now growing
ND and would soon REQUIRE to go to school,
an expense which l was not as vet pre-
pared to meet. For two years had not
seen my husband and | felt the separa-
ton keenly. and l could not help the
yearnings of my heart creeping into my
letters. Edward noticed this. and in
March, 1880. he wrote. telling me to pre-
pare and come out to him next month.
He would forward me the requisite funds.
We were greatly excited and began
packing at once. L sold the house for
$1,000 and paid the money to MIR. Smell
as part payment of the missing $500,
and also sold the larger articles of furni-
ture. The latter sum helped me to pro-
vide a few necessaries for our wardrobes
The money came from Edward. and
n =. ~, ~" -,
- a,,... =. h,,;- ;. -. Sh. IA
-, ~. I;t+lo .r;,,,, hoI,,;ro hor
I had gone down stairs for something
,hen T hoord cry ~ arr,r;so and Mrs.
Esan 49, ohor,,,,,,.n o,n,a r,,n,;n.
la,,-r s.a;rs hoor;,,a ;r ora h.,d d,,st1
Ia ,,,,hro,la -, Nv. h,,shand,s and :, a.
IT,. 4to iona Lost n,o,.othool, Sho had
fonnd It in ,be nmbrella che arnla;ned
Inst.n+Iy II yr.. ,.,ear IN INV mini A.
NV bushanJ cloced tho aid .:can,n,, that
,i@,,t nov throo roors oo ond anno b;s
.oat orer his arm, tho noctathooE 1,,,st
,are S,;nned Down into tbe nmbrell,, Tn
W" y '''PP>" "'' nv 'AN "'i' Si"' :"