Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1903-06-25
! OVER AN
| UMBRELLA
) BY C.. b. LEUZy
Copyright, 1902, By the
S. S. Mcclure Company

con Peabody of the village Of Glen
vile, had remarkable umbrella 1t
had witnessed the struggle for Amer
lean independence and had taken many
| journeys by land and water. The ribs
had been bent or stove in on numerous
occasions and the handle broken and
| glued together half a dozen times. 1t
had attended funerals, camp meetings,
quilting bees, husking frolics and town
meetings without number and at the
age of 100 years was still doing busi-
ness at the old stand and holding its
own against all competition.
Mrs. Levi Cantwell, wife of Deacon
| Cantwell of the same village and liv-
ing right across the way from Mrs.
| Peabody, was Il remarkable woman,
and what more natural than that a re-
markable woman and a remarkable
umbrella should adventure together?
Mrs. Cantwell was remarkable in so
much that she would never stir out of
her house without an umbrella. She
dreaded rain like cat and no matter
how clear the day. was always looking
for sudden downpour. She had an um-
! brela of her own, and it was large
enough to shelter her, but now and
then she was forced to lend it or send
it to the shop to be repaired
The day she started to drive over to
Jacksonville in the deacon's one horse
wagon was one of the occasions when
her umbrella was mot at home" 1t
was Il beautiful June morning, with
no rain in sight for Il week, but Mrs.
| Cantwell didn't propose to run any
chances. After trying i'll vain at three
or four houses she called upon Mrs.
Peabody to lend her that remarkable
| old colonial.
Her request fairly stunned the own
err of the sacred relic and was at first
peremptorily refused, but after con-
siderable discussion, remembering that
Mrs. Cantwell had the reputation Of
being careful handed and tender heart
ed, Mrs. Peabody yielded.
"You know what store | set on it and
what store the deacon sets on it." she
said as she brought out the blue COW
| cred umbrella and busted it off.
II do" was the reply, "and you
needn't worry one single bit. You must
! know what a careful woman l am
when you remember that I've made
one set of cups and sassers last me
| fourteen years"
| Mrs. Cantvell might have Dir ven
away with the umbrella raised over
her head, but as she needed both hands
to manage the lines the deacon care
fully slowed it away under the seat
Arriving at Rawsonyile the old
horse was hitched to q post in front Of
store, and Mrs. Cantwell entered to
do some trading" she was an hour
or so about it, and during this interval
a stray COW came down the street
hunting for something better than bur-
docks to eat. She found it when she
looked over the talboard of the wagon
and espied the sacred umbrella. She
had never seen the like of ii before,
and the taste was novel and palatable.
The more she ate the more she want
ed, and she never stopped until the
last inch of cover had been swallowed
and vigorous but unsuccessful effort
made to devour handle and ribs.
Mrs. Cantwell drove home without
having looked under the seat and
realized what a wreck accompanied
her 1t was only rs she reached her
own door and Mrs. Peabody came
across the road that the tragedy was
discovered. Excuses ana apologies and
offers to make repairs didn't go. With
the wreck Rugged to her bosom Mrs.
Peabody retired to her own house, and
good viii to men flew out of the back
door as she entered the front.
y quarrel over n broken flatiron may
be confined 10 two ncighbors, but a
difference of opinion over remarkable
umbrella is different thing No one
charged Mrs. Cantwell with deliberate
ly bringing about the wreck, but she
was blamed for not keeping one eye on
hungry cows outside the store while
she had the other on seven cent calico
inside. She knew the associations and
sentiments surrounding that relic, and
sooner than submit it to peril she
should have hired a boy to watch it.
The pros and cons were discussed at
every tireside in the village, and of
course feeling of bitterness was en-
gendered. In less than week neigh
bors who had always borrowed sugar
and tea Of each other were refusing TO
lend, and back gates were being nailed
up.
Deacon Peabody was a good man.
so was Deacon CantweH. Together they
had passed the contribution boxes in
church and counted up the receipts aft
or the sermon. They had worked out
their road tax side by side and had
stood elbow 10 elbow IN temperance
crusades and town Improvements. That
long friendship was now broken. After
looking at the dilapidated umbrella for
the fiftieth time Deacon Peabody had
said to his neghbor:
Deacon Cantwcll, | never dunned II
man in my life, but you owe me so
cents"
u do, and here il is" replied Deacon
CantWell. 'and I'm free to say | think
you are mean man."
Il don't want any words with YOU"
Nor l with YOU"
You'll take your boss out of my pos.
turer