The Washington times., 1903-06-05

Silver-Handled Treasure VaniSheS
at Wedding Party.

number of people prominent in
Washington society have learned from a
recent experience that affiuence is some
times not less responsible than poverty
for causing trouble and worry. Some
people who live in the busy whirl of Ma
tional Capital society sometimes find
themselves so engrossed. it seems, in
keeping pace with their engagement
book that the mere trifie of returning a
borrowed umbrella is not given any
thought. But when the umbrella is one
of unusual value, with long, sterling
silver handle, with fattened knob top,
and the owners initials engraved so
plainly that all who run away with 1t
may read. the generally accepted axiom
that an umbrella is public property
seems to be insufficient excuse to cover
the case.
An umbrella of this description was
one of few dozen carried by guests at
tending the Lawrence Lieber wedding
reception. last Wednesday afternoon, at
the home of Gen. G. Norman Lieber, 1922
Eighteenth Street northwest. Several
hundred guests from resident and official
society were present to extend congrat-
ulations to the bridal couple.
: Late in the afternoon the rain fell in
torrents and umbrellas were sought by
everyone. So long as ones friends were
still lingering over the ices and bonbons
in the dining room, and probably would
not need their umbrellas for some time
TO come, there seemed no reason appar-
emily why these umbrellas should not be
used by those fortunate enough to get
them first. So the guests departing early
accommodated themselves TO the cir
cumstances. not thinking that the own
ers of the umbrellas would be unable on
leaving 10 make themselves as comforta-
BILE.
With the spirit of gracious hospitality
which pervades such gatherings, no one
bereft CT rain-protectors thought further
of the matter until several DAYS had
gone by and their umbrellas were not
returned either to the owners or to the
home of General Lieber. At the army
officers residence inquiries for the miss
ing articles have been increasing in
number, much TO the embarrassment of
all concerned-except the guests who
got their nelgnDorS umbrellas ana StllI
have them at home.
The silver handled umbrella taken
was especially valuable, and bore the in
itials &C. p. b. to whom it was a gift
and. consequently, more than ordinarily
priced. The usual excuse that it is i'm
possible to tell one umbrella from anotn-
er and busy people cannot stop to ascer-
tain who's who" in the umbrella family
when the rains falling and time is prec-
ious. is not regarded by the silver
handles owner as applicable in the case
of her much-prized and now mourned-
for gift General and Mrs. Lieber expect.
however, that when the sunny June days
become more frequent there may be
greater chance that some of the UNI
brellas and the silver ornamented one
in particular. may be returned to their
house, where the owners can identify
them and get them back.
Meanwhile an advertisement has been
inserted in the newspapers to refresh the
memory of the delinquent borrowers. But
unless the Lost and Found" column is
as generally read as the social news by
those whose attention it is desired 10 at
tract it is feared immediate results can
not be anticipated