The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-17
Our Daily $bcrt Story


 tomorrow"
 "You may find it there," I said, en- Icouragingly. The place is upstairs. A blonde young man will meet you, and after taking your family history, minute description of your umbrella and a four page account of how, when and where you came to lose it, he will retire into q sort of umbrella library where he has about 5000 of them arranged and cata- logued on shelves, and look the matter up.''
 You have had experience" observed the old gentleman. %
 Many times." I returned carelessly. T usually have one or two on deposit there. I had slipped the ancient specimen was carrying over next to the widow. "Twenty-third Streetr shouted the guard. rose and started back hastily. Then came the voice of the old gentleman. Here, here; you're forgetting your um- | brella!" I turned and took it rom his hand Game near increasing your bal- ance with the road, eh?" chuckled the old | reprobate. Outside I stopped at the newsstand and bought a paper. "Hi. there, boss" said the porter, "you's leaving yo' umbrella. I picked it up and fled down the stairs. I hurried through Twenty-third Street and turned up Broadway. A barbersnop sign caught my eye. Here's my chance, | I said to myself; T got the thing In barbershop, and there will I leave 1t. I went in and called for haircut. It gave me a chance for thought. l saw that so far I had been acting on the im- pulse of the moment. I must reason out course and follow it. left the chair with a firm purpose. The boy handed me my hat and I started for the door. 'Heah's yo' umbrell,' sab" said the boy l as he came in hot pursuit. I turned de- liberately, looked at 1t and said:
 You have made a mistake-that is not my umbrella"
 Must be, sah-you brought hit in-you wouldn't be carrying no other gents um- breli, sah." He held the thing up in the glare of the lights.
 'I had no umbrella" I said, sternly.
 "You's forgot, sah. Only umbrelr in the rack-noticed it partic-lar when you come in" The barbers had all stopped work, and the customers were rising in their chairs I weakened.
 q believe 1t is mine," I said, as took it and again fled, while the boy pocketed his tip and observed: Dis yere ain't de shop where wes ever make no mistake bout no umbrells."
 But I retained my self-composure. I boarded an uptown Broadway car with I dentally I determined to try the car, though with small hope. At Twenty l sixth Street I rose to get off, leaving the umbrella, but I met the reproachful eye of the conductor and went back and pick ed 1t up.
 My new plan was nothing more or less than to call on a certain friend and desert the thing in his hall. In five minutes I was sitting before his fire. But don't remember of what we talked-my heart was in the hall with the umbrella, know not how long I stayed. or how I got away. My first rfecollection is of walking along the street toward the lights on the corner. As I lodged around into Third Avenue I heard steps behind. Hold on, old man" cried my friend you're running off without your umbrella. Madge said it couldn't be years, but I told her I knew better"
 Once more it had wound it's tenacles about me. I walked down the avenue again feeling desperate. I stopped on a | corner, stood the umbrella against lamp post and pretended to button my glove. Then ! started off with assumed care lessness. A small boy chased after me, restored my umbrella and did not refuse a dime for his kindness turned in at g cheap concert hall and sat ten minutes, Rbut of course a beer-bespattered waiter overlook me at the door with 1t. He also met with monetary reward.
 I walked on down the street clutchng my inanimate enemy till reached Four teenth Street A newsboy stood on the corner smoking cigarette. held out the umbrella.
 Do you want an umbrella?" I said.
 Mean t give it feller?"
 Yes"
 He looked up and said with vIrtuous indignadon: "Does yer take dis fer a fence? Afraid yer'll get catched wid de goods on hey? G'wan!"
 walked through Fourteenth Street meditating deeply. Before reached Broadway I had determined to 20 over into old Greenwich village. near where I lived, and see what I could do. I felt that knew every crook and turn of the