The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-07
THE EVENING STORY
An Umbrella Episode.
(By Temple Bafley.l

(By Temple Bailey.)
Luttrell. coming down the steps of
| the elevated station, saw ahead of him
a girl with cherries in her hat.
| The cherries and the dark blue rib
bon were really about all that he
could see of her, for he looked down
| on the top of her head. But as she
! turned the corner. going down, he
| caught a glimpse of wavy brown hair.
| and of a trim white collar that came
up to meet it.
| When he reached the door of exit,
| he found the girl with the cherries
there. Seen thus, at close range, she
| proved to be about as high as Lut-
trelrs heart. Her gown was Of dark
/ blue like the ribbons of her hat, and
| she carried a book in her hand.
She was gazing anxiously into the
street. 1t was raining hard. and the
| street lamps, lighted early, cast glist-
ening reflections across the wet pave
| ment.
The girl with the cherries had no
umbrella. AS Luttrell passed her. she
unfolded an infnitesimal square OF
handkerchief and laid it carefully
over the big front bow of her hat. l.
| left the cherries out in the rain. but
with a quick glance around she sped
up the sidewalk.
Luttrell. taking long steps, reached
her without effort.
IF you will let me-" he said, ct will
hold my umbrella over the cherries"
She looked up, startled. In the
gloom she could not see his face. but
there was no hint of disrespect in his
voice. And her hat was new!
"Oh, If you will" she said in a
prin little way, and for a few min
utes they walked C on in silence .,aast
ed, about the weather. It's a good
conventional subject and won't COM
NIT you to anything in the way of
acquaintance"
quite sure how to treat the situation.
You see it's a little unusual to let a
man you don't know walk home with
Suppose we act as If we had known
each other all our lives, and say the
things we would say under those cir
cumstances."
the little clear voice in the dark. II
should say, Goodness, what an awful
SAnd I should say was Luttrelrs
grave response, little friend, why are
you out SO late alone?"
"Oh." came f1utteringly, II went to
the library, and when came out IT
was almost dark, and, to cap the ell
max, 1T rained."
And your hat would have been ruin
ed, if Fate had not kept me down town
late. too And it's such a pretty hat,
he added, respectively.
"Oh," said the clear little voice again.
and then there was another silence.
Far up the street under a corner lamp
they could just discern a big man plod-
ding along, weighed down by two UNI
brellas.
clear voice. and then, timidly, would
you mind-going on alone? You see ne
might not understand my letting you
but my hat is new-and-
IT understand perfectly, Luttreu tolo
~
dense I have a little sister mysen,
and I like to look after her pretty
closely-and that's why l looked a1ter
you
she could thank him. But from the
shadows he watched her fly along the
intervening space and come up to her
big brother. And he heard her say In
that clear little voice: "It was so good
of you to come after me, Bob Ana
when they went along together through
the driving storm, and LuttreH was
left alone.
After that, on his way home from
office. he found himself looking for
the girl with the cherry hat. But girls
came and girls went. but never the
RIGHT one, and so the months passed
.nd +he winter came. and there were
no cherries on any of the hats, ana
IuttreIl gave up his quest in despair.
Rut always he held in his heart the
memory of the clear little voice tnat
had talked TO HliIl 81
the darkness of the rainy autumn
night ,,.o . fasb
ions1nIe downtown restaurant for din
ner- and at the next table was DIG
man and girl in a dropping nat OF
male blue. Her gown was OF Inc Same
color. and around her neck she wore
collar of pearls. ..,+.ss
and there was about her a haunting
quality that made Luttrefl look at ner
more than once. Where nao ne seen
her? IT.
And even as he questioned. the Wis
ion said in a clear little voice, bob,
do believe 1t is raining. II we go OUT
we will have to have CAB.
Tt was the girl with the cnerry
haiti No other had sue ha voice, ano
there was the wavy brown mar. Anu
in the brilliant light he beheld clear,
~ for the first time the gray eyes, ano
the delicate pink and white or the
oval face Why. the little girl was a
beauty!
Itch I" he heard the big man say,
Senisl1v. 1--WE wouldn't want to chris
ten that stunning gown with rain
Ar the sound of that big. booming
voice. Luttrell stared, and then he
hridped the distance between the two
tables and dropped his hand on the
other mans shoulder.
"Rob Raymond" he said, II
thought couldn't be mistaken in the
voice. But you've grown some. Bob
bic. since used to pitch you on the
campus fence"
inc. "Sis.'' he said to the vision in
h11,a sHt,a Marx I.uttreff. You've