The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-02-26
TALE 1 AN UMBRELLA

Cdiety iHsuruuce cOmpuuy, anu ne uHu
gone down to B. to collect the sums
gathered by the agents In that town.
He had already been away week
and had telegraphed me that morning
to the effect that he intended returning
that same afternoon, but 1t was 10
Sclock p. m. before heard the well
come 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 entirely now" And he laugh
ingly opened his old ''gamp," which
was indeed complete wreck. took
1t from him when he had closed It.
and while he went to kiss our, little
ones flung the umbrella into dis
tant corner Ut dark closet under the
attic stairs.
Next morning Edward kissed us az
usual and set Off, looking bright, strong
and happy. About II o'clock was
busy making a pudding for an early
dinner when an unusually peremptory
knock at the hall door startled me.
hnstencd to open 1t and was sur
prised to confront two strangers, my
misunderstanding pale and troubled
and Mr.. Smell. the director of the COM
pany by which my husband was en-
ployed.
They walked In, and MIR. Smell at
once addressed me. M
"Mrs. Fakner. forgive this intrusion.
but your husband has lost his pocket
book-or at least he says so-contain.
ing bills to the value OF $3,500."
Lost! Oh. Edward. how could It
happenY cried.
II don't know" he said mournfully.
II had II in my overcoat pocket last
night after came home. and. as you
know. took my coat into our bed
room. and 1t was there (the coat this
morning. for nobody went into our
room except ourselves"
"Are you sure you brought it homer
I asked.
"Sure! Yes, of course I'm sure!' he
said impatently.
"Then In that case we rSust 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 tus
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
unavaillng.
Edward was discharged from his sit
uatlon. and many Of the people Of the
town did not scruple to say he had
appropriated the funds to his own
use. However. the directors were not
among these. and as they quite be-
lieved them lost prosecution was OF no
avail. Still, they could not keep in
their employ man guilty of such cul-
pable 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 1t.
but to sell the better part of the furni-
ture. This we did. and Edward went
to America. where he succeeded In OBJ
taining post as clerk in New York.
Time went on. and more than two
years had passed since our trouble.
had let my unfurnished rooms to nice
quiet family and undertaken to attend
to them. which enabled me to keep the
wolf from the door.
My two little girls were now grow
ing up and would soon require to go to
school, an expense which was not as
yet prepared to meet For two years
had not seen my husband, and felt
the separation keenly. and I could not
help the yearnings of my heart creep
ing into my letters. Edward noticed
this. and In March, 1880. he wrote tell
ing me to prepare to come out to him
next month. He would forward me the
requisite funds.
We were greatly excited and began
packing ut once. sold the house for
$1,000 and paid the money to Mr..
Smell as part payment OF the missing
$500 and also sold the larger articles
of furniture. The latter sum helped
me to provide few necessaries for
our wardrObes.
The money came from Edward, and
all was now prepared when | renem-
bercd the lumber In the stairs closet
and told the charwoman toy bring 1t
out She did so. my little girls help
ing her.
had gone downstairs for something
when heard Il cry Of surprise. and
Mrs. Egan, the charwoman. came run
ming downstairs bearing in one hand
a dusty Old umbrella OF my husbands
and In the other the long lost pocket
book. She had found it In the um-
brella, she explained. ,
Instantly 1t was clear to my mind.
AS my husband closed the old "gamp"
that night, now three years ago. and
flung his coat over his arm the pocket
book must have slipped down into the
umbrella. In less than an hour | had
handed 1t to Mr.. Smell and wired my
husband the joyful news
Instead of our going to America my