The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1908-02-29
TALE q AN UMBRELLA

S@&tt< A@<'1tats~% t<t4Ai<kk4,s 9<@<A - t44%t
gone down 20 b. to collect the sums
oatbered bS the agents In that town.
He Ind already been away week
and had tesegraphed me that morning
to the effect that he intended returning
that same afternoon. bat II was 10
O'Clock u. 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. III
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. IL Is
smashed entirely now" And he laugh
ingly opened his old CAMP" which
was indeed complete wreck. | took
II from him when he had closed 1t,
and while he went 10 kiss our little
ones ! flung the umbrella into a dis
tant corner OF dark closet under the
attic stairs. -
Next morning Edward kissed us as
usual and set of. looking bright, strong
and happy. About IL o'clock was
busy making a pudding for an early
dinner when an unusually peremptory
knock at the hall door startled me.
FASTENED TO open II and was sur
prised 10 confront two strangers. my
misunderstanding pale and troubled
and Mr.. Smell, the director of the COM
pany by which my husband was em-
ployed.
They walked in. and Mr.. Smell at
once addressed me.
Mrs. Falkner. forgive this intrusion.
but your husband has lost his pocket
book-or at least he says so-contain-
ing bills 20 the value OF $500"
Lost, Oh. Edward. how could It
happen?" cried
IL don't know" he said mournfully.
II had II In my overcoat pocket last
night after l came home. and. as you
know, took my coat into our bed
room. and II was there 0he 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 surer' he
said impatiently.
"Then In that case we must search
the house." said one OF the strangers.
"Oh. do: oh. do" | said eagerly. 1T
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 US
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
unavailing.
Edward was discharged from his sit
uation, and many OF the people OF the
town did not scruple 10 say he had
appropriated the funds 10 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 a we'd
ding gift. so we decided to stay In H.
but TO sell the better part OF the furni-
ture. This we did, and Edward went
to America, where he succeeded In OBJ
tanning a post as clerk I'm New York.
Time went on, and more than two
years had passed since our trouble.
had let my unfurnlshed rooms TO a 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 so 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 ! could not
help the yearnings OF my heart creep
ing into my letters Edward noticed
this, and in March. $780, he wrote tell
Ing me 10 prepare 20 come out to him
next month. He would forward me the
requisite funds.
We were greatly excited and began
packing at once. sold the house for
$1,000 and paid the money to Mr..
Smell az part payment OF the missing
50. 900 and also sold the larger articles
OF furniture The latter sum helped
me TO provide a few necessaries for
our wardrobes.
The money came from Edward, and
oil was now prepared when ] remem-
bered the lumber In the stairs closet
and told the charwoman TO bring II
out She did 80, my little girls help
Ing her.
had gone downstairs for something
when | heard cry OF surprise. and
Mrs. Egan, the charwoman, came run
ming downstairs bearing In one hand
dusty old umbrella OF my husbands
and In the other the long lost pocket
book. She had found II I'm the um-
brella, she explained.
Instantly Il was clear TO my mind.
AS my husband closed the old ''gamp"
that night, now three years ago. and
flung bis coat over his arm the pocket
hook must hive ahmed dawn into the