The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1910-08-05
KATRINA'S NEW UMBRELLA

KATRINA'S NEW UMBRELLA.
Katrina longed for rain. For that
matter so did the farmers. Their
reasons were different. Katrina
longed for rain because Aunt Patricia
had brought her from New York a
pearl-handled blue silk umbrella.
There was nothing like it in the vii
lage. The farmers, so far from
thinking of umbrellas, would have
rejoiced in a shower hard enough to
make their roofs leak, so great was
the danger of losing their crops.
From the time Katrina was pos
SCISSOR of this new umbrella, she put
on surprising airs. At first the little
girls in her class at school were en-
vious, as Katrina wished them to be.
Then, as days passed and Katrina be-
came wee bit lofty in all her ways,
the girls began to realize that their
little friend had placed between her.
self and them that blue silk umbrel-
la Katrina couldn't explain an eX-
ample in fractions at the blackboard
without a certain uplift of the chin
that seemed to say, Behold, do this
beneath the shelter of the finest um-
brella in town"
If Katrina could have had her way,
she would have carried the umbrella
to school and used it as parasol.
This vanity her mother would not al
low, so there was nothing for the
umbrella to do but wait for a shower.
In the mean time, the little girls
who used to be Katrina's best friends
began leaving her out of their games.
Katrina said they were jealous, not
realizing what disagreeable child
she had become in a few weeks. Aunt
Patricia would have been surprised
had she known that, instead of tell
ing the little village girls how much
she loved her auntie, Katrina had
been Dragging about this auntie's
home in New York, and how many
servants she kept.
There was time when Katrina
was different. Her mother noticed a
sad change in the little girl even be-
fore the umbrella came. She was
worried as any mother would be who
knows that kind heart is much bet
ter than the possession of many
pearl-handled silk umbrellas.
On Friday afternoon when the
school children were to have music
and recitations instead of their les
sons, there were clouds in the sky.
Katrina said she was sure it was go
ing to rain; nevertheless, mother
shook her head when the child in
sisted that she must carry her new
umbrella. Mother didn't believe it
was going to rain that day. This
shows that she wasn't a good weather
prophet. 1t began to rain before the
children had been in school half an
hour. By the time Katrina had per-
formed her part of the programme by
reciting I'VE Are Seven" rain was
pelting on the schoolhouse roof
steadily and persistently, as if it
meant to continue without stopping
for a week.
Katrina thought of her umbrella;
then she thought of mothers black
silk umbrella; next she wished for
mothers common umbrella; after
that she remembered with longing
the Did um prella in the attic.
When school was dismissed. Ka-
trina discovered that all the little
girls were provided with umbrellas;
moreover, they whispered while gaz-
ing at her Sunday white dress and
dainty hat. She thought Elizabeth
Morgan said, Serves her right" 1t
soon became evident that not one Of
them intended to share an umbrella
With Katrina. At last little Angie
Munson was so sure of the fact that
she did brave thing. She offered to
take Katrina home beneath her old
family umbrella. 1t was the worst
locking umbrella in the village, faded
into a dingy brown with ribs bent
and twisted.
The boys played tent with it,
Angie explained, blushing rosy red
at the same time. She was so
ashamed of that umbrella.
Its big enough for two, though, y
Katrina interrupted, land | don't
want to get wet Angie, you are the
dearest girl ever"
Before Angie and Katrina had
walked a block, Angie had forgotten
to be ashamed of her umbrella. The
cloak of vanity Katrina had been
wearing seemed to slip Off in that
shower, and some way, beneath the
Munson family umbrella. Miss Ka-
trina returned to herself, becoming
once more the little girl she used to
be.
On reaching Katrina's home, Angie
was persuaded against her will to
come in and lave a cup of hot choc-
olate.
But I'm in a hurry to get home
tonight" she said to Katrira's s
mother.
we won't keep you more than
ten minutes" urged Katrina, so you
m+ust come in"
When Angie stepped out on the
veranda to take her umbrella, it was
gone.