Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1911-04-20
IN THE
RAIN

had rushed over to the suburban rail-
road station just in time to be caught
in the pouring rain that began sud
denly. AS he stamped the water
from his shoes he saw the girl about
whom he had been wondering for
weeks.
She was clad in velvet as brown as
her eyes and her big hat, also OF vel
vet, was all adrift with plumes. The
most ignorant of men would have re-
allied at sight of her that as to at
tire this girl was most perishable.
Everybody knows that wet feathers
are sight to make craven image
weep, while rained-on velvet has bro
ken many a feminine heart. And the
girl did not even have an umbrella.
Spannerton did not have to look at
her to know that she was tall and
graceful and had big eyes and a lot
of fluffy hair and that there was q
distracting dimple In each rosy cheek.
IL had frequently passed her on the
street and he had wondered about her,
but being a most exemplary young
man, he would not for worlds have
had 1t apparent to her that he was
interested In her.
He had long wished that he knew
her, but he took 1t out in wishing.
She never got run down by an auto
mobile in his presence, SO he could
not rescue her from anything. He
could not ask her for match to light
his cigar, as If she were man.
Now she stood there under the
shelter, anxiously peering out upon
the street. Plainly she was unhappy
and nervous over the situation Span
merton saw at once that he ought to
offer her the use of his big umbrella.
Here was his blessed chance!
But terrible doubt assailed him.
If he offered her the protection of his
umbrella would she accept it? Evil
IDENTIFY she was anxious to go some
where, but was her anxiety sufficient
to cause her to overlook such an un"
conventionality as he contemplatedf
Spannerton felt that she was of a
sort to insist on drowning if would
be rescuer had neglected to secure a
proper introduction He could imag'
inc her raising her eyebrows and
freezing him half to death If he so
much as came near her. Yet she was
in distress!
The rain came down. in sheets.
Spannerton in his indecision walked
by the girl to the other end of the
platform and then irresolutely walked
back again. There was little frown
of despair on her face, which touched
hir' He half-halted and then she
turned her back on him and he
walked on.
At the end of the platform he re-
fected that possibly she had meant
nothing personal in turning her back,
so he walked toward her again. She
drifted at once in the opposite direc-
ton with her face turned toward the
street. She was ostentatious in show.
ing that Spannerton simply did not
exist so far as she was concerned.
Spannerton told himself that he was
a fool. Even If he had never laid
eyes on her before and even if she
had been homely as hedgerow ordi-
narily he would have recognized his
duty and at once proffered his UNI
brella. Why, then, simply because he
so much wanted to know her, should
he hesitate?
The long and the short of it was
that he didn't dare. And yet he felt
most acutely just how badly she hated
getting that velvet outfit ruined in
the rain, which showed no signs Of
stopping. 1t was all utterly ridicu
lous!
AS he paced miserably back and
forth before her corner Spannertor
had another unhappy thought What
if she were hating him for his selfish
ness in owning such a large and
sheltering umbrella? Hastily he
transferred 1t to the other hand
where it was not so plainly visible
to her. Even though he did not know
her name he could not bear to have
her hate him!
His train was coming, but Span
merton paid no attention to it. HC
couldn't desert her.
Just then somebody ran up the
steps obscured by extra raincoats anC
umbrellas in his arms. He whoopet
joyously when he saw the girl II
brown velvet and then whooped agar
when he saw Spannerton. 1t wal
Bodley, whom Spannerton knew well
"Chump." said Bodley in great dis
gust to Spannerton. Have you stool
here with that circus-tent umbrella
all this time and let our dinner ge
cold while we waited for my cousin
Why weren't you hero and sol
der? Why didn't you bring her over?
Why" stammered Spannerton ii
CONCEALED horror at B, dley's dense
ness, q"
YES" said the girl in brown velve
with a little flicker of a smile. He
Just been walking up and down
taunting me with that huge umbrella