The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1911-01-11
IN 'THE
RAIN


had rushed over to the suburban rail-
roud 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
wlom 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-
| slized at sight OF her that as to at
tire this girl was most perishable.
| Every body knows that wet feathers
| are "a sight to make "A craven Image
weep. while rained-on velvet has bro
ken many 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 lot
of hury hair and that there was a
distracting dimple in each rosy cheek.
He 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 be 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 no, ask her for match to light
his cigar. as II 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
J merton saw at once that he ought to
offer her the use OF his big umbrella.
Here was his blessed chance'
But a terrible doubt assaiied him.
II he offered her the protection of his
umbrella would she accept III Evil
IDENTIFY she YVES anxious to go some
where, but was her anxiety sufficient
to cause her to overlook such an I'M
conventionaiity as he contemplated
Spannerton felt that she was of =
sort TO insist on drowning II a would
be rescuer had neglected to secure a
proper Introduction. He could imag-
inc her raising her eyebrows and
freezing him half to death II 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 a little frown
of despair on her face. which touched
him. He half-halted and then she
turned her back on him and he
walked on.
At the end OF the platform he re-
fiected that possibly she had meant
nothing personal in turning her back.
SO he walked toward her again. She
drifted at once in the opposite direo-
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 II he had never laid
eyes on her before and even II 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 1t 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 It was all utterly ridicu-
lousi
As he paced miserably back and
forth before her corner Spannerton
had another unhappy thought. What
II she were hating him for his selfish
ness In owning such a large and
sheltering umbrella7 Hastily he
transferred It to the other hand.
where 1t was not SO plainly visible
to her Even though he did not know
her name he could not bear to have
her hate himi
His train was coming. but Span
merton paid no attention to IT. He
couldn't desert her.
Just then somebody ran up the
steps obscured by extra raincoats and
umbrellas In his arms. He whooped
joyously when he saw the girl in
brown velvet and then whooped again
when he saw Spannerton. II was
Bodley. whom Spannerton knew we'll.
"Chump," said Bodley In great dis
gust to Spannerton. Have you stood
here with that circus-tent umbrella
all this time and let our dinner get
cold while we waited for my cousin7
Why weren't you a hero and a SOL
der? Why didn't you bring her overf"
Why" stammered Spannerton in
CONCEALED horror at B dley's dense
ness, 4"
Yes" said the girl In brown velvet
with a little flicker of = smile Hes
Just been walking up and down.
haunting me with that huge umbrella
thought every minute he'd be kind
enough to
You thought" repeated Spanner-
ton. with indignant sternness. why.
you never SO much as glanced within
a million miles of me and didn't
dare"
We'll. you ought to have known
anyhow" said the girl in brown vel
vet with lovely Inconsistency. Il
don't believe you were worried a par
ticle about my getting rained oni"
nraraA 80 49,.