Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-02-15

anu where Is CHdC uCuulIlOu uuAuA OH
now where where?'
you think you left it on the train. =
"And IL you hadn't advised me to
take it would have taken it? And
If hadn't taken it would it have been
lost? And now-now am without a
silk umbrella! After fourteen bat
ties and twenty-five skirmishes and
an unblemished record of forty years
have no umbrell! Think OF it,!
Think Of it!
But, father, if you hadn't left it on
the train. softly answered Miss
Maude.
,"But I never left it on the train.
Some thief among the passengers
took it, and I'll run him to earth If 1t
takes ten years! may have said /
thought left it on the train, but now
II know didn't. know 1t was
stolen. You advised me to carry it,
and it was stolen! A court-martial
would convict you in five minutes!"
The colonel advertised for the lost
or stolen umbrella. He advertised that
he would give reward of $40 to learn
the identity of the thief. When he had
discovered it he was going to do things
with that thief to make the tortues of
the inquisition seem farce by com.
parison. He never expected the adj
vertisement to be answred but he
patted himself on the back after it's
insertion. He had shown the public
that he was no worm to be walked
on. .@f IN aE4l ("
When the colonel had purchased
the umbrella he had had his initials
&C. G. engraved on the handle. He
had given them in his ad. Three days
later, as he stood at his gate wonder
ing who he could pick a row with,
along came a middle-aged man with
an umbrella in his hand.
Hal" called the man of war.
"Ha! YOURSELF" replied the other.
"You are the man that advertised a
stolen umbrella, aren't you?"
eyes, and you've got it there!"
'You go slow, sir! bought this
at special sale at A. & G.'s, and
here's my ticket to prove that did,
But there's my initials right
there!" shouted the colonel
"And they are also mine! My name
lis Cyrus Grant. I've come from town
to tell you that you'd better be care
I full how you fling the word thief
around For two cents I'd have the
law on you!" ~ f... m
The colonel flew into the house and
the insult to him. and then discharged
the cook without a character. and sat
down to remember that there were
twelve umbrellas of the same make
and style in that lot. That made
eleven others just like his. OF course
all the buyers couldn't have initials
the same as his, but after an hour he
was almost ready to admit to himself
that he had been a little hasty-just a
bit.. For that reason he went out and
told the cook that she might stay on
day or two longer. That was as
far as he would CO.
That evening, after dinner, AS he
had got snugged down in his easy
chair for a smoke and think, the
doorbell rang in an imperious way
and after a moment a young man was
admitted. He carried rolled UNI
brella in his hand. The moment Miss
Maud caught sight Of it she fed from
the room
"Well, sir?' demanded the colonel
without looking at the card the other
handed him.
IT am a traveller for the house OF
Perkins & Smith, was the reply.
"Well?" aF ~
"a few days ago bought an UNI
brella at a special SALE"
"Ah! My umbrella-the one stolen
from me few days ago.! My initials
right here, sir"
'And they are mine. also! Look al
the card in your hand and you will
see that / am Claude Gillette. have
read your ad sir, and am here to de-
mand an apology. I am being twitted
by all my friends with being an UNI
brella thief can prove that bought
this at A. & G.'s, sir" f5
The colonel wouldn't apologize
The best he would do was to dis
charge the cook again and try to make
himself believe that both men were
iore Noxt dav q third man aDnearpd