The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-12-03
TIE Lost UMBRELLA
ey CLARA COPYRIGHT.

into the ONLY fdCdnl seat NdSSldu
coyertlv watching her over the edge
of his new spaper, decided that she
was a rare girl indeed.
He kept taking one more look al
the girl: her attention being centered
upon book by the time the train
reached his station he was deeply In
terested in her. He vaguely remem
bered having seen her on his morning
train at intervals, but never before
had she sat within the direct range oil
his vision.
The next morning he took special
pains to catch that same train. Mif
fin was sitting near the door OF the
car and dragged him into a seat be-
side him. However. Wagstaff lost all
interest in Miffin's baseball chatter "a
the train neared the station where the
girl had entered on the previous
morning. He craned his neck to scan
the waiting passengers on the plat
form. Mifiin looked at him curiously.
Expecting somebody to get on
here?" Miffin asked.
"Oh. no." Wagstaf said hastily. Il
thought saw some one ! knew"
Then. to his unmeasured delight,
the girl came demurely in with the
crowd and found a seat almost Oppo-
site them. Miffin followed Wagstaff's
enraptured glance.
rs that the party you thought you
knew" he asked.
We'll, no." Wagstaff said guiltily.
but | wouldn't mind"
After that it got to be a regular
thing every morning for Wagstaff to
watch for the girl and then to steal
glances at her all the way to his sta.
ton. She looked at him SO calmly In
gazing around the car day after day
that he thought despairingly that she
didn't know he was on earth.
Just when he was losing hope of
ever getting acquainted with her
something happened One morning
she got off at station which the
train reached before it arrived at
Wagstaff's. More than that, Wag.
staff saw long handled umbrella
resting against the window frame OF
the seat that she had just left.
What shall do?" the young man
asked himself Shall take her um.
brella with me for safe keeping. or
shall | turn it in at the lost and found
Office? In either case"
With a fast beating heart he pos.
sessed himself of the forgotten UNI.
brella. On mature consideration he
decided that it would be best to turn
1t In to the company In the usual way
and take chance on future favorable
developments
A week later the developments
came. On wind-swept elevated
platform one evening several stations
distant from the one nearest his OF.
flee, Wagstaff found himself alone
with the girl
For an instant her glance fingered,
and there was sort of recognition in
1t as their eyes met. Wagstaff acted
on the moments impulse. all the hero
in his makeup coming to the front.
Il beg your PARDON" he said, ad.
vancing a step, hat in hand. but did
you recover the umbrella you left on
the train few days ago? I turned
1t in at the lost and found depart
ment--"
She started a little with surprise as
he spoke. and then she smiled gYa.
ciously. "Why, yes, thank YOU" she
said. II got it, Was it you who
found 1t? 1t was awfully good of
you
Not at all" declared Wagstaff.
Just then the train came in and
he helped her aboard. They sat down
together and their acquaintance pros.
pered
In ten minutes he found that she
knew half a dozen of his own friends.
While things We're little bit uncon.
ventional, she concluded finally that
he might call.
Wagstaff called and found two of
the friends there to vouch for him.
Then he took pains to call again.
when he was certain the friends
wouldn't be there Since the girl
chose the time for the call it is pos.
sible that she didn't want them there
either.
Two or three months later as she
and Wagstaff were standing in her
front hall one night counting the
hooks on the hatrack and otherwise
enjoying themselves. the girl said:
billy, I've heard of lot of WAYS that
young men get acquainted with girls
they want to meet. but that umbrella
plan OF yours makes a hit with me
every time | think of it."
What Go you mean?" Wagstff ask.
ed bit feebly.
why. you innocent child" she said.
smiling. Il never lost any umbrella
on the elevated train!"-Chicaeo
Daily News.