Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-16
RY FLORIDA PIER

come up and ii was necessary to fight
with it for the possession of ones UNI
brella. almost for the ownership of ones
legs The old gentleman fought and man
aged to hold his own; then just as he was
beginning to realize the absurdlty or
standing on windy corner battling with
an obstreperous umbrella there was
whirl of skirts, little scream. and
young woman was not only standing
under his umbrella and holding on TO his
arm. but she had the added audacity
to smile up in his face and eXclaim:
Gee, this is a bad night for the or
phan child" Then. as the old gentle
man said nothing, for he was naturally
too shocked to breathe, she insisted
cheerily, Il say amt it,?
NO doubt: no doubt he MANAGED by
the greatest effort to puff out. but II
you will excuse me. | am not an or
phan.
ooh sure neither am I, but We couldn't
be any wetter if we was, could we?" and
here she shook her monstrous hat so Wig
orousy that it spattered drops of water
in all directions. one going into the old
gentlemans wide open eye, whereat she
shrieked with pleasure and shrilled:
Bling right in the pepper; hurt?
NO. naturally not Young woman. will
YOU have the goodness to tell me where
you were going when YOU intruded: when
YOU, ! might say. when YOU honored me NJ.
with your presence under my umbrella
.'Say you're hospitable all right. all
right Well to tell the truth, l WASH I
quite sure where l was going, but When
I saw you / thought perhaps You could
tell me. I'm trying to deliver TINS. Inns
proved to be a large bandboX Whlch untll
now the old gentleman had not noticed.
though for some moments past ne had
been conscious of an unpleasant, obtrusiVe
corner that had kept digging itself INTO
his plump side. Now he really feit tfat
his good nature was being imposed upon.
to shelter a girl with a hat of prodigioLs
size and a handbook as well. it was almost
too much: the old gentleman felt a JUS
titled rage.
"Deliver II. deliver it, and to whom? |
trust you do not think l want it.
..Of course i DON'T now, l say do try
and keep cool / wouldn't have come
under your old umbrella If Id known
Won was so crusty.' Here she looked &C
cusingly pathetic. Shall | go out In the
rain again?"
He could as soon have sent a kitten.
and knowing 1t made him sternly severe
with them both. stay where you are
he commanded. Now, tell me about the
bandbox'. And he drew his eyebrows to-
gether and shook his head to give prop
erly fierce impression
well you see I'm milliner by trade
and l promised, personally myself, to get
this hat to the tousfer what's gong 10
wear it by O'Clock, but, my goodness,
cant find the hotel where the old girl
lives It's the St Marks. Do You know
where ii is? That's what l wanted 70
ask you in the beginning; that's what
really came under your chummy little UNI
brella for.
The ST. Marks 1t was dimly familiar to
the old gentleman; he thought minute
discreetIy not noticing the hand that still
lay on his coat sleeve and presently 81
Marks cleared itself in his brain He
had heard only this afternoon that once
strawberry shortcake that person of
taste might eat. The old gentleman mel
lowed 1T just happens, he boomed
kindly, that ! do know where the st.
go there myself; in fact, II will walk
with you to the hotel door"
"Oh, naughty. naughty" the big hat
was bobbing with fun. always tell the
truth; you're going to the st. Marks to
hold your umbrella over little me; you're
going to keep me from getting wet. Now
'fess up: you're just plain, good-hearted
old dear. aren't your
Nothing of the sort; don't mislead
yourself. 1 am going to the st. Marks
because / have heard that strawberry
shortcake can be had there. The proper
kind of shortcake. you understandable
a rich biscuit. the strawberries crushed
and the juice running down over the
Sides
Sure. but can't you get that any
where?
ANYWHERE? Young woman, I've been
looking for shortcake like that for the
last fifteen years, and / haven't found 1t
vet" The Young Woman'S face suddenly
took on an expression of complete moth