The Parker post., 1913-08-23
CUPID 'WlD A UMBRELL'
BY RossER W. cossE.

10 everyone III general. 1Ou w tNO'
have to be introduced to open con
versation at a baseball game.
Hit it-hit 1t. Run, you ice wagon.
run. Police-police-stOp dat guy
he'll try to make a homer out OF
single"
Jimmie stopped suddenly, feeling
that everyone In the stand was looking
at him. Then he said in more nat
ural tone Of voice to the man who sat
beside him:
Dat guy is always overrunin' de
bag. He'll get caught directly and de
Sox need DIS run. Deyll lose today,
dough, l s'pose. Dey always do on
Ladies' day. Gee, it's goin' to rain"
Rain it did, and as the shower grew
in violence, the umpire called the
game for Is minutes, at the end OF
which time, no cessation in the down
pour appearing to be likely, he faced
the grandstand, hat in hand, and made
this announcement, in his deep, fog
horn voice:
Game called. Rain"
Then he solemnly walked to the
clubhouse, preceded by the players
and followed by the jeers of the crowd.
Meanwhile, Jimmie of the bleachers
had not been idle. Beneath the grand
stand he had ten or twelve more or
less disreputable looking umbrellas,
and these he now drew forth and pro
ceeded to brush and "slick-up." Rain
on Ladies day!" Why it was like
finding money, and when the crowd be-
gan to come out of the main exit, jim
my's profits began.
"UmbrelPs. Get umbrelP. Don't
let de ladies get wet. Yessir, one dol
lar One bone. One buck. Cheap at
any money in dis kind O. wedder."
He was offering the last one to the
crowd.
Yes, ma'am. One dollar. No,
ma'am. OATS what l get for dem. Only
80 cents? Can't help it."
But you are surely here every aft
ernOon, and tomorrow I'll come and
give you a dollar beside. See-this Is
all / have" The young lady emptied
the contents Of her little purse into
her hand.
Nix. l hold dat kind O. talk be-
fore, and it don't sound no good to
me-"
Then Jimmie looked up into her
face.
You don't look. dough-" he contin-
ued with surprising frankness, "as
dough you'd do guy out anything"
fhnt H. ~
That is what Jimmie always called
him afterward. He was big and broad,
and young and good to look at, Jimmie
thought, and without a glance at the
girl he said:
What do you want for the umbrella,
kid"
Il don't know whedder it's fer sale
or not" Jimmie answered.
Here's a dollar. Hurry, up" jim
ME looked at the dollar and was near
ly lost. Then he looked at the girl,
and
Nope. Dis lady Is buytn' dis"
"Oh, l beg your pardon" de Guy
said, and then both he and the young
lady turned red, coughed and looked
away. Then Jimmie with that great
head for business, which will some
day make his lame well known, made
a proposition.
Maybe you two live clost to each
odder, an I y'do wy don't you go
home togedder?"
Then events began to happen that
kept Jimmie guessing" for pspv
day. He was telling his mother about
it that night at the supper table.
Den I guess de two O. dem knswed
each odder, cause de Guy says, kind
O. stiff like:
"''F l mite be omitted, Miss Gray.
and she seemed willin', only she
wouldn't talk. So l seen dat dey wal
goin my way, SO butts in. l says:
"'Wot did you t'ink O. de gamsf
and de Guy says:
so, all rite
Il says: 1T was shame dat Ca
got put out O. de game. He might q
made de winnin' run
Den de Guy kinda looks at dc
Fairy, an says:
OATS the same way wit me, son.
| was in de game once, but got put
out just wen l fought l was maxim
de winnin' run
Oh says, you play too? What's
your pOsish?'
Well he says, used to play foist
but guess I'm on de bench now
up to dis time de Fairy amt said
void, but now she butts in
Say, she says to me. In a bali
game don't dey never give de players
anodder chanel when deyve been put
out O. de game?
Nope | says, it's against de rules.
De rules says dat de umpire can't
change his decision
Well, de Fairy says. 'ain't dere
ever any 'ceptions dat proves de rule?
Not in baseball saya
We'll, says she, and she looks de-
Guy right In de face, 'dere may not be
in baseball, but dere is in life
well, you ought to "a seen dat Guy.