Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-01-17
THE LOST UMBRELLA
3, cLAeA cooRrRloHr.


well dressed. and as she entered the
elevated train and demureiy slipped
into the only vacant seat Wagstaff,
ooyertly watching her over the edge
Of his newspaper. decided that she
was a rare girl indeed
He kept taking one more look et
the girl her attention being ceDtered
upon a book ny the time the train
reached his station he was deeply in
I terested ia her He vaguely remem.
( bered having seen her on his morning
train az intervals. but never before
had she sat within the direct range OF
his vision.
The next morning he took special
pains 10 catch that same train. Mif-
I'm was sitting near the door of the
car and dragged him into seat be-
side him However. Wagstaff lost all
interest In Mifin's baseball chatter as
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. Mifhn looked at him curiously.
Expecting somebody to get on
here?" Mifgin asked
"Oh. no" Wagstaff said hastily 81
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. Miffn followed Wagstaff's
enraptured glance
is that the party you thought you
knew" he asked
We'll. no." Wagstaff said guiltily,
but I wouldn't mind"
After that Il got to be a regular
thing every morning for Wagstaff to
watch for the girl and then to steal
chances 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
Wagstaffs More than that, Wag
stan 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 UNI
brella with me for safe keeping or
shall turn Il 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 II would be best to turn
II In to the company In the usual way
and take a chance on future favorable
Developments
week later the developments
came On wind-swept elevated
platform one evening. several stations
distant from the one nearest his Of
fee. Wagstaff found himself alone
with the girl
For an instant her glance fingered,
and there was a sort Of recognition In
II as their eyes met Wagstah acted
on the moments impulse, all the hero
IN his makeup coming to the front.
II beg your pardon he said ad-
vanclng a step hat In hand "but did
you recover the umbrella you left on
the train a few days ago? / turned
It in at the lost and found depart
ment'
She started a little with surprise as
he spoke and then she smiled gra-
ciously "Why, yes. thank you" she
said Il got It, Was it you who
found itg II was awfuily good OF
you
mot 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 minstes he found that she
knew half dozen OF his own friends
While things were a little bit uncon-
ventional. she concluded finally that
he might call
Wagetan 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 Il is pos
sible that she didn't want them there
either
Two or three months later as she
and Wagstan were standing in her
front hall one Hight counting the
hooks on the hatrack and otherwise
enjoying themselves, the girl said: |
BILLY, I've heard of a los 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 t."
What do you meant" Wagstf ask /
ed a bit feebly
"why. you innocent child" she said
smiling. 4 never lost any umbrella 1
on the elevated train Chicago
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