Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1914-03-05
CUPID 'WID A UMBRELL'
BY RossER w. coBBE.

me sick to see dem Dig lopstere Dunt
be ball."
Jimmy spoke to no one in particular
to everyone in general. You do not
have to be introduced to open a con-
versation at baseball game.
"Hit it-hit it. Run, you ice wagon,
run. Police-police-stop dat guy
he'll try to make 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. Dey1l lose today,
dough, l e'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 1t was like
finding money, and when the crowd be-
gan to come out Of the main exit, jim
my's profits began.
"Umbrell's. Get a 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, maam. One dollar. No,
ma'am, dat's what get for dem. Only
80 cents? Cant help it."
But you are surely here every aft
ernoon, and tomorrow I'll come and
give you dollar beside. See-this is
all I have" The young lady emptied
the contents of her little purse into
her hand.
mix. hold dat kind o. talk be-
fore, and it don't sound no goodv-tU
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"
Just at that moment de Guy" came.
That is what Jimmie alwBys called
him afterward. He was big and broad,
and young and good to look sEsJimmie
thought, and without a glance at the
girl he said:
What do you want for the umbrella,
kid?"
81 don't know whedder it's fer sale
or not" Jimmie answered.
Here's a dollar. Hurry up" jim
mie looked at the dollar and was near
ly lost. Then he looked at the girl,
and
Nope. Dis lady Is buyin' dis"
"Oh, I 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 name we'll known, made
a proposition.
Maybe you two live clost to each
odder, an Z y'do wy don't you 90
home togedder?"
Then events began to happen that
kept Jimmie guessing" for many a
day. He was telling his mother about
1t that night at the supper table.
Den I guess de two O. dem knewed
each odder, cause de Guy says, kind
o. stiff like:
":'F mite be p'mitted, Miss Gray
and she seemed willin, only she
wouldn't talk. So seen dat dey was
goin' my way, so butts in. says:
"Wot did you t'ink O. de game?
and de Guy SAYS:
40, all rite
81 says: 1t was a shame dat Cal
got put out O. de game. He might a
made do winnin' run
Den de Guy kinda looks at de
Fairy, an says:
"'Dat's the same way wit me, son.
was in de game once, but got put
out just wen 1 fought was maxim
| de Winnin' rum