Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-12-03
The Daily
Short Story
LOVE UNDER AN UMBRELLA.


declared Neal Arnold, volubly.
What! My oldest friend not come
to see where and how L live?
You're booked for tea at our home,
old fellow, and I'll call for you at
six"
You'll find me a dull guest,
Neal" insisted BARLEY Deane.
you see, I'm not used to com
pany."
We'll, my sisters needn't scare
YOU. Marcia is quite an old maid !;
Nettie Just out OF her teens. Why,
you've degenerated into regular
celibate. At twenty-five-shame!
What's the trouble heart ro-
mance?"
mo. a distant warning, Neal.
I've been attracted by two young
ladies in my career. / came near
falling into the trap until / dis
! covered one of them slapping the
Younger children and lnsolent TO
her mother. The other made a
! boast how she'd make the money
fly when she was Mrs. Deane. |
never went back to either of them. "
well, you prim, sedate, old
fashioned anchorite, come up to
our house and see real home lille
and get some of the pessimistic
wrinkles out of your mentality
BARLEY Deane was in measure
0Id-fashioned: good-looking, finely
intelligent young man as he was.
Life had not soured him, but after
his experience with the two young
ladies he had noted he had allowed
a prejudice against the gentler sex
to develop and grow.
He received a welcome at Meals
house that warmed his heart from
the start. The mother was some
thing of an invalid and 1t pleased
BARLEY to follow the movements
of pretty, active Nettie Arnold as
she cared for the two little chill
dren and attended to the duties of
the table.
Neal had an unexpected business
call from downtown and had to
leave Immediately after the meal.
Then Nettie received phone from
a girl friend who lived half mile
away and was ILL She excused
herself prettily, promising to be
absent only a short time.
why, it is raining hard, -
abruptly observed Miss Marcia as
she went to the window and glanc-
ed out. THAT is the cause of Net
ties detention. She hurried away
without gossamer or umbrella. 1
had planned to have her give us
some music"
why, 1 have an umbrella" said
BARLEY, 'and il you think"
would you be so kinds" asked
Marcia. you can take the gossa-
mer and 1 can give you the num-
Der of the Ellis home"
Thus it was that BARLEY Deane
a little later was joined by Nettie
on the porch of the home of Net
ties friend and started out to face
the driving storm. He thrilled at
J the light touch of the pleasantly
chatting maiden on his arm. The
umbrella truly furnished a capa-
cious shelter and a sense of cozi-
ness and unusual pleasure pervad-
ed BARLEY.
A violent gust of wind had
struck the umbrella and it was
! blown, not out, but shut. Some
catch had slipped, enveloping both
Of them, bringing them envelop-
/ ing both of them, bringing then,
/ close together in momen-
tary mutual captivity. They
could not move. BARLEY felt the
breath of his companion sweep his
face. She was almost in his clasp
1t was an ecstatic moment he new
er forgot He managed to right
| the umbrella.
He incoherently spoke OF the
, strange mishap, but his compan-
ion laughed brightly. Her face was
| flushed and her eyes dancing, but
/ he could not note that in the dark.
| II declared" he stumbled, Il
was positively stupid to turn the
umbrella the wrong way" and the
memory of close companionship
with this model of giriish grace
and beauty would not depart.
Nettie sang and played for him
and BARLEY left the Arnold homo
with a new ideal in his soul. When
he got home he found a slip of
/ hair ribbon caught in one OF the
ribs of the umbrella. He carefully
placed it in his pocketbook and
was growing sentimental.
He was in love. BARLEY compre-
hended it more and more as the
days passed by. His fiuttering
heart emphasized the conviction
after each further call at the Ar
mold home. And Nettie liked him.
Her brother told him so and Bart
ley bought volume on "Decorum
as an Art" and "Lovemaking as a
| Science" He renearsed set
speech he planned making when
an suspicious moment arrived. His
shy nature, however, impelled pro-
crastination.
1t was fate, coincidence perhaps.
but two months later he and Nettie
were at picnic. Again he had his
umbrella with him and again it
rained. He held it over her as they
stood in the partial shelter of a
tree. He looked down into the
sweet face so near to him. His set
speech came to his lips, but he
could not utter it.
THE night the umbrella came
shut it was on account OF that little
catch shifting" and he placed a I'm
ger upon the spot in question.
'Oh, deari" exclaimed Nettie In
pretty confusion, for down came
the enveloping folds of the para
chute
'Nettie, l love you!" spoke her
desperate sutton, brave under COW
cheeks touched. Il couldn't tell
IN a