Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1919-10-10
BLUE UMBRELLA
BY LIZZIE M. PEABODY.

!
and faced about.
IT'S blue umbrella all dag long,
aud dream of it at uight." she cried
out lmpatieutly. II hated to carry the
faded old thing anyway. and now
there has beer so much trouble about
it I'll never carry 1t again. even II you
find II"
Then she returned to her stitching
with sob in her throat. while Aunt
Polly resumed her u,onolOgue.
IF Annette returned the umbrella,
where is til" she asked with an air Of
triumph. The thin. trembling lips
frightened as she continued: Those
Plumbs! They're such "a careless.
happy-go-lucky, shiftless lot. | have
determined that neither Annette nor
her brother, Stacy, shall come here
again with my consent until that un-
brella is found"
Don't worry" Eileen returned quiz
city. Il don't think they want to
come"
When lending the umbrella to An
nette Eileen had whispered: Return
ii as soon as possible. dearie; Aunt
Polly values it for the sake of bygone
associations" And careless little An
nette, their neighbor, had promised
with sweet little giggle to return il
within "a hours.
Ever since that time she had stoutiy
maintained that she brought back the
umbrella the night of Eileen'S candy
party, and that she had set 1t in the
corner of the little entry at the foot
of the stairway.
That was three months ago, and
Stacy and Annette had ceased to visit
the Waverlys; for Aunt Polly. al
though constantly forgetting things of
greater Importance, always remem-
! bered to ask each time she saw them
If the umbrella had been found yet
and fair-minded Eileen could not blame
them for remaining away. although
she missed them terribly.
When spring came the mystery was
as far from being solved as ever.
Eileen had grown pale and thin,
Stacy had gone to distant city to
work. Annette now greeted Eileen
very coldly, and Aunt Polly, tiresome-
ly insistent. still asked daily: IF An
nette brought back that umbrella,
where is it,"
Then, one particularly bright and
warm morning. Aunt Polly told Eileen
that it would be fine time to put
things to rights in the attic, and Eileen
gathered pals, brooms. brushes and
soap, and sang at her work. She
jerked up the cover of the large box
in which they kept the extra bedding,
Her brown eyes widened in surprise
as something went crashing to the
floor, and with a little scream of JOY
she seized the old blue umbrella and
Rugged it closely. No one could com
plain of lack Of color in Eileen's
cheeks now as, clutchipg tightly the
umbrella. she ran swiftly down the
stairs to the sitting room, where her
aunt rocked slowly back and forth by
the window.
See what | found in the bedding
box" she shouted joyOusly, and Aunt
Polly's face turned slowly to an ashy
gray, while 1t in turn expressed sur
prise, pleasure and-yes-chagrin
why, Eileen! You have found the
umbrella" she cried family.
But, Eileen, where did you find it?"
she asked, breathlessly And then,
again, with a slight wrinkling of her
forehead, "Who could have placed it
in the box2" Il wonder" was all that
Eileen said.
1t happened that Stacy came home
the next day for short visit, and
after Eileen had told her story he re-
manned silent for moment
Eileen. :" he cried at last, don't
you remember that we cleared out the
lower bedroom the night of the candy
party to make room for playing games7
And don't you remember that as |
reached the entry ] struck the pile
of quilts | was carrying against the
rail at the foot Of the stairway?
+ dropped some Of them and had to
stoop to pick them up again.
You called out 10 me To hurry and
get the bedding in the box up to the
attic, as the guests were beginning TO
come.
81 hurried and | must have first
knocked Gown the umbrella, and then
| must have picked il up among the
quilts
Then with cheerful grin he re-
remarked: Your Aunt Pollyn say, 4
told you so. Just Plumb careless
ness"
Rut Aunt Polly received the expls.
nation very quietly and not ut all as
she was expected to. Afterward FL
leeu found her crying softly.
Forgive me, Ely" she sobbed.
"Oh, | have been SO hateful. remem-
her now that | placed the umbrella
among the folds OF the comforters, in
tending To take il upstairs myself, and
then ! forgot al about II. And, Ely,
l thought perhaps You knew where II
was and wouldn't tell ne. Wen
gg give the umbrella % the jankman, -