Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-06
DAILY NOVELETTE,
THE BLUE UMBRELLA
BY Lizzie NJ. Peabody

"A Eileen's smooth, round cheek and
splashed upon the sewing machine as
her Aunt Polly's voice shrilled mo-
notonously on and on.
With n sudden change of mood, the
girl stopped the motion of the machine
and faced about.
"Tis blue umbrella all day long and
7 dream of it at night" she cried out
impatiently. 'I hated to carry the
faded old thing any way and now there
has been so much trouble about it I'll
never carry it again, even il you find
it,
"1f Annette returned the umbrella.
where is it," she asked with an air of
triumph
When lending the umbrella to An
nctte, Eileen had whispered: Return
it as soon as possible, dearie. Aunt Pol
ly values it for the sake Of bygone as
sociations.' And careless little An
nette. their neighbor, had promised with
a sweet little giggle to return it within
twenty four hours.
Ever since that time she had stoutly
maintained that she brought back the
umbrella the night Of Eileen's candy
party, and that she had set it 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, although
constantly forgetting things of greater
Importance, always remembered to ask
each time she saw them if the umbrel-
l.. 1. ,,NN e.,
ed Eileen could not blame them for re =
maiping away, although she missed
them terribly.
When spring came the mystery was
as far from being solved as ever.
Then, one particularly bright and
warm morning Aunt Polly told Eileen
that it would be fine time to put
things to right 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 and, motto
ing that several comforters had been
carclessly placed in the box, pulled
them, out to smoothly refold them
Her brown eyes widened in surprise
as something went crashing to the floor.
and with little scream of joy she
seized the old blue umbrella and hugged
it closely. No one could complain of
lack of color in Eileen's cheeks now as.
clutching 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 it in turn expressed sur
prise. pleasure and-yes-chagrin.
why. Eileen! You have found the
umbrella" she cried family. Eyes. -
Eileen answered eagerly. and hurriedly
throwing on her hat and coat ran al
most the entire way to the Plumb house.
Little Annette's face registered only
pure JOY as she seized the umbrella and
began two stepping around the room
with it.
But. Eileen. where did you find it ?''
she asked, breathlessly. And then.
again, with slight wrinkling of her
forehead. who could have placed it
in the box. | wonder?' was all that
Eileen said.
1t happened that Stacy came home
the next day for a short visit and after
Eileen had told her story he remained
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 games /?
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.
II hurried and | must have first
Knocked down the umbrella and then |
must have picked it up among the
quilts"
II am so glad. That must be the
true explanation, cried Eileen, beaming
with pleasure. Il didn't know
thought perhaps Aunt Polly" She
paused. her face flushing, and he said
ruefully:
What an awkward bungler ] am.
] suppose any one else would have heard
the umbrella fall and all the trouble
would have been prevented"
Then with cheerful grin he re
marked: 'Your Aunt Polly'll say y
told you so! just plumb careless
ness. -
But Aunt Polly received the explana =
ton very quietly and not at all as she
was expected to. Afterward Eileen
found her crying softly.
Forgive me, Ely" she sobbed
"Oh, have been so hateful. re-
member now that I placed the umbrella
among the folds of the comforters, in
tending to take it upstairs myself, anG
then l forgot all about it, And, Ely
l thought perhaps you knew where il
was and wouldn't tell me. Wei
g-g- give the umbrella to the junkman,'
she said, still sobbing
Don't cry, dear" Eileen said softly
as she gathered the little trembling ole
woman into her young. strong arms
Il, too, have been at fault and wei
keep the umbrella to remind me that il
is now my turn to be kind, patient
loving and unselfsh, even as you wer,
to me all through the years when ther,
was no one else to care for me-"
THE next complete novelette-"Th,
Lucky StOne.")