Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-14
The Observer Rents
an Umbrella.


waiter a quarter. SO had only sass,
exclusive Of rent. tied up in the UNI
brella by that time. consoled my
self, however. that saved IS cents
and ducking by going back after
the umbrella in a taxi.
walking up Broadway I found that
the umbrella. raised. interfered
greatly with my peering at the strik-
Ing chorus girls. and. as I was nat
urally in great sympathy with them
and their cause. welfare. etc.. I just
had to lower the stick and take my
drenching. Hence. at 50th street.
was no better off than when I first
ducked from the railroad station.
Some time later found 1t necessary
to go into q Greek shoe repair shop
and have some rubber heels adjusted.
In the excitement which held me
there. including the hiding Of toe
which had burst unexpectedly forth
to view the world. while the man re-
paired my shoes, and the subsequent
second shining of the shoes within
two hours. I again forgot the UNI
brella. When I drew up at the Grand
Central station. Eve blocks away, I
train time. SO I had to take a taxi
back to the shining stand and also to
the station. same costing rs cents, ex-
GLIDING standing time. strain on the
axles and all that sort of thing.
BY the time reached the repair
shop the owner had placed the UNI
brella back among several hundred
others which had been lost in the
same way as mine. suppose, and he
told me to pick mine out at a glance.
OF course, I could not do that, for
the umbrella and ] had been friends
for such a short time that had not
taken the precaution to bite my
initials In the handle, as I Invariably
do when the handle Is anything softer
than bone. When I hesitated the
owner said he did not believe that
I ever had left an umbrella with him,
that probably had gotten the rubber
heels put on at some non union shop,
and would I please refer the whole
matter to Mayor Hylan or some one
else who had lot OF time on his
hands. This I absolutely refused to
do and raised such a rumpus that
the owner gave me my umbrella and
bade me be gones 1 be-goned Just as
fast as could.
+ Il 4
On the way to Tarrytown sat with
a delightful. near-slghted old gentle
man. who reached into my pocket
and looked at my watch while feeling
for his own. He enjoyed q delightful
afternoon reading my newspaper. and,
finally. lifting the umbrella when he
started out of the coach.
Here" shouted as he left, what
are you doing with that umbrellaT
rs 1t yours, sir?" he inquired.
NO" I said. in all truth, Out"
Just then the conductor came up
and entered into the argument. and
eventually he handed the old man
another umbrella. which rather
think he lifted from a sleeping pas
ooA6oAs aHN SOt IulHo DICK. am
nobody to quarrel over such trifles,
though. SO grabbed my umbrella and
sped up the hill.
When. short time later, arrived
at the country home Of a friend, in
full possession Of the umbrella,
really felt that had accomplished
something worth while. A few hours
later, when arrived at the Tarey-
town station. two miles from my
friends house. was umbrellaless,
and. although gladly would have
abandoned the umbrella at that point,
found that had slipped somecia-
portant papers into 1t. so Of necAs-
sity returned to the house ana got
the plagued thing. it.sh
1t would seem. Of course. after all
Of these difficulties with the UNI
brella that should have had pres
ence Of mind enough to return 1t to-
the hotel, but I did no such thing.
carried 1t safely into the sleeper
and the next morning, when I alighted,
here in Washington. I left 1t in the
washroom Of the car.
The next time I go to New York
I propose to wear slicker like the
old cod liver oil man used to wear.
~, ,ooX,ho %tn ,o-o1ia 80 x,oluptaar