Evening star., 1932-12-13
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E, TRACEWELL.

an umbrella, except in extreme youth,
, were q nuisance The Umbrella got the
blame for it, when 1t wasn't the UNI
brella's fault at all. Not even Of q
mans umbrella.
Jones often wished ne could get up
the nerve to discard his Big Top and
purchase one of those neat affairs he
saw all the ladies carrying.
OF course, he shrank from the plaid
tops, and the red tops, and the violet
tops, and all the other gay and giddy
coverings which the ladies' affected.
Women had right to such colors,
he reasoned, since it seemed to be in
their nature, out men wanted no such
colorations.
Jones had noticed, as every one else
k1i, that comic illustrators at times
dad fallen back on the subject, Show
! ing some male being, caught by a
shower. having recourse to his wife's
umbrella, amid hearty gr;ns of Office
mates.
1t was too bad, though, he thought
wistfully
With dark blue cover a neat chubby
handle which just fitted the hand, and
a serviceable strap. a woman's UNI
brella was in actuality just as proper
for a man.
Perhaps it was the strap which threw
Them cut. Men shiet. from such things
Still, they wore them ON riding crops,
and the like
cially i'll clothes and personal gadgets
Jones recalled the furor set up over the
first wrist watches.
1t was the strap around the wrist
which did it!
1t took a whole World War to make
strap masculine, In that case
Men, however, had no monopoly on
being conSer iativeS in such matters, he
unused.
Women had as much use for prop
erly placed pockets as men but few
eyer GOT lip enough everyday courage
10 use them, except in aprons
Perhaps they were no more daring
than men,
He had to admit that their plain and
fancy pocketoooxs afforded service
able substitute. Yet they never seemed
to be able u find their bus tickets or
small change.
Templetol Jones woke up that re-
cent snowy, bloWy morning to the reali-
zation that the white hits floating by
his window were very, very wet.
An umbrella. he thought, would come
n very. very handy.
And then he realized that his own
was down at the Office. where It had
been slowed away safely for many dry
days.
This would be just the morn
ing to make the plunge he thought to
himself.
He dislikei snow blowing into his
eyes.
Besides, it had all the appearance of
turning into real rain before eve
ming.
Yes, this would be the day Of days
for sneaking downtown with the Wifes
umbrella.
The day was dark, and there was SO
much snow blowing around that few
would notice he was defying conven-
ton, tradition and a lot OF other
things
Walking out the front door at last.
ne boldly plunged into the elements,
his head carried high and his feminine
umbrella higher.
Mighty fine little umbrella" he
murmured
He looked suspiciously at the con-
ductor, as he boarded his street car.
but that worthy did not seem to notice
anything unusual
He expected a friend, whom he met
aboard to shout, Hey, Jones! Where
did you get it?" But the friend con-
tented himself with talking about the
latest bit of news.
The elevator man said nothing. and
the boys" in the Office apparently were
not up to their usual penetration that
morning.
It was q complete victory for COM
mon sense.