Smyrna times., 1933-02-08
WEEKLY STORY
AROUND TABLE
Reading to While Away Time
Under the Evening Lamp
When Days Work is Done
INTERESTING READING
LOST PROPERTY"
BY Kate Williams

mind to marry him and Mildred was
smiling very charmingly into Toms
anxious eyes when she suddenly
leaned forward and stared at the
umbrella in the hands of the man
in the seat ahead of them.
She and Tom were sitting on top
the Fifth avenue bus enjoying the
lovely Riverside Drive trip.
''Tom," whispered Mildred, that
man has an umbrella that looks ex-
actly like Brother Fred's-in fact,
she added, craning her neck a bit,
Il am absolutely certain it is Fred's
umbrella-the one | had the miSfOr-
tune TO lose when l was in London
two years ago. Tom," and Mildred
became fearfully coaxing, do you
mind asking that young man where
he got that umbrella?"
Mildred! Have you gone nutty?
There are, no doubt, thousand
umbrellas like Fred's."
Mildred shook her head. No-I
know that is it for the ear of the
ivory elephant on the handle was
broken just like that, and Fred did
so prize that umbrella. He only
lent it to me that day in London
because | had on my new Paris suit
and he didn't want me to spoil it
first thing. | left it on the train and
didn't have time to go back and In
quire as we sailed the next day for
home. Please, Tom, ask him.
But Tom steadfastly refused
"All right !" Before Tom could
stop her she had leaned forward
and in the most heavenly voice in
the world was asking the perfectly
strange man to excuse her being
rude but would he mind telling her
where he got that umbrella.
The stranger turned around,
looked only once into Mlldred's eyes,
and Tom had a beastly feeling that
the game was up.
why, no." Jim Weldon answered
with ready smile. "as a matter Of
fact, | got it in London at small
lost property office on the Strand. !
rather fancied this ivory elephant"
Mildred laughed. well. it's real
" quite funny" she said. TO see
that umbrella again for lost il on
a train in London. BY brother lent
it to me and | simply felt dreadful
when / lost it. We visited England
two years ago and-that was when
| lost it."
"And I've had it with me con-
stantly for some eighteen months" :"
he laughed.
You know" confided Mildred.
and Tom was beginning to feel
quite out of the picture and q bit
gloomy. my brother would give a
lot to get that back. His girl, who
is now his wife. gave 1t to him for
an engagement present and she has
always sort Of felt that it was very
| careless of me to lose It,"
Tom felt that the conversation
had gone quite far enough now and
he didn't like the new and interest
ed expression in Mildrend's eyes nor
the admiring glances the strange
man was giving Mildred.
"Well," he put in trifie roughly,
what are you going to do about
it?"
-Give II back TO its rightful own
! err" said the young man rather
curtly.
Mildred. too, was bit snappy.
She felt annoyed that Tom could be
so petty about nothing at all
I'm fact" continued the strange
young man calmly. IF you will give
me your brothers name and adj
dress I will take pleasure In taking
the umbrella to him myself. I'm
sure we could enjoy a chat about
London, too"
Mildred choked back desire to
laugh. Toms brow was like thun.
dercloud.
'iNo need to take all that trouble. y
he said with an effort to seem
genial. Miss Caldwell can give II
| to him."
Toni Don't be absurd" flashed
Mildred with a laugh. Don't you
see that this gentleman could easily
think as a couple of crooks. How
does he know | have a brother-ii
he doesn't meet him? I think he
is perfectly right in wanting to put
1t in the right hands," And In or
der to hide the expression of hel
eyes, Mildred bent over her vanity
bag and extracted therefrom a caro-
on which she wrote the address oi
her brother. She handed this to tht
young man.
Thanks" he said. 'and-is there
any particular time, Miss Caldwell
when would be most likely to fine
your brOther?"
Mildred bit her lips hard. She
simply dared not show her dimple:
and her appreciation of the subtle
manner in which the young man wa'
asking just when she was likely t.
be visiting her brother.
brother is always In on Wednes
day evening" she said.