The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-08-03


she would be likely to make, up her
mind to marry him and Mildred was
| smiling very charmingly into Toms
anxious eyes when she suddenly
I leaned forward and stared at the UNI
brella 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, shat
man has an umbrella that looks eX-
actly like Brother Fred's-in fact"
she added, craning her neck bit, 81
am absolutely certain it is Freds UNI
brella-the one I had the misfortune
to lose when l was in London two
years ago. .Tom," and Mildred be-
came fearfully coaxing, "do you mind
! asking that young man where he got
that umbrella?"
Mildred! Have you gone nutty?
There are, no doubt, a thousand UNI
brellas 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 l had on my new Paris suit
and he didn't want me to spoil it first
thing. left 1t on the train and didn't
have time to go back and inquire 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 round, looked
only once into Mildreds eyes, and
Tom had a beastly feeling that the
game was up.
"Why no." Jim Weldon answered
with a ready smile, "aS matter of
fact, I got it in London at a small
lost property Office on the Strand. I
rather fancied this ivory elephant"
Mildred laughed. "Well, it's really
quite funny" she said. ito see that
umbrella again for lost it on train
in London. My brother lent it to me
and 1 simply felt dreadful when 1
lost it. We visited England two
| years ago and-that was when l lost
it."
"And I've had 1t with me constantly
for some eighteen months" he
laughed.
you know" confided Mildred, and
Tom was beginning to feel quite out
Of the picture and bit gloomy. my
brother would give lot to get that
back. His girl, who is now his wife,
gave it 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 interested ex-
preston in Mildred's eyes nor the ad-
miring glances the strange man was
giving Mildred.
well, he put in trifle roughly,
"what are you going to do about it,"
Give 1t back to its rightful own
err" said the young man rather
CURLY.
Mildred. too. was bit snappy. She
felt annoyed that Tom could be so
petty about nothing at all.
"In fact" continued the strange
young man calmly, 'if you will give
me your brothers. name and address
will take pleasure in taking the
umbrella to him myself. I'm sure
we could enjoy a chat about London,
too"
Mildred choked back a desire to
laugh. Toms brow was like a thun-
dercloud.
"No need to take all that trouble"
he said with an effort to seem genial.
Miss Caldwell can give it to him"
TON! Don't be absurd" flashed
Mildred with a laugh. Don't you
see that this gentleman could easily
think us a couple of crooks. How
does he know / have a brother-if he
doesn't meet him? think he is per-
fectly right in wanting to put it in
the right hands," And In order to
hide the expression of her eyes, Mil
bred bent over her vanity bag and
extracted therefrom a card on which
she wrote the address of her brother.
She handed this to the young man.
Thanks" he said, "and-is there
any particular time. Miss Caldwell,
when l would be most likely to find
your brother?"
| Mildred bit her lips hard. She
simply dared not show her dimples
and her appreciation of the subtle
manner in which the young man was
asking just when she was likely to
be visiting her brother.
Brother is always in on Wednes-
day evening"" she said.
And Jim Weldon got Off the bus
nor did he look back for there were
those Wednesday evenings to look
forward to.
"Lost property isn't the word,
growled Tom.