Richard Ransome's Umbrella.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XX, Issue 2850, 4 July 1892, Page 4

Richard Ransome's Umbrella.

• I beg pardon ? * Excuse me ! ' A pair of black eyet and a pair of blue eyes met defiantly, while a small white hand and a largo White band each grasped the handle of a* utniwrella. * Tbtft umbrella is mine, I tbink : did you wish to use it ?' murmured black eyes witb polite fierceness. *1 am sore it is mitre. I bought it , U»t year, and have never seen an•thjar like it/ antwered blue eyes wrtta a firm hand on tbe article in question. Vexation and polite unbelief were " expressed on^ each fcace. Tben tW gentleman, with an indulgent provoking little smile, said ; *"" If Tfc ■ is mine, I can show^ you »y naaj» on tW inside, if you will allpw uiejo open it. ' VYfry well, pray do bo,' said she stepping back. He opened it, and, behold ! inside jwae a small tag witb ' Richard Ban"*om f inscribed fcWeon. She fell in confusion', rosy red and irtKn.ilis.ted. Mam very sorry ! I beg yoar pardon! Where can mine be? 1 am aoyre I left it here !* fhe exclaimed in aistresfc, glancing a% $be falling- rain

f Ho magnanimously joined in tbe B^ftrcb, but no duplicate umbrella could be fouDd. He was ashamed of bis ill teaiper, and also made the discovery t&at she was a lovely girl; jp,"niuc;a to Lucy Dean's dismay, he insisted upon escorting heriome. She felt very much like a convicted tbiejf, and wondered if be believed tta&fhe' had ever really bad an um\oftl lie bis. j* I am afraid our evening has not btfeb as successful as we hoped/ he remarked hesitatingly, toucbiog upon a topic about wbicb ooth were sensitive. 'Oh, no! I am so disappointed ! It didn't teem to take well— that is, they did not -appreciate it at we thought tKej would— aa tbey ought to We dbne, I mean-—-" Imcy paused, cohgciDUi tbat ibe was makidg bad much worle. They bad How reached a cross street wbich hd to her borne. Here she paused, and acting on an impulse born of a desire to fly from what sbe felt must be bis reproachful and indignant glances, she said — ' I see an old friend wbo is going psst our door, and I will not trouble ydu farther. lam much obliged for your kindness. Good nigbt. ' And tben sbe hastily, left him.

He stared after her, and saw her join a gentleman whose face, as seen in thfe struggling gaslight, snowed both surprise and delight at being so honoured. Richard Ban some, on discovering that hiß umbrella rested on his shoulder and that the rain was beating on his shiny tile/ pulled himself together and went on his way soliloquising ac» follows : ' Well, tHis is a queer place ! Odd folks, especially the girls. Seeired in a great hurry to get rid of me. Didn't seem to take — ef idently blames me, too. However, I don't usually talk to empty seats/ Then he laughed. • Fancy nae getting cross and rowing with that poor little girl about the utnbj^lJa ! But she was game, and I had #0 prove my claim. She evidently thought I was determined to make sure of some remuneration for my services. Hope I shall see her •gaic.'

This hope was destined to be speedily realised. The next day when Mr Kansome went to the society rooms to meet the committee for whom bo bad lectured, Lucy Dean was there, and shyly apologised to him for her blunder of the ovening before. She explained that her, mother had borrowed her umbrella without her knowledge. He found ber pretty .embarrassment very attractive, asked for permission to call at her home; this was given him, au<) b e soon avaHed himself of it. She was a merry, intelligent little thing, and her fits of shyness, when a sens© of his awful ness as a dominie Came over her, added a touch of piquancy which fascinated him. Hetfoujid Mrs 6«iDj who was only a plumper' and maturer Lncy, a pleasant companion when her daughter's conversation resolved itself into primtgonosyilablep, and be paid the eldet lady fo many flattering attentions I bat she was half inclined to believe Lucy's admirer her own. Indeed, Lucy might have been of that opinion too if it had Dot been for an ocean ioral expression in his eves, when they rented on her, which always brought the blood to cheek and brow.

A« tbe days pasted on, If rSansome (Uncovered that Lucy exactly realised bis ideal of womanhood. Tbe . idea of a final separation from ber was intolerable. Wben tbe time for bim to resume bis city duties drew near be 'knew tbat he wanted to take ber with'Mm, tbat he desired ber for bis wife. Bat puzzled by ber shyness, be wan not able to discover bow sbe regarded him. They were walking together one evening, wben be suddenly resolved to I end hie suspense and a*k her to be- ! come bis wife. Locy listened, dazed.* Sbe could not realise tbat her secret d rerun 8 bad become real. The tremen<puß fact, that be whom sbe bad set npoh a pedestal of divinity and learning was Only a man, pleading for her U>ve, seemed impossible to nice. Sbe could not lift her*yes to bis, and wYett he tried to draw ber nearer she felt ft tfadden, loving fear of him.

Habit and girlish modesty were barrier* too great to be overcome at once. -She gave -him one Btutr glance and tben broke away and fled toward home.

He etopd there, gazing after the flying figure. Disappointed love, wounded pride and amazement struggled witbm him. He tried to thrnt h;»w bo had offended her. He searched Bis memory to see if be bad ever beard of any girl who had received a declaration of lore in like manner. Alas! he had not. He iadly concluded that some other man mutt have been before him, and that she dreaded to tell him so. ' Even though she does not love me, she would have given me a chance if there were no one else, ' he said. be next Jew day were wretched ones to both. Lucy knew that she bad wounded Mr. Kansome, and was in despair Because she bad apparently rejected tho lore she really desired. She longed to tell him the Was sorry, I •but felt that to do so would be to surrender entirely, aod that she found as bard to do as ever. She hoped he would seek her again, and so force upon her the opportunity bbq was not brare enough to seek, And then, alai! he came on the very afternoon on which she went for a walk down the secluded path where ihe bad made lib proposal, to live over again, the scene which was ever in her thoughts. Mr. Bansome approached the house with Wavering courage, and on being informed that she wag not at home, ro mediately concluded that she refused to see him: and lie departed from the town forthwith. He returned to his work and found some comfort in the old routine of his profession ; yet he was a mord restless man than he bad ever been in all his busy life.

One afternoon, feeling the need of cheerful companionship, be started but, umbrella in band, to call upon a i lively friend who had been a former resident of the town where lived the Deans* Perhaps he secretly hoped to I bear mention of his ungrateful lady love. He reached the place, ana learning that bis friend was at home, turned to place bis umbrella in the rack, when, behold ! there rested another exactly like his own. He felt sure that Lucy was within, and stood a moment, debating on what was best to do. Finally a desire to see her again overcame all other feelings, atid he entered the parlour. His hostess rose to greet him, and presented him to her friend Miss Dean, i Lucy received Mr Bansome with I composure. She may have recognised the possibility of meeting him as a contingency of her trip. He made his call a short one, and as Lucy returned home that evening he did not see her again. It was cot until two weeks afterwards that he discovered be was in possession of Miss Dean's umbrella instead of his own. ; He was vexed beyond measure. The fact that he had committed such a blunder betrayed the state of his mind at last meeting. ' She will think I made the exchange because of some siliy, sentimental motion. I will return it to her, and tljeu throw mine away. I'll make it a purely business errand, and let her understand that I'm not in for any nonsense/ he fumed.

Accordingly he wept down to the village one bright evening. He walked frpm the station and wandered toward the spot where he had made his unlucky proposal. ' I'll just go and look at the place where she flouted me. It may serve to help me forget this worry over her that I can't get rid of,' he muttered. He reached the spot, and there he saw a little figure leaning against a young tree and weeping forlornly. His heart jumped, ond then stood still. He dropped the umbrella add sprang forwara. * Lucy ! f he cried. She turned toward him and held out her hands : and then—