Forgetting the rainy day, the long skirt, and the mud, off the curbing
she jumped, and ran for the umbrella. She had almost grasped it
again, when along came another gust of wind, and down the street
bumity-bump went the big, open umbrella. Marjorie started to run after
it, but over and over it went so much faster than a little girl could
run, that it was soon far out of her reach.

[Illustration: She walked carefully because it was muddy.]

Then she began to cry.

"Catch it, oh, catch it!" she screamed, as she ran.

The lady I told you about heard the cry, and looking up from her
reading, saw the big umbrella go rolling past, followed by the
frightened, crying little girl. Down the steps she ran and out into
the street after the umbrella. "Bump," it went up against a telephone
pole and the wind left it there. In a moment the lady had it in her
hand.

"I want it down, oh, please, I want it down." sobbed Marjorie all out
of breath.

"Now, it's all right. Don't cry any more," said the lady as she put it
down and handed it to Marjorie, kissing her little tear-stained face.

Marjorie clung to it with both hands and started for home. She wanted
to put the umbrella back by the hall tree, and tell mother all about
the runaway.--_Written for Dew Drops by Flora Louise Whitmore._