The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-13
MY INTIMATE FRIEND.

| in the early days Of the use OF coal oil, and
| the Indications of lis presence were not 50
well understood as they are now, so 1t was
not thought probable that any one in our
neighborhood would be warranted in IN
dertski9g expense in an attempt TO bore
| for oil Spectators were not ready then
to take upon themselves the expense Of
boring, and my father did not .ieel able to
undertake it. So he had toiled on, trying
| to be content with making both ends meet
from what hs could wrest from the soil
above.
NV grandfather owned quite q tract OF
land on one SIDE of the highway running
through the little country village Of P,
and the father Of my most intimate friend
| owned an equally large tract adjoining Us
We had FORMERLY lived juss over the line
In New York, and my principal objection
when father decided to remove To grand
fathers was that l should have to leave
my most intimate friend behind me; but
there was no help for it, and / had man
aged not ealy TO survive it, but 10 ind an
other friend whom 1 thought more nearly
perfect tAaa any one who had gone before,
for l had ksa several intimates in the
course of nay fifteen years,
Betty, poor girl, Is addicted to intimate
friends, was a frequent saying Of my old
est brother, Albert rs II they were kind
of intoxicant l was unable TO resist.
Such remarks never faiied to send me to
Abigail Potter for sympathy, which I al
ways received. WeweEe insepArable, and
when father once spoke of returning to our
old home was the most violent opponent
Of the plan could not leave Abigail
You'll get enough of A bigail some day"
said Aunt Kate.
Yes" said grandmother Her tongue
is hung in the middle, an ways both
ways"
you should not be so intimate with
any girl, +" mother added you ought to
learn that if you can't keep your own Sc
crets no one will keep them for you"
Now l really did not tell Abigail every
thing | knew, though | must confess |
came very near it; but l reasoned that it
was natural to like to talk, and to have
some sympathetic person to talk To. Of
course we must have something to talk
about, so where was the harm when she
was my most intimate friend
Betty, want you this minuteI' heard
mother call one morning from the back
door.
'She's hangin' over the front gate with
Abigail" Aunt Kate replied.
So / was, but | FASTENED TO the backyard,
where mother WAS anxiously dipping her
skeins of rags up and down in the big dye
kettle
Just keep stirring them so the dye won't
settle, while | get out your fathers seed
corn" she said.
l was absently poking the rags when
mothers Voice flOated down to me from the
attic window she had just raised.
80 the prospector has decided TO do il,
has her"
EYES," father replied He'll begin by
the 14th He's coming the Thursday afors
TO bind the bargain and make payment"
Then We get it here by tuesday,"
mother asked eagerly.
mo reason why not" said father.
Il hope 50. should be disappointed if
It couldn't be done by the 18th; but the
roads are bad"
We'll, It can be hauled six miles, good
or bad, less the bottom Of EN- falls clean
out, father ended, with d chuckle
I had not been especially interested in
the conversation until mother referred 20
the 18th. Tuesday, the 18th, was M birth
day, and II flashed upon zoe that III" must
be something for me. | followed up my
discovery with such conclusive arg1 ment
in my mind that IN a minute was fully
convinced that sit" certainly must be a
piano-something / had long wished for.
and which no one in the nsighbOrAoOd
possessed became all ears At once a.
father went on: Don't let Betty get an
inklinR Of it"
''She hasn't tho first suspicion Of il. It
will be q compssse Surprise"
You know she couldn't keep it 20 her
self two minutes" be continued. The
Potters would hear Of it IN Iess n no time"
We'll, they went" mother asserted,
shutting down the window. and in few
moments she was back By my side.
Dear me, Betty whore are your vitsi"
abe exclaimed In my eXcTteInens over
what had heard Just then gave the rags
such q vigorous poke that the dye over
flowed and . cloud Of as1es rose shove the
ketAle Here. Betty, give ne that poker,
and you 20 take those five dozen eggz up
10 the store. EGgs are q shilling Dow.
ThAt'n come 70 SIXTY two cents an half
Get . payer Of needles - Del Heers-two
spooLs Of thTesd, q quarter % tea. a pound
Of raisins and the rest in drilling"
His sbilhn' dli3iln'. too. Bstey. you
heaTr" grAndnosher called after nls.
''Thatu get yard, and wei get the half
cszt this time. An, Betty. you watch an
see Sssh Merrill don't measure in his
thumb"
scarcely heard grandmother then,
though il al cane beE< - ne % clearly
sftsrwari. but hGz-.si away with tie
egGz. glad 20 eScsDe to SMOKE and sshes
and dyo ssad. and S!z1. 90. of a chance 70
ponder over NJ o1LIns surYTEs
49,
Hrt4e oountry store when Abigail ran up
the stspS
II though you were hsrs," she sried. Il
didn't hall enikh telling you Whist / Wa
tsIking ABOUT tk1s morning"
And I've Eot sonsehdEz 20 tell you. /
began irnpesosaAky. vhsa rexnzzr francs
AbkSss1 wan. '%ke Prsss-s, % sssu9ss<
% / wen, On. esly sts1uI>Snx. ''Fsu. yoa
En1srD. 6rNst6-s 9 vera Of Il
IA III ever ODE a.. sxslss-r.d WITH
a. o5cnced ar. IF Yo1 can't trust re
ye1 aeednr tell I"
'Cf coarse ! osa, - replied hastily.
III ysu saks = ca ~ trade nov o1
have cue chs" & : 5,srriH ins<rrzpssd-
In tr1de. JzlSt ~lEi a Minute, Abigail"
hastily gave nsy ks, - sreszlss acA .1pped
a 70 ths slssS eAzs 9TH Der. uTsSslT for
gs-fui 81 the sarlIas, - 70 5rtAE thumb.
"A piano. shs e-cl-Imsd. a. poured
out rsY stzspicaDnx
an aszsss< xurss7
Way. Besty, ;1ouRigt yoa ssid oniy 4
last week thas yOzr father Souldn't b /
Aba 70 ~ ere for lor- f--~
--I11zs was i&ay tseez, = 2 sxpEad, eonnnz- 1
t1z rscktsz<sx- bat thEak ven EGGnx % /