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

oe rlcn. a insn MS erel mere, Szu -usvss
know it's about bo-iag for oil, and Pm
pretty sure that's TIE way my piano is
coming"
Now Abigail was not the least bit en-
vious, and she only sid. with Sigh:
you re SO lucky wish cou1d have oneF'
But / comfosted her with she assurance
thst she should use MINE whenever she
wished
From that tire until Thursday my mind
was not of nv expected present nor my
tongue either, wksn | WIS with Abigail,
and Aunt Kate said that was pretty much
all the time
| noticed, as ThursdSy passed, that the
family seemed unscsy, but was sure that
l knew why, though / tried 20 pear per-
fectly unconscious. The UneaSineas in
creased until the morning Of my birthday,
when father drove Or - town
/ was uneasy. TO-. G~=rdEother insisted
that 'kept sac rod hot all day between
our house SAD Ahixsil's, sndi did not deny
it, for the day v0ye away with no signs OF
any piano and Dot : word ABOUT my birth
day. We were all relieved when father
drove up ~ dusk and c2me IN looking quite
sober.
lowered about he kitesen, but not q
word WIS said until went To my own
room. was toS misarSbly disappointed
to think 4b,s1s she msanusss Of eaveS6rop-
ping ~ r. dowa ~ the stove pipe which
came - Jt rough the floor from the sitting
room below, where the rest 0f the family
were seated | soon learned why father
came empty handed.
well didn't get IL. You see, for the
bottom did fan out, SAID be, feehlY trying
co Joke: only 'twH U Z the bottom Of the
road, bat the bottom Of the business"
Il s'pected sonaeahin' when he' didn't
put in his appeanaRce Thursday" said
grandfather. What's up"
why, Potter got wind Of IL an hunted
him UP. Had him over there the very next
day. His offer was bigger u mine am
prospects just as good. they Thought, an
he was smart enough to close right on the
spot"
How tricky It's a shamer' cried Al
bert.
How could he have found it outs" said
Aunt Kate Indignantly. Not a soul OF Us
his told"
/ was down on the floor in shame and
modification. J knew howl My most in
innate friend he'd told IL. But as / thought
of it, even in my bitter disappointment
could not forget the warnings / had had,
and | knew that 7 Sln7- was to be blamed
But codid tslftham SOP
The neXtsetltence Sl.ssr1oin-d me, though
1t added a still heavier burden as ! heard it.
We'll" said mo; Der, trying 20 speak
cheerily to father. we can get along Is
before, and HSttY won't Be disappointed
about the pisno"-so il was psanoE"but
/ feed it most for YOU and tbs Rrandfolks.
1t would make your lives e2-Ssr and pleas
auser II we could only have some Of the
riches, II they are here for us"
/ did not hesitate / had done not only
a foolish thing but wicked one as we'll,
and IN the next few minutes I had sobbed
out my confession aud cuutrition with my
face in my mothers lap. | think all felt
that l had been puns.hed severely. for not
even Albert s=id anything 10 add to my
lesson. Grandfather only remarked,
"well, lass, you'll have % ride shanks
mare now Std Of a pony. Dut it's fer the
best, prob'ly"
When l learned the plans toT the future
based upon the hoped FOR OIL well could
hardly reconcile myself 70 tee loss. None
Of these plans we're realized until some
years later, when by bard labor c,ther
felt able to make the venture wpick proved
successful But | WIS then ready to ap-
preGiste Il, for ] lad learned the folly OK
too close intimscies. and Abigail was tho
last Of the series Of bosom friends.
So perhaps grandfather vas right In his
conclusion. At any rate. when at lat
fortune brought nay pigno grandmother
was ready TO indorSe IL with the dry re
mark 81 don know after All but larnin' not
to let yer tongue run away with yer vic
tusls Is better birthday present than Pic
anners Sarah BlcTcs Scarborough in
Youths Companion.