The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1891-06-03

are shilling now. That'll come to
90 cents an half Get paper of
Notwithstanding spools of
thread. a quarter of tea, a pound of
raisins and the. rest in drilling"
"His shillin' drillin' too, Betty,
you hear2" grandmother called after
me.
"That'll get yard, and Wen get
the the half cent this time. An,
Betty, you watch an see Seth Mer-
rill don't measure in his thumb"
scarcely heard grandmother
then. though it came back to me
clearly afterward; but | hurried
away with the eggs, glad to escape
the smoke and ashes and dye-stuff,
and glad, too, of chance to ponder
over my coming surprise"
The eggs were being counted ont
at the little country store when
Abigail ran up the stops.
81 thought you were hereF' she
cried, 'sI didn't half finish telling
you what I was talking about this
morning"
"And I've got something to tell
you," began impetuously, when a
remembrance of fathers last words
checked me. But Abagail wasn't
"the Potters" I thought; so L went
on, only stipulating, "but you
mustn't breathe word ofit.p
GAS if l ever didl'' she exclaimed
with an offended air. eff you cant
trus. me you needn' tell"
"of course L can," Ireplied hasti-
ly.
"wnl you take it out in trade
now or have a duo bill2" Seth
Merrill interrupted.
ain trade. Just wait minute,
Abagail. / hastily gave my list of
articles and slipped off TO the show
case with her, utterly forgetful Of
the warning as to Seth's thumb.
ga piano!" she exclaimed, as 1
poured out my suspicious.
81 am almost surel"
"Why, Betty, ] thought you said
only last week that your father
wouldn't be able to get ono for a
long time"
"That was last week." 1 replied,
continuing recklsssly, "but 1 think
we're going to be rich. A man has
been here and l most know its
about boring for oil, and I'm pretty
sure that's the way my piano is
coming"
Now Abagail was not the least
bit envious, and she only said, with
sigh: "You're SO lucky, wish 1
could have onel"
But I comforted her with the as
surancc that she use mine Whenever
she wished.
From that time until Thursday
my mind was not off my expected
present, nor my tongue either, when
was with Abigail, and Aunt Kate
said that was pretty much all the
time.
noticed as Thursday passed,
that the family seemed uneasy, but
was sure knew why, though 1
tried to appear perfectly nncon-
scious. The uneasiness increased
until the morning of my birthday,
when father drove off to town.
was uneasy; too. Grandma in
sisted that 1 'Ikept the ro, d hot all
day between our house and
Abagail's and 1 did not deny it, for
the day wore away with no signs
of any piano and not a word about
my birthday. We were all relieved
when father drove up at dusk and
came in looking quite sober.
L lowered about the kitchen, but
not word was said until 1 went
tony own room. 1 was too miser.
aoly disappointed to think about
the meanness of eavesdropping as /
sat down by the stovepipe which
came up through the floor from the
sitting room below, where the rest
of the family were seated. 1 soon
learned why father came empty
handed.
"WelI 1 didn't get it you see, for
the bottom did fall out" said he
feebly trying to joke; "oniy 'twa'nt
the bottom of the road, but the bot
tom of the business"
81 s'pected somethin' when he
didn't put in his appearance Thurs
day" said grandfather. "What's
up?"
"Why, Potter got wind of it an
hunted him up. Had him over
there the nextday. His offer was big
germ mine an prospects just as
good, they thought, an he was