The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-07-24

little. old, stoop shouldered hombre
about as big as a gun scabbard, with
scraggy white whiSkerS and condemn
ed to the continuous use Of language.
But that Marilla girl was a benefit
to the eye. And she was the most ele
CANT kind of housekeeper. | was the
nearest neighbOr. and I used to ride
over to the Double Elm anywhere
from nine to sixteen times week
with fresh butter or a quarter of vPni-
son or a sample OF new sheep dip just
as frivolous excuse to see Marilla
Marilla and me got to be extensively
inyeigled with each other, and | was
pretty sure was going to get my rope
around her neck and lead her over to
the Lomito.
''One day just after the fall shear
ing | rides over to the Double Elm
with lady's magazine about fashions
for Marilla and scientific paper for
old Cal.
"While | was tying my pony to q
mesquite out runs Marilla, tickled to
| death with some news that couldn't
| wait
"'Oh. Rush she says. all flushed UP
with esteem and qualification, what
do you think: Dads going to buy
NE a piano. Ain't.it grand? | never
dreamed I'd ever have one
Its sure joyful says |. I always
admired the agreeable uproar Of Il
piano. It'll be lots of company for
you. That's mighty good of Uncle
Cal to do that
"Old Cal was inside, lying on a cot.
He had a pretty bad cold and cough.
l stayed to supper.
Going to get MarilIa piano, /
hear, says | to him.
Why. yes, something of that kind,
Rush. says he. She's been laundering
for music for long spell, and allow
to fix her up with something in that
line right away. The sheep sheared
six pounds. all around this fall, and
I'm gofngSto get Marilla an instru-
ment if it takes the price of the whole
| clip to do it
"'Star wayno,' says I. The little
girl deserves it.
I'm going to San Antoine on the
last load of WOOL says Uncle Cal, and
select an instrument for her myself
wouldn't it be better suggests,
to take Marilla along and let her pick
out one that she likes?'
= NO. sir: it wouldn't says he, pull
ing at his white whiskers. There
| amt better judge of musical instlu-
ments in the whole world than what
am. | had an uncle. says he, that was
a partner in a piano factory, and, I've
seen thousands of EN- put together. /
know all about musical instruments,
from pipe organ TO a cornstalk
| fiddle
You get me what you like, dad
says MariIla. who couldn't keep her
feet on the floor from joy OF course
you know what to select. I'd just as
lief it was a piano or a organ or what
Along about Tuesday Uncle Cal
put out for San Antoine on the last
wagon load of wool Marilla's uncle
Bea, who lived III Brdstail, come over
and stayed al the ranch while Uncle
| Cal was gone.
ct was ninety miles to San Antoine
| and forty TO the nearest railroad sta
ton, so Uncle Cal was gone about four
days. was over at the Double Elm
when he come rolling back one even
ing about shutdown. And up there in
| the wagon, sure enough was a piano
| or organ we couldn't tell which all
wrapped up in woolsacks. with.a wag-
on sheet tied over it in case of rain.
And out skips Marilla. hollering oh.
oht' with her eyes shining ant her hair
| a-fying. .Dad-dad' she sings out.
have you brought it-have you
brought it?' and it right there before
her eyes. as women viii do.
Finest piano IN San Antoine says
Uncle Cal. waving his hand. proud
Genuine rosewood and the finest, loud
est tone youtev listened to- | heard
the storekeeper play it, and | took it
ON the spot and paid cash down.
"Me and Ben and Uncle Cal and a
Mexican lifted it out of the wagon
anu II III #BOuSC anu SCI II
in a corner 1t was one of them up
right instruments and not very heavy
or very big,
And then all of a sudden Uncle Cal
fops over and says he's mighty sick.
He's got a high fever and he com
plains of his lungs He gets into bed.
while me and Ben goes out to unhiteh
and put the horses in the pasture, and
Marilla flies around to get Uncle Cal
something hot to drink
when | came in from the pasture
Marilla was in the room where the
piano was | could see by the strings
and woolsacks on the floor that she
had had it unWrapped But now she
was tying the wagon sheet over it
again. and there was a kind of solemn,
whitish look on her face
Amt wrapping up the music
again. are you. Marilla? l asks
What's the matter with just a couple
of tunes for to see how she goes under
the saddle?'
s-a E = = Z