The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1916-02-03
LEsBIA's PIANO
BY ROBERT WADE BURTON.

o Sew *
"Four Of you, eh?' remarked old
1ilas cambridge. Where do you
stand in the list, RANSOM"
Il fancy I don't count, MIR. Balm
BRIDGE" replied Ransom Deane In
his serious practical way, and started
Oh, hoe in hand, for the potato field.
His employer and friend stood look
ing speculatively after him. There
was q tender glow in the grim, hard
ayes.
"What are you thinking of, silas?"
inquired his wife, and she looked
keenly into his own.
"That lad" was the reply. Hes
. good one, too. You know how we
1oke about Lesbia's four lovers? You
know, too, how everybody says that
on her birthday, day after tomorrow.
she is going to take her pick. I sort
OF 1oked Ransom for being In the
group. He won't have it-says he
don't count"
aSilas," exclaimed Mrs. cambridge,
her face earnest and working, ." wish
he did"
MARY" replied Silas, quite as in.
tensely, Il wish SO, too. Those three
city fellows are clean, decent fellows,
but I'd rather have him round, kind.
helpful, accommodating day in and day
out, than see Lesbia marry a man who
will take her away from this sweet
dear life to the folly and shallow ex.
citement Of the city"
The trio referred to were summer
boarders at the lake hotel a mile
away They were all in love with
Lesbia, and it vas no wonder.
Life had gone like some fair dream
with Ransom until the three rivals in.
vaded the field. He did not resent
their appearance. He had little to Of
fer her. His father had left him q
small farm, so poor, indeed, that he
rented it out for what it cost him for
taxes and interest on it's value.
Wednesday was Lesbia's nineteenth
birthday. The week before she had
declared she would marshal her brave
knights errant at her birthday party,
to give q definite answer to their re
spective pleas.
It was the next morning that Lesbia
came hurrying to the field where her
father and Ransom were working, In
. great state Of anxiety and excite
ment.
"Oh, father!" she said flutteringly,
s'the piano has not come. ! have just
telephoned over to Lloydville, and the
station agent reports no trace OF It.
I have so set my heart on having 1t
FOR my birthday! Why, half our pro.
gram depends on the piano!"
Ransom was at once interested.
".If you can spare me for the day"
spoke Ransom, after q thoughtful
glance at Lesbia's troubled face, =
might drive down to Lloydville and
See II 1 cant learn something more
definite"
sOh. II you would, Ransom" cried
Lesbia eagerly, and Ransom thrilled
O. her pretty hand clasped his arm
gratefully.
II was afternoon when Ransom
reached the little station. He knew
the man In charge and soon had the
wires busy.
"Well, 1 declared" suddenly OK
claimed the station man, as he took Z
fnal message. Il might have thought
cf that before"
whats that?' inquired Ransom.
.Why, by some error the piano was
shipped to the Lloydville across coun.
Try, IN another county, and on another
line. Been there in storage for two
days"
ssHow long would II take to get #
here?" asked Ransom.
several days, for the two roads
have no connection this side Of the
transfer belt line. : hundred miles
away"
Ransom reached sthe other Lloyd
yillen shortly before midnight 4
rain had set IN and Ransom va
soaked through. A chill wind had
come up. He felt repaid tor al his
arduous efforts, however, II fact. fair
fysAxultant. al re started back home
yards. with the piano well braced and
covered With I'll the old blankets and
tarpanlins AZ could brtbe ths sleepy
etf1 tinnagent.tO secure.
6sSl9its tsb1dIbd : tfeat stofy u thefas,-
suink nvs hour. the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES