The Topeka state journal., 1916-12-26
EVENING STORY
The Solicitor.
(By Louise Oliver.)

IBy Louise OIVer-)
rdinand Weigel put down the slop
pals and turned around.
Carrie. breathless and flushed from
running, put her hand to her throat.
Say, dad, you're awful ceaf I've
been calm and callin'."
Hey? Well, what is it? Cribses
want to borrow the mare again? Tell
item to walk to town. They famed
her last time
mo, dad, it amt Cribbses after the
mare Its Sam Karns. He's back
from the city and he's solicitin'.'
WHAT"
Hes solicitin'"
whats that? After somethin' ?"
well, sort of. You come on down
to the house, won't you, and talk to
Sam? It's about a new buildin' in
town. He's all dressed up and sittin
on the front porch Hurry up an
come on. dad
"All right. I'll be down. Darn
those hogs they make enough noise
to bring on rain. Half the time 1 can't
Carrie laughed. well, feed 'em,
dad, and they'll keep quiet. Now
you be nice to Sam, won't you?'
Just like some folks, 1 should say
Tell Sam to wait. I'll be down.
So Sam waited and was very well
nuts and cider that matched the rich
deep browns of the woods across the
valley. Winter was just over the HILL
out was making his last pause before
his triumphal entry. 1t was Indian
summer.
when did you come back to town,
Sam ?'' Carrie, in her gingham dress,
with white collar and cuffs and a
dressup apron, was very pretty. Her
hair, corn colored and wavy touched
off complexion of roses and cream
that reminded Sam of the big bisque
dolls IN the city windows Her eyes,
with their long, dark lashes, were big
and very deep gray. She breathed
quickly and had habit of putting her
hand to her throat. Evidently the
effort of overtaking her father had
been very upsetting.
IT came back last Tuesday. I'm
running the campaign
Campaign! Oh, are you trying to
be elected?"
Sam laughed. mo. it's not politics.
takes charge of things and makes
things come that nobody else will
bother with. When a town wants a
new library or hospital or chamber of
commerce building they send for me.
Then I roll up my sleeves and go to
work. 1 get a force of people who go
around and take subscriptions, divide
'em up into teams and captains and
give banners to the ones who get the
most. And we have dinners every day
where We meet and report The old
town here wants a library so that's
why I came back, to get them what
they wanted. Oh, I'm the man that
put the 'g' in get, all right. We're
after fifty thousand dollars"
Carries eyes were big. "Is that
what you're solicitin' dad for?'
Yes
He won't give much"
why do you think that?"
-"Oh, because"
You just wait and see. I'm after
hundred dollars
why, he won't give me and ma
enough money for a new hat
But won't it be fine to have a Ii
brary in town."
u wouldn't know what to do with
"Why, get books and read them
Magazines, too; and all sorts of things.
A pretty girl like you wants to know
a lot, Carrie"
Il know enough. 1 can bake the
best angel food of any girl in Clark
county"
"All right, Maybe you can, but I'll
bet you don't know who Shakespeare's
contemporaries were''
What did you say?' she asked be-
wildered. "Oh, here's dad now
Sam began instantly. II came to
get your subscription to the new Ii
brary. Mr.. Weigel. You've heard about
it, I suppose Let me see. we've put
you down for hundred dollars"
''What?" cried the old farmer put
ting his hand behind his ear He
would not be deceived next time.
"a hundred dollarsi" yelled Sam
'Tn be-I1l be hamjuggled if
will" He pushed back his chair,
crossed his knees and fumbled awk-
wardly for his pipe. Whats the
darned thing for?'
you know. Books And then Sam
gave a dissertation on the blessings of
a library in tone calculated to waken
the mummIes in Egypt
And he got the hundred.
There, durn you!" Ferdinand hand
ed over the ink-bespattered check with
poor grace. "Ye're like them hogs
out there. Keep at it till you get it''
"Good-by SAM" said Carrie. put
ting her hand to her smooth, snowy
throat.
"Good-by, Carrie" said Sam. and
then in a tone which Egyptian mum
mics could never have heard he leaned
forward and said, I've learned to
know what beauty is since I've been
away, Carrie, and you're the loveliest
thing I've seen in that line ever" He
pressed her hand gently-and was
gone
A year passed. The trees across the
valley had put on yellow bonnets and
red and brown shawls against the nip
ping night air. But the afternoons
were warm and mellow. Ferdinand
Weigel was going for the cows one
day when Carrie called, dad, oh
Dadt''
The old man turned. Hey? Well.
What is it? C-ibbses want to-
mo, it isn't the Cribbses, Dad. It's
Sam Karns- He wants to see you"
"Who?"
Sam Sam Karns''
Wants me to build another library,
does he. Well. tell him to go and
talk to the chickens. I'm busy. What's
he want2''
IT don't know Carrie smiled and
dimpled- He said to tell YOU he's
--1;ofti-,c r.;oI-e5