Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1917-01-18
THE SOLICITOR
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

2 DdliS anu luTutu bIOuuus
Carrie, breathless and flushed from
running, put her hand to her throat.
Say. dad. you're awful deaf. I've
been calm and callin'."
"Hey7 Well. what is it7 Cribbses
| want to borrow the mare agaln7 Tell
them to walk to town. They famed
her last time"
: mo. dad. II amt Cribbses after the
mare. It's Sam Harms. He's back from
the city and he's solIcitin'."
"WhatY
Hes solicitin'."
whats that7 After somethin'7"
( "Well, sort of. You come on down
to the house. won't you, and talk to
Sam7 It's about a new bulldin' In
town. He's all dressed up and sittin'
on the front porch. Hurry up an
come on, dad"
IAN right, I'll be down."
"When did you come back to town.
SamT Carrie, in her glngham dress.
with white collar and cuffs and a
dress-up apron, was very pretty. Her
hair, corn-colored and wavy, touched
off a 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.
81 came back last Tuesday. I'm run
ming the campaign"
"CaMpaignl Oh, are you trying to
be elected?"
Sam larghed. mo, it's not politics.
I'm an organizer That's man who
takes charge of things and makes
things come that nobody else win
bother with. When a town wants a
new library or hospital or chamber OF
commerce building. they send for me.
Then ] roll up my sleeves and go to
work The old town here wants a
library, so that's why 1 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 dol
lars"
Carries eyes were big. us that
what you're solicitin' fort"
"Yes."
"He won't give much"
"You just wait and see. Pm after
a hundred dollars"
Goodness Her eyes widened.
"Why. he won't give me and ma
, enough money for a new hat"
"But won't 1t be fine to have a
library in town."
81 wouldn't know what to do with
: It."
"Why get books and read them.
Magazines. too; and all sorts of things.
A pretty girl Ike you wants to know
a lot, Carrie"
81 know enough. can bake the
best angel food Of any girl in Clark
county"
"All right Maybe You can, but IN
bet you don't know who Shakespeare's
contemporaries were"
what did you say2" she asked be-
wildered. "oh, here's dad new"
Sam began Instantly. Il came to
get your subscription 10 the new
library. Mr.. welgel. You've heard
about it, suppose. Let me see, we've
put you down for a hdnared dollars"
"WhatT' cried the old farmer. "rn
be hamJugged IL will r. Hs pushed
back his chair. crossed his knees and
fumbled awkwardly for his pipe.
whats the darned thing forP'
"a library for the county. Books,
you know. Books" And then Sam
gave dissertation on the blessings
OF library in a tone calculated to
waken the mummles in Egypt.
And he got the hundred.
"Goodby, Sam" said Carrie, putting |
her hand to her smooth, snowy throat.
"Goodby. Carrie" said Sam, and
then in tone which Egyptian num-
mics could never have heard he leaned |
forward and said, 1--WE 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. Ferdinand Weigel |
was going for the cows one day when |
Carrie called, Dad, oh Dadr
The old man turned. "Hey? Well.
what is it, OEibbses want to"
mo, It Isn't the Cffbbses, dad. It's
Sam Karns. He wants to see you"
wants me to build another library.
does he? Well, tell him to 70 and
talk to the chiokens. I'm busy. WHAT'S
he wantY'
II don't know" Carrie smiled and
dimpled. HE said to tell you he's
soliciting" Carrie had picked up ON
her G's since reading books from the
library, and she had found out just
what "Shapespeare's contemporaries"
meant.
At the head OF the hill Carrie and
her father met Sam, who came up
energetic, irresponsible, smiling. The
old man had TO acknowledge that his
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