The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-05-17
THE SOLICITOR
BY LOUISE OLIVER.


Ferdinand 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 deaf. I've
been calm and CALM"
"Hey! We'll, what is it? Cribbses
want to borrow the mare again? Tell
them to walk to town. They famed
her last time."
mo, dad, it amt Cribbses after the
mare. It's Sam Harms. He's back from
the city and he's solicitin'."
"What?"
Hes solicitin'."
"What's that? After somethin'3"
swell, sort of. You come on down
to the house, won't you, and talk to
Sam? It's about a 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."
"When did you come back to town,
SamY" Carrie, in her Bingham dress,
with white collar and cuffs and q
dress-up apron, was very pretty. Her
hair, corn-colored and wavy, touched
off q 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.
II came back last Tuesday. I'm run
ming the campaign"
Campaign! Oh, are you trying ia
be elected?"
Sam laughed. mo, it's not politics.
I'm an organizer. That's a man who
takes charge of things and makes
things come that nobody else will
bother with. When . town wants .
aew library or hospital OF chamber Of
commerce building, they send for me.
Then l roll up my sleeves and 60 to
work. The old town here wants q
library, so that's why I came back, to
get them what they wanted. Oh, I'm
the man that put the e. in get, all
right. We're after fifty thousand dol.
lars"
Carries eyes were big. q that
aAat you're solicitin' forT'
EYES,"
"He won't give much"
"You just wait and see. I'm after
a hundred dollars"
Goodness" Her eyes widened
"Why, he won't give me and ms
enough money for a new hat"
But won't it be fine to have 9
library in town."
81 wouldn't know what to do witt
It."
"Why get books and read them
Magazines, too; and all sorts Of things
A pretty girl like you wants to know
a lot, Carrie"
II know enough. l can bake tn
best angel food Of any girl in Clarl
county,"
"All right! Maybe you can, but II
bet you don't know who Shakespeare
contemporaries were."
"What did you say?" she asked be
wildered. "Oh, here's dad now"
Sam began instantly. II came Il
get your subscription to the new
library, Mr.. Weigel. You've board
about it, l suppose. Let me see, we've
put you down for a hundred dollars.
"What?" cried the old farmer. "Il
be hamjugged If I will" He pushed
back his chair, crossed his knees ant
fumbled awkwardly for his pipe
whats the darned thing for?"
"A library for the county. Books
you know. Books" And then San
gave a dissertation on the blessings
Of a library in a tone calculated t.
waken the mummies in Egypt.
And he got the hundred.
"Goodby, SAM" said Carrie, putting
her hand to her smooth, snowy throat
"Goodby, Carrie" said Sam. ant
then in q enc which Egyptian mum
mics could never have heard he leaned
forward and said, "I've learned t.
know what beauty is since I've beer
away, Carrie. and you're the lovelies>
thing I've seen in that line ever" III
pressed her hand gently-and wal
gone.
A year passed. Ferdinand Weige
was going for the cows one day when
Carrie called, dad, oh Dad!"
The old man turned. "Hey? Well
what is It? Cribbses want to"
mo, it isn't the Cribbses, dad. It'l
Sam Harms. He wants to see you"
wants me to build another library
does he7 Well, tell him to go and
talk to the chickens I'm busy. What's
he want?"
Il 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 hia
visitor was splendid looking, but new.
ertheless he retained his scowl.