, 1889-01-17

head ana sayiD1to
mo, no; M match dar."
The next day Mr. King called to pay his
respects 10 Daiay, and asked permission To
| DISCUSSION by the family the favor was
granted. Thrnc-fovward Daisy In gorge.
| Gus attire posed daily for the admirinP
artist He fell madly In love with her
and confessed the same to Mr.. Benton.
who advised him to wait awhile before
aequHintinv the maiden with the fact.
After every sitting Daisy would trip
over to eat apples aud crack nuts with
Mr.. and Mrs. Whitney. Their quaint,
old. Dutch farmhouse, and their primi-
tive habits Of life attracted her like
magnet. She never tired Of listening TO
their stories of the Revolutionary war,
how the British came out from New York
and robbed their ancestors who lived in
this same old house; and they talked about
he "faukee nation" meaning the New
Enslanderr. and seemed to think bostop
aud New Haven stood alongside OF each
lther on the same river. They really knew
nothing OF the world beyond the horizon
which Rirt them round. They asked Dai-,
oil manner OF curions qupsiions. Once
Mr.. Whitney inquired IL she ever tired OF
the pork and molasses she had to eat in
Massachusetts, and when n.r ringing
laughter nearly shook the shingles of tn.
roof and she denied ever having heard OF
,uch food, he shook his head with incred.
ibiity, for he fully believed all New En-
9landers subsisted on that peculiar diet
On another occasion Mr.. Whitney stopped
u peddler from Portland, Maine, ard told
bin there was "a young woman from his
place staying at the Benton's, thinking
Daisy might like to hear directly from
the folks.." The merrime9t Of Daisy was
sunr knv, al 4, Ia. kn hax las.
sey farmer. when he told her what he had
said, nor did she attempt to explain TO his
beniRbted mind that her home WIS farther
frou, Portland than it was from Snowdale
"He 10 ever 30 much too old TO study
geography now" she soiiloquizpd. But
Do'hing prevented the bright girl from en-.
ioying the broad, hospitable, stone hearth
Of the farmhouse kitchen. She was
never happier than when poppinp
corn over the log fire until her
cheeks were nearly blistered, or while eat
came from the kettle on the crane. Then
IL was 40 picturesque" che said, ITO
loll in Mrs. Whitnay's willow tip.back
rocking.chair, and, with face turned up.
wards, count the strings Of dried apples
hanging from the nails, and the dried
pumpkins in great eaithprn bowls on
shelves among the antique beams OF the
ceiling"
Mr.. and Mrs. Whitney were always
talking about Silas. The name Silas fell
into every paragraph from their lips as
easily and naturally as sugar falls into
your tea. There was Just enough mystery
and romance about it to facinate Daisy,
She never asked who Silas was; she did
not care to knowj she presumed he was
some mountain od.chopper, that is, IL
she thought enough about 1T to presume
Ut all. Ia writing to her mother about
Mr. King she said I've get on famously.
els spreading me out thin on canvas,
and 1t looks very much IA II l should be
invited to- wear q crown. l am afraid ]
shall decline royalty, however, until ! have
seen Silas! Wonderful Silasl Divine
Silasl Invisible Silas! The dear old
Whitney people talk 10 me about Silas as If
knew his whole history; tboy tell me how
splendidly he can skate, what magnificent
wood fires he makes, how many trees he
has been known to cut down in one day.
and what marvellous grammerer and
arithmeticker he is! They are always ex-
pectiDg him but he never comes. Can he
be a myth, do you suppose?"
With the approach Of Christmas, Daisy
became suddenly very busy. She had con.
ceived the notion OF making lace CAP for
her aunty, and of embroidpring q velvet
knitting.sheath for Mrs. Whitney. The
moments that she could devote to the use
OF her needle were few, but she completed
both articles prior to the 25th of Decem-
Der. Al y late hour she undertook dress
ing gown for her uncle. She employed
MIR. King as purchaser and designer.
snd accepted his mothers offer for aid,
spending two whole days ut her house.
IL was u time Of sly interviews and myste.
rious whisperings. Daisy noticed nothing
4 L.. II
although black Peter seliloquised one
morning on the back steps in the following
manner: "Hem! he's goin' to perpose--l
heArn him tell Mr. Benton. He'll wish he
hadn't didn't; them hearts niver disem-
bered without bad luck intentioned--
niver." And Daisv, hanging out of the
window over his head, asked: "Who IL
gong to 'perpose.' PeterP" She received
no intellieible reply. but there was some
thing strangely ludicrous in the roll of the
darkey's great, white, round eyes.
The dressing-g gown finished, Daisy
turned her attention TO the choice OF q gift
for dear old MIR. Whitney. 1t was now
the day before Christmas. She had tried
| q dozen times or more to hit upon some
article which he particularly wanted with.
out asking him outright Finally she put
the question:
What do you want most Of anything in
the worldY'
"a woodbox, my child" he answered
with good-naturod smile.
An hour later, Daley had her uncle and
Peter both ut work In the homestead car
penter shop, in the upper part Of the barn
manufacturing w00dbox. Some rough
boards were hastily nailed together. and
Daley stood in the chilling air and wat ched
every detail. She had at FIRST been quits
sure that she could make it befself. She
insisted upon u lid, which her uncle ex
planned was Of NO use, but she declared she
must have her own way. The lid wal
made and hung with leather hinges. Ths