The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-06-23
Pete SiIVernaiI'S Daughter.
IFrom the Chicago News

When Pete Silyerna1l came to Beech
wood to live he did not receive very
hearty welcome. His reputation had
come before him, so when it was known
that Squire Dublin had engaged him as
horse trainer and that he had rented a
cottage in the most respectable Of
neighborhoods the residents determined
to hold their heads very high and treat
the whole family with cold disapproval.
The spring day that his furniture and
family arrived the neighbors were all
busy in their back yards and had their
front blinds closed. But they had time
to take an occasional peep through the
blinds and keep track of things. They
were a good deal surprised and per-
haps a little disappointed at what they
saw. They had expected to see a FADED
out, Slatternly woman and a half
dozen or more i'll kept, dirty faced
children. Instead, they saw a dainty
looking, fairylike young girl of Is, with
light golden auburn hair that curled
in little rings all around her forehead,
peachy complexion, the brightest of
blue eyes, a firm chin and a. determined
little toss to her head, while her man
ner was all alive with energy.
She was dressed in short calico
gown, with her hair hanging down her
back in a long braid, schoolgirl fashion,
and the way she ordered the men
around who were unloading the furni
ture was refreshing to onloOkers. Elv-
erything had to be carefully placed just
where she wanted it or there was a
! spirited argument that always ended
her way.
There was a young man there who
/ seemed to be her brother. He was
/ tall, lank youth about IS years of age,
/ with a good-natured, easy air about
/ him quite trying to the energetic Daisy.
4 Occasionally her sharp voice would ring
out with:
Now, Dick Silvernail, do hurry up
little. L want that box brought right
here this minute"
I'm coming, Daisy would be a good
natured answer, but Dick moved no
faster, and Daisy had to await his time.
The neighbors looked and watched in
vain for the Mrs Silvernail they had
| anticipated, and when Pete arrived at
! night with the last load of furniture
and put up his team and entered the
/ house and shut the door they had to be-
| lieve that Daisy and Dick comprised
| the whole of his family. The watchers
| drew a sigh of relief as the imaginary
1 herd of dirty children and mischleVouS
/ boys disappeared.
| In spite of themselves, the neighbors
| began to approve of Daisy She was up
in the morning before daylight, scrub
bling, cleaning, airing and putting things
to rights. In three days the little cot
tage was as neat and orderly as it could
be made, and in two weeks time Daisy
was pronounced a good hOuSekeeper.
Then a new worry came to the quiet
u.
ing man like Pete Silvernail for a faith
er and an easy-gOing, ignorant young
man like Dick for a brother and no
mother, what was going to become of
Daisy?
Horse Jockeys, racing men and gamb-
! lers frequented the house as her faith
er's guests. The neighbors sighed and
concluded to keep aloof from her lest
they be stained by contact with girl
who was admitted to such company.
| All but one. There was one neighbOT
| who wouldn't stand a1oOf, and that was
good Mrs MarkuTn, who lived next door
| to the Silvernau cottage
I don't believe in condemning a girl
just because she is in danger" Mrs.
Markum said; besides, the girl has nc
mother and needs advice. 1 may be
able to help her.
So she got acquainted with Daisy over
the back fence, loaned her pattern OF
patchwork and borrowed a recipe for a
new kind of yeast.
Tom Markum looked on and approved
Tom was Il and the widow Markum' s
only son. He usually approved of what
his mother did, and, besides, he couldn't
see anything wrong about Daisy.
One day, when Tom was washing his
face at the bench at the back door OF
his home, he heard a pettish voice ex-
claim:
.'Oh, dear. what is the matter witt
this old windlass?'
Tom looked up as he reached for the
towel, and Daisy looked up at the same
time, and then she called over to him:
Mr.. Markum, would you be so kind
as to come here minute and see what's
the matter with this windlass? I wan
to- draw a bucket of water for dinner
and 1 can't make it move"
In a minute" replied Tom, as hi
wiped his face on the crash towel.
, A moment after he vauIted over the
fence, with his strong hands got the
kinks out of the big rope that was hold
} ing back the windlass. while DAISY
| went on explaining.
I'VE had an iron pump where we LIVED
| before, and somehow I can't get useC
to drawing water with a windlass''
} III draw this for you,' Tom said
and soon he was pouring a bucket o
sparkling water into the shining til
| pail Daisy set for it. That was how
| Toms acquaintance with Daisy began
) AS the days grew longer it happened
that Daisy went out to feed her chick
| ems about the time that Tom went on
to milk his COW of mornings, and whel
( Daisy had scraped the crumbs from he
dish to the chickens she would stop an
, lean on the fence and talk to Tom a
he MIXED, 1t was very early in tn
morning when Tom MIXED his COW an,
Daisy fed her chickens. and as few PEG
pie We're UP so early the neighbor
8 didn't know anything about this littl
love story that was going on all b.
itself
But one summer night, when 1t wa
warm and the moon was shinin
3 brightly, Daisy sat out in her front var
Q in her hammock enjoying the cool even
z ing air and Tom came out and sat /
' his hammock on the other side of tn
fence Tom knew that Pete Silver
z hail and Dick had gone down town t
e see q cock-fight, and he was afrai
3 Daisy would be lonesome, So afte
q awhile, he got over on the other sid
of the fence and sat in Daisy's ham
mock with her.
Miss Mary Perkins, a maiden lady {
n 6a oH fn he
by and she saw them. She informe
her friends, and by the next day til
whole neighbOrhood knew it and wa
shocked Two or three good wome
called on Mrs. Markum and remor
strated with her. But Mrs. Markul
said Tom was q and could do as /