The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-09-19
Her Soft Soap
Acquaintance
By James Worf7eef
Copyright. 1904, by X. NJ. Whitehead

When Farmer James Thompson mort
gagged his furm TO old John Doan that
he might raise money to go into the
dairy business he could figure out that
he had twenty chances of success
against one of failure. Inside Of three
years. however. misfortune had come
to him in half a dozen different direc-
tons. Most of his herd had persisted
when his barn had been struck by q
thunder5olt. and following that his wife
had died and lie had fallen and broken
a leg. There could be oni- III more
calamity in store for him. and that put
In an appearance in due time. Cne day
when Il letter had come for him he CALI
ed his daughter Eessie in and SAID.
well. it has come. Old John Doan
is going tc foreclose the mortgage on
me. and liz II few weeks we shall be
homeless. Here's the notice from his
man of business"
Bessie Thompson WAS a girl of TWEEN
ty. In addition to being good look
ing and having o good education. her
acquaintances called her a brick"
They said so because she had faced
misfortune with ii drawer heart than
her father and had displayed q level
head and much shrewdness in trying
TO stem tie tide and eXtricate him
from his unfortunate situation. She
had even t;-Sen a trip of fifty mics TO
see old John Doan in person and try
to soften his heart. but had only found
his agent and been gruft!y told that
her father must pay up or so. She had
expected the blow. and her answer to
her father was:
We'll, if we can't pay we'll have
to go. Of course. but we shall be allow
ed a few weeks grace, and who knows
what may happen in that time"
Something did happen. but it came
about in a queer way. Two weeks had
passed. and Miss Bessie had started to
make soft soap in a big kettle in the
back yard. Farmer folks would make
soft soap in the spring even though as
sured that the world would be no
more by midsummer. The BIZ kettle
had been TILED with lye from the beach
and a fire started under it. and the
hour was 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
when Miss Bessie sat down Oh the
back doorstep out of tie smoke to
think and plan fer the future. In the
course of q quarter CT an hour she WAS
so lost In her thoughts that she WAS
obllvious OF Ter surroundings and was
jumped to her feet by hearing Il harsh
voice saying:
Young woman. don't you know that
Kettle is boxing over and wasting the
lye?"
1t was a man Of sixty who had en-
tered the front gate and passed around
the house. He vas decently dressed.
but he was bowbackel and lane. and
his snarling. st!ngy disposition could
be read in his face.
81 say that the kettle is boiling over
wondered who he could be. 1T seems
to me that a girl Of your age ought to
know enough to put Il stick across it.
Perhaps. though. you've got lye TO
throw away or you had rather think
of marrying some prince than of max
ing soft soap?"
IL was thinking she stlmmered.
"Yes. | know. but it wasn't about
the soap. Young oma when you
have anything on hand attend to 1t
and let castle building alone. Thinking
won't bring bread and butter"
Miss Bessie walked down to the fire
and r%earranged it Il bit and then laid a
stick across the top of the kettle to pre-
vent another accident. While she was
doing this the old man sat down on
the steps. with a grunt. and looked
around and muttered to himself. Pres
emily he called to her:
"Young woman. is your father at
work a%nywheres about the farm?'
mo. sir. Father is In bed with a
broken leg"
Il s'pose he was doing some fool
thing when be broke itT'
HE was drawing up wood last Feb
ruary."
"Um! Where's your motherY'
dead"
"Um! Who runs the farmT'
I'm doing my best to care for
things. but 1t won't need anybody
long. as we shall soon be leaving"
Got to leave. eh?" he chuckled.
"Say. young woman. I'll bet you a hair
pin there's u mortgage on this farm.
Isn't II SOP"
Yes. sir"
".And I'll bet another that it's held
by old John Doan. the old hint hearted
rascal. C0me now"
"Yes."
Il thought SO; l thought so. And. OF
course. he's going to turn you outt"
He wants his money. Of course"
replied tie girl. perhaps he has to
ne hard hearted to prey vnt people TAX
ig advantage OF him. If ! could see
i'm and tell him just how things have
one with us | believe lie would give
is a show"
well. wig don't you see bim!'
II have tried TO. but | had to deal