Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1915-06-11
LONGING FOR HOME
lRosebank Held a World of Happi-
ness for One Woman.
BY moLLlE MINISTER.

WHEN the fiifhKe HHck LuIHeu iHe
corner of the road and shut from
Ninian's eyes the last glimpse of Rose
bank cottage II seemed as IL the
world of happiness had been left be-
hind. Around the bend Of the road
Gay the home that had given Ninian
birth, and its roses had waited into
her brain the poetic fancles that had
begun To express themselves in the
form of vivid color sketches. In fact.
Rosebank was home to the girl who
was forced TO leave 1t In order to
seek a market for her art. And home
TO Ninian meant ali that was worth
having in life.
Il viii come back and buy Rose
bank In two OF three years" she told
herself through her tears; surely no
one viii want my isolated little cot
and get IT away from me before | can
earn enough money TO purchase 1t"
Had Sinlan possessed even the
smallest income she would never have
left the place that had become home
to her. but her parents had left moth
ing. With their going she had been
left alone. and Rosebank with all IT'S
dear memories and associations must
be temporarily abandoned while MIN
Ian travelled the road 10 fortune.
However. the girl was not given
70 vain regrets. and II Was with high
hopes and an eyer-present dream Of
her ultimate ownership OF Rosebank
that she went into the world OF sarug.
giles. She found others working with
great visions leading them on. but
none. she felt. had so wonderful an In
ecentiye a. she. None OF them had q
tiny roae.hung cottage and a garden
that boasted every variety Of rose
that grew on Long Island. In her
mind. nosebank was already her own.
and Nlnian vas not unhappy. Il did
not for a moment occur 10 her that
anyone else ionged for the cottage as
she herself did.
Had sha known that Robert Good
sin had pounced upon the vacated
cottage like hungry cat upon a
mouse. her struggles would have been
bitter instead Of sweet
But Goodwin had taken Rosebank.
ana hrs furniture had been moved IN
seaat few days after Nlnlan's had
gone cut. He had a three years lease
with the option OF purchase. His
hobby was tho cultivation OF roses.
and BE had eyed nosebank through
three long years waiting patiently
until Il should be vacated Each day
he had skinned By on his motorcycle.
The day a sign TO Let had met his
eye NaB one OF the most joyful In
s0oodwsnB life.
lie vas not deferred from taking
the cottage. isolated though # was,
because his faithful motorcycle bridged
ard distance. Tho quiet aud seclu-
sion aud the wonderful Views from
the cottage windows. as well as the
cid rose garden al the back, would
have lured him had the place been
ten miles instead OF threo from the
station.
Ainlan's work In the field OF art
progressed with catering haste. She
saved every penny earned and called
Il her home lodging fund. In the be-
ginning abe had gone without lunch
In order that the fund might Increase
ths more rapidly. Ono year cFawled
b.. 4 second slipped b.. and The
third drew 10 close.
Il was almost three years 70 the
day when Ninian sailed for home rich
-er by many thousand dollars and
splendid nans In the world OF art.
She had won a great prize in The
Paris school at the close OF her third
year. She recognized the fact that
home lonrlngs with Rosebank Ia the
joyfully near future had been her In
cenflge aud inspiration that had given
her the coveted prize she was re-
turning now TO buy back the cot
itage
She had scarcely set foot On Amer
lean soil before she went out to Long
Island and took the walk from the
station that led through the chestnut
woods 10 Rosebank.
Fear clutched her heart when she
saw smoke issuing from the chimney
when the cottage was barely discern
able IN the distansa. AS she drew
quickly near her worst fears were
realized
MY cottage. 1t Is occupied"
NinIan cried half aloud and the tears
squeezed from her closed eyelids. If
some horrible person has bought Rose
bank, don't want to live any more"
she told herself
Determined to find out that 1t was
not only a caretaker she continued her
way. The perfect care the roses were
having told her enough. She walked
SLOWLY around her loved home, touch
Ing the rambler-hung fence that
guarded 1t. Ninian was weeping and
the tears trickled down her cheeks
unheeded. Life was a weary pilgrim
age to her. for the one haven In the
world that she longed for had been
taken from her. For three long years
:she had looked forward to the day
when she could rest her body and
soul in the tiny. rose-clad cottage and