The Western outlook., 1915-06-19
LONGING FOR HOME
Rosebank Held a World of Happi-
ness for One Woman.
By MoLlIE MINISTER.


bank cottage it seemed as II the
world of happiness had been lett De
hind. Around the bend OF the ROAD
lay the home that had given Nlnian
birth. and its roses had waited into
her brain the poetic fancies that nao
begun to express themselves In the
form of vivid color sketches. In ract'
Rosebank was home to the girl VINO
was forced to leave 1t In order 10
seek a market for her art. And nome
to Ninian meant all that was worth
having In life.
Il will come back and buy Rose
bank In two or three years" she toio
herself through her tears; surely no
one will want my isolated little cot
and get 1t away from me before l can
earn enough money to purchase It"
Had Ninian possessed even the
smallest income she would never nave
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 Mn
Ian travelled the road to fortune.
However, the girl was not given
to vain regrets, and it was with high
hopes and an ever-present dream OF
her ultimate ownership of Rosebank
that she went into the world OF strug-
giles. She found others working with
great visions leading them on, but
none, she felt, had SO wonderful an In
centive as she. None of them had
tiny rose-hung cottage and a garden
that boasted. every variety OF rose
that grew on Long Island. In her
mind. Rosebank was already her own,
and Ninian was not unhappy. 1t did
not for a moment occur to her that
anyone else longed for the cottage as
she herself did
Had she known that Robert Good
win had pounced upon the vacated
cottage like a hungry cat upon
mouse, her struggles would have been
bitter instead Of sweet.
But Goodwin had taken Rosebank,
and his furniture had been moved In
a scant few days after Ninian's had
gone out. He had three years lease
with the option of purchase. His
hobby was the cultivation of roses,
and he had eyed Rosebank through
three long years waiting patiently
until it should be vacated. Each day
he had skinned by on his motorcycle.
The day a sign ITO Let had met his
eye was one of the most joyful In
Goodwin's life.
He was not deferred from taking
the cottage, isolated though 1t was,
because his faithful motorcycle bridged
and distance. The quiet and seclu-
sion and the wonderful views from
the cottage windows, as well as the
old rose garden at the back, would
have lured him had the place been
ten miles instead of three from the
station.
Ninian's work in the field Of art
progressed with flattering haste. She
saved every penny earned and called
it her home lodging fund. In the be-
ginning she had gone without lunch
in order that the fund might increase
the more rapidly. One year crawled
by, a second slipped by, and the
third drew to a close.
1t was almost three years to the
day when Ninian sailed for horne rich
er by many thousand dollars and a
splendid name 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 longings with Rosebank in the
joyfully near future had been her in
centive and inspiration that had given
her the coveted prize. She was re-
turning now to buy back the cot
tage.
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 to Rosebank.
Fear clutched her heart when she
saw smoke issuing from the chimney
when the cottage was barely discern
able in the distanse. 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 it was
not only a caretaker she continued her
way. The perfect care the roses we're
having told her enough. She walked
slowly around her loved home, touch
Ing the rambler-hung fence that
guarded it. Ninian was weeping and
the tears trickled down her cheeks
unheeded. Life was 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
draw in the fragrance Of it all. Her
spirit, she knew, had dwelt there while
she was in Paris, but now she and
her soul were intruders.
She turned away and walked blind
ly back to the station
Robert Goodwin, looking out of his
easement window, had seen Ninian.
Her hungry eyes gazing longingly at
the rose gardens had sent swift emo
tion over him.
THAT girl must have soma frightful
tragedy in her life," he comment
ed. Il never saw pair Of eyes SO