The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-04-26
THE CABIN
nu nEwroN LAWRENcE.
,DOpyTIBHLI 45I9' " tIIo
per Syndicate.)

4
| Copyright. 1918, by the Mcclure Newspas
per syndicate)
"Old WiIder's cutting timber on the
ledge" the big voice Of Doctor Frost
boomed from the hallway, and the
tread of his great lumberman's boots
shook the frail New Hampshire farm
house.
Carroll Larue, wrapped in a patch
work quilt, In an armchair by the
window, did not look up when ne en-
tered, or answer his CHEEKY: "How's
the little patient, this cold morningT
His bit Of gossip about old Wilder
cutting timber, had brought two duh
red patches into her pale cheeks, and
she feared to meet the Doctors kindly,
piercing eyes. "Could 1t be-" she asks
ed herself, "that he knew-that he
knew, how she and Jim had planned
to build their house among the pines
on that ledge, when Jim got his
patents-and sold them?" ~
So she stared at the glass of potash
and water, covered with saucer, on
the window sill, and her mother an
swered for her: "She's just the
same, doctor. Gargles her throat with
potash, and takes the tonic you left
| for her. But she doesn't take any In
terest. Are you sure, doctor, that it's
not-that it isn't"
Consumption Bah!" snorted the
doctor. "There's just one thing more
4boo 4bts tnA,an1o that's fbo unaffoHs
with her, and that's. Well, it's
psychological. Not case for a path
Ologist at ALL" and hO pulled up a
chair beside her.
From the corners Of her eyes, Car
roll saw his huge bulk in it's shaggy
fur coat settled into the chair. The
coat and his beard were frosty, where
his breath had condensed and frozen.
"Here you are, young lady" he an
nounced, brusquely, and slipped a
thermometer between her lips. "Smoke
that for while, and listen to me.
"You and Jim Langley were both
born on Christmas day twenty-five
years ago. And I've known you both
just that long. There isn't likelier
girl than you in Claremont county
but Jim, well, he's a ne'er-do-well, a
dreamer. He lost his job at the cleo
pany's-time on his fool inventions and
such. You know more about that than
do, because you worked in Mr..
ThOmpson's office and earned more
money, I'll bet, than he did in the shop.
''But now, because Jim's gone off to
the city on a wild-goOse chase, most
likely, there's no use losing your grip
on yourself, little girl, and moping."
The girl said nothing, but shook her
head slowly, and looked out across the
| snow-cOvered fields toward the dark
fringe of pines on Wilder's ledge.
Later she watched the doctors cutter
disappear down the road. Then she
crossed the room to a writing desk,
and took out letter-Jim's last.
1t was written in New York, and
there was the picture of a hotel on
the envelope. 1t began:
dearest Carroll: They won't take
any interest in my invention. And
Tn almost discouraged. l can't man
age to see anyone in the big electric
companies who has authority to buy
my direct-current converter, if they
wanted it. They all say, wen investi-
gate, and let you know, Mr.. Langley
ITS six weeks now, but I'll stay I'M
til the converter's marketed, if it's
forever. What's the use coming back
before? couldn't get a job paying
enough for us both to live on-even If
we didn't build the cabin on Wilder's
ledge by the lake. And I simply won't
have you working for that Thompson
after we're married"
If Jim could only understand, she
thought looking up from the letter,
that 1t was he with his dreams and
fancies, his imagination that she
wanted. What if they did call him a
ne'er-dO-well? What if he was? She
wanted him.
What if some of his dreams didn't
come true? They couldn't all come
true. And so, with a little sigh she
turned back to the letter.
by know" 1t went on, "that it's
only the thought of You. and our cabin
on the rocks above the lake with the
little workshop behind, that gives me
any courage at all. Well it surely
does; and it's the only thing, some
tunes, when I come in feeling down
hearted and blue, that makes me put
out the gas in the usual way"
She laid down the letter. and again
looked out toward Wilder's ledge
where they were cutting. 1t was an
lrridescent day, and the snow glittered
olue-white in the sunshine. The Jag
ged rocks of the ledge showed deep
I nuFnIA nhOun hn