The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-11-16
KWASIND
BY RUBY n. MARTYR

over the contents of the parcel which
had come by mail the stout little box
and tissue paper wrapplngs had en-
folded shining new, nickeled key.
Lest anyone should ask silly questions
about il, she dropped the key into her
pocket and the papers on a blazing
stick in the kitchen range. And she
was angry all over again with Ben
Baker
"what an old stlck-ln-the-mud," she
scorned. II suppose he's up to some
stunt with this key and thinks he's
being funnyi Well, what he gets Is a
freeze tight"
Illness and lean purse had driven
Rosemary to vacation at her uncle's
farm on the Rockdale road. At the
end OF previous summering there
she had vowed never again to set
foot In the remote vicinity OF Ben
Baker, whose folks owned farm out
Bald Pate mountalnway, and with
whom she had found cause for quarrel
after a true-sweetheartlng season.
Now time and physical weakness
modified ROsemary's former decision
to deny herself the hospitality of her
uncle's home. BY cross cuts II was
fully two miles from here TO the
Baker place and more than twice that
distance over the tortuous, sidehill
roads.
AS her strength returned Rosemary
F.... Nha.
farmhouse. When the chance item In
local paper Informed her that Ben
Baker was away on business, she de-
termIned to venture day In the
woods beyond the pasture.
AS Rosemary went along the wood
path that sunny morning she found
the woods amazingly transformed. The
trees around the farmhouse had been
so well trimmed that she had not cor
rectly estimated what damage the
sleet and Ice storm of the previous
winter had wrought. Even here In the
woods verdure covered It's raw naked
ness, aud the fresh snp color OF the
broken limbs had weathered.
But every tree gave its own mute
roamed on and on, marvelling at the
ruins. She remembered what Ben
used to tell her about the winter
storms and knew that q giant among
them must have been this way. He
quoted Hiawatha:
And whenever through the forest
Ragged and roared the wlntry tempest.
And the branches. tossed and troubled.
Creaked and groaned and split asunder.
"Kwasindv' cried they. that Is Kwasindf
Tie is gathering In his firewood!"
And for fancy she had remem-
bered her "Hiawatha' and called him
"Kwasnd." "For his strength allied
to goodness"
Curiosity drew Rosemary on toward
the oak knoll where they had often
kept tryst together. And when the
! path opened ahead she stopped In
amazement. The oaks had been sawed
OFF, chopplng-block high; only one had
| been trimmed and left TO cast its
shade on the red roof of a boarded
! cabin. The foundation was of native
stones and a trail of stepping stones
| grained oak door. II was the material
ization of what Ben and she had
imagined for themselves right here.
For the first time some special sig
nificance of the key in her pocket
dawned upon Rosemary. Did 1t fit
this door? She skipped along the step
! ping stones and turned II in the lock.
A staunch work bench occupied one
end Of the interior, and a half-finlshed
piece of furniture stood beside il. The
other end had wide stone hearth.
hanked by settles OF the same beauti-
fully grained plank that had fashioned
the door. Wrought iron dogs, piled
with kindllng, stood below the yawn-
ing mouth of the chimney.
And because. In the midst Of her
spirit of mischief, Rosemary felt
sweet possession of the place, she
touched lighted match 10 the
kindling and watched II burn. And
the corner of the settle where she
curled herself was so comfortable
that she hadn't moved when ashes be-
gan TO gray over the smoldering en-
bers A quick step on the threshold
startled her to her feet.
II saw the smoke. Rosemary, and
twas TO me the sign that you'd come
You can't guess how I've watched for
smoke from that chimney. Sure and
certain, built the cabin for you-and
mel Sure and certain. I'm an old
stlck-in-the-mud that doesn't want any
girl but your said Ben Baker.
Rosemary grlpped the settle back.
How splendid he was And full OF
purpose He must never know how
silly she had been
81 was just thinking this place was
ready for the touches OF a woman's
hand" she admitted.
Your hand" corrected Ben Baker,
specializing her generality.
MY hand, then, Kwaslnd? agreed
4 Rosemary.
| "DOn'f Qvar laf mo a., ~ae