The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1930-11-06
The Fragrance Of
the Woods
By RUBY DOUGLAS

OL 1NsAfsA14AA tAttA NNN@N.Ses
y spend his first winter in the
country.
.I have enjoyed the summer so
much" he told his sister, that
hate the thought of going back to
be cooped up in an apartment. And
the committing does not bother me
too much. Leave ii to me, Sis
"All right-but if you die of
ennui, don't blame me-"
Joe had been accustomed to walk
to his train every morning and in
stead Of taking the winding cement
path that led formally through the
modern suburban settlement, he
had found a trail through a bit of
woodland that ended across the
railroad tracks. He did not tell
his married sister Just why he had
decided to spend the winter with
her.
For several evenings as he
wound his way through the woods
trail homeward. he had seen light
that looked like yellow-gold star
twinkling through the trees. He
knew that there was no house in
these woods and he could not make
out what the star of light was.
Also, he thought he detected a
certain elusive fragrance in the air
each evening when he reached a
hollow in the trail. But he could
not tell whether it was the pungent
scent of the bordering pines or
whether some strange blossom ex-
uded the perfume from hidden
hooks in the underground.
ut gets me-" he said to himself
as he came into the fragrant hol-
low again.
Tonight the moon was rising be-
hind the trees and the little gold
star was not to be seen. He lin
gercd for a moment inhaling the
sublle perfume and then wound his
way to his sisters.
"All dressed up, Sis" he said as
he greeted his sister in the door
way.
She laughed. 81 wish you'd make
a martyr of yourself and 60 with
me. Tom phoned out from town
that he would be late and the Shell
dons are having a little informal
dance. l don't like to go alone.
VIII your"
Joe did not care much for those
neighborhood gatherings, but he
was fond of his sister and glad to
be of service to her.
He had met most of the guests
and was doing his duty CALAMITY,
when he discovered in the library
off the big living room a lovely
young woman sitting reading.
He hurried to find his sister and
to ask why SO charming a girl
should be sitting alone when there
was dancing going on.
Ethel explained that the girl in
question was Hope Arnold, a cousin
of the hostess, who happened to be
spending the winter there
"She isn't fond of parties. She
writes or something. I really don't
know her, but if you'll wait until
supper time you are sure to meet
her."
"Speed the supper" said Joe.
He made it point to get him
self presented to Hope Arnold and
he found in her a personality that
at once appealed to him.
"And you don't danceY he asked
II debut | WON'T" she said.
"Not like it?" he persisted.
'TToo WE'LL" she admitted. 81
have promised myself to work this
whole fall and winter, and when
once begin dancing and parties il
Is an end to work. | came here tt
stay with Cousin Glare with the un
derstanding that might have al
the time | wanted in which tt
work. They have been more thar
kind-why, what's the matterT'
Joe had begun to sniff the air il
a most unusual manner.
'I-oh, I'm sorry for being sc
rude, but for a moment / thought
smelled a fragrance that has beer
haunting me for weeks. Forgive
me and go on he begged con
tritely.
81 was saying how kind Cousin
Glare has been. She has let me
turn the little log tea shop into 6
workshop and I simply live dowr
there in the woods beside a crack
ling fire in the stone fireplace
There is an electric light, and
work long after dark with the
faithful collie, Sandy, for protec
tion. My typewriter must shocl
the wood nymphs, but l can't hell
that" She shook her short curls
as she laughed and Joe again de
tected his woods fragrance.
"Do you-perhaps-burn some
marvelously fragrant wood in YOU
fireplace?" he asked irrelevantly.
"But-no," she replied, puzzled
Then with another laugh. II have
fondness for incense while
work." she admitted.
Then Joe explained the fragrant
spot in the woods and told her OF
the yellow star-like lights.
"But 1t must be the formation oil
the branches that makes it look like
a star" Hope insisted.
"It's that-or fate giving me, like
the Wise Men, a star to follow" he
said half seriously.
That winter in the country proved
the most romantic season of his
life and he is still trying to per
suade Hopes cousin to let him have
the acre Of woodland on which the
log tea house is built.
II want to build my mansion
there" he told them.