The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1931-02-19
The Kernel of the
Romance
BY RUBY DOUGLAS
:" DON'T mind telling you, girls.

|
'that at last | have found the road
TO economic independence"
But what can you do?n asked an
old friend.
Ihat's what | asked myself for
do?
won't you tell us, Ida?" asked
another girl.
IT isn't a secret?" questioned a
| third.
Ihey were all having tea and a
reunion at the home of elassmate
of school days.
AT last Ida was persuaded to re-
veal her secret.
'Of course you know the sort
OF town we live in-one of those
suburban places that has hundreds
and hundreds of homes whose own
ers don't so abroad for everything
they want. Neither do they go to
town if they can find what they
want at their doorstep. In a rich
er community they won't look at
anything produced in the vicinity.
In a poorer one, they couldn't af-
ford nor appreciate my-my inven-
tion.''
Dear met sounds like boot
Logging, Ida sang out a member of
the group and drew her chair
closer into the circle.
NO. laughed Ida. but as we
said at school when we played hide
the thimble, you're getting warm.
Mine is for external heat and quite
within the law"
I'm consumed with curiosity" adj
mitted every girl present.
Il call my little studio-which is
no more than my fathers old barn
gloriffed by interior and exterior
decoration and dignified by the
name of studio-'The Faggot and
Flame"
An alluring name. Ida"
1T was an inspiration-the name.
] make and sell what | call fageots
for the fireplace. I save, beg, bor-
row, even pick up all the newspa-
pers and magazines can possibly
get my hands on. | soak them in
water in little piles and roll them
into twists about ten inches long.
This while they are thoroughly wet
and pulpy. Then | put them out on
the fence and on rack | have
had made, to dry in the sun for
days. After while, as | put out
more wet parcels. bring the dried
faggot-like twists in and shake into
each, between the folds that may
still exist, quantity of powder
that we call driftwood powder"
"Rut-Ida-aren't they expen-
sivefs
''N-no. | sell them for fifty
cents a dozen, in a package and
you tuck one or two away among |
your logs when your fire is laid in |
the fireplace. Extravagant folks |
will use several faggots in an eve
ming. but what is fifty cents If you
are having a party about your
hearth and can get such wonder
fully beautiful colors out of your
logs greens, blues, puppies, just
like the driftw0od we love to pick
up OH the shore and build a camp
tire of. / keep my own fireplace go
ing all day and in the evening so
that folks who come to buy NAV
see how pretty it is. I can't make
enough to keep my orders filled
One person sees the pretty fire and
asks what it is. Tt hardly needs the
little advertisement card carry in
0cal papers. I am adding toasting
forks, a special wrought iron chest
nut rooster which I have designed
and am having made-by the way,
t is being made by an old friend
If ours-Bert Bailey. Remember
lim?"
Something tells me the wrought
ron chestnut roaster is the kernel
If the romance" suggested the girl
Who, perhaps knew Ida better than
my of the other friends.
"Bert and were always
riends," admitted Ida.
Just then step was heard on
he porch.
Il declare-speak of an angel and
ou hear the flutterfng of its
Wings" cried the hostess, jumping
p to admit none other than Bert
Bailey.
The young man was obviously
ny in the presence of the girls
7ho were expecting no male in. I
ruder. He apologized and spoke |
0 Ida about some business that I
ad come ina quick and large or
er-while she was out.
And you have driven all the
7ay over-to tell me-" said Ida :
"Of course" he said lamely. q
And most of the girls could see | d
nat any excuse that could bring 0
nat man to Ida's side would bring a
i'm. |
'I'll. go home with you in your t
ar" said Ida hastily. g
AS she left, the girls promised to $
e in her studio two weeks from q
nat day. "Well sit before the ;,
retty fire and-Tll tell you a =
ecret," she whispered, as she fol- e
wed Bert. I
It's no secret, DEAR" her hostess Z
Ssured her. ''He adores you" W
(Copyright.) w