The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-01-14
SHORT
SHORT
STORY

e~~n~ baby of him, Rose
SIOKY mary!" h i d d
Ruth; the grave dig
nifty of a step-mothering bride upon
her face. She had come hither to
take home the lad.
Rosemary smiled wistfully over
the curly head for which she had
cared so tenderly since his sweet,
young mother had died Could Ruth
know that Timothy Pratt had asked
her to take a second wife's place
in his bereaved home? Could Ruth
guess that loving Timkins had made
her hesitate to refuse the offer?
What new wisdom lay in the depths
of the eyes of Timothy Pratt's
Week-long bride? Rosemary faltered
at the gulf of experience that had
yaWned between them.
"Thou wilt love the lad" she said.
He gave Ruth one chubby hand to
hold as they went along the path.
The meadow had turned green over
night. Spring was opening with a
rush. There would be cowslips in
blossom beside the brook Rosemary
had set for parting place. An AK
rang in the distance.
Truman Brewster is cutting logs
to lay up cabin for himself" said
Ruth. He told Timothy he meant
to use the cleared land for an or
chard; but it would be more to the
purpose if he took himself off in
stead of staying around to keep the
girls so unsettled! Why, if l had
been so silly about him as some
others I know of, l wouldn't have
listened to Timothy. Now I have a
good husband and a comfortable
home. Truman Brewster hasn't so
much as a dish knot to make bowls
of"
Rosemary felt her face grow hot
No one knew how hard she had tried
not to be silly about Truman Brew
ster. Yet she probably would have
listened to Timothy Pratt, but for
her secret memories of him: the
challenging ring of his voice; the
accidental touch of his hand on the
latch string; a questioning flash of
his gray eyes; some things that
might mean nothing, or anything.
The little lad had run ahead on
the path He caught sight of q
clump of golden cowslips in bloom
beside the swollen brook at the bot
tom of the slope. The water was
running rapidly, and when Timkins
climbed on stranded log to reach
the cowslips the force of his moving
weight pushed it afoat in the middle
of the swirling stream. He lay
flat and chung with both hands.
Rosemary heard Ruth scream be-
hind her as she sped down the path.
She dared not scream herself lest
she brighten the little lad and he
lose his precarious hold upon the
floating log. The bank of the brook
was sodden with flooded water. AL
ready the log had f1oated some dis
lance down stream, and Rosemary
chased through the morass after it.
She was ankle deep in slush.
"I'l run ahead of the ford"
thought Rosemary.
By scrambling fast she managed
to reach the ford ahead of the log.
She had just time to wade out on
to the submerged sand bar upon
which horses and wagons crossed
the stream. The log was coming
toward her with swinging motion
that would make it difficult to catch
and hold. Perhaps she could swing
it ashore. 1t was almost impossible
to keep her footing on the sand bar
with the cold, cold water swirling
around her knees.
The log gave twitch and plunge
that knocked her down, but Rose
mary managed to cling to it. Tim
kins crowed with delight as if it
were a game. Somehow she man.
aged to reassure him. She had fall
en- forward and knelt breast high
in the cold, cold water. She could
not rise and keep her hold upon the
log where Timkins chung so happily.
She began inch by inch to creep
ashore. Had she strength to make
it?
STEADY, my grill" rang a vi
brant voice.
She dared not answer. Another
inch toward shore! Another inch
before his hands seized Timkins.
Yet Rosemary chung to the log until
the same strong hands lifted her
to her feet.
Don't let it go, Truman! It's dish
timber!" she muttered.
The strong man waded in again
and returned with the dripping log
on his shoulder.
"We're so much ahead" he said.
Rosemary put out her hand to
claim the log. In those pioneer days
when nearly all the table and kitch-
en- utensils were whitfield from wood,
the finding of good dish timber was
the discovery of essential raw ma
terial. A single excellent white ash
knot like this log would make a
whole nest of necessary bowls and
trenchers. Rosemary put her hand
-, ,r,at x,,ooJ - oIa;.,,