Did you ever try to till a whole section of land back in Ohio
before the war?" Virginia asked laughingly.

Asher took the towel from his head to look at her.

"You are older than when I first knew you--the little lady of the old
Jerome Thaine mansion home. But you haven't lost any of that girl's charms
and you have gained some new ones with the years."

"Stop staring at me and tell me why you didn't put the house down by the
well, then," Virginia demanded.

"I did pitch my tent there at first, but it is too near the river, and
several things happened, beside," he replied.

"Is that a river, really?" she inquired. "It looks like a weed trail."

"Yes, it is very real when it elects to be. They call it Grass River
because there's no grass in it--only sand and weeds--and they call it a
river because there is seldom any water in it. But I've seen such lazy
sand-foundered streams a mile wide and swift as sin. So I take no risk
with precious property, even if I have to tote barrels of water and slop
the parlor rug on windy days."

"Then, why didn't you put another door in the kitchen end of the house?"
Virginia questioned.

"Two reasons, dearie. First, can you keep one door shut on days like this,
even when there is no draught straight through the house?" he inquired.

"Yes, when I put a chair against it, and the table against the chair, and
the bed against the table, and the cookstove to back up the bed. I see.
Shortage of furniture."

"No, the effect on this cabin if the wind had a sweep through two weak
places in the wall. I built this thing to stay till I get ready to go away
from it, not for it to go off and leave me sitting here under the sky some
stormy day. Of course, the real home, the old Colonial style of house,
will stand higher up after awhile, embowered in trees, and the wind may
play about its vine-covered verandas, and its stately front columns, but
that comes later."

"All right, but what was the second reason for the one doorway? You said
you had two?" Virginia broke in.

"Oh, did I? Well, the other reason is insignificant, but effective in its
way. I had only one door and no lumber within three hundred miles to make
another, and no money to buy lumber, anyhow."

"You should have married a fortune," his wife said demurely.

"I did." The smile on the lips did not match the look in the gray eyes.
"My anxiety is that I shall not squander my possession, now I have it."

"You are squandering your