-house or store-room to do the work most needful in his harvesting.
In the afternoon he laboured over furniture and put finishing touches on
the new cabin, and after supper he carved and found time to read again,
as before his dream.

He was so happy he whistled and sang at his work much of the time at
first, but later there came days when doubts crept in and all his will
power was required to proceed steadily. As the cabin grew in better
shape for occupancy each day, more pressing became the thought of how he
was going to find and meet the girl of his dream. Sometimes it seemed to
him that the proper way was to remain at home and go on with his work,
trusting her to come to him. At such times he was happy and gaily
whistled and sang:

"Stay in your chimney corner,
Don't roam the world about,
Stay in your chimney corner,
And your own true love will find you out."

But there were other days while grubbing in the forest, battling with
roots in the muck and mire of the lake bank, staggering under a load
for two men, scarcely taking time to eat and sleep enough to keep his
condition perfect, when that plan seemed too hopeless and senseless to
contemplate. Then he would think of locking the cabin, leaving the drugs
to grow undisturbed by collecting, hiring a neighbour to care for his
living creatures, and starting a search over the world to find her.
There came times when the impulse to go was so strong that only the
desire to take a day more to decide where, kept him. Every time his mind
was made up to start the following day came the counter thought, what
if I should go and she should come in my absence? In the dream she came.
That alone held him, even in the face of the fact that if he left home
some one might know of and rifle the precious ginseng bed, carefully
tended these seven years for the culmination the coming fall would
bring. That ginseng was worth many thousands and he had laboured over
it, fighting worms and parasites, covering and uncovering it with the
changing seasons, a siege of loving labour.

Sometimes a few hours of misgiving tortured him, but as a rule he was
cheerful and happy in his preparations. Without intending to do it
he was gradually furnishing the cabin. Every few days saw a new piece
finished in the workshop. Each trip to Onabasha ended in the purchase of
some article he could see would harmonize with his colour plans for
one of the rooms. He had filled