diff --git a/Timeline/Fl_Menu_Settings.C b/Timeline/Fl_Menu_Settings.C
index 91e1a30..883e718 100644
--- a/Timeline/Fl_Menu_Settings.C
+++ b/Timeline/Fl_Menu_Settings.C
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ Fl_Menu_Settings::dump ( Fl_Menu_ *bar, Fl_Menu_Item *menu, FILE *fp, int depth
     return m;
 }
 
+/** dump menu to file /name/ starting at /item. */
 int
 Fl_Menu_Settings::dump ( Fl_Menu_Item *item, const char *name )
 {
@@ -134,3 +135,99 @@ Fl_Menu_Settings::dump ( Fl_Menu_Item *item, const char *name )
 
     return true;
 }
+
+static void
+path_push ( char *path, const char *s )
+{
+    strcat( path, s );
+    strcat( path, "/" );
+}
+
+static void
+path_pop ( char *path )
+{
+    char *s;
+
+    int l = strlen( path );
+
+    if ( path[ l - 1 ] == '/' )
+        path[ l - 1 ] = '\0';
+
+    s = rindex( path, '/' );
+
+    s = s ? s : path;
+
+    *(s + 1) = '\0';
+}
+
+void
+Fl_Menu_Settings::load ( Fl_Menu_ *bar, Fl_Menu_Item *item, FILE *fp, int depth, char *path, int pmax )
+{
+    char line[256];
+
+    /* FIXME: overflow */
+    while ( ! feof( fp ) )
+    {
+        *line = '\0';
+
+        fgets( line, sizeof( line ), fp );
+
+        if ( *line == '#' )
+            continue;
+
+        line[ strlen( line ) - 1 ] = '\0';
+
+        int ld = strspn( line, "\t" );
+
+        if ( ld > depth )
+        {
+            path_push( path, line + ld );
+
+            ++depth;
+
+//            load( bar, item, fp, depth + 1, path, pmax );
+            /*  */;
+        }
+        else if ( ld < depth )
+        {
+            /* we should know the path and the value now */
+
+            // path_pop( path );
+            *rindex( path, '/' ) = '\0';
+            *rindex( path, '/' ) = '\0';
+
+            printf( "%s = %s\n", path, path + strlen( path ) + 1 );
+
+            while ( ld < depth )
+            {
+                path_pop( path );
+                depth--;
+            }
+
+            path_push( path, line + ld );
+
+            /* FIXME: still need to process the current line */
+        }
+        else                                          /* d == depth */
+        {
+            /* doesn't apply? */
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/** load settings from file /name/ into menu starting at /item */
+int
+Fl_Menu_Settings::load ( Fl_Menu_Item *item, const char *name )
+{
+    FILE *fp = fopen( name, "r" );
+
+    if ( ! fp )
+        return false;
+
+    char path[256];
+    path[0] = '\0';
+
+    load( this, item, fp, 0, path, sizeof( path ) );
+
+    fclose( fp );
+}
diff --git a/Timeline/Fl_Menu_Settings.H b/Timeline/Fl_Menu_Settings.H
index 30d1105..3c50c97 100644
--- a/Timeline/Fl_Menu_Settings.H
+++ b/Timeline/Fl_Menu_Settings.H
@@ -27,10 +27,15 @@ class Fl_Menu_Settings : public Fl_Menu_
     void remove_ampersands ( char *str, int n );
     void indent ( FILE *fp, int n );
     Fl_Menu_Item * dump ( Fl_Menu_ *bar, Fl_Menu_Item *menu, FILE *fp, int depth );
+    void load ( Fl_Menu_ *bar, Fl_Menu_Item *item, FILE *fp, int depth, char *path, int pmax );
 
 public:
 
     int item_pathname_x ( char *path, int n, Fl_Menu_Item *item );
     int dump ( Fl_Menu_Item *item, const char *name );
 
+
+    int load ( Fl_Menu_Item *item, const char *name );
+
+
 };
diff --git a/Timeline/TLE.fl b/Timeline/TLE.fl
index e558948..7f6c122 100644
--- a/Timeline/TLE.fl
+++ b/Timeline/TLE.fl
@@ -98,9 +98,14 @@ Loggable::compact();}
           }
           MenuItem {} {
             label Dump
-            callback {((Fl_Menu_Settings*)menubar)->dump( options_menu, "foo.state" );} selected
+            callback {((Fl_Menu_Settings*)menubar)->dump( options_menu, "foo.state" );}
             xywh {0 0 40 25}
           }
+          MenuItem {} {
+            label Load
+            callback {((Fl_Menu_Settings*)menubar)->load( options_menu, "foo.state" );} selected
+            xywh {10 10 40 25}
+          }
         }
         Submenu {} {
           label {&Edit} open