a girl of the limberlost-第2章

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At　the　end　of　the　aisle　she　paused　in　desperation；　while

she　stared　back　at　the　whole　forest　of　faces　most　of　which

were　now　turned　upon　her。



In　a　flash　came　the　full　realization　of　her　scanty　dress；

her　pitiful　little　hat　and　ribbon；　her　big；　heavy　shoes；

her　ignorance　of　where　to　go　or　what　to　do；　and　from　a

sickening　wave　which　crept　over　her；　she　felt　she　was

going　to　become　very　ill。　　Then　out　of　the　mass　she　saw

a　pair　of　big；　brown　boy　eyes；　three　seats　from　her；　and

there　was　a　message　in　them。　　Without　moving　his　body

he　reached　forward　and　with　a　pencil　touched　the　back　of

the　seat　before　him。　　Instantly　Elnora　took　another　step

which　brought　her　to　a　row　of　vacant　front　seats。



She　heard　laughter　behind　her；　the　knowledge　that

she　wore　the　only　hat　in　the　room　burned　her；　every

matter　of　moment；　and　some　of　none　at　all；　cut　and　stung。　

She　had　no　books。　　Where　should　she　go　when　this

was　over？　　What　would　she　give　to　be　on　the　trail

going　home！　　She　was　shaking　with　a　nervous　chill　when

the　music　ceased；　and　the　superintendent　arose；　and

coming　down　to　the　front　of　the　flower…decked　platform；

opened　a　Bible　and　began　to　read。　　Elnora　did　not　know


what　he　was　reading；　and　she　felt　that　she　did　not　care。　

Wildly　she　was　racking　her　brain　to　decide　whether　she

should　sit　still　when　the　others　left　the　room　or　follow；

and　ask　some　one　where　the　Freshmen　went　first。



In　the　midst　of　the　struggle　one　sentence　fell　on　her　ear。　

〃Hide　me　under　the　shadow　of　Thy　wings。〃



Elnora　began　to　pray　frantically。　　〃Hide　me；　O　God；

hide　me；　under　the　shadow　of　Thy　wings。〃



Again　and　again　she　implored　that　prayer；　and　before

she　realized　what　was　coming；　every　one　had　arisen　and

the　room　was　emptying　rapidly。　　Elnora　hurried　after　the

nearest　girl　and　in　the　press　at　the　door　touched　her

sleeve　timidly。



〃Will　you　please　tell　me　where　the　Freshmen　go？〃　she

asked　huskily。



The　girl　gave　her　one　surprised　glance；　and　drew　away。



〃Same　place　as　the　fresh　women；〃　she　answered；　and

those　nearest　her　laughed。



Elnora　stopped　praying　suddenly　and　the　colour　crept

into　her　face。　　〃I'll　wager　you　are　the　first　person　I　meet

when　I　find　it；〃　she　said　and　stopped　short。　　〃Not　that！　

Oh；　I　must　not　do　that！〃　she　thought　in　dismay。　　〃Make　an

enemy　the　first　thing　I　do。　　Oh；　not　that！〃



She　followed　with　her　eyes　as　the　young　people　separated

in　the　hall；　some　climbing　stairs；　some　disappearing

down　side　halls；　some　entering　adjoining　doors。　　She　saw

the　girl　overtake　the　brown…eyed　boy　and　speak　to　him。　

He　glanced　back　at　Elnora　with　a　scowl　on　his　face。　

Then　she　stood　alone　in　the　hall。



Presently　a　door　opened　and　a　young　woman　came　out

and　entered　another　room。　　Elnora　waited　until　she

returned；　and　hurried　to　her。　　〃Would　you　tell　me　where

the　Freshmen　are？〃　she　panted。



〃Straight　down　the　hall；　three　doors　to　your　left；〃

was　the　answer；　as　the　girl　passed。



〃One　minute　please；　oh　please；〃　begged　Elnora：　

〃Should　I　knock　or　just　open　the　door？〃



〃Go　in　and　take　a　seat；〃　replied　the　teacher。



〃What　if　there　aren't　any　seats？〃　gasped　Elnora。



〃Classrooms　are　never　half…filled；　there　will　be　plenty；〃

was　the　answer。



Elnora　removed　her　hat。　　There　was　no　place　to　put

it；　so　she　carried　it　in　her　hand。　　She　looked　infinitely

better　without　it。　　After　several　efforts　she　at　last　opened

the　door　and　stepping　inside　faced　a　smaller　and　more

concentrated　battery　of　eyes。



〃The　superintendent　sent　me。　　He　thinks　I　belong

here；〃　she　said　to　the　professor　in　charge　of　the　class；

but　she　never　before　heard　the　voice　with　which　she　spoke。　

As　she　stood　waiting；　the　girl　of　the　hall　passed

on　her　way　to　the　blackboard；　and　suppressed　laughter

told　Elnora　that　her　thrust　had　been　repeated。



〃Be　seated；〃　said　the　professor；　and　then　because　he

saw　Elnora　was　desperately　embarrassed　he　proceeded

to　lend　her　a　book　and　to　ask　her　if　she　had　studied　algebra。　

She　said　she　had　a　little；　but　not　the　same　book　they　were　using。　

He　asked　her　if　she　felt　that　she　could　do　the　work　they　were

beginning；　and　she　said　she　did。



That　was　how　it　happened；　that　three　minutes　after

entering　the　room　she　was　told　to　take　her　place　beside　the

girl　who　had　gone　last　to　the　board；　and　whose　flushed　face

and　angry　eyes　avoided　meeting　Elnora's。　　Being　compelled

to　concentrate　on　her　proposition　she　forgot　herself。　

When　the　professor　asked　that　all　pupils　sign　their　work

she　firmly　wrote　〃Elnora　Comstock〃　under　her　demonstration。　

Then　she　took　her　seat　and　waited　with　white　lips　and

trembling　limbs；　as　one　after　another　professor　called

the　names　on　the　board；　while　their　owners　arose　and

explained　their　propositions；　or　〃flunked〃　if　they　had

not　found　a　correct　solution。　　She　was　so　eager　to　catch

their　forms　of　expression　and　prepare　herself　for　her

recitation；　that　she　never　looked　from　the　work　on　the

board；　until　clearly　and　distinctly；　〃Elnora　Comstock；〃

called　the　professor。



The　dazed　girl　stared　at　the　board。　　One　tiny　curl

added　to　the　top　of　the　first　curve　of　the　m　in　her　name；

had　transformed　it　from　a　good　old　English　patronymic

that　any　girl　might　bear　proudly；　to　Cornstock。　

Elnora　sat　speechless。　　When　and　how　did　it　happen？　

She　could　feel　the　wave　of　smothered　laughter　in　the　air

around　her。　　A　rush　of　anger　turned　her　face　scarlet　and

her　soul　sick。　　The　voice　of　the　professor　addressed　her　directly。



〃This　proposition　seems　to　be　beautifully　demonstrated；

Miss　Cornstalk；〃　he　said。　　〃Surely；　you　can　tell　us　how

you　did　it。〃



That　word　of　praise　saved　her。　　She　could　do　good　work。　

They　might　wear　their　pretty　clothes；　have　their　friends

and　make　life　a　greater　misery　than　it　ever　before

had　been　for　her；　but　not　one　of　them　should　do　better

work　or　be　more　womanly。　　That　lay　with　her。　　She　was

tall；　straight；　and　handsome　as　she　arose。



〃Of　course　I　can　explain　my　work；〃　she　said　in　natural　tones。　

〃What　I　can't　explain　is　how　I　happened　to　be　so　stupid

as　to　make　a　mistake　in　writing　my　own　name。　　I　must

have　been　a　little　nervous。　　Please　excuse　me。〃



She　went　to　the　board；　swept　off　the　signature　with　one

stroke；then　rewrote　it　plainly。　　〃My　name　is　Comstock；〃

she　said　distinctly。　　She　returned　to　her　seat　and　following　the

formula　used　by　the　others　made　her　first　high　school　recitation。



As　Elnora　resumed　her　seat　Professor　Henley　looked　at

her　steadily。　　〃It　puzzles　me；〃　he　said　deliberately；

how　you　can　write　as　beautiful　a　demonstration；　and　explain

it　as　clearly　as　ever　has　been　done　in　any　of　my　classes　and

still　be　so　disturbed　as　to　make　a　mistake　in　your　own　name。　

Are　you　very　sure　you　did　that　yourself；　Miss　Comstock？〃



〃It　is　impossible　that　any　one　else　should　have　done　it；〃

answered　Elnora。



〃I　am　very　glad　you　think　so；〃　said　the　professor。　

〃Being　Freshmen；　all　of　you　are　strangers　to　me。　

I　should　dislike　to　begin　the　year　with　you　feeling　there

was　one　among　you　small　enough　to　do　a　trick　like　that。　

The　next　proposition；　please。〃



When　the　hour　had　gone　the　class　filed　back　to　the　study

room　and　Elnora　followed　in　desperation；　because　she　did

not　know　where　else　to　go。　　She　could　not　study　as　she　had

no　books；　and　when　the　class　again　left　the　room　to　go　to

another　professor　for　the　next　recitation；　she　went　also。　

At　least　they　could　put　her　out　if　she　did　not　belong　there。　

Noon　came　at　last；　and　she　kept　with　the　others　until　they

dispersed　on　the　sidewalk。　　She　was　so　abnormally　self…

conscious　she　fancied　all　the　hundreds　of　that　laughing；

throng　saw　and　jested　at　her。　　When　she　passed　the

brown…eyed　boy　walking　with　the　girl　of　her　encounter；

she　knew；　for　she　heard　him　say：　　〃Did　you　really　let　that

gawky　piece　of　calico　get　ahead　of　you？〃　　The　answer

was　indistinct。



Elnora　hurried　from　the　city。　　She　inte