a girl of the limberlost-第28章

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Wesley　Sinton　appeared　behind　Margaret　in　the　doorway；

and　she　turned　to　him。　　〃Make　Kate　Comstock　let　go　of

our　boy！〃　she　demanded。



〃Billy；　she　wants　you　now；〃　said　Wesley　Sinton。　　〃She　won't

whip　you；　and　she　won't　let　any　one　else。　　You　can　have

stacks　of　good　things　to　eat；　ride　in　the　carriage；　and　have

a　great　time。　　Won't　you　stay　with　us？〃



Billy　drew　away　from　Mrs。　Comstock　and　Elnora。



He　faced　Margaret；　his　eyes　shrewd　with　unchildish　wisdom。　

Necessity　had　taught　him　to　strike　the　hot　iron；　to

drive　the　hard　bargain。



〃Can　I　have　Snap　to　live　here　always？〃　he　demanded。



〃Yes；　you　can　have　all　the　dogs　you　want；〃　said　Margaret　Sinton。



〃Can　I　sleep　close　enough　so's　I　can　touch　you？〃



〃Yes；　you　can　move　your　lounge　up　so　that　you　can

hold　my　hand；〃　said　Margaret。



〃Do　you　love　me　now？〃　questioned　Billy。



〃I'll　try　to　love　you；　if　you　are　a　good　boy；〃　said　Margaret。



〃Then　I　guess　I'll　stay；〃　said　Billy；　walking　over　to　her。



Out　in　the　night　Elnora　and　her　mother　went　down　the

road　in　the　moonlight；　every　few　rods　Mrs。　Comstock

laughed　aloud。



〃Mother；　I　don't　understand　you；〃　sobbed　Elnora。



〃Well；　maybe　when　you　have　gone　to　high　school　longer

you　will；〃　said　Mrs。　Comstock。　　〃Anyway；　you　saw　me

bring　Mag　Sinton　to　her　senses；　didn't　you？〃



〃Yes；　I　did；〃　answered　Elnora；　〃but　I　thought　you

were　in　earnest。　　So　did　Billy；　and　Uncle　Wesley；　and

Aunt　Margaret。〃



〃Well；　wasn't　I？〃　inquired　Mrs。　Comstock。



〃But　you　just　said　you　brought　Aunt　Margaret　to！〃



〃Well；　didn't　I？〃



〃I　don't　understand　you。〃



〃That's　the　reason　I　am　recommending　more　schooling！〃



Elnora　took　her　candle　and　went　to　bed。　　Mrs。　Comstock

was　feeling　too　good　to　sleep。　　Twice　of　late　she

really　had　enjoyed　herself　for　the　first　in　sixteen　years；

and　greediness　for　more　of　the　same　feeling　crept　into　her

blood　like　intoxication。　　As　she　sat　brooding　alone　she

knew　the　truth。　　She　would　have　loved　to　have　taken　Billy。　

She　would　not　have　minded　his　mischief；　his　chatter；　or　his　dog。　

He　would　have　meant　a　distraction　from　herself　that　she

greatly　needed；　she　was　even　sincere　about　the　dog。　

She　had　intended　to　tell　Wesley　to　buy　her　one　at　the　very

first　opportunity。　　Her　last　thought　was　of　Billy。　

She　chuckled　softly；　for　she　was　not　saintly；　and　now　she

knew　how　she　could　even　a　long　score　with　Margaret　and　Wesley

in　a　manner　that　would　fill　her　soul　with　grim　satisfaction。









CHAPTER　VIII





WHEREIN　THE　LIMBERLOST　TEMPTS　ELNORA；　AND　BILLY

BURIES　HIS　FATHER





Immediately　after　dinner　on　Sunday　Wesley　Sinton

stopped　at　the　Comstock　gate　to　ask　if　Elnora　wanted

to　go　to　town　with　them。　　Billy　sat　beside　him　and　he

did　not　appear　as　if　he　were　on　his　way　to　a　funeral。　

Elnora　said　she　had　to　study　and　could　not　go；　but　she

suggested　that　her　mother　take　her　place。　　Mrs。　Comstock

put　on　her　hat　and　went　at　once；　which　surprised　Elnora。　

She　did　not　know　that　her　mother　was　anxious　for　an

opportunity　to　speak　with　Sinton　alone。　　Elnora　knew

why　she　was　repeatedly　cautioned　not　to　leave　their　land；

if　she　went　specimen　hunting。



She　studied　two　hours　and　was　several　lessons　ahead　of

her　classes。　　There　was　no　use　to　go　further。　　She　would

take　a　walk　and　see　if　she　could　gather　any　caterpillars　or

find　any　freshly　spun　cocoons。　　She　searched　the　bushes

and　low　trees　behind　the　garden　and　all　around　the　edge　of

the　woods　on　their　land；　and　having　little　success；　at

last　came　to　the　road。　　Almost　the　first　thorn　bush　she

examined　yielded　a　Polyphemus　cocoon。　　Elnora　lifted

her　head　with　the　instinct　of　a　hunter　on　the　chase；　and

began　work。　　She　reached　the　swamp　before　she　knew　it；

carrying　five　fine　cocoons　of　different　species　as　her　reward。

She　pushed　back　her　hair　and　gazed　around　longingly。　　A　few

rods　inside　she　thought　she　saw　cocoons　on　a　bush；　to

which　she　went；　and　found　several。　　Sense　of　caution　was

rapidly　vanishing；　she　was　in　a　fair　way　to　forget　everything

and　plunge　into　the　swamp　when　she　thought　she　heard

footsteps　coming　down　the　trail。　　She　went　back；　and　came

out　almost　facing　Pete　Corson。



That　ended　her　difficulty。　　She　had　known　him　since　childhood。　

When　she　sat　on　the　front　bench　of　the　Brushwood　schoolhouse；

Pete　had　been　one　of　the　big　boys　at　the　back　of　the　room。　

He　had　been　rough　and　wild；　but　she　never　had　been　afraid　of

him；　and　often　he　had　given　her　pretty　things　from　the　swamp。



〃What　luck！〃　she　cried。　　〃I　promised　mother　I　would

not　go　inside　the　swamp　alone；　and　will　you　look　at　the

cocoons　I've　found！　　There　are　more　just　screaming　for

me　to　come　get　them；　because　the　leaves　will　fall　with　the

first　frost；　and　then　the　jays　and　crows　will　begin　to　tear

them　open。　　I　haven't　much　time；　since　I'm　going　to　school。　

You　will　go　with　me；　Pete！　　Please　say　yes！　　Just　a　little　way！〃



〃What　are　those　things？〃　asked　the　man；　his　keen

black　eyes　staring　at　her。



〃They　are　the　cases　these　big　caterpillars　spin　for

winter；　and　in　the　spring　they　come　out　great　night　moths；

and　I　can　sell　them。　　Oh；　Pete；　I　can　sell　them　for　enough

to　take　me　through　high　school　and　dress　me　so　like　the

others　that　I　don't　look　different；　and　if　I　have　very　good

luck　I　can　save　some　for　college。　　Pete；　please　go　with　me？〃



〃Why　don't　you　go　like　you　always　have？〃



〃Well；　the　truth　is；　I　had　a　little　scare；〃　said　Elnora。　

〃I　never　did　mean　to　go　alone；　sometimes　I　sort　of　wandered

inside　farther　than　I　intended；　chasing　things。　　You　know

Duncan　gave　me　Freckles's　books；　and　I　have　been　gathering

moths　like　he　did。　　Lately　I　found　I　could　sell　them。　

If　I　can　make　a　complete　collection；　I　can　get　three

hundred　dollars　for　it。　　Three　such　collections　would

take　me　almost　through　college；　and　I've　four　years　in　the

high　school　yet。　　That's　a　long　time。　　I　might　collect　them。〃



〃Can　every　kind　there　is　be　found　here？〃



〃No；　not　all　of　them；　but　when　I　get　more　than　I　need

of　one　kind；　I　can　trade　them　with　collectors　farther　north

and　west；　so　I　can　complete　sets。　　It's　the　only　way　I　see

to　earn　the　money。　　Look　what　I　have　already。　　Big　gray

Cecropias　come　from　this　kind；　brown　Polyphemus　from　that；

and　green　Lunas　from　these。　　You　aren't　working　on　Sunday。　

Go　with　me　only　an　hour；　Pete！〃



The　man　looked　at　her　narrowly。　　She　was　young；

wholesome；　and　beautiful。　　She　was　innocent；　intensely　in

earnest；　and　she　needed　the　money；　he　knew　that。



〃You　didn't　tell　me　what　scared　you；〃　he　said。



〃Oh；　I　thought　I　did！　　Why　you　know　I　had　Freckles's

box　packed　full　of　moths　and　specimens；　and　one　evening

I　sold　some　to　the　Bird　Woman。　　Next　morning　I　found

a　note　telling　me　it　wasn't　safe　to　go　inside　the　swamp。　

That　sort　of　scared　me。　　I　think　I'll　go　alone；　rather　than

miss　the　chance；　but　I'd　be　so　happy　if　you　would　take

care　of　me。　　Then　I　could　go　anywhere　I　chose；　because　if

I　mired　you　could　pull　me　out。　　You　will　take　care　of　me；　Pete？〃



〃Yes；　I'll　take　care　of　you；〃　promised　Pete　Corson。



〃Goody！〃　said　Elnora。　　〃Let's　start　quick！　　And　Pete；

you　look　at　these　closely；　and　when　you　are　hunting　or

going　along　the　road；　if　one　dangles　under　your　nose；　you

cut　off　the　little　twig　and　save　it　for　me；　will　you？〃



〃Yes；　I'll　save　you　all　I　see；〃　promised　Pete。　　He　pushed

back　his　hat　and　followed　Elnora。　　She　plunged　fearlessly

among　bushes；　over　underbrush；　and　across　dead　logs。　

One　minute　she　was　crying　wildly；　that　here　was　a

big　one；　the　next　she　was　reaching　for　a　limb　above　her

head　or　on　her　knees　overturning　dead　leaves　under　a

hickory　or　oak　tree；　or　working　aside　black　muck　with　her

bare　hands　as　she　searched　for　buried　pupae　cases。　　For　the

first　hour　Pete　bent　back　bushes　and　followed；　carrying

what　Elnora　discovered。　　Then　he　found　one。



〃Is　this　the　kind　of　thing　you　are　looking　f