a girl of the limberlost-第5章

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no　books。　　What　a　spectacle　I　made　for　them！〃　

Elnora　laughed　nervously　at　her　own　picture。　　〃But　there

are　always　two　sides！　　The　professor　said　in　the　algebra

class　that　he　never　had　a　better　solution　and　explanation

than　mine　of　the　proposition　he　gave　me；　which　scored

one　for　me　in　spite　of　my　clothes。〃



〃Well；　I　wouldn't　brag　on　myself！〃



〃That　was　poor　taste；〃　admitted　Elnora。　　〃But；　you　see；

it　is　a　case　of　whistling　to　keep　up　my　courage。　

I　honestly　could　see　that　I　would　have　looked　just　as

well　as　the　rest　of　them　if　I　had　been　dressed　as

they　were。　　We　can't　afford　that；　so　I　have　to　find

something　else　to　brace　me。　　It　was　rather　bad；　mother！〃



〃Well；　I'm　glad　you　got　enough　of　it！〃



〃Oh；　but　I　haven't〃　hurried　in　Elnora。　　〃I　just　got

a　start。　　The　hardest　is　over。　　To…morrow　they　won't

be　surprised。　　They　will　know　what　to　expect。　　I　am

sorry　to　hear　about　the　dredge。　　Is　it　really　going　through？〃



〃Yes。　　I　got　my　notification　today。　　The　tax　will

be　something　enormous。　　I　don't　know　as　I　can　spare

you；　even　if　you　are　willing　to　be　a　laughing…stock　for

the　town。〃



With　every　bite　Elnora's　courage　returned；　for　she　was

a　healthy　young　thing。



〃You've　heard　about　doing　evil　that　good　might　come

from　it；〃　she　said。　　〃Well；　mother　mine；　it's　something

like　that　with　me。　　I'm　willing　to　bear　the　hard　part

to　pay　for　what　I'll　learn。　　Already　I　have　selected　the

ward　building　in　which　I　shall　teach　in　about　four　years。　

I　am　going　to　ask　for　a　room　with　a　south　exposure　so

that　the　flowers　and　moths　I　take　in　from　the　swamp

to　show　the　children　will　do　well。〃



〃You　little　idiot！〃　said　Mrs。　Comstock。　　〃How　are

you　going　to　pay　your　expenses？〃



〃Now　that　is　just　what　I　was　going　to　ask　you！〃　said　Elnora。　

〃You　see；　I　have　had　two　startling　pieces　of　news　to…day。　

I　did　not　know　I　would　need　any　money。　　I　thought　the　city

furnished　the　books；　and　there　is　an　out…of…town　tuition；　also。　

I　need　ten　dollars　in　the　morning。　　Will　you　please　let　me　have　it？〃



〃Ten　dollars！〃　cried　Mrs。　Comstock。　　〃Ten　dollars！　

Why　don't　you　say　a　hundred　and　be　done　with　it！　　I　could

get　one　as　easy　as　the　other。　　I　told　you！　　I　told　you

I　couldn't　raise　a　cent。　　Every　year　expenses　grow　bigger

and　bigger。　　I　told　you　not　to　ask　for　money！〃



〃I　never　meant　to；〃　replied　Elnora。　　〃I　thought

clothes　were　all　I　needed　and　I　could　bear　them。　

I　never　knew　about　buying　books　and　tuition。〃



〃Well；　I　did！〃　said　Mrs。　Comstock。　　〃I　knew　what

you　would　run　into！　　But　you　are　so　bull…dog　stubborn；

and　so　set　in　your　way；　I　thought　I　would　just　let　you

try　the　world　a　little　and　see　how　you　liked　it！〃



Elnora　pushed　back　her　chair　and　looked　at　her　mother。



〃Do　you　mean　to　say；〃　she　demanded；　〃that　you　knew；

when　you　let　me　go　into　a　city　classroom　and　reveal　the

fact　before　all　of　them　that　I　expected　to　have　my　books

handed　out　to　me；　do　you　mean　to　say　that　you　knew　I　had

to　pay　for　them？〃



Mrs。　Comstock　evaded　the　direct　question。



〃Anybody　but　an　idiot　mooning　over　a　book　or　wasting

time　prowling　the　woods　would　have　known　you　had

to　pay。　　Everybody　has　to　pay　for　everything。　　Life　is

made　up　of　pay；　pay；　pay！　　It's　always　and　forever　pay！　

If　you　don't　pay　one　way　you　do　another！　　Of　course；

I　knew　you　had　to　pay。　　Of　course；　I　knew　you　would　come

home　blubbering！　　But　you　don't　get　a　penny！　　I　haven't

one　cent；　and　can't　get　one！　　Have　your　way　if　you　are

determined；　but　I　think　you　will　find　the　road　somewhat　rocky。〃



〃Swampy；　you　mean；　mother；〃　corrected　Elnora。　　She　arose

white　and　trembling。　　〃Perhaps　some　day　God　will　teach

me　how　to　understand　you。　　He　knows　I　do　not　now。　

You　can't　possibly　realize　just　what　you　let　me　go

through　to…day；　or　how　you　let　me　go；　but　I'll　tell　you　this：　

You　understand　enough　that　if　you　had　the　money；　and

would　offer　it　to　me；　I　wouldn't　touch　it　now。　　And　I'll

tell　you　this　much　more。　　I'll　get　it　myself。　　I'll　raise　it；

and　do　it　some　honest　way。　　I　am　going　back　to…morrow；

the　next　day；　and　the　next。　　You　need　not　come　out；　I'll　do

the　night　work；　and　hoe　the　turnips。〃



It　was　ten　o'clock　when　the　chickens；　pigs；　and　cattle

were　fed；　the　turnips　hoed；　and　a　heap　of　bean　vines　was

stacked　beside　the　back　door。









CHAPTER　II





WHEREIN　WESLEY　AND　MARGARET　GO　SHOPPING；

AND　ELNORA'S　WARDROBE　IS　REPLENISHED





Wesley　Sinton　walked　down　the　road　half　a

mile　and　turned　at　the　lane　leading　to　his　home。

His　heart　was　hot　and　filled　with　indignation。　

He　had　told　Elnora　he　did　not　blame　her　mother；

but　he　did。　　His　wife　met　him　at　the　door。



〃Did　you　see　anything　of　Elnora？〃　she　questioned。



〃Most　too　much；　Maggie；〃　he　answered。　　〃What　do

you　say　to　going　to　town？　　There's　a　few　things　has

to　be　got　right　away。〃



〃Where　did　you　see　her；　Wesley？〃



〃Along　the　old　Limberlost　trail；　my　girl；　torn　to

pieces　sobbing。　　Her　courage　always　has　been　fine；　but　the

thing　she　met　to…day　was　too　much　for　her。　　We　ought　to　have

known　better　than　to　let　her　go　that　way。　　It　wasn't　only

clothes；　there　were　books；　and　entrance　fees　for　out…of…

town　people；　that　she　didn't　know　about；　while　there　must

have　been　jeers；　whispers；　and　laughing。　　Maggie；　I　feel

as　if　I'd　been　a　traitor　to　those　girls　of　ours。　　I　ought　to

have　gone　in　and　seen　about　this　school　business。　

Don't　cry；　Maggie。　　Get　me　some　supper；　and　I'll　hitch　up

and　see　what　we　can　do　now。〃



〃What　can　we　do；　Wesley？



〃I　don't　just　know。　　But　we've　got　to　do　something。　

Kate　Comstock　will　be　a　handful；　while　Elnora　will　be

two；　but　between　us　we　must　see　that　the　girl　is　not　too

hard　pressed　about　money；　and　that　she　is　dressed　so　she

is　not　ridiculous。　　She's　saved　us　the　wages　of　a　woman

many　a　day；　can't　you　make　her　some　decent　dresses？〃



〃Well；　I'm　not　just　what　you　call　expert；　but　I　could

beat　Kate　Comstock　all　to　pieces。　　I　know　that　skirts

should　be　pleated　to　the　band　instead　of　gathered；　and　full

enough　to　sit　in；　and　short　enough　to　walk　in。　　I　could　try。　

There　are　patterns　for　sale。　　Let's　go　right　away；　Wesley。〃



〃Set　me　a　bit　of　supper；　while　I　hitch　up。〃



Margaret　built　a　fire；　made　coffee；　and　fried　ham　and　eggs。　

She　set　out　pie　and　cake　and　had　enough　for　a　hungry

man　by　the　time　the　carriage　was　at　the　door；　but　she

had　no　appetite。　　She　dressed　while　Wesley　ate；　put　away

the　food　while　he　dressed；　and　then　they　drove　toward

the　city　through　the　beautiful　September　evening；

and　as　they　went　they　planned　for　Elnora。　　The　trouble

was；　not　whether　they　were　generous　enough　to　buy　what

she　needed；　but　whether　she　would　accept　their　purchases；

and　what　her　mother　would　say。



They　went　to　a　drygoods　store　and　when　a　clerk　asked

what　they　wanted　to　see　neither　of　them　knew；　so　they

stepped　aside　and　held　a　whispered　consultation。　



〃What　had　we　better　get；　Wesley？〃



〃Dresses；〃　said　Wesley　promptly；



〃But　how　many　dresses；　and　what　kind？〃



〃Blest　if　I　know！〃　exclaimed　Wesley。　　〃I　thought　you

would　manage　that。　　I　know　about　some　things　I'm　going

to　get。〃



At　that　instant　several　high　school　girls　came　into　the

store　and　approached　them。



〃There！〃　exclaimed　Wesley　breathlessly。　　〃There；　Maggie！　

Like　them！　　That's　what　she　needs！　　Buy　like　they　have！〃



Margaret　stared。　　What　did　they　wear？　　They　were

rapidly　passing；　they　seemed　to　have　so　much；　and　she

could　not　decide　so　quickly。　　Before　she　knew　it　she　was

among　them。



〃I　beg　your　pardon；　but　won't　you　wait　one　minute？〃

she　asked。



The　girls　stopped　with　wondering　faces。



〃It's　your　clothes；〃　explained　Mrs。　Sinton。　　〃You　look

just　beautiful　to　me。　　You　look　exactly　as　I　should　have

wanted　to　see　my　girls。　　They　both　died　of　diphtheria

when　they　were　little；　but　they　had　yellow　hair；　dark　eyes

and　pink　cheeks；　and　everybody　thought　they