a girl of the limberlost-第7章

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with　a　tiny　gold　buckle。



〃It　looks　kind　of　bare　now；〃　she　explained。　　〃It　had

three　quills　on　it　here。〃



〃Did　you　have　them　taken　off？〃　asked　Wesley。



〃Yes；　I　did。　　The　price　was　two　and　a　half　for　the

hat；　and　those　things　were　a　dollar　and　a　half　apiece。　

I　couldn't　pay　that。〃



〃It　does　seem　considerable；〃　admitted　Wesley；　〃but

will　it　look　right　without　them？〃



〃No；　it　won't！〃　said　Margaret。　　〃It's　going　to　have

quills　on　it。　　Do　you　remember　those　beautiful　peacock

wing　feathers　that　Phoebe　Simms　gave　me？　　Three　of

them　go　on　just　where　those　came　off；　and　nobody　will

ever　know　the　difference。　　They　match　the　hat　to　a

moral；　and　they　are　just　a　little　longer　and　richer　than

the　ones　that　I　had　taken　off。　　I　was　wondering　whether

I　better　sew　them　on　to…night　while　I　remember　how　they

set；　or　wait　till　morning。〃



〃Don't　risk　it！〃　exclaimed　Wesley　anxiously。　　〃Don't　you

risk　it！　　Sew　them　on　right　now！〃



〃Open　your　bundles；　while　I　get　the　thread；〃　said　Margaret。



Wesley　unwrapped　the　shoes。　　Margaret　took　them　up

and　pinched　the　leather　and　stroked　them。



〃My；　but　they　are　fine！〃　she　cried。



Wesley　picked　up　one　and　slowly　turned　it　in　his　big　hands。　

He　glanced　at　his　foot　and　back　to　the　shoe。



〃It's　a　little　bit　of　a　thing；　Margaret；〃　he　said　softly。　

〃Like　as　not　I'll　have　to　take　it　back。　　It　seems　as　if　it

couldn't　fit。〃



〃It　seems　as　if　it　didn't　dare　do　anything　else；〃　said　Margaret。　

〃That's　a　happy　little　shoe　to　get　the　chance　to　carry　as

fine　a　girl　as　Elnora　to　high　school。　　Now　what's　in　the

other　box？〃



Wesley　looked　at　Margaret　doubtfully。



〃Why；〃　he　said；　〃you　know　there's　going　to　be　rainy

days；　and　those　things　she　has　now　ain't　fit　for　anything

but　to　drive　up　the　cows〃



〃Wesley；　did　you　get　high　shoes；　too？〃



〃Well；　she　ought　to　have　them！　　The　man　said　he

would　make　them　cheaper　if　I　took　both　pairs　at　once。〃



Margaret　laughed　aloud。　　〃Those　will　do　her　past

Christmas；〃　she　exulted。　　〃What　else　did　you　buy？〃



〃Well　sir；〃　said　Wesley；　〃I　saw　something　to…day。　

You　told　me　about　Kate　getting　that　tin　pail　for　Elnora

to　carry　to　high　school　and　you　said　you　told　her　it　was

a　shame。　　I　guess　Elnora　was　ashamed　all　right；　for

to…night　she　stopped　at　the　old　case　Duncan　gave　her；

and　took　out　that　pail；　where　it　had　been　all　day；　and

put　a　napkin　inside　it。　　Coming　home　she　confessed

she　was　half　starved　because　she　hid　her　dinner　under

a　culvert；　and　a　tramp　took　it。　　She　hadn't　had　a　bite

to　eat　the　whole　day。　　But　she　never　complained　at　all；

she　was　pleased　that　she　hadn't　lost　the　napkin。　　So　I

just　inquired　around　till　I　found　this；　and　I　think　it's

about　the　ticket。〃



Wesley　opened　the　package　and　laid　a　brown　leather

lunch　box　on　the　table。　　〃Might　be　a　couple　of　books；

or　drawing　tools　or　most　anything　that's　neat　and　genteel。　

You　see；　it　opens　this　way。〃



It　did　open；　and　inside　was　a　space　for　sandwiches；

a　little　porcelain　box　for　cold　meat　or　fried　chicken；

another　for　salad；　a　glass　with　a　lid　which　screwed　on；　held

by　a　ring　in　a　corner；　for　custard　or　jelly；　a　flask　for　tea　or

milk；　a　beautiful　little　knife；　fork；　and　spoon　fastened　in

holders；　and　a　place　for　a　napkin。



Margaret　was　almost　crying　over　it。



〃How　I'd　love　to　fill　it！〃　she　exclaimed。



〃Do　it　the　first　time；　just　to　show　Kate　Comstock

what　love　is！〃　said　Wesley。　　〃Get　up　early　in　the　morning

and　make　one　of　those　dresses　to…morrow。　　Can't　you

make　a　plain　gingham　dress　in　a　day？　　I'll　pick　a　chicken；

and　you　fry　it　and　fix　a　little　custard　for　the　cup；

and　do　it　up　brown。　　Go　on；　Maggie；　you　do　it！〃



〃I　never　can；〃　said　Margaret。　　〃I　am　slow　as　the

itch　about　sewing；　and　these　are　not　going　to　be　plain

dresses　when　it　comes　to　making　them。　　There　are　going

to　be　edgings　of　plain　green；　pink；　and　brown　to　the　bias

strips；　and　tucks　and　pleats　around　the　hips；　fancy　belts

and　collars；　and　all　of　it　takes　time。〃



〃Then　Kate　Comstock's　got　to　help；〃　said　Wesley。　　〃Can　the

two　of　you　make　one；　and　get　that　lunch　to…morrow？〃



〃Easy；　but　she'll　never　do　it！〃



〃You　see　if　she　doesn't！〃　said　Wesley。　　〃You　get

up　and　cut　it　out；　and　soon　as　Elnora　is　gone　I'll　go　after

Kate　myself。　　She'll　take　what　I'll　say　better　alone。　

But　she'll　come；　and　she'll　help　make　the　dress。　　These　other

things　are　our　Christmas　gifts　to　Elnora。　　She'll　no　doubt

need　them　more　now　than　she　will　then；　and　we　can　give

them　just　as　well。　　That's　yours；　and　this　is　mine；　or

whichever　way　you　choose。〃



Wesley　untied　a　good　brown　umbrella　and　shook　out

the　folds　of　a　long；　brown　raincoat。　　Margaret　dropped

the　hat；　arose　and　took　the　coat。　　She　tried　it　on；　felt　it；

cooed　over　it　and　matched　it　with　the　umbrella。



〃Did　it　look　anything　like　rain　to…night？〃　she　inquired

so　anxiously　that　Wesley　laughed。



〃And　this　last　bundle？〃　she　said；　dropping　back　in　her

chair；　the　coat　still　over　her　shoulders。



〃I　couldn't　buy　this　much　stuff　for　any　other　woman

and　nothing　for　my　own；〃　said　Wesley。　　〃It's　Christmas

for　you；　too；　Margaret！〃　　He　shook　out　fold　after　fold

of　soft　gray　satiny　goods　that　would　look　lovely　against

Margaret's　pink　cheeks　and　whitening　hair。



〃Oh；　you　old　darling！〃　she　exclaimed；　and　fled　sobbing

into　his　arms。



But　she　soon　dried　her　eyes；　raked　together　the　coals

in　the　cooking　stove　and　boiled　one　of　the　dress　patterns

in　salt　water　for　half　an　hour。　　Wesley　held　the　lamp

while　she　hung　the　goods　on　the　line　to　dry。　　Then　she

set　the　irons　on　the　stove　so　they　would　be　hot　the　first

thing　in　the　morning。









CHAPTER　III





WHEREIN　ELNORA　VISITS　THE　BIRD　WOMAN；

AND　OPENS　A　BANK　ACCOUNT





Four　o'clock　the　following　morning　Elnora

was　shelling　beans。　　At　six　she　fed　the　chickens

and　pigs；　swept　two　of　the　rooms　of　the　cabin；

built　a　fire；　and　put　on　the　kettle　for　breakfast。　　Then　she

climbed　the　narrow　stairs　to　the　attic　she　had　occupied　since

a　very　small　child；　and　dressed　in　the　hated　shoes　and

brown　calico；　plastered　down　her　crisp　curls；　ate　what

breakfast　she　could；　and　pinning　on　her　hat　started　for　town。



〃There　is　no　sense　in　your　going　for　an　hour　yet；〃

said　her　mother。



〃I　must　try　to　discover　some　way　to　earn　those　books；〃

replied　Elnora。　　〃I　am　perfectly　positive　I　shall　not

find　them　lying　beside　the　road　wrapped　in　tissue　paper；

and　tagged　with　my　name。〃



She　went　toward　the　city　as　on　yesterday。　　Her　perplexity

as　to　where　tuition　and　books　were　to　come　from　was

worse　but　she　did　not　feel　quite　so　badly。　　She　never

again　would　have　to　face　all　of　it　for　the　first　time。　

There　had　been　times　yesterday　when　she　had　prayed　to

be　hidden；　or　to　drop　dead；　and　neither　had　happened。　

〃I　believe　the　best　way　to　get　an　answer　to　prayer　is

to　work　for　it；〃　muttered　Elnora　grimly。



Again　she　followed　the　trail　to　the　swamp；　rearranged

her　hair　and　left　the　tin　pail。　　This　time　she　folded　a　couple

of　sandwiches　in　the　napkin；　and　tied　them　in　a　neat　light

paper　parcel　which　she　carried　in　her　hand。　　Then　she

hurried　along　the　road　to　Onabasha　and　found　a　book…store。　

There　she　asked　the　prices　of　the　list　of　books　that

she　needed；　and　learned　that　six　dollars　would　not　quite

supply　them。　　She　anxiously　inquired　for　second…hand

books；　but　was　told　that　the　only　way　to　secure　them　was

from　the　last　year's　Freshmen。　　Just　then　Elnora　felt　that

she　positively　could　not　approach　any　of　those　she　supposed

to　be　Sophomores　and　ask　to　buy　their　old　books。　

The　only　balm　the　girl　could　see　for　the　humiliation　of

yesterday　was　to　appear　that　day　with　a　set　of　new　books。



〃Do　you　wish　these？〃　asked　the　clerk　hurriedly；　for　the

store　was　rapidly　filling　with　school　children　wanting

anything　from　a　dictionary　to　a　pen。



〃Yes；〃　gasped　Elnora；　〃Oh；　yes！　　But　I　cannot　pay　for