a girl of the limberlost-第76章

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asked　me；　and　offered　me　this　ring；　because　there　was　so

much　feeling　in　my　heart　for　you；　that　I　knew　I　never

could　be　happy；　if　I　felt　that　in　any　way　I　had　failed　in

doing　justice　to　your　interests。　　I　did　slip　on　this　ring；

which　he　had　just　brought；　because　I　never　owned　one；

and　it　is　very　beautiful；　but　I　made　him　no　promise；　nor

shall　I　make　any；　until　I　am　quite；　quite　sure；　that　you

fully　realize　he　never　would　marry　you　if　I　sent　him　away

this　hour。〃



〃You　know　perfectly　that　if　your　puny　hold　on　him

were　broken；　if　he　were　back　in　his　home；　among　his

friends；　and　where　he　was　meeting　me；　in　one　short　week

he　would　be　mine　again；　as　he　always　has　been。　　In　your

heart　you　don't　believe　what　you　say。　　You　don't　dare

trust　him　in　my　presence。　　You　are　afraid　to　allow　him

out　of　your　sight；　because　you　know　what　the　results

would　be。　　Right　or　wrong；　you　have　made　up　your　mind

to　ruin　him　and　me；　and　you　are　going　to　be　selfish　enough

to　do　it。　　But〃



〃That　will　do！〃　said　Elnora。　　〃Spare　me　the　enumeration

of　how　I　will　regret　it。　　I　shall　regret　nothing。　

I　shall　not　act　until　I　know　there　will　be　nothing　to　regret。　

I　have　decided　on　my　course。　　You　may　return　to　your　friends。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　demanded　Edith　Carr。



〃That　is　my　affair；〃　replied　Elnora。　　〃Only　this！　

When　your　opportunity　comes；　seize　it！　　Any　time　you

are　in　Philip　Ammon's　presence；　exert　the　charms　of　which

you　boast；　and　take　him。　　I　grant　you　are　justified　in

doing　it　if　you　can。　　I　want　nothing　more　than　I　want　to

see　you　marry　Philip　if　he　wants　you。　　He　is　just　across

the　fence　under　that　automobile。　　Go　spread　your　meshes

and　exert　your　wiles。　　I　won't　stir　to　stop　you。　　Take　him

to　Onabasha；　and　to　Chicago　with　you。　　Use　every　art　you　possess。　

If　the　old　charm　can　be　revived　I　will　be　the　first　to　wish

both　of　you　well。　　Now；　I　must　return　to　my　visitors。　

Kindly　excuse　me。〃



Elnora　turned　and　went　back　to　the　arbour。　　Edith　Carr

followed　the　fence　and　passed　through　the　gate　into

the　west　woods　where　she　asked　Henderson　about　the　car。　

As　she　stood　near　him　she　whispered：　　〃Take　Phil　back

to　Onabasha　with　us。〃



〃I　say；　Ammon；　can't　you　go　to　the　city　with　us　and

help　me　find　a　shop　where　I　can　get　this　pinion　fixed？〃

asked　Henderson。　　〃We　want　to　lunch　and　start　back　by　five。　

That　will　get　us　home　about　midnight。　　Why　don't　you

bring　your　automobile　here？〃



〃I　am　a　working　man；〃　said　Philip。　　〃I　have　no　time　to

be　out　motoring。　　I　can't　see　anything　the　matter　with

your　car；　myself；　but；　of　course　you　don't　want　to　break

down　in　the　night；　on　strange　roads；　with　women　on　your　hands。　

I'll　see。〃



Philip　went　into　the　arbour；　where　Polly　took　possession　of

his　lap；　fingered　his　hair；　and　kissed　his　forehead　and　lips。



〃When　are　you　coming　to　the　cottage；　Phil？〃　she　asked。　

〃Come　soon；　and　bring　Miss　Comstock　for　a　visit。　　All　of

us　will　be　so　glad　to　have　her。〃



Philip　beamed　on　Polly。　　〃I'll　see　about　that；〃　he　said。　

〃Sounds　pretty　good。　　Elnora；　Henderson　is　in　trouble

with　his　automobile。　　He　wants　me　to　go　to　Onabasha

with　him　to　show　him　where　the　doctor　lives；　and　make

repairs　so　he　can　start　back　this　evening。　　It　will　take

about　two　hours。　　May　I　go？〃



〃Of　course；　you　must　go；〃　she　said；　laughing　lightly。　

〃You　can't　leave　your　sister。　　Why　don't　you　return　to

Chicago　with　them？　　There　is　plenty　of　room；　and　you

could　have　a　fine　visit。〃



〃I'll　be　back　in　just　two　hours；〃　said　Philip。　　〃While　I

am　gone；　you　be　thinking　over　what　we　were　talking　of

when　the　folks　came。〃



〃Miss　Comstock　can　go　with　us　as　well　as　not；〃　said　Polly。　

〃That　back　seat　was　made　for　three；　and　I　can　sit　on　your　lap。〃



〃Come　on！　　Do　come！〃　urged　Philip　instantly；　and

Tom　Levering　joined　him；　but　Henderson　and　Edith

silently　waited　at　the　gate。



〃No；　thank　you；〃　laughed　Elnora。　　〃That　would　crowd　you；

and　it's　warm　and　dusty。　　We　will　say　good…bye　here。〃



She　offered　her　hand　to　all　of　them；　and　when　she　came

to　Philip　she　gave　him　one　long　steady　look　in　the　eyes；

then　shook　hands　with　him　also。









CHAPTER　XXIII





WHEREIN　ELNORA　REACHES　A　DECISION；

AND　FRECKLES　AND　THE　ANGEL　APPEAR





Well；　she　came；　didn't　she？〃　remarked　Mrs。　Comstock

to　Elnora　as　they　watched　the　automobile　speed　down

the　road。　　As　it　turned　the　Limberlost　corner；　Philip

arose　and　waved　to　them。



〃She　hasn't　got　him　yet；　anyway；〃　said　Mrs。　Comstock；

taking　heart。　　〃What's　that　on　your　finger；　and　what　did

she　say　to　you？〃



Elnora　explained　about　the　ring　as　she　drew　it　off。



〃I　have　several　letters　to　write；　then　I　am　going　to

change　my　dress　and　walk　down　toward　Aunt　Margaret's

for　a　little　exercise。　　I　may　meet　some　of　them；　and　I　don't

want　them　to　see　this　ring。　　You　keep　it　until　Philip

comes；〃　said　Elnora。　　〃As　for　what　Miss　Carr　said　to　me；

many　things；　two　of　importance：　one；　that　I　lacked　every

social　requirement　necessary　for　the　happiness　of　Philip

Ammon；　and　that　if　I　married　him　I　would　see　inside　a

month　that　he　was　ashamed　of　me〃



〃Aw；　shockins！〃　scorned　Mrs。　Comstock。　　〃Go　on！〃



〃The　other　was　that　she　has　been　engaged　to　him　for

years；　that　he　belongs　to　her；　and　she　refuses　to　give

him　up。　　She　said　that　if　he　were　in　her　presence　one　hour；

she　would　have　him　under　a　mysterious　thing　she　calls　‘her

spell'　again；　if　he　were　where　she　could　see　him　for　one

week；　everything　would　be　made　up。　　It　is　her　opinion

that　he　is　suffering　from　wounded　pride；　and　that　the

slightest　concession　on　her　part　will　bring　him　to　his　knees

before　her。〃



Mrs。　Comstock　giggled。　　〃I　do　hope　the　boy　isn't　weak…kneed；〃

she　said。　　〃I　just　happened　to　be　passing　the　west　window

this　afternoon〃



Elnora　laughed。　　〃Nothing　save　actual　knowledge　ever

would　have　made　me　believe　there　was　a　girl　in　all　this

world　so　infatuated　with　herself。　　She　speaks　casually　of

her　power　over　men；　and　boasts　of　‘bringing　a　man　to　his

knees'　as　complacently　as　I　would　pick　up　a　net　and　say：

‘I　am　going　to　take　a　butterfly。'　　She　honestly　believes

that　if　Philip　were　with　her　a　short　time　she　could　rekindle

his　love　for　her　and　awaken　in　him　every　particle　of

the　old　devotion。　　Mother；　the　girl　is　honest！　　She　is

absolutely　sincere！　　She　so　believes　in　herself　and　the

strength　of　Phil's　love　for　her；　that　all　her　life　she　will

believe　in　and　brood　over　that　thought；　unless　she　is

taught　differently。　　So　long　as　she　thinks　that；　she　will

nurse　wrong　ideas　and　pine　over　her　blighted　life。　　She　must

be　taught　that　Phil　is　absolutely　free；　and　yet　he　will　not　go

to　her。〃



〃But　how　on　earth　are　you　proposing　to　teach　her　that？〃



〃The　way　will　open。〃



〃Lookey　here；　Elnora！〃　cried　Mrs。　Comstock。　　〃That　Carr

girl　is　the　handsomest　dark　woman　I　ever　saw。　　She's　got

to　the　place　where　she　won't　stop　at　anything。　　Her　coming

here　proves　that。　　I　don't　believe　there　was　a　thing

the　matter　with　that　automobile。　　I　think　that　was　a

scheme　she　fixed　up　to　get　Phil　where　she　could　see　him

alone；　as　she　worked　to　see　you。　　If　you　are　going

deliberately　to　put　Philip　under　her　influence　again；　you've

got　to　brace　yourself　for　the　possibility　that　she　may　win。　

A　man　is　a　weak　mortal；　where　a　lovely　woman　is　concerned；

and　he　never　denied　that　he　loved　her　once。　　You　may　make

yourself　downright　miserable。〃



〃But　mother；　if　she　won；　it　wouldn't　make　me　half　so

miserable　as　to　marry　Phil　myself；　and　then　read　hunger

for　her　in　his　eyes！　　Some　one　has　got　to　suffer　over　this。　

If　it　proves　to　be　me；　I'll　bear　it；　and　you'll　never　hear　a

whisper　of　complaint　from　me。　　I　know　the　real　Philip

Ammon　better　in　our　months　of　work　in　the　fields　than　she

knows　him　in　all　her　years　of　society　engagements。　

So　she　shall　have　the　hour　she　asked；　many；　many　of　them；

enough　to　make　her　acknowledge　that　she　is　wron