友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
a girl of the limberlost-第20部分
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!
〃Don't you believe me?〃 panted Elnora。
〃Really; it is none of our affair;〃 said another girl。
〃Come on; let's go。〃
Elnora stepped before the girl who had spoken。 〃You have
made this your affair;〃 she said; 〃because you told a
thing which was not true。 No one gave me what I am wearing。
I paid for my clothes myself with money I earned selling
moths to the Bird Woman。 I just came from the bank where
I deposited what I did not use。 Here is my credit。〃
Elnora drew out and offered the little red book。
〃Surely you will believe that;〃 she said。
〃Why of course;〃 said the girl who first had spoken。
〃We met such a lovely woman in Brownlee's store; and she
said she wanted our help to buy some things for a girl;
and that's how we came to know。〃
〃Dear Aunt Margaret;〃 said Elnora; 〃it was like her to
ask you。 Isn't she splendid?〃
〃She is indeed;〃 chorused the girls。 Elnora set down her
lunch box and books; unpinned her hat; hanging it beside
the others; and taking up the books she reached to set the
box in its place and dropped it。 With a little cry she
snatched at it and caught the strap on top。 That pulled
from the fastening; the cover unrolled; the box fell away
as far as it could; two porcelain lids rattled on the floor;
and the one sandwich rolled like a cartwheel across the room。
Elnora lifted a ghastly face。 For once no one laughed。
She stood an instant staring。
〃It seems to be my luck to be crucified at every point of
the compass;〃 she said at last。 〃First two days you
thought I was a pauper; now you will think I'm a fraud。
All of you will believe I bought an expensive box; and then
was too poor to put anything but a restaurant sandwich in it。
You must stop till I prove to you that I'm not。〃
Elnora gathered up the lids; and kicked the sandwich
into a corner。
〃I had milk in that bottle; see! And custard in the cup。
There was salad in the little box; fried chicken in the large
one; and nut sandwiches in the tray。 You can see the
crumbs of all of them。 A man set a dog on a child who was
so starved he was stealing apples。 I talked with him; and
I thought I could bear hunger better; he was such a little boy;
so I gave him my lunch; and got the sandwich at the restaurant。〃
Elnora held out the box。 The girls were laughing by
that time。 〃You goose;〃 said one; 〃why didn't you give
him the money; and save your lunch?〃
〃He was such a little fellow; and he really was hungry;〃
said Elnora。 〃I often go without anything to eat at noon
in the fields and woods; and never think of it。〃
She closed the box and set it beside the lunches of other
country pupils。 While her back was turned; into the
room came the girl of her encounter on the first day;
walked to the rack; and with an exclamation of approval
took down Elnora's hat。
〃Just the thing I have been wanting!〃 she said。 〃I never
saw such beautiful quills in all my life。 They match
my new broadcloth to perfection。 I've got to have that
kind of quills for my hat。 I never saw the like! Whose is
it; and where did it come from?〃
No one said a word; for Elnora's question; the reply; and
her answer; had been repeated。 Every one knew that the
Limberlost girl had come out ahead and Sadie Reed had
not been amiable; when the little flourish had been added
to Elnora's name in the algebra class。 Elnora's swift
glance was pathetic; but no one helped her。 Sadie Reed
glanced from the hat to the faces around her and wondered。
〃Why; this is the Freshman section; whose hat is it?〃
she asked again; this time impatiently。
〃That's the tassel of the cornstock;〃 said Elnora with a
forced laugh。
The response was genuine。 Every one shouted。 Sadie Reed
blushed; but she laughed also。
〃Well; it's beautiful;〃 she said; 〃especially the quills。
They are exactly what I want。 I know I don't deserve
any kindness from you; but I do wish you would tell me
at whose store you found those quills。〃
〃Gladly!〃 said Elnora。 You can't buy quills like those
at a store。 They are from a living bird。 Phoebe Simms
gathers them in her orchard as her peacocks shed them。
They are wing quills from the males。〃
Then there was perfect silence。 How was Elnora to
know that not a girl there would have told that?
〃I haven't a doubt but I can get you some;〃 she offered。
〃She gave Aunt Margaret a large bunch; and those are part
of them。 I am quite sure she has more; and would spare some。〃
Sadie Reed laughed shortly。 〃You needn't trouble;〃
she said; 〃I was fooled。 I thought they were expensive quills。
I wanted them for a twenty…dollar velvet toque to match my
new suit。 If they are gathered from the ground; really;
I couldn't use them。〃
〃Only in spots!〃 said Elnora。 〃They don't just cover
the earth。 Phoebe Simms's peacocks are the only ones
within miles of Onabasha; and they moult but once a year。
If your hat cost only twenty dollars; it's scarcely good
enough for those quills。 You see; the Almighty made and
coloured those Himself; and He puts the same kind on
Phoebe Simms's peacocks that He put on the head of the
family in the forests of Ceylon; away back in the beginning。
Any old manufactured quill from New York or Chicago
will do for your little twenty…dollar hat。 You should have
something infinitely better than that to be worthy of quills
that are made by the Creator。〃
How those girls did laugh! One of them walked with
Elnora to the auditorium; sat beside her during exercises;
and tried to talk whenever she dared; to keep Elnora
from seeing the curious and admiring looks bent upon her。
For the brown…eyed boy whistled; and there was pantomime
of all sorts going on behind Elnora's back that day。
Happy with her books; no one knew how much she saw;
and from her absorption in her studies it was evident she
cared too little to notice。
After school she went again to the home of the Bird
Woman; and together they visited the swamp and carried
away more specimens。 This time Elnora asked the Bird
Woman to keep the money until noon of the next day;
when she would call for it and have it added to her
bank account。 She slowly walked home; for the visit to
the swamp had brought back full force the experience of
the morning。 Again and again she examined the crude little
note; for she did not know what it meant; yet it bred
vague fear。 The only thing of which Elnora knew herself
afraid was her mother; when with wild eyes and ears deaf to
childish pleading; she sometimes lost control of herself in
the night and visited the pool where her husband had sunk
before her; calling his name in unearthly tones and begging
of the swamp to give back its dead。
CHAPTER VI
WHEREIN MRS。 COMSTOCK INDULGES IN 〃FRILLS;〃
AND BILLY REAPPEARS
It was Wesley Sinton who really wrestled with
Elnora's problem while he drove about
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!