a girl of the limberlost-第35部分

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a　raisin　with　cloves　for　head　and　feet。　　The　remainder

of　the　basket　was　filled　with　big　spiced　pears　that　could

be　held　by　their　stems　while　they　were　eaten。　　The　girls

shrieked　and　attacked　the　cookies；　and　of　all　the　treats

Elnora　offered　perhaps　none　was　quite　so　long　remembered

as　that。



When　Elnora　took　her　basket；　placed　her　books　in　it；

and　started　home；　all　the　girls　went　with　her　as　far　as　the

fence　where　she　crossed　the　field　to　the　swamp。　　At　parting

they　kissed　her　good…bye。　　Elnora　was　a　happy　girl　as　she

hurried　home　to　thank　her　mother。　　She　was　happy　over　her

books　that　night；　and　happy　all　the　way　to　school　the

following　morning。



When　the　music　swelled　from　the　orchestra　her　heart

almost　broke　with　throbbing　joy。　　For　music　always　had

affected　her　strangely；　and　since　she　had　been　comfortable

enough　in　her　surroundings　to　notice　things；　she　had

listened　to　every　note　to　find　what　it　was　that　literally　hurt

her　heart；　and　at　last　she　knew。　　It　was　the　talking　of

the　violins。　　They　were　human　voices；　and　they　spoke　a

language　Elnora　understood。　　It　seemed　to　her　that　she

must　climb　up　on　the　stage；　take　the　instruments　from　the

fingers　of　the　players　and　make　them　speak　what　was　in

her　heart。



That　night　she　said　to　her　mother；　〃I　am　perfectly　crazy

for　a　violin。　　I　am　sure　I　could　play　one；　sure　as　I　live。　

Did　any　one〃　　Elnora　never　completed　that　sentence。



〃Hush！〃　thundered　Mrs。　Comstock。　　〃Be　quiet！　

Never　mention　those　things　before　me　againnever　as

long　as　you　live！　　I　loathe　them！　　They　are　a　snare　of　the

very　devil　himself！　　They　were　made　to　lure　men　and

women　from　their　homes　and　their　honour。　　If　ever　I　see

you　with　one　in　your　fingers　I　will　smash　it　in　pieces。〃



Naturally　Elnora　hushed；　but　she　thought　of　nothing　else

after　she　had　finished　her　lessons。　　At　last　there　came

a　day　when　for　some　reason　the　leader　of　the　orchestra

left　his　violin　on　the　grand　piano。　　That　morning　Elnora

made　her　first　mistake　in　algebra。　　At　noon；　as　soon　as　the

building　was　empty；　she　slipped　into　the　auditorium；　found

the　side　door　which　led　to　the　stage；　and　going　through　the

musicians'　entrance　she　took　the　violin。　　She　carried　it　back

into　the　little　side　room　where　the　orchestra　assembled；　closed

all　the　doors；　opened　the　case　and　lifted　out　the　instrument。



She　laid　it　on　her　breast；　dropped　her　chin　on　it　and

drew　the　bow　softly　across　the　strings。　　One　after　another

she　tested　the　open　notes。　　Gradually　her　stroke　ceased　to

tremble　and　she　drew　the　bow　firmly。　　Then　her　fingers

began　to　fall　and　softly；　slowly　she　searched　up　and　down

those　strings　for　sounds　she　knew。　　Standing　in　the　middle

of　the　floor；　she　tried　over　and　over。　　It　seemed　scarcely　a

minute　before　the　hall　was　filled　with　the　sound　of　hurrying

feet；　and　she　was　forced　to　put　away　the　violin　and　go

to　her　classes。　　The　next　day　she　prayed　that　the　violin

would　be　left　again；　but　her　petition　was　not　answered。　

That　night　when　she　returned　from　the　school　she　made　an

excuse　to　go　down　to　see　Billy。　　He　was　engaged　in　hulling

walnuts　by　driving　them　through　holes　in　a　board。　　His

hands　were　protected　by　a　pair　of　Margaret's　old　gloves；

but　he　had　speckled　his　face　generously。　　He　appeared

well；　and　greeted　Elnora　hilariously。



〃Me　an'　the　squirrels　are　laying　up　our　winter　stores；〃

he　shouted。　　〃Cos　the　cold　is　coming；　an'　the　snow　an'

if　we　have　any　nuts　we　have　to　fix　'em　now。　　But　I'm

ahead；　cos　Uncle　Wesley　made　me　this　board；　and　I　can

hull　a　big　pile　while　the　old　squirrel　does　only　ist　one

with　his　teeth。〃



Elnora　picked　him　up　and　kissed　him。　　〃Billy；　are　you

happy？〃　she　asked。



〃Yes；　and　so's　Snap；〃　answered　Billy。　　〃You　ought　to

see　him　make　the　dirt　fly　when　he　gets　after　a　chipmunk。　

I　bet　you　he　could　dig　up　pa；　if　anybody　wanted　him　to。〃



〃Billy！〃　gasped　Margaret　as　she　came　out　to　them。



〃Well；　me　and　Snap　don't　want　him　up；　and　I　bet　you

Jimmy　and　Belle　don't；　either。　　I　ain't　been　twisty

inside　once　since　I　been　here；　and　I　don't　want　to　go　away；

and　Snap　don't；　either。　　He　told　me　so。〃



〃Billy！　　That　is　not　true。　　Dogs　can't　talk；〃

cautioned　Margaret。



〃Then　what　makes　you　open　the　door　when　he　asks　you　to？〃

demanded　Billy。



〃Scratching　and　whining　isn't　talking。〃



〃Anyway；　it's　the　best　Snap　can　talk；　and　you　get　up

and　do　things　he　wants　done。　　Chipmunks　can　talk　too。　

You　ought　to　hear　them　damn　things　holler　when　Snap

gets　them！〃



〃Billy！　　When　you　want　a　cooky　for　supper　and　I　don't

give　it　to　you　it　is　because　you　said　a　wrong　word。〃



〃Well；　for〃　　　Billy　clapped　his　hand　over　his　mouth

and　stained　his　face　in　swipes。　　〃Well；　foranything！　

Did　I　go　an'　forget　again！　　The　cookies　will　get　all

hard；　won't　they？　　I　bet　you　ten　dollars　I　don't　say　that

any　more。〃



He　espied　Wesley　and　ran　to　show　him　a　walnut　too　big

to　go　through　the　holes；　and　Elnora　and　Margaret　entered

the　house。



They　talked　of　many　things　for　a　time　and　then　Elnora

said　suddenly：　　〃Aunt　Margaret；　I　like　music。〃



〃I've　noticed　that　in　you　all　your　life；〃　answered　Margaret。



〃If　dogs　can't　talk；　I　can　make　a　violin　talk；〃　announced

Elnora；　and　then　in　amazement　watched　the　face　of

Margaret　Sinton　grow　pale。



〃A　violin！〃　she　wavered。　　〃Where　did　you　get　a　violin？〃



〃They　fairly　seemed　to　speak　to　me　in　the　orchestra。　

One　day　the　conductor　left　his　in　the　auditorium；　and　I

took　it；　and　Aunt　Margaret；　I　can　make　it　do　the　wind　in

the　swamp；　the　birds；　and　the　animals。　　I　can　make　any

sound　I　ever　heard　on　it。　　If　I　had　a　chance　to　practise

a　little；　I　could　make　it　do　the　orchestra　music；　too。　

I　don't　know　how　I　know；　but　I　do。〃



〃Diddid　you　ever　mention　it　to　your　mother？〃

faltered　Margaret。



〃Yes；　and　she　seems　prejudiced　against　them。　　But　oh；

Aunt　Margaret；　I　never　felt　so　about　anything；　not　even

going　to　school。　　I　just　feel　as　if　I'd　die　if　I　didn't

have　one。　　I　could　keep　it　at　school；　and　practise　at　noon

a　whole　hour。　　Soon　they'd　ask　me　to　play　in　the　orchestra。　

I　could　keep　it　in　the　case　and　practise　in　the　woods

in　summer。　　You'd　let　me　play　over　here　Sunday。　

Oh；　Aunt　Margaret；　what　does　one　cost？　　Would　it　be　wicked

for　me　to　take　of　my　money；　and　buy　a　very　cheap　one？　

I　could　play　on　the　least　expensive　one　made。〃



〃Oh；　no　you　couldn't！　　A　cheap　machine　makes　cheap　music。　

You　got　to　have　a　fine　fiddle　to　make　it　sing。　　But　there's

no　sense　in　your　buying　one。　　There　isn't　a　decent　reason

on　earth　why　you　shouldn't　have　your　fa〃



〃My　father's！〃　cried　Elnora。　　She　caught　Margaret

Sinton　by　the　arm。　　〃My　father　had　a　violin！　　He　played　it。　

That's　why　I　can！　　Where　is　it！　　Is　it　in　our　house？

Is　it　in　mother's　room？〃



〃Elnora！〃　panted　Margaret。　　〃Your　mother　will　kill　me！　

She　always　hated　it。〃



〃Mother　dearly　loves　music；〃　said　Elnora。



〃Not　when　it　took　the　man