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a girl of the limberlost-第42部分
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had something to say; and the sun rose higher; the light
grew stronger and the breeze rustled the treetops
loudly; a cow bawled and the whole barnyard answered。
The guineas were clucking; the turkey gobbler strutting;
the hens calling; the chickens cheeping; the light streamed
down straight overhead and the bees began to hum。 The air
stirred strongly; and away in an unseen field a reaper
clacked and rattled through ripening wheat while the
driver whistled。 An uneasy mare whickered to her colt;
the colt answered; and the light began to decline。
Miles away a rooster crowed for twilight; and dusk was
coming down。 Then a catbird and a brown thrush sang
against a grosbeak and a hermit thrush。 The air was
tremulous with heavenly notes; the lights went out in the
hall; dusk swept across the stage; a cricket sang and a
katydid answered; and a wood pewee wrung the heart with
its lonesome cry。 Then a night hawk screamed; a whip…
poor…will complained; a belated killdeer swept the sky;
and the night wind sang a louder song。 A little screech owl
tuned up in the distance; a barn owl replied; and a great
horned owl drowned both their voices。 The moon shone and the
scene was warm with mellow light。 The bird voices died
and soft exquisite melody began to swell and roll。 In the
centre of the stage; piece by piece the grasses; mosses and
leaves dropped from an embankment; the foliage softly
blew away; while plainer and plainer came the outlines of a
lovely girl figure draped in soft clinging green。 In her
shower of bright hair a few green leaves and white blossoms
clung; and they fell over her robe down to her feet。 Her white
throat and arms were bare; she leaned forward a little and
swayed with the melody; her eyes fast on the clouds above her;
her lips parted; a pink tinge of exercise in her cheeks as
she drew her bow。 She played as only a peculiar chain of
circumstances puts it in the power of a very few to play。
All nature had grown still; the violin sobbed; sang;
danced and quavered on alone; no voice in particular;
the soul of the melody of all nature combined in one
great outpouring。
At the doorway; a white…faced woman endured it as long
as she could and then fell senseless。 The men nearest
carried her down the hall to the fountain; revived her; and
then placed her in the carriage to which she directed them。
The girl played on and never knew。 When she finished;
the uproar of applause sounded a block down the street; but
the half…senseless woman scarcely realized what it meant。
Then the girl came to the front of the stage; bowed; and
lifting the violin she played her conception of an invitation
to dance。 Every living soul within sound of her notes
strained their nerves to sit still and let only their hearts
dance with her。 When that began the woman ran toward
the country。 She never stopped until the carriage overtook
her half…way to her cabin。 She said she had grown
tired of sitting; and walked on ahead。 That night she
asked Billy to remain with her and sleep on Elnora's bed。
Then she pitched headlong upon her own; and suffered
agony of soul such as she never before had known。
The swamp had sent back the soul of her loved dead and
put it into the body of the daughter she resented;
and it was almost more than she could endure and live。
CHAPTER XI
WHEREIN ELNORA GRADUATES;
AND FRECKLES AND THE ANGEL SEND GIFTS
That was Friday night。 Elnora came home Saturday morning
and began work。 Mrs。 Comstock asked no questions; and
the girl only told her that the audience had been large
enough to more than pay for the piece of statuary the class
had selected for the hall。 Then she inquired about her
dresses and was told they would be ready for her。 She had
been invited to go to the Bird Woman's to prepare for both
the sermon and Commencement exercises。 Since there was so
much practising to do; it had been arranged that she should
remain there from the night of the sermon until after she
was graduated。 If Mrs。 Comstock decided to attend she was
to drive in with the Sintons。 When Elnora begged her to
come she said she cared nothing about such silliness。
It was almost time for Wesley to come to take Elnora to
the city; when fresh from her bath; and dressed to her outer
garment; she stood with expectant face before her mother
and cried: 〃Now my dress; mother!〃
Mrs。 Comstock was pale as she replied: 〃It's on my bed。
Help yourself。〃
Elnora opened the door and stepped into her mother's
room with never a misgiving。 Since the night Margaret
and Wesley had brought her clothing; when she first started
to school; her mother had selected all of her dresses; with
Mrs。 Sinton's help made most of them; and Elnora had
paid the bills。 The white dress of the previous spring was
the first made at a dressmaker's。 She had worn that as
junior usher at Commencement; but her mother had selected
the material; had it made; and it had fitted perfectly and
had been suitable in every way。 So with her heart at rest on
that point; Elnora hurried to the bed to find only her last
summer's white dress; freshly washed and ironed。 For an
instant she stared at it; then she picked up the garment;
looked at the bed beneath it; and her gaze slowly swept the room。
It was unfamiliar。 Perhaps this was the third time she
had been in it since she was a very small child。 Her eyes
ranged over the beautiful walnut dresser; the tall bureau;
the big chest; inside which she never had seen; and the row
of masculine attire hanging above it。 Somewhere a
dainty lawn or mull dress simply must be hanging: but it
was not。 Elnora dropped on the chest because she felt too
weak to stand。 In less than two hours she must be in
the church; at Onabasha。 She could not wear a last
year's washed dress。 She had nothing else。 She leaned
against the wall and her father's overcoat brushed her face。
She caught the folds and clung to it with all her might。
〃Oh father! Father!〃 she moaned。 〃I need you! I don't
believe you would have done this!〃 At last she
opened the door。
〃I can't find my dress;〃 she said。
〃Well; as it's the only one there I shouldn't think it
would be much trouble。〃
〃You mean for me to wear an old washed dress to…night?〃
〃It's a good dress。 There isn't a hole in it! There's no
reason on earth why you shouldn't wear it。〃
〃Except that I will not;〃 said Elnora。 〃Didn't you
provide any dress for Commencement; either?〃
〃If you soil that to…night; I've plenty of time to wash
it again。〃
Wesley's voice called from the gate。
〃In a minute;〃 answered Elnora。
She ran upstairs and in an incredibly short time came
down wearing one of her gingham school dresses。 Her face
cold and hard; she passed her mother and went into
the night。 Half an hour later Margaret and Billy stopped
for Mrs。 Comstock with the carr
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