a girl of the limberlost-第43部分

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the　night。　　Half　an　hour　later　Margaret　and　Billy　stopped

for　Mrs。　Comstock　with　the　carriage。　　She　had　determined

fully　that　she　would　not　go　before　they　called。　　With　the

sound　of　their　voices　a　sort　of　horror　of　being　left　seized　her；

so　she　put　on　her　hat；　locked　the　door　and　went　out　to　them。



〃How　did　Elnora　look？〃　inquired　Margaret　anxiously。



〃Like　she　always　does；〃　answered　Mrs。　Comstock　curtly。



〃I　do　hope　her　dresses　are　as　pretty　as　the　others；〃

said　Margaret。　　〃None　of　them　will　have　prettier　faces　or

nicer　ways。〃



Wesley　was　waiting　before　the　big　church　to　take　care　of

the　team。　　As　they　stood　watching　the　people　enter　the

building；　Mrs。　Comstock　felt　herself　growing　ill。　　When　they

went　inside　among　the　lights；　saw　the　flower…decked　stage；

and　the　masses　of　finely　dressed　people；　she　grew　no　better。　

She　could　hear　Margaret　and　Billy　softly　commenting　on　what

was　being　done。



〃That　first　chair　in　the　very　front　row　is　Elnora's；〃

exulted　Billy；　〃cos　she's　got　the　highest　grades；　and　so　she

gets　to　lead　the　procession　to　the　platform。〃



〃The　first　chair！〃　　〃Lead　the　procession！〃　　Mrs。　Comstock

was　dumbfounded。　　The　notes　of　the　pipe　organ　began　to　fill

the　building　in　a　slow　rolling　march。　　Would　Elnora　lead

the　procession　in　a　gingham　dress？　　Or　would　she　be　absent

and　her　chair　vacant　on　this　great　occasion？　　For　now；　Mrs。

Comstock　could　see　that　it　was　a　great　occasion。　　Every　one

would　remember　how　Elnora　had　played　a　few　nights　before；

and　they　would　miss　her　and　pity　her。　　Pity？　　Because　she　had

no　one　to　care　for　her。　　Because　she　was　worse　off　than　if　she

had　no　mother。　　For　the　first　time　in　her　life；　Mrs。　Comstock

began　to　study　herself　as　she　would　appear　to　others。　

Every　time　a　junior　girl　came　fluttering　down　the　aisle；

leading　some　one　to　a　seat；　and　Mrs。　Comstock　saw　a　beautiful

white　dress　pass；　a　wave　of　positive　illness　swept　over　her。　

What　had　she　done？　　What　would　become　of　Elnora？



As　Elnora　rode　to　the　city；　she　answered　Wesley's

questions　in　monosyllables　so　that　he　thought　she　was

nervous　or　rehearsing　her　speech　and　did　not　care　to　talk。　

Several　times　the　girl　tried　to　tell　him　and　realized　that　if

she　said　the　first　word　it　would　bring　uncontrollable　tears。　

The　Bird　Woman　opened　the　screen　and　stared　unbelievingly。



〃Why；　I　thought　you　would　be　ready；　you　are　so　late！〃



she　said。　　〃If　you　have　waited　to　dress　here；　we　must　hurry。〃



〃I　have　nothing　to　put　on；〃　said　Elnora。



In　bewilderment　the　Bird　Woman　drew　her　inside。



〃Diddid〃　she　faltered。　　〃Did　you　think　you　would　wear　that？〃



〃No。　　I　thought　I　would　telephone　Ellen　that　there　had

been　an　accident　and　I　could　not　come。　　I　don't　know　yet

how　to　explain。　　I'm　too　sick　to　think。　　Oh；　do　you　suppose

I　can　get　something　made　by　Tuesday；　so　that　I　can　graduate？〃



〃Yes；　and　you'll　get　something　on　you　to…night；　so　that

you　can　lead　your　class；　as　you　have　done　for　four　years。　

Go　to　my　room　and　take　off　that　gingham；　quickly。　　Anna；　drop

everything；　and　come　help　me。〃



The　Bird　Woman　ran　to　the　telephone　and　called　Ellen　Brownlee。



〃Elnora　has　had　an　accident。　　She　will　be　a　little　late；〃

she　said。　　〃You　have　got　to　make　them　wait。　　Have　them

play　extra　music　before　the　march。〃



Then　she　turned　to　the　maid。　　〃Tell　Benson　to　have　the

carriage　at　the　gate；　just　as　soon　as　he　can　get　it　there。　

Then　come　to　my　room。　　Bring　the　thread　box　from　the

sewing…room；　that　roll　of　wide　white　ribbon　on　the　cutting

table；　and　gather　all　the　white　pins　from　every　dresser　in

the　house。　　But　first　come　with　me　a　minute。〃



〃I　want　that　trunk　with　the　Swamp　Angel's　stuff　in　it；

from　the　cedar　closet；〃　she　panted　as　they　reached　the　top

of　the　stairs。　



They　hurried　down　the　hall　together　and　dragged　the

big　trunk　to　the　Bird　Woman's　room。　　She　opened　it　and

began　tossing　out　white　stuff。



〃How　lucky　that　she　left　these　things！〃　she　cried。　

〃Here　are　white　shoes；　gloves；　stockings；　fans；　everything！〃



〃I　am　all　ready　but　a　dress；〃　said　Elnora。



The　Bird　Woman　began　opening　closets　and　pulling　out

drawers　and　boxes。



〃I　think　I　can　make　it　this　way；〃　she　said。



She　snatched　up　a　creamy　lace　yoke　with　long　sleeves

that　recently　had　been　made　for　her　and　held　it　out。　

Elnora　slipped　into　it；　and　the　Bird　Woman　began　smoothing

out　wrinkles　and　sewing　in　pins。　　It　fitted　very　well

with　a　little　lapping　in　the　back。　　Next；　from　among　the

Angel's　clothing　she　caught　up　a　white　silk　waist　with　low

neck　and　elbow　sleeves；　and　Elnora　put　it　on。　　It　was

large　enough；　but　distressingly　short　in　the　waist；　for　the

Angel　had　worn　it　at　a　party　when　she　was　sixteen。　　The　Bird

Woman　loosened　the　sleeves　and　pushed　them　to　a　puff　on

the　shoulders；　catching　them　in　places　with　pins。　

She　began　on　the　wide　draping　of　the　yoke；　fastening　it

front；　back　and　at　each　shoulder。　　She　pulled　down　the

waist　and　pinned　it。　　Next　came　a　soft　white　dress　skirt

of　her　own。　　By　pinning　her　waist　band　quite　four　inches

above　Elnora's；　the　Bird　Woman　could　secure　a　perfect

Empire　sweep；　with　the　clinging　silk。　　Then　she　began

with　the　wide　white　ribbon　that　was　to　trim　a　new　frock　for

herself；　bound　it　three　times　around　the　high　waist　effect

she　had　managed；　tied　the　ends　in　a　knot　and　let　them　fall

to　the　floor　in　a　beautiful　sash。



〃I　want　four　white　roses；　each　with　two　or　three

leaves；〃　she　cried。



Anna　ran　to　bring　them；　while　the　Bird　Woman　added　pins。



〃Elnora；〃　she　said；　〃forgive　me；　but　tell　me　truly。　　Is　your

mother　so　poor　as　to　make　this　necessary？〃



〃No；〃　answered　Elnora。　　〃Next　year　I　am　heir　to　my　share

of　over　three　hundred　acres　of　land　covered　with　almost

as　valuable　timber　as　was　in　the　Limberlost。　　We　adjoin　it。　

There　could　be　thirty　oil　wells　drilled　that　would　yield

to　us　the　thousands　our　neighbours　are　draining　from　under

us；　and　the　bare　land　is　worth　over　one　hundred　dollars　an

acre　for　farming。　　She　is　not　poor；　she　isI　don't　know

what　she　is。　　A　great　trouble　soured　and　warped　her。　

It　made　her　peculiar。　　She　does　not　in　the　least　understand；

but　it　is　because　she　doesn't　care　to；　instead　of　ignorance。　

She　does　not〃



Elnora　stopped。



〃She　isis　different；〃　finished　the　girl。



Anna　came　with　the　roses。　　The　Bird　Woman　set　one

on　the　front　of　the　draped　yoke；　one　on　each　shoulder　and

the　last　among　the　bright　masses　of　brown　hair。　　Then　she

turned　the　girl　facing　the　tall　mirror。



〃Oh！〃　panted　Elnora。　　〃You　are　a　genius！　　Why；　I

will　look　as　well　as　any　of　them。〃



〃Thank　goodness　for　that！〃　cried　the　Bird　Woman。　

〃If　it　wouldn't　do；　I　should　have　been　ill。　　You　are　lovely；

altogether　lovely！　　Ordinarily　I　shouldn't　say　that；　but

when　I　think　of　how　you　are　carpentered；　I'm　admiring

the　result。〃



The　organ　began　rolling　out　the　march　as　they　came　in　sight。　

Elnora　took　her　place　at　the　head