a girl of the limberlost-第6部分

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to　pay　for　them？〃



Mrs。　Comstock　evaded　the　direct　question。



〃Anybody　but　an　idiot　mooning　over　a　book　or　wasting

time　prowling　the　woods　would　have　known　you　had

to　pay。　　Everybody　has　to　pay　for　everything。　　Life　is

made　up　of　pay；　pay；　pay！　　It's　always　and　forever　pay！　

If　you　don't　pay　one　way　you　do　another！　　Of　course；

I　knew　you　had　to　pay。　　Of　course；　I　knew　you　would　come

home　blubbering！　　But　you　don't　get　a　penny！　　I　haven't

one　cent；　and　can't　get　one！　　Have　your　way　if　you　are

determined；　but　I　think　you　will　find　the　road　somewhat　rocky。〃



〃Swampy；　you　mean；　mother；〃　corrected　Elnora。　　She　arose

white　and　trembling。　　〃Perhaps　some　day　God　will　teach

me　how　to　understand　you。　　He　knows　I　do　not　now。　

You　can't　possibly　realize　just　what　you　let　me　go

through　to…day；　or　how　you　let　me　go；　but　I'll　tell　you　this：　

You　understand　enough　that　if　you　had　the　money；　and

would　offer　it　to　me；　I　wouldn't　touch　it　now。　　And　I'll

tell　you　this　much　more。　　I'll　get　it　myself。　　I'll　raise　it；

and　do　it　some　honest　way。　　I　am　going　back　to…morrow；

the　next　day；　and　the　next。　　You　need　not　come　out；　I'll　do

the　night　work；　and　hoe　the　turnips。〃



It　was　ten　o'clock　when　the　chickens；　pigs；　and　cattle

were　fed；　the　turnips　hoed；　and　a　heap　of　bean　vines　was

stacked　beside　the　back　door。









CHAPTER　II





WHEREIN　WESLEY　AND　MARGARET　GO　SHOPPING；

AND　ELNORA'S　WARDROBE　IS　REPLENISHED





Wesley　Sinton　walked　down　the　road　half　a

mile　and　turned　at　the　lane　leading　to　his　home。

His　heart　was　hot　and　filled　with　indignation。　

He　had　told　Elnora　he　did　not　blame　her　mother；

but　he　did。　　His　wife　met　him　at　the　door。



〃Did　you　see　anything　of　Elnora？〃　she　questioned。



〃Most　too　much；　Maggie；〃　he　answered。　　〃What　do

you　say　to　going　to　town？　　There's　a　few　things　has

to　be　got　right　away。〃



〃Where　did　you　see　her；　Wesley？〃



〃Along　the　old　Limberlost　trail；　my　girl；　torn　to

pieces　sobbing。　　Her　courage　always　has　been　fine；　but　the

thing　she　met　to…day　was　too　much　for　her。　　We　ought　to　have

known　better　than　to　let　her　go　that　way。　　It　wasn't　only

clothes；　there　were　books；　and　entrance　fees　for　out…of…

town　people；　that　she　didn't　know　about；　while　there　must

have　been　jeers；　whispers；　and　laughing。　　Maggie；　I　feel

as　if　I'd　been　a　traitor　to　those　girls　of　ours。　　I　ought　to

have　gone　in　and　seen　about　this　school　business。　

Don't　cry；　Maggie。　　Get　me　some　supper；　and　I'll　hitch　up

and　see　what　we　can　do　now。〃



〃What　can　we　do；　Wesley？



〃I　don't　just　know。　　But　we've　got　to　do　something。　

Kate　Comstock　will　be　a　handful；　while　Elnora　will　be

two；　but　between　us　we　must　see　that　the　girl　is　not　too

hard　pressed　about　money；　and　that　she　is　dressed　so　she

is　not　ridiculous。　　She's　saved　us　the　wages　of　a　woman

many　a　day；　can't　you　make　her　some　decent　dresses？〃



〃Well；　I'm　not　just　what　you　call　expert；　but　I　could

beat　Kate　Comstock　all　to　pieces。　　I　know　that　skirts

should　be　pleated　to　the　band　instead　of　gathered；　and　full

enough　to　sit　in；　and　short　enough　to　walk　in。　　I　could　try。　

There　are　patterns　for　sale。　　Let's　go　right　away；　Wesley。〃



〃Set　me　a　bit　of　supper；　while　I　hitch　up。〃



Margaret　built　a　fire；　made　coffee；　and　fried　ham　and　eggs。　

She　set　out　pie　and　cake　and　had　enough　for　a　hungry

man　by　the　time　the　carriage　was　at　the　door；　but　she

had　no　appetite。　　She　dressed　while　Wesley　ate；　put　away

the　food　while　he　dressed；　and　then　they　drove　toward

the　city　through　the　beautiful　September　evening；

and　as　they　went　they　planned　for　Elnora。　　The　trouble

was；　not　whether　they　were　generous　enough　to　buy　what

she　needed；　but　whether　she　would　accept　their　purchases；

and　what　her　mother　would　say。



They　went　to　a　drygoods　store　and　when　a　clerk　asked

what　they　wanted　to　see　neither　of　them　knew；　so　they

stepped　aside　and　held　a　whispered　consultation。　



〃What　had　we　better　get；　Wesley？〃



〃Dresses；〃　said　Wesley　promptly；



〃But　how　many　dresses；　and　what　kind？〃



〃Blest　if　I　know！〃　exclaimed　Wesley。　　〃I　thought　you

would　manage　that。　　I　know　about　some　things　I'm　going

to　get。〃



At　that　instant　several　high　school　girls　came　into　the

store　and　approached　them。



〃There！〃　exclaimed　Wesley　breathlessly。　　〃There；　Maggie！　

Like　them！　　That's　what　she　needs！　　Buy　like　they　have！〃



Margaret　stared。　　What　did　they　wear？　　They　were

rapidly　passing；　they　seemed　to　have　so　much；　and　she

could　not　decide　so　quickly。　　Before　she　knew　it　she　was

among　them。



〃I　beg　your　pardon；　but　won't　you　wait　one　minute？〃

she　asked。



The　girls　stopped　with　wondering　faces。



〃It's　your　clothes；〃　explained　Mrs。　Sinton。　　〃You　look

just　beautiful　to　me。　　You　look　exactly　as　I　should　have

wanted　to　see　my　girls。　　They　both　died　of　diphtheria

when　they　were　little；　but　they　had　yellow　hair；　dark　eyes

and　pink　cheeks；　and　everybody　thought　they　were　lovely。　

If　they　had　lived；　they'd　been　near　your　age　now；　and　I'd

want　them　to　look　like　you。〃



There　was　sympathy　on　every　girl　face。



〃Why　thank　you！〃　said　one　of　them。　　〃We　are　very

sorry　for　you。〃



〃Of　course　you　are；〃　said　Margaret。　　〃Everybody　always

has　been。　　And　because　I　can't　ever　have　the　joy　of

a　mother　in　thinking　for　my　girls　and　buying　pretty　things

for　them；　there　is　nothing　left　for　me；　but　to　do　what　I　can

for　some　one　who　has　no　mother　to　care　for　her。　　I　know

a　girl；　who　would　be　just　as　pretty　as　any　of　you；　if　she　had

the　clothes；　but　her　mother　does　not　think　about　her；　so　I

mother　her　some　myself。〃



〃She　must　be　a　lucky　girl；〃　said　another。



〃Oh；　she　loves　me；〃　said　Margaret；　〃and　I　love　her。　

I　want　her　to　look　just　like　you　do。　　Please　tell　me

about　your　clothes。　　Are　these　the　dresses　and　hats　you

wear　to　school？　　What　kind　of　goods　are　they；　and　where

do　you　buy　them？〃



The　girls　began　to　laugh　and　cluster　around　Margaret。　

Wesley　strode　down　the　store　with　his　head　high　through

pride　in　her；　but　his　heart　was　sore　over　the　memory　of　two

little　faces　under　Brushwood　sod。　　He　inquired　his　way　to

the　shoe　department。



〃Why；　every　one　of　us　have　on　gingham　or　linen

dresses；〃　they　said；　〃and　they　are　our　school　clothes。〃



For　a　few　moments　there　was　a　babel　of　laughing　voices

explaining　to　the　delighted　Margaret　that　school　dresses

should　be　bright　and　pretty；　but　simple　and　plain；　and

until　cold　weather　they　should　wash。



〃I'll　tell　you；〃　said　Ellen　Brownlee；　〃my　father　owns

this　store；　I　know　all　the　clerks。　　I'll　take　you　to　Miss

Hartley。　　You　tell　her　just　how　much　you　want　to　spend；

and　what　you　want　to　buy；　and　she　will　know　how　to　get

the　most　for　your　money。　　I've　heard　papa　say　she　was

the　best　clerk　in　the　store　for　people　who　didn't　know

precisely　what　they　wanted。〃



〃That's　the　very　thing；〃　agreed　Margaret。　　〃But　before

you　go；　tell　me　about　your　hair。　　Elnora's