A Girl of the Limberlost

s?" demanded the angry voice of Katharine

r!" falter

s going to school business; I've fixed you good enough, and you're ready to start. But no child of mine walks the streets of Onabasha looking l

ich she saw in the little kitchen mirror. Then she untied the narrow black ribbon, wet the comb and plastered

y you are forgetting your

nything to eat,

no food from six in the morning until six at night. A pretty figure you'd cut if you had your

bye!" she said. Mrs. Comstock did not reply. She watched the girl follow the long walk to th

enough of it by night!"

e end of a hollow log she took a key that unlocked the padlock of a large weatherbeaten old box, inside of which lay several books, a butterfly apparatus, and a small cracked mirror. The walls were lined thickly with gaudy butterflies, dragonflies, and moths. She set up the mirror and once more pulling the ribbon from her hair, she shook the bright mass over her shoulders, tossing it dry in the sunshine. Then she straightened it, bound it loosely, and replaced her

before her, then turned and looked back. Behind her lay the land on which she had been born to drudgery and a mother who made no pretence of loving her; before her lay the city through whose schools she hoped to find means of escape and the way to reach the things

empty-handed as she approached the big stone high school building. She entered bravely and inquired her way to the office of the superintendent. There she learned that s

oceries until she knew how many she would have in her classes; wrote an order for chemicals for the students of science; a

" said Elnora. "I have been studying all summer. I am quite sure I

d if it is too difficult, we will find it out speedily. Your teachers will tell you the list of books you must have, and if you w

ressions. That it was all a mistake; this was no school, but a grand display of enormous ribbon bows; and the second, that she was sinking, and had forgotten how to walk. Then a burst from the orchestra nerved her while a bevy of dainti

n to the white-faced girl stumbling half-blindly down the aisle next the farthest wall. So she went on to the very end facing the stage. No one moved, and she could not summon courage to cr

e which crept over her, she felt she was going to become very ill. Then out of the mass she saw a pair of big, brown boy eyes, three seats from her, and there was a message in them. W

he give to be on the trail going home! She was shaking with a nervous chill when the music ceased, and the superintendent arose, and coming down to the front of the flower-decked platform, opened a Bible and began to read. Elnora

sentence fell on her ear. "Hide m

ly. "Hide me, O God, hide me,

ming, every one had arisen and the room was emptying rapidly. Elnora hurried

me where the Freshmen

one surprised glan

women," she answered, and

he first person I meet when I find it," she said and stopped short. "Not that! Oh, I must

pearing down side halls, some entering adjoining doors. She saw the girl overtake the brown-eyed boy a

another room. Elnora waited until she returned, and hurried t

e doors to your left," was th

e," begged Elnora: "Should I

a seat," repli

ren't any seats?

lf-filled, there will be

. She looked infinitely better without it. After several efforts she at last opened

but she never before heard the voice with which she spoke. As she stood waiting, the girl of the hall p

end her a book and to ask her if she had studied algebra. She said she had a little, but not the same book th

the professor asked that all pupils sign their work she firmly wrote "Elnora Comstock" under her demonstration. Then she took her seat and waited with white lips and trembling limbs, as one after another professor called the names on the board, while their owners arose and explained t

lish patronymic that any girl might bear proudly, to Cornstock. Elnora sat speechless. When and how did it happen? She could feel the wave of smot

demonstrated, Miss Cornstalk," he said.

friends and make life a greater misery than it ever before had been for her, but not one of them should

n't explain is how I happened to be so stupid as to make a mistake in wr

plainly. "My name is Comstock," she said distinctly. She returned to her seat an

can write as beautiful a demonstration, and explain it as clearly as ever has been done in any of my classes and s

ny one else should have

e strangers to me. I should dislike to begin the year with you feeling there was

or the next recitation, she went also. At least they could put her out if she did not belong there. Noon came at last, and she kept with the others until they dispersed on the sidewalk. She was so abnormally self-conscious she fancied all the hundre

but it was so very light that she was prepared for the fact that it was empty, before opening it. There was one thing for which to be thankful. The boy or tramp who had seen her hide it, had left the nap

at last. "I will go back. What would

where she had been in the morning. Twice that afternoon, with aching head and empty stomach, she faced strange professors, in

r course, and secured your b

" replied Elnora, "I do not k

rofessor was

ooks were furnished

order from the township tru

r support for she knew that was not true. Four books, ranging perhaps at a dolla

ne to think she could come to the city to school. Her mother had been right. The girl decided that if only she lived to reach home, she would stay there and lead any sort of life to avoid more of this torture. Bad as what she wished to escape ha

twenty dollars a year. That really was the end. Previously Elnora had canvassed a dozen methods for securing the money for books, ranging all the way from offering to wash the su

the fence and field, along the old trail once trodden by a boy's bitter agony, now stumbled a white-faced girl, sick at heart. She sa

thers-but when had her mother ever been or done anything at all like other mothers? Because she never had been it was useless to blame her now. Elnora realized she should have gone to town the week before, called on some one and learned all these things herself. She should

mearing tears all over her face in an effort to dry them. "Was it as bad as that, now? Maggie has been just wild over you all day. She's got nervouser every minute. She

sobbed the girl, "wh

till you got started, and then she begun to see a hundred things we should have done. I reckon you hadn't reached that building before she remembered that your

Wesley, you should have seen me among them! I was a picture! They'll never

them laugh you out. You've helped Margaret and me for years at harvest and busy times, what

don't care now how I look. If I don't go back all of them

Sinton meditatively. "There are three hundred acre

pay the tax, and mother would

r," suggested Sinton. "Anyway, stop tearing yourself t

uition. Over twen

to be stumped by twenty dollars, El

nswered Elnora. "This is different from anything that e

ng and I'll draw it from the bank f

ly could earn it. For anything that's past I owe you and Aunt Margaret for all the h

ou can earn it. You can be proud with all the rest of the wo

ears and heartache. All of us know that story. Freckles stuck to what he undertook and won out. I stick, too. When Duncan moved away he gave me all Freckles left in the swamp, and as I have inherited his property maybe his luck will come with it. I won't touch your money, but I'll win so

hard on bitter words and changed what he would have

bubbles slowly rising that were the breath of his body. There she was in spasms of agony, and beside her the great heavy log she'd tried to throw him. I can't ever forgive her for turning against you, and spoiling your childhood as she has, but I couldn't forgive anybody else for abusing her. Maggie has got no mercy on her, but Maggie didn't see what I did, and I've never tried to make it very clear to her. It's been a little too plain for me ever since

irl swiftly. "Uncle Wesley, it w

a teacher she was better educated and smarter than the rest of us, and so she was more sensitive like. She can't understand she was loving a dream. So I say it might do her good if somebody that knew, could tell her, but I swear to gracious, I never could. I've heard her out at the edge of that quagmire calling in them wild spells of hers off and on for the last sixteen years, and imploring the swamp to give him back t

ey, Uncle Wesley, indeed I can't. I'll wait

e back. The only time I ever see a hint of it is when she thinks she's done something that makes you happy, Elnora. Now, you go easy about refusing her anything she wants to do for you. There's times in this world when it's our bounden duty to forget ourselves, and think what will help oth

the swamp and sell them from door to door in the city. I'll even plant them, so that they will be sure to come up in the spring. I have been sort of panic stricken all day and couldn't think. I can ga

me back to stay. Head high and right as a trivet! You've named three ways in three minutes that you cou

oorway. She blinked her eyes, and tried to smile as she answered Wesley Sinton, and indeed she did feel better. She knew now what she had to expect, where to go, and what to do. Get the books she mus

r the pail. "I forgot to tell you to bring h

any scraps, and I'm hungry ag

so I got supper ready. We can eat first, and do the work

It was a queer sort of a little smile, and woul

It's likely this Brushwood road tax will eat up all we've saved in years. Where the land tax is to come from I don't know. It gets bigger every year. If they are going to dredge the swamp ditch agai

smiled that p

that I was funny and would

ied Mrs. Co

ot right, my ribbon invisible compared with the others, I did not know where to go, or what to do, and I had no books. What a spectacle I made for them!" Elnora laughed nervously at her own picture. "But th

uldn't brag

I honestly could see that I would have looked just as well as the rest of them if I had been dressed as

lad you got

t is over. To-morrow they won't be surprised. They will know what to ex

thing enormous. I don't know as I can spare you, even i

courage returned, for she

to bear the hard part to pay for what I'll learn. Already I have selected the ward building in which I shall teach in about four years. I

s. Comstock. "How are you g

of news to-day. I did not know I would need any money. I thought the city furnished the books, and th

ne with it! I could get one as easy as the other. I told you! I told you I couldn't rai

clothes were all I needed and I could bear them

But you are so bull-dog stubborn, and so set in your way, I thought

her chair and loo

ity classroom and reveal the fact before all of them that I expected to have my

evaded the d

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 blu

ou 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

cattle were fed, the turnips hoed, and a heap