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PROLOGUE.
It was in the woods that the
gir! of the Limberiost found her
education, her love, her happi-
ness and other good things, so,
rightly, the air of the trees isin
this story of her life. Here isa
tale for lovers of the woods and
Jor otherswho like a simple story
well told by one who knows the
forest, can tell about “home
Jolks'' and can find the interest
in everyday lives.
pages flutter the brilliant butter-
Through these
Sly of tangled romance, the more
sober butterfly, no less beautiful,
of noble, quiet lives, well lived,
and the gray moth of sorrow
borne needlessly for many years.
And if you listen closely you
may hear the buzz of the little,
busy existence of Billy, a young-
ster worth your knowing.
CHAPTER |,
Wherein Einora Goes to High School.
“ E LNORA COMSTOCE, have you
lost your senses?’ demanded
the angry voice of Katharine
Comstock as she glared at
ber daughter.
“Why. mother?” faltered the girl.
“Don't you 'why mother’ me!” cried
Mrs. Comstock. “You know very well
what I mean. You've given me no
peace until you've had your way
about this goiug to school business.
I've fixed you good enough, and you're
ready to start. But no child of mine
walks the streets of Ouanbasha looking
like a play actress woman. You wet
your hair and comb it down modest
and decent and then be off or you'll
have no time to find where you be-
long.”
Elnora gave one despairing glance
at the white face, framed in a most
becoming riot of reddish brown hair,
which she saw in the little kitchen |
mirror. Then she untied the narrow
black ribbon, wet the comb and plas.
tered the waving curls close to her
head, bound them fast, piuned on the
skimpy black hat and started for the
back door. ’
Mrs. Comstock watched the girl
down the long walk to the gate and
out of sight on the road in the bright
sunshine of the first Monday of Sep-
tember.
"1 bet a dollar she gets enough of it
by night!” Mrs, Consock said posi
tively.
Elnora walked by lustinet. for hei
eyes were blinded with tenes. She left
the roud where ft turned south at the
corner of the Limberlost. elimbed a
shake fence and entered a path worn
by her own feet. Dodging under wil
low and scrub onk branches, she at
last came to the faint outline of an
old trail made in the days when the
precious timber of the swamp was
guarded by armed men. This path she
followed until she reached a thick
clump of bushes. From the debris in
the end of a hollow log she took a key
that unlocked the padiock of a large
weather beaten old box, inside of which
lay several books, a butterfly appara
tus and an old cracked mirror. The
walis were lined thickly with gaudy
butterflies, dragon flies and moths. She
fet up the mirror, and, once more pull-
ing the ribbon from her hair, she shook
the bright mass over her s'oulders,
tossing it dry in the sunshine. Then
she straightened it. bound it loosely
and replaced her hat She tugged vain:
ly at the low brown ealico collar and
gnzed despaivingly nt the generous
length of the narrow skirt. She lifted
it as she would have liked it to be cut
if possible. That disclosed the heavy
leatlier high shoes, at sight of which
she tooked positively 11 and hastily
dropped the skirt. Locking the case
again, she hid the key and hurried
down the trail.
~ She followed it around the north end
of the swamp and then struck into a
footpath crossing a farm in the direc:
teacher.
“What if there arent any seats?’
| gasped Elnora.
| “Classrooms are never half filled.
| There will be plenty," was the an-
| ewer.
Elnora removed her hat. There was
, mo place to put it, so she carried it in
| her hand. She looked infinitely bet-
| ter without it. After several efforts
she at last opened the door and. step-
ping inside, faced a smaller and more
concentrated battery of eyes.
“Be seated.” said the professor in
' charge of the class, and then, because
. he saw Elnora was desperately em-
| barrassed, he proceeded to lend her a
| book and to ask her if she had studied
algebra. She said she had a little, but
not the same book they were using.
He asked her if she felt that she could
do the work they were beginning. and
' she said she did.
That was how it happened that three
minutes after entering the room she
was compelled to take her place at the
blackboard beside the girl of the hall,
' whose flushed face and angry eyes
avoided meeting Elnora’s. Being com
pelled to concentrate on her proposi-
tion, she forgot herself. When the pro-
fessor asked that all pupils sign their
work she firmly wrote “Elnora Com:
stock” under ber demonstration. Then
she tovk her seat and waited with
white lips and trembling limbs as one
after another the professor called the
names on the board, while their own:
ers arose aud explained their proposi-
tions or flunked if they had not found
a correct solution. She was so eager
to cateh thelr forms of expression and
prepare herself for her recitation that
she never took her eyes from the work
on the beard until clearly and distinet
ly “Elnora Corustock” called the pro-
fessor.
The dazed girl stared at the board.
One tiny curl added to the top of the
first curve of the “m" in her name had
transformed it from a good old Eng
lish patronymic that any girl might
bear proud!y to Corustock. Elnora
stared speechless. When and how did
it buppen? She could feel the wave of
smothered laughter in the air around
her. A rush of anger turned her face
scarlet and ber soul sick. A hot an
swer was on her lips. The voice of the
professor addressed her straightly.
*“I'his proposition seems to be beauti-
fully demonstrated, Miss Cornstalk.”
he said. “Surely you can tell us how
you dig it.”
That word of praise saved her. She
was tall, straight and handsome us she
arose.
“Of course | can explain my work,”
she said in uatural tones. “What |
can’t explain is how I happened to be
go stupid ax to make a mistake in
tion of the spires of the city to the
northeast. Again she climbed a fence
and was on the open road. For an in-
stunt she leaned against the fence, star-
ing before her, then turned and looked
back. Bebind her lay the lend on
which she had been born to drudgery
and a mother who made no pretense
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 for which she cared.
When sie thought of how she looked
she leaned more heavily against the
feuve nnd groaned. When she thought
of turuing back and wearing such
clothing in ignorance all the days of
her life she set her teeth frmly aud
went hastily toward Onabasha.
She approached the great stone high
schoo! building. entered bravely and
inquired her way to the office of the
superintendent. There she learned that
she should have come the week before
and arranged for her classes,
“1 finishe. lust spring at Brushwood
school, district No. 9." said Elnora.
“1 have been studying all summer, |
am quite sure I can do the first year
work if 1 have a few days to get
started.”
Of course, of course,” assented the
superintendent. “Almost invariably
country pupils do good work. You
may enter first year, and if you don't
fit we will find it out speedily. Your
teachers will tell you the list of books
you must have, and if you will come
with me | will show you the way to
the auditorium. It is vow time for
opening exercises. Take any seat you
find vacant.” He was goue.
Elnora steod before the entrance
and stared into the largest room she
ever had seen. The tloor sloped down
to a yawning stage. on which a band
of musicians, grouped around a grand
plano, were tuning their instruients.
Every one else was seated, but no one
paid any atteniion 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 crowd past
others to several empty seats she saw.
At the end of the aisle she paused in
desperation ns she stared back at the
whole forest of faces, most of which
were pow fairned upon her. !
In one burning flash came the full
realization of ber scanty dress, her
pitiful little hat and ribbon, her big,
heavy shoes, her ignorance of where
to go or what to do, and from a sick-'
ening wave which crept over her she
felt she was going to become very iil
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. Without moving his body he
reacked forward and with a peucil
touched the back of the seat before,
him. Instantly Elnora took another
step, which brought her to a row of, 9
vacant front seats. i S
She heard the giggle behind her. | 2% :
The knowledge that she wore the only | “ :
hat in the room burned her. Every “Did you really let that gawky piece of
matter of mon: nt and sorae of none calico get ahsad of you?”
at all cat and stong. She had no writing my own uawe. I must have
books. Where should she go when heen a MNttle nervous. Please excuse
this was over? What would she give ye."
to be on the trail going home! She went to the hoard, swept off the
Before she realized what was com- gignature with one stroke, then, with-
ing every one had ricen and the room out n tremor, rewrote it clearly. “My
was emptying rapidly. Elnora hurried name Is Comstock,” she said distinet-
after the nearest girl and in the press 1y. She turned to her seat and, follow:
at the door touched her sleeve timidly. | ing the formula used by the others,
“Will you please tell me where the made her first high school recitation.
freshmen go?" she asked huskily, The face of Professor Henley was a
The girl gave her one surprised study. As Elnora took her seat he
glance and drew away. looked at her steadily. “It puzzles
“Same place as the fresh women,” me, he sald deliberately. “how yon
she answered. and those nearest her ' san write as beautiful a demonstra
laughed. | tion and explain it as clearly as ever
Elnora stopped praying suddenly, and has been done in any of my classes
the color swept into her face. “I'll, and still be so disturbed as to make a
wager you are the first person 1 meet mistake in your own name. Are you
when I find it,” she sald and stopped | very sure yon did that yourself, Miss
short. “Not that! Oh, | must not do Comstock?
that!" she thought in dismay. “Make “It is impossible that any one else
an enemy the first thing 1 do—oh, not ghould have done it.” answered Einors
that!” | steadily.
She followed with her eyes as the “I am very glad you think so. said
young people separated in the hall, the professor. '‘Reing freshmen. all of
Some climbing stairs. some disappear- you are strangers to me. | should
ing down side balls. some entering hate to begin the year with you feel
131
;
“Go in and take a seat.” replied the |
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laughing throng saw and jested at
her. When she passed the brown eyed
boy walking with the girk of her en-
counter she knew, for she heard him
say. “Did you really let that gawky
piece of calico get ahead of you?’ The
answer was indistinct.
After noon she retummed to the high
school. followed some other puplis to
the coatroom, hung her bat and found
her way to the study where she had
been in the morning. Twice that after-
noon with aching heud she faced
strange professors in different branch.
es. Once she escaped uotice, the sec-
ond time the worst happened. She
was asked a question she couid not
answer.
“Have you not deeidea on your
course and secured your books?” in-
quired the professor.
“1 have decided on my course,” re-
plied Elnora; *} do wot know who to.
ask for my books.”
“Ask?” the professor was bewildered.
“1 understood the hooks were fup-
nished,” faltered Elnora.
“Only to those bringing an orden
from the township trustee,” replied the
professor.
“No! Oh. no!" eried Elnora. “1 will
get them tomarrow,” and gripped her
desk for suppovi, for she knew that
was not true. Four books, raging
perhaps ui a dollar and a half aplece!
Would her mother get them* Of
course sac woutld not, could not.
Did uot Liners know the story by
heart? ‘There was enough lund, but no
one io do ciearing and farm. Tax on
all those acres, recently the new gravel
road (ux wided, the expense of living
and only the work of two women to
tect ail of it. She was insane to think
she could come to the city to school.
Her mother bud been right. The girl
decided that If only she lived to get
bome she would stay there und lead
any sort of life to avoid more of this
torture. Bad aus what she wished to
escape had been, it was nothing like
this. She uever could live down the
movement that went through the class
wken she inadvertently revealed the
fact that she had expected her boeks
to be furnished. Her mother would
uot get them. That settled the ques-
tion.
But the end of misery is never in a
hurry to come, for before the day was
over the superintendent entered the
rocm and explained that pupils from
the country were charged a tuition of
$20 a year. That really was the end.
Previously Einora had canvassed a
dozen wild plans for securing the mon-' |
ey for books ranging all the way from
offering to wash the superintendent's
dishes to breaking into the bank. This
additional expense made the thing so
wildly impossible there was nothing to
do but hold up her head until she was
out of sight.
CHAPTER IL
Wherein Is Told Something of Elnora's
Family History.
few JOWN the long corridor alone
among hundreds, down the
long street alone among thou-
sands, out into the country she
came at last. She sat on a log and
began to sob in spite of her efforts at
self control. At first it was physical
breakdown, later thought came crowd-
ing. She must go home to feed chick-
ens, calves and pigs, wear calico and
coarse shoes and pass a librury with
averted head all her life. She sobbed
again.
“For pity's sake, honey, what's the
matter?” asked the voice of the near-
est neighbor, Wesley Sinton. as he
seated himself by Elnora. “There, |
there,” he continued. smearing tears
all over her face in an effort to dry
them. “Was it so bad as that, now?
Maggie has been just about wild over
you all day. She's got nervouser every
minute. She said we were foolish to
let you go. She sald your clothes were
not right and that they would laugh at
you. Were your things right, Elnora?"
The girl broke into hysterical laugh- |
ter. “Right!” she cried. “Right! Uncle
Wesley, you should have seen me
among them! 1 was a picture! They'll
never forget me. No, they won't get
the chance. for they'll see the same
things tomorrow!"
“Now, that is what 1 call spunk, E!.
porn. Downright grit,” said Wesley
Sinton. “Don’t you let them laugh you |
out. You've helped Margaret and me !
for years at harvest and busy times. |
What you've earned must amount to !
quite a sum. You can get yourself a |
good many clothes with it.”
“Don’t mention clothes, Uncle Wes- |
ley,” sobbed Elnora. “I don't care now |
how I look. If I don't go back all of |
them will know it's because I am so
poor I can't buy my books.”
“Oh, I don’t know as you are so
poor,” said Sinton meditatively.
“There are 800 acres of good land. with
fine timber as ever grew on it."
“It takes all we can earn to pay the
tax, and mother wouldn't cut a tree
for her life.”
“Well. then, maybe I'll be compelled |
to cut one for her.” suggested Sinton. |
“Anyway, stop tearing yourself to |
pieces and tell me. If it {su't clothes. |
what is it?" |
“It's books and tuition. Over $20 in |
all.” |
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[Continued on page 7, Col. 1.] !
LYON & COMPANY.
This Store
Has Made Women’s; Apparel
a Study.
These words are directed to tise Woman or Miss who antici-
pates the purchase of a Coat, Suit or Fur,
We are not buying newspaper space just because we don’t know
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LYON & COMPANY'S
Coat and Suit Department
i
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FURS. FURS.
We are showing latest and newest styles in smart and fashionable
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Lyon & Co. ... Bellefonte
HR
Yeager’s Shoe Store
Fitzezy
The
Ladies’ Shoe
that
Cures Corns
Sold only at
Yeager’s Shoe Store,
Bush Arcade Building, BELLEFONTE, PA.