|
OF THE
LIMBERLOST
By
GENE STRATTON-PORTER
Copyright, 1909, by Doubleday, Page
& On i
SYNOPSIS
Althougn a good scholar, Elnora Com-
stock, entering high school, is abashed by
her country dress. She needs $2 for
books and tuition fees. Her mother is
unsympathetic, and Elnora tells her trou-
bles to Wesley Sinton, an old neighbor.
When Elnora was born her father was
drowned in a swamp, embittering her
mother's life. Elnora determines to raise
money by
The Sintons buy clothes for her.
Elnora, getting her books cheaply, finds
& market with the Bird Woman for but-
terflies, Indian relics, ete,
Mrs. Comstock's devction to her hus-
band’s memory wili not permit her to
sell trees or have oil wells dug on her
land. The Sintons bring Elnora new
clothing.
Einora is delighted with her outfit. Her
mother says ali must pay for it. Wes-
ley and Margaret Sinton discuss the girl's
affairs.
Pete Corson, a Limberlost frequenter,
warns Elnora not to visit the Limberlost
at night or go far into the swamp at any
time.
[Continued from last week.)
He slouched down the road, occasion-
ally feeling the size of the roll he had |
not taken time to count. He chuckled
frequently.
“Feels fat enough to pay,” he whis- |
pered. “Bill. I beat you just about
seven minutes.”
The attic was too long, the light too |
near the other end, and the cabin stood |
much too far back from the road. He |
could see nothing, although he climbed |
the fence and walked back opposite the
window. He knew Mrs. Comstock was |
probably awake and that she some- |
He Was Within a Few Feet of the Girl.
times went to the swamp behind her
home at night. At times a cry went
up from that locality that paralyzed
any one near or sent them fleeing as if
for life. He did not care to cross be-
hind the cabin. He returned to the
road. passed and again climbed the
fence. Opposite the west window he
could see Elnora. She sat hefore a
smal: table reading from a hook be-
tween two candles. Her hair fell in a
bright sheen around her. and with one
hand she lightly shook and tossed it
as she studied. The man stood out in
the night and watched.
For a jong time a leaf turned oc-
casionally and the hair drying went on.
The man drew nearer. The picture
grew more beautiful as he approached.
He could not see as well as he desired,
for the screen was of white mosquito
wetting, and it angered him. He cau-
tiously crept closer. The elevation shut
off his view. Then he remembered the
great willow tree shading the well and
branching across the window at the
west end of the cabin. From child-
hood Elnora had stepped from the sill
to a limb and slid down the slanting
trunk of the tree. Ie reached it and
noiselessly swung himself up. Three
steps out on the big limb the man
shuddered. He was within a few feet
of the girl.
Elnora closed the book and laid it
aside. She picked up a towel and,
turning the gathered ends of her hair,
rubbed them across it and, dropping
the towel un her lap, tossed the
again. Then she sat in deep
By and by words began to come
Near as he was the man
hear at first. He bent
listened intently.
—*“ever could be so happy,” murmur.
ed the goft voice. “The dress is so pret-
ty, such shoes, the coat and everything.
I won't have to be ashamed again, not
ever again, for the Limberlost is full
of precious moths, and 1 can
He
EE
could
closer
{
gathering forest specimens.
' a distant rooster faintly
collect them. The Bird Woman
i
&
buy more tomorrow, and the next day,
and the next. When they are all gone
1 can spend every minute gathering
cocoons and hunting other things | can
sell.
precious money! Why, I didn’t pray in
vain after all! 1 thought when | asked
the Lord to hide me, there in that big
hall. that he wasn't doing it because
I wasn’t covered from sight that in-
stant. But I'm hidden now; 1 feel
that.” Elnora lifted her eyes to the
beams above her. “1 don’t know much
about praying properly,” she muttered,
“but I do thank you. Lord, for hiding |
me in your own time and way."
Her face was so bright that it shone
with an white radiance. Two big tears
welled from her eyes and rolled down
her smiling cheeks. “Oh, I do feel
Oh. thank God for my precious, |
{
| ways sticking in. always doing things |
'1 can't ever afford. Where on earth i
| aia be get that thing and what did
| it cost?
CHAPTER VIL
i
| Wherein Elnora Receives a Warning
| and Billy Appears on the Scene.
| HEN Mrs. Comstock entered the
cabin and began the day's
work. but mingled with the
i brooding bitterness of her soul
was the vision of a sweet young face, |
glad with a giadness never before seen
on it, and over and over she repeated,
| “1 wonder what he'll say to her?"
| What he said was that she looked as
fresh and sweet as a posy and to be
| careful not to step in the mud or'
that you have hidden me.” she breath- | scratch her shoe when she went to the |
ed.
and the little wooden bed creaked un-
der her weizht,
Pete Corson dropped from the limb
and found his way to the road. He
stood still a long time, then started
back to the Limberlost. A tiny point
of light flashed in the region of the
case. He stopped with an oath.
“Another hound trying to steal from
a girl,” he exclaimed. “Dut it's likely
he thinks if he gets anything it will be
| from a woman who ean afford it. as |
did.”
He went on, hut Leside the fences
and very cautiously,
“Swamp seems to be alive tonight.”
he muttered. “That's three of us out.”
He entered a deep place at the north-
west corner, sat on the ground, and. | ran for the road.
taking a pencil from his pocket. he!
tore a leaf from a little notebook and
laboriously wroie a few lines by the
light he carried. Then he went back
{ to the region of the case and waited.
Before his eyes swept the vision of the
slender white creature with tossing
bair. He smiled and worshiped it until
announced
dawn.
Then he unlocked the cuse again and
. replaced the money. laid the note upon
it and went back to concealment.
where he remained until Elnora came
down the trail in the morning. looking
very lovely in her new dress and hat.
She had had a great struggle with
ber hair. It crinkled, billowed and
shone, and she couid not avoid seeing
the becoming frame it made around
her face. But in deference to her
mother’s feelings the girl set her teeth
and bound her hair close to her head
wilh a shoestring. **Not to be changed
at the case,” she told herself.
That her mother was watching she
was unaware. Just as she picked up
the beautiful brown ribbon Mrs, Com-
stock spoke.
“You had better let me tie that. You
can't reach behind yourself and do it
right.”
Elnora gave a little gasp. Her moth-
; er never before had proposed to do
anything for the girl that by any pos-
sibility she could do herself. Her
heart quaked at the thought of how
her mother would arrange that bow,
but Elnora dared not refuse. The offer
was too precious. It might never be
made again,
“Oh, thank you!" said the girl, and,
sitting down, she held out the ribbon.
Her mother stood back and looked at
her critically.
“You haven't got that like Mag Sin-
ton had it last night,” she announced.
“You little idiot! You've tried to plas-
ter it down to suit me, and you missed
it. I liked it away better as Mag fixed
it after I saw it. You didn't look so
peeled.”
When Elnora looked in the glass the
bow was perfectly tied, and how the
gold tone of the brown did match the
luster of the shining hair! Just then
| Wesley Sinton came to the door.
“Good morning,” he cried heartily.
“Elnora, you look a picture. My, but
you're sweet. If any of them city boys
get sassy you tell your Uncle Wesley
and he'll horsewhip them. Here's your
Christmas present from me" He
handed Elnora the leather lunch box,
with her name carved across the strap
in artistic lettering.
“Oh. Uncle Wesley!” and that was
all Elnora could say.
“Your Aunt Maggie filled it for me
for a starter,” he said. “Now, if you
are ready I'm going to drive past your
way and you can ride almost to Ona-
basha with me and save the new shoes
that much.”
Elnora slipped the strap and turned
back the lid. This disclosed the knife,
fork. napkins and spoon, the milk flask
and the interior packed with dainty
sandwiches wrapped in tissue paper.
and the little compartments for meat,
salad and the custard cup.
“Oh. mother!” cried Elnora. “Oh,
mother, isn’t it fine? What made you
think of it, Uncle Wesley? How will
I ever thank you? No one will have
4 finer lunch box than I. Oh, I do
FI
i
FL
3
i
i
5
FY
hi,
:
Then she blew out the lights, | case.
Elnora found her key and opened
tne door. Not where she bad placed |
it. but conspicuously in front lay her |
litgle heap of bills and a crude scrawl |
of writing beside it. Elnora picked |
up the note in astonishment. i
dere Elnory, the lord amighty is niding |
you all right done you ever dout it this |
money of yourn was took for some time |
las nite but it is returned with intres for |
god sake done ever come to the swamp at |
nite or late evain or mornin or far In any |
tine sompin worse an you know could !
git you A FREND. |
Elnora began to tremble. She has- |
tily glanced about. The damp earth |
Lbefore the case had been trodden by
large, roughly shod feet. She caught |
up the money and the note, thrust them
into her gnimpe, locked the case and
She was =o breathless and her face
80 white Sinton noticed it,
“What in the world’s the matter. El-
nora?" he asked as he helped her into
the carriage.
“1 am half afraid.” she panted.
“Tut. tut. child!” said Wesley Sinton.
“Nothing in the world to be afraid of.
What happened?
“Uncle Wesley.” said Elnora. “1 had
more money than I brought home last
night, and | put it in my case. Some
one bas been there. The ground is all
trampled, and they left this note.”
“And took your money, I'll wager,”
said Sinton angrily.
“No,” answered Elnora. “Read the
note and. oli. Uncle Wesley, tell me
what it means!"
Sinton'’s face was a study.
kuow what it means,” he said. “Only
ome thing is clear. [It means some
Least who doesn’t really want to harm
you has got his eye on you and he is *
telling you plain as he can not to give
him a chance. You got to keep along
the roads, in the open, and not let the
biggest moth that ever flew toll you out
of hearing of us or your mother. It
means that. plain and distinet.”
“Just when I can sell them; just
when everything is so lovely on ac- |
count of them. | can't—l can't stay
away from the swamp. The Limber- |
lost is going to buy the books, the!
clothes, pay the tuition and even start
a college fund. 1 just can't.”
“You've got to,” said Sinton. “This
is plain enough. You go far in the |
swamp at your own risk, even in day-
time."
“Uncle Wesley,” said the girl in a !
whisper, “last night before I went to |
“1 don't
bed I was so happy I tried to pray.
and 1 thanked God for hiding me ‘un-
der the shadow of his Wing.’ But,
how in the world could any one know |
it? i
[Continued on page 7, Col. 1.]
A ———
| read.” This encyclopedia of medical
St. Mary’s Beer.
medical advice which he
or
if he had at hand Dr. Pierce’s Common
{
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