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Bellefonte, Pa., January 17, 1913.
a ————
A Girl of the Limberlost.
[Continued from page 6, Col. 4.]
fered to give ber lessons if she would |
play to pay for them. so ber progress |
was rapid in technical work. But from |
the first day the instrument became |
play as ber fatber did, she spent balf |
her time In imitating the !
sounds of all outdoors and improvising |
the songs her happy heart sang.
first year went, and the sec- |
third were a repetition; but |
was different, for that was |
of the course. ending with |
and all its attendant cere- |
monies and expenses. To Elnora these |
had |
boarded every cent. thinking twice
before she parted with a penny, but !
teaching natural history in the grades |
bad taken time from ber studies io
|
|
|
|
She Drew the Bow Across Them In|
Whispering Measure. i
school which must be made up out
side. She was a conscientious student.
ranking first in most of her classes and
standing high in all the branches. Her |
interest in her violin had grown with
the years.
Three years had changed Elnora
from the girl of sixteen to the very |
verge of womanhood. She had grown
tall, round and ber face had the love-
liness of perfect complexion, beautiful
eyes and bair and an added touch
from within that might have been call-
ed comprehension.
She was so absorbed in her classes
and her music that she had not been
able to gather specimens as usual.
When she realized this and bunted
assidiously, she soon found that
changing natural conditions had af-
| lege money she knew she could not re-
| of the Bird Woman
fected such work and specimens were
scarce.
All the time the expense of books,
clothing and incidentals bad continued.
Elnora added to her bank account
whenever she could and drew out when
she was compelled, but she omitted the
important feature of calling for a bal
ance. So one early spring morning in
the last quarter of the fourth year she
almost fainted when she learned that
all her funds were gone. Commence
ment, with its extra expense, was com-
ing. She had no money and very few
cocoons to open in June, which would
be too late. She had one collection for
the Bird Woman complete to a pair of
Imperialis moths, and that was her
only asset. On the day she ndded these
big yellow Emperors she would get a
check for $300, but she would not get
it until these specimens were secured.
She remembered that she never bad
found an Emperor before June.
Moreover, that sum was for her first
year in college. Then she would be of
age. and she meant to sell enough of
her share of her father’s land to finish.
She knew her mother would oppose ber
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cast for and was
that performance. She was
to furnish her dress and
.
—
cessities. She had been told
must have a green dress. And where |
was it to come from? {
Every girl of the class would have |
three beautiful uew frocks for com- |
mencement—one for the baccalaureate |
sermon, another, which could be plalo- |
er. for graduation exercises. and a!
handsome one for the banquet and ball.
Elnora faced the past three years and |
wondered how she could have spent 80 |
much money and not kept account of |
it. She did not realize where it had
gone. She did not know what she
couid do now. She thought over the
photographs and at last settled that
question to her satisfaction. She stud-
fed longer over the gifts, ten handsome
| ones there must be, and at last decided
she could arrange for them. The green
dress came first. The lights would be
dim In the scene and the setting deep
woods. She could manage that. She
simply could not have three dresses.
She would have to get a very simple
one for the sermon and do the best she
could for graduation. Whatever she
got for that must be made with a
guimpe that could be taken out to’
make it a little more testive for the
But where could she get even
The only hope she could see Was to
break Inte ber collection, sell some’
moths and try to replace them In
| June. But she knew that never would |
wo June ever brought just the |
It she spent the col-
do.
things she hoped.
place it. If she did not the only way
| was to try for a room in the grades |
and teach a year. Her work there had
| been so appreciated that Elnora felt
| with the recommendation she knew she |
| could get from the superintendent and
teachers she could secure a position.
She wanted to start to college when
the other girls were going. If she could
make the first year alone she could
| manage the rest. But make that first |
| year herself she must. Instead of sell- ||
ing any of her collection, she must
hunt as she never before had hunted |
and find a yellow Emperor. She had to |
L.ve it, that was all. Also, she had to
have those dresses. She thought of |
Sinton and dismissed it. She thought |
and knew she |
could not tell her. She thought of |
every way In which she ever had hoped |
to earn money and realized that with
the play. committee meetings, prac-
ticing and final examinations she
scarcely had time to live, much less to
do more work than the work required
for her pictures and gifts. Again El-
nora was in trouble, and this time it
seemed the worst of all.
It was dark when she arose and
went home.
“Mother,” she said, "1 have a plece
of news that is decidedly not cheer-
ful. My money Is all gone.”
“Well, did you think it would last
you've dressed and gone.”
«1 don't think I've spent any that |
was not compelled to,” sald Elnora.
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CHAPTER XIV,
Wherein Mrs. Comstock Hears Elnora
Play on Her Father's Vielin.
LNORA went upstairs and
could walk. Four years' plans going
in one day! For she felt that if
did not get
After that the days went 80 SW
she scarcely had time to think, but
several trips her mother
final examinations and perfect herself
! for the play. For two days she had
remained In town with the Bird Wo-
man in order to spend more time prac-
ticing and at ber work.
Often Margaret had asked about her
dresses for graduation. and Elnora bad
replied that they were with a woman
in the city who had made her a white
dress for last ye» commencement
when she was a . nuior usher, and
they would be all right. So Margaret,
Wesley and Billy concerned them-
selves over what they would get her
| for a present. Margaret suggested a
beautiful dress. Sinton said that
would look to every one as if she need-
ed dresses. The thing was to get a
handsome gift like all the rest would
have.
It was toward the close of the term
when they drove to town one evening
to try to settle this important question.
They knew Mrs. Comstock had been
alone several days, so they asked ber
to accompany them.
While they were searching the stores
for something on which all of them
could decide Mr. Brownlee met Wesley
and stopped to shake bands.
“1 see your boy came out finely,” he
, said.
“1 don’t allow any -boy anywhere to
be finer than Billy,” said Sinton.
“1 guess you don't allow any girl to
surpass Elnora.” said Mr. Brownlee.
“She comes home with Ellen often, and
my wife and I love her. Ellen says
she is great in her part tor ‘zht. Best
thing in the whole play. Of course
you are in to see it. If you haven't re-
served seats you'd best start pretty
soon, for the high school auditorium
only seats a thousand.”
“Why. yes, of course,” said the be-
wildered Sinton. Then he hurried to
Margaret. “Say,” he said, “there is
going to be a play at the high school
tonight, and Elnora is in it. Why
hasn't she told us?” 4
“] don't know.” said Margaret, “but
I'm going.”
“So am 1,” said Billy.
“Me. too.” sald Wesley, “unless you
think for some reason she don't want
us. Looks like she would have told us
if she had. I'm going to ask her moth.
er.”
“Yes. that's what she's been staying
in town for.” said Mrs. Comstock.
we've got to hurry or we won't getin
There's reserved seats. and we have
pone. so it's the gallery for us, but 1
don't care so =et to take one good
peep at Elinor:
“S'pose she plays?” whispered Mar
garet in his ear.
“Ah, tush! She couldn't!” said Wes-
“Well. she’s been doing it three years
in the orchestra and working like a
slave at it.”
“Oh. well, that’s different. She's in
the play tonight. Brownlee told me so.
Come on, quick: We'll drive and hitch
closest place we can find to the build-
ing.”
Margaret went in the excitement of
the moment, but she was troubled.
When they reached the building
Wesley tied the team to a railing and
Billy sprang out to help Margaret.
Mrs. Comstock sat still.
“Come on. Kate.” said Wesley. reach-
ing his hand.
“I'm not going anywhere,” sald Mrs.
Comstock, settling comfortably back
against the cushions.
All of them begged and pleaded, but
it was no use. Not an inch would Mrs.
Comstock budge, so they left ber.
They found seats near the door where
they could see fairly well. Billy stood
at the back of the hall and had a good
view. By and by a great volume of
sound welled from the orchestra, but
Elnora was not playing.
Out in the warm summer night a
sour, grim wolan nursed an aching
heart and tried to justify perself. The
effort irritated ber intensely. She lean-
ed back. closed her eyes and tried to
make her mind a blank, to shut out
even the music. when the leading vio-
lin began a solo. Mrs. Comstock bore
it as long as she could and then slip-
ped from the carriage and fled down
the street.
She did not know how far she went
or how long she stayed, but everything
was still save an occasional raised
volce when she wandered back. She
stood looking at the building. Slowly
she entered the wide gates and follow-
ed up the walk. Elnora bad been com-
ing here for almost four years. When
Mrs. Comstock reached the door she
went inside. The entrance to the audi-
torium was packed with people and
a crowd was standing outside. When
they noticed a tall woman with white
face and hair and black dress one by
one they stepped a little aside, s0 that
Mrs. Comstock could see the stage. It
was covered with curtains and no
one was doing anything. Just as she
turned to go a sound so faint that
everyone leaned forward and listened
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began to swell and roll.
of the stage, plece by piece the grasses,
mosses and leaves dropped from an
embankment, the foliage softly blew
away. while plainer and plainer came
the outlines of a lovely girl figure
draped in soft clinging green. She play-
ed as only a peculiar chain of circum-
stances puts it in the power of a very
few to play.
At the doorway a white faced woman
bore it as long us she could and then
fell senseless. The men nearest car-
ried her down the hall to the fountain,
revived her and thes placed her in the
carriage to which she directed them.
The girl played on and never knew.
That was Friday night. Elnora came
home Saturday morning and went to
work. Mrs. Comstock asked no ques-
tions. and the girl only told ber that
the audience had been large enough to
pay for the piece of statuary the class
last she opened the door.
“] can’t find my dress.” she sald.
“Well. as it's the only one there I
ble.”
“You mean for me to wear an old
washed dress tonight?”
“It's a good dress. There isn't a bole
in it! There's no reason on earth why
you shouldn't wear It.”
«Except that I will not,” said Elnora.
“Didn't you get me any dress for com-
The People’s Common Sense Medical
Adviser is sent free by the author on
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mailing only. t work contains
illustrations. It
every
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—Don’t read an out-of-date paper. Get
all the news in the WATCHMAN.
“Blood tells.” That old saying
have many applications. When the
is blotched with pimples, te body vexed
had selected for the hall. Then she in- the
about her dresses and was told
they would be ready for her. She bad ples.
been invited to go to the Bird Woman's
to prepare for both the sermon and
commencement exercises. Since there
was so much practicing to do, it had
been arranged that she should remain
there from the night of the sermon un-
til after she was graduated. If Mrs.
Comstock decided to attend she was to
drive in with the Sintons.
it was almost time for Wesley to
come to take Elnora to the city when,
fresh from her bath, with shining,
prisply washed hair and dressed to her
outer garment. she stood with expec-
tant face before her mother and cried.
“Now my dress, mother.”
Mrs. Comstock was pale as she re-
plied, “It's on my bed. Help your-
sell.”
Elnora opened the door and stepped
into her mother's room with never a
misgiving. She hurried to the bed to
find only her last summer's white
dress, freshly washed and ironed.
Somewhere a dainty lawn or mull
dress simply must be banging. But
it was not. Elnora dropped on the
chest because she felt too wenk te
In less than two hours she
stand.
drifted down the auditorium. It was | pet be in the church at Onnbasha, At
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———
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