11 OF THE LIMBERLOST By GENE STRATTON-PORTER Copyright, 1908, by Doubleday. Page & Co SYNOPSIS Althougn a good scholar, Einora Come stock, entering high school, is abashed by her country dress. She needs $20 for books and tuition fews. is wnsympathetic, and Elnora tells her trou- bles to Wesley Sinton, an old neighbor. Elnora, getting her books cheaply, finds | @ market with the Bird Woman for but- terfiies, Indian relics, ete. | Mrs. Comstock’s devotion to her huse band's memory will not permit her to gol! trees or have oll wells dug on her land. The Sintons bring Elnora new clothing. Elnora is delighted with her outfit. Her mother says sie must pay for it. Wes- ley and Margaret Sinton discuss the girl's | i Pete Corson, a Limberiost frequenter, warns Einora not to visit the Limberlost St sight or 40 1az inte: the Swamp at any Billy's father dies, and the lad is taken home by Sinton, who makes provision for his brother and sister. Margaret finds Blly mischievous, but her heart softens, and he is adopted. | Pete helps Elnora to collect ens. Bhe buys a Mark Twain book for hes mother. Billy, a bright but untrained little chap, with a shiftiess father and hungry broth- er and sister, gets Elnora's luncheon. Wesley. troubled by Corson's warning, in- vestigatos Sinton finds some one has been spying on Elnora. The girl feeds Billy again. Bhe is “taken up” by the high school girls. Elnora, having musical talent, is told by Margaret of her father's violin in! secret keeping. Margaret gots the violin | for the girl. Her high school course completed, El- nora needs money for gradvation ex- penses. She needs two yellow Emperor moths to complete a collection. Grad- uation exercises begin. Mrs. Comstock will not help Klnora to get a graduation gown. The girl is dress- ed by the Bird Woman, but Mrs. Com- stock later gives hand embroidered gar- ante fo baw [Continued from last week.) sne ran upstairs and in an incredibly short time came down wearing one of her gingham schoo! dresses. With a cold, hard face she passed her moth. er and went into the night. A bailf hour later Margaret and Billy stopped | for Mrs. Comstock with the carriage. She had determined fully that she would not go before they called. With the sound of their voices a sort of horror of being left seized her, so she put on her hat. locked the door and went out to them. Wesley was waiting before the big church to take cure of the team. As they stood watching the people enter the building Mrs. Comstock felt herself growing ill without knowing why. When they went inside among the lights, saw the flower decked stage and the masses of finely dressed peo- ple she grew no better. She could hear Margaret and Billy softly commenting on what was being done. ; “That frst chair in the very front row ix Einora's,” exulted Billy. “cos she’s got the highest grades and so she gets to lead the procession to the platform.” “The first chair!®™ “Lead the proces- sion!” Mrs Comstock was dur found- ed. A wave of positive lliness swept over ber What had she done? What would become of Elnora? CHAPTER XV. Wherein Elnora Is Graduated With the Bird Woman's Help. S Elnora rode to the city she an- i swered Wesley's questions in monosyllables so that he thought sbe was nervous or rehearsing her speech and did not care to talk. Several times the girl tried to tell him and realized that if she said the first word it would bring « torrent of tears. The Bird Woman opened the screen and stared unbelievingly. “Why, I thought you would be ready; you are so late!” she said. “If you have waited to dress here we will have to hurry.” i “l have nothing to put on,” said EI nora. ! In bewilderment the Bird Woman drew her inside. “Did—did"”~ she faltered, “did you think you would wear that?" “No. 1 thought I would telephone Killen that there had been an accident and I could not come. [ don't know yet how to explain. I'm too sick to think. Oh, do you suppose T can get something made by Tuesday so that I can graduate?” i “Yes, and you'll get something on you tonight, so that you can lead your class, as you have done for four years. Go to my room and take off that ging- bara quickly. Anna, drop everything an come help me.” ! The Bird Woman ran to the tele phone and cailed Ellen Brownlee, | “Elnora has had an accident. She’ will be a little late,” she said. “You | whispered: “Oh, Kate! have got to make them wait. Have them piay an estra musical number before the march.” Then she turned to the maid “Tell Benson to have the carriage at the gate just as soon as he can get it there. | Then come to my room. Bring the thread box from the sewing room, that roll of wide white ribbon on the cut- ting table and gather all the white pins from every dresser in the house. But first come with me a minute. “l want that trunk with the Swamp Angel's stuff in it from the cedar clos- et,” she panted as they reached the top of the stairs. They hurried down the hall together and dragged the big trunk to the Bird Woman's room. She opened it and be- gan tossing out white stuff. “How lucky that she left these things!” she cried. “Here are white shoes, gloves. stockings. fans, every- thing.” “I am all ready but a dress,” said Elnora. | The Bird Woman began opening clos- ets and pulling out drawers and boxes. “1 think I can make it this way,” she said. She snatched up a creamy lace yoke with long sleeves that recently had been made for her and held it out. Elnora slipped into It, and the Bird Woman began smoothing out wrinkles and sewing in pins. It fitted very well | with a little lapping in the back. Next, from among the Angel's clothing she caught up a white silk waist with low neck and elbow sleeves, and Elnora put it on. It was large enough, but dis- tressingly short in the waist, for the Angel had worn it at a party when she was sixteen. The Bird Woman loosened the sleeves and pushed them to a puff on the shoulders, catching them in places with pins. She began on the wide draping of the yoke, fas- tening it front, back and each shoul: der. She pulled down the waist and pinned it. Next came a soft white silk dress skirt of her own. By pinning her waist band quite four inches above El- nora's, the Bird Woman could secure a perfect Empire sweep with the cling- ing slik. Then she began with the wide white ribbon that was to trim a new frock for herself. bound it three times around the high waist effect she’ had managed, tied the ends in a knot! and let them fall to the floor in a beau- tiful sash. “Elnora,” she said, “forgive we, but! tell me truly. Is your mother so ex-: tremely poor as to make rkis neces. sary?" } i “No,” answered Elnora. “She is—Is different.” The Bird Woman turned the girl facing the tall mirror. “Oh!” panted Elnora. “Is that me? You are a genius! Why, 1 will look as well as any of them. The organ began rolling out the march as they came in sight, Elnora took her place at the head of the pro- cession. while every one wondered. Mrs. Comstock gripped her hands to- gether and shut her eyes. It seemed an eternity to the suffering woman before Margaret caught her arm and For any sake look at her! Here! The aisle across!” Mis. Comstock opened her eyes and, directing them where she was told, gazed intently and slid down in her seat on the verge of a collapse. She was saved by Margaret's tense grip and her command, “Here, idiot, stop that!" In the blaze of light Elnora climbed the steps to the palm embowered plat- form, crossed ir and took her place. Sixty young men and women, each of them dressed the best possible, follow- ed her. There were manly, fine look- ing men In that class which Elnora led. There were girls of beauty and grace, but not one of them was hand- somer or clothed in better taste than she. Billy thought the time would never come when Elnora would see him, but at last she caught his eye. then Mar- =) NS 2 = -e {==> fo ec ane “Oh!” panted Elncra. “ls that me?” garet and Wesley got faint signs of recognition in tugn, bu® there was no softening of the girl's face and no hint of a smile when she saw her mother, Heartsick, Katharine Comstock grip- ped her seat and tried to prove to her. self that she was justified in what she had done, but she could not. When at last the exercises were over she cilmbed into the carriage and rode home without a word. She did not hear what Margaret and Billy were saying. She scarcely heard Sinton, who drove behind, when he told her had | only one of the right size, and it was not marked $40. Mrs. Comstock did rium. When she looked into the eyes | hesitate over the price, but whether | of a white faced woman next to Wes- | the dress would be suitable. She would a hand | heve to ask Elnora. She inquired her | | way to the home of the Bird Woman A fraction of an inch, just enough to q : 2 ] g § : ] “Maybe I could sit here and wait,” It was late afternoon before she ar “I want to see rived, and a dray followed with a load row. I am her mother.” : “Then you don't need wait or wor- | made Elnora show her each costly and ry,” said the girl cheerfully. “There | beautiful or simple and useful gift. are two women up in the sewing room [Continued on page 7, Col. 1.1 at woik on a dress 107 het 2igit qow. | mm————— | It will be done in time, and it will be a beauty.” Mis. Comstock turned and trudged back to the Limberlost. The bitter- uess in her soul became a physical ac. tuality and water would not wash the taste of wormwood from her lips. She was too late. She was not needed. An- other woman was mothering her girl. Another woman would prepare a beau- tiful dress such as Elnora had worn last night. The girl's love and grati- tude would go to her. Mrs. Com- stock tried the old process of blaming someone else, but she felt no better. She nursed her grief as closely as ever in the long days of the girl's absence. Among Elnora’s graduation gifts was a queerly shaped package brought to the Bird Woman's by Billy. The Bird Woman bent over her as she opened it ilis—thousands have nS id: and tested the fabric with her fingers. un Nanny Hi, Tex “Why. bless my soul!” she cried. now say the results were This “Hand woven, band embroidered linen, [ {SSamOR Sov RY, Proves, the worth of fine ax silk. It's priceless! I haven't seen such things in years. My mother Mrs. John had gurments like those when I was a : con- the Doan’ child, but my sisters had them cut up i en oi for collars, belts and fancy waists 4 We wis while 1 was small. Look at the exqui- from and severe pains site work!" yh my amy “Where could it have come from?” Nas Also. ured of kidney trouble by cried Elnora. EE 0 Sela, Bil 5 cents. She shook out a petticoat with a Foster- Co., Buffalo, New York, band wrought ruffle a foot deep, then sole agents for the United States. ~~ an old fashioned chemise the neck and no other. 58-4 sleeve work of which was elaborate and perfeetly wrought. On the breast wis pinned a note that she hastily opened. “I was married In these,” It read, “and I had Intended to be buried In them, but perhaps it would be more sensible for you to graduate and get married in them yourself if you would like. Your mother.” “From my mother!" Wide eyed, EI- nora looked at the Bird Woman. “Do you suppose she can be insane?” “Yes,” said the Bird Woman, “stark, staring mad—wildly Insane if she does not love you and care what becomes of you." : Elnora arose and held the petticoat to her. “Will you look at it!” she cried. “Only imagine her not getting my dress ready and then turning around and sending me such a petti- coat as this! Ellen would pay $100 for it and never blink. 1 suppose mother has had it all my life, and I naver saw it before.” “Go take your hath and put on those things.” sald the Bird Woman. “For- 9 for highest qualityin GASOLINES {power without carbon) Family Favorite Oil ; ‘‘ the clear, bright flame *’ LUBRICANTS St. Mary's Beer. The sunshine of lager beer satisfaction radi- ates from every bottle of ELK COUNTY BREWING COMPANY'S EXPORT. Every glass is a sparkl- ing draught of exquisite taste and is as pure as any brewer’s skill can pos- sibly create. Our entire establish- ment is equipped with the very latest mechani- cal inventions and sanitary de- vices known to the art of brew- ing, having re- cently installed a bottling equip- ment ranking second to none. Our sanitary methods of ster- ilizing the bottles before they are filled, and the scientific process of pasteurizing the beer after it has been auto- matically bottled guarantees the lasting purity of our product, We bottle our beer at the brewery in AMBRE bot- tles, as exposure to light injures flavor. ElK County Brewing Company ST. MARYS, PENNSYLVANIA The : Pennsylvania : State : College EDWIN ERLE SPARKS, Ph.D, L.L. D., PRESIDENT, FIVE GREAT SCHOOLS—, Economics, and N FREE to hoth sexes; mcidentar charge, semester middle of September; second semester the first of February; Summer for Teachers about the third Monday of June of each year. For catalogue, bulletins, announcements, etc., address 57-26 THE REGISTRAR, State College, Pennsylvania. | and knocked. | the embroidered edge of a petticoat | “Is Elnora Comstock here?” she ask- | Show a trifie. When she saw the look ed the maid. of rellef which flooded her mother's LYON & COMPANY. ....OUR BIGGEST... White -- Sale is now going on. Money saving opportunities in buying Muslins, Sheetings and Towlings. We are sole agents for Humidor Table Linens Special Low Prices on these Table Linens and Napkins to match. See our complete line of MUSLIN UNDERWEAR Clearance Sale of All Coats, Suits and Furs We have just finished inventory, and the RUMMAGE -- TABLE is filled with Good Values from every depart- ment. (Odds and Ends) at prices that will sell them quickly. Lyon & Co. .... Bellefonte PTY YY YvYY . Yeager’s Shoe Store “FITZEZY” The Ladies’ Shoe that Cures Corns EER Sold only at Yeager’s Shoe Store, Bush Arcade Building, BELLEFONTE, PA. J
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