> Bellefonte, Pa., February 7, 1913. A Girl of the Limberlost. [Continued from page 6, Col. 4.] “you'll do! she said. “Find the distinctive feature of each month, the one thing which marks it a time apart. 1 can't name all of them offhand, but I think of one more right now. February belongs to our winter birds. You should hear those musicians of ¢ ] tened by night to the great owls, the smaller sizes, the foxes, coons and every resident left in these woods, and by day to the hawks, yellowhammers, sapsuckers, titmice, crows and all our It's about the best the violin home, took it into her room and closed the door. Elnora turned to Ammon. “If she destroys that 1 will diel” cried the girl. “She won't!” said Ammon. “You misunderstand her. She wouldn't have sald what she did about the owls if she had meant to. She is your moth- | er. No one loves you as she does. | Trust her! Myself—I think she's sim- | ply great!” Mrs. Comstock returned with serene face, and all of them heiped with the supper. When it was over Ammon and Elnora sorted and classified the afternoon's specimens and made a trip to the woods to paint and light sev- eral trees for moths. When they came back Mrs, Comstock sat In the arbor, and they joined her. She went into the cabin, but she returned almost in- stantly, laying the violin and bow across Elnora's lap. “1 wish you would give us a little music.” she said. The violin played on until Elnora was so tired she scarcely could lift the bow. Then Ammon went home. The women walked to the gate with him and stood watching him from sight. “That's what 1 cell one decent young man!" said Mrs. Comstock. “To see him fit in with us, you'd think be'd been raised in a cabin, but it's likely he’s always bad the very cream 0’ the “Yes, 1 think so,” i1aughed Elnora, “but it hasn’t hurt him. ['ve never seen anything I could criticise. He's teaching me so much unconsciously. You know he graduated from Harvard and has several degrees in law. He's coming in the morning.” Next morning Ammon came early, and be and Elnora went at once to the fields and woods. Mrs. Comstock had come to believe so implicitly in him that she now stayed at home to com- plete the work before she joined them, and when she did she often sat sewing, and then she packed a basket of lunch. She found Elnora and Philip near the violet patch, which was still in its prime. They lunched together. Then Mrs. Comstock carried the basket back to the cabin, and Ammon and Binora put on a log, resting for a few min- utes. | “Do you remember your promise about these violets?” asked Ammon. ‘| get it in the stout pasteboard box, the the cabin and nearest the violet patch she stopped, laid down ber net, and | the i her of H 3 ig} fo, fnd fg s31 it ie] fi »553 PEF ous expression on her face. One ond so—then she picked up the and followed. At the blue bordered pool she paused and half turned back. then she closed her lips firmly and went on. It was 9 o'clock when | 1 : i : i : : bed. But sleep wouid not come. Thought was racing in her brain, and the longer she lay the wider awake she grew. At last she softly slipped from bed, lighted her lamp and began opening boxes. Then she went to work, Two hours later a beautiful birch bark basket, strongly and artistically made, stood on her table. She set a tiny alarm clock at 3, returned to bed and fell asleep instantly. She was on the floor with the first tinkle of the alarm, and *astily dress- ing, she picked up the basket and a box to fit it, crept down the stairs and out to the violet patch. When the basket was filled to overflowing, she packed it solid with mosses, tied 1t firmly and slipped under the cord a note. Then she took a short cut across the woods and walked swiftly to Onabasha. | It was after ¢ o'clock, but all of the | city she wished to avoid were asleep. | She had no trouble in finding a small boy out, and she stood at a distance waiting while he rang Dr. Ammon’s bell and delivered the package for Philip to a maid, with the note which was to be given him at once. On the way home through the woods : passing some baited trees she collected | the captive moths. She entered the kitchen with them eo naturally that | Mrs. Comstock made no comment. | After breakfast Elnora went to her | 2oom. cleared away ail trace of the | night's work and was out in the arbor | mounting moths when Ammon came down the rond. “1 am tired sitting.” | she said to ter mother. *1 think I will | walk a few rods and meet him.” i “Who's e¢ trump? called Ammon | from afar. | “Well, not you!" retorted Elnora. “Oonfess that you forgot!” “Completely,” said Ammon, “But luckily it would not have been fatul. i wrote Polly iast week to send Edith something appropriate and handsome today. with my card.” CHAPTER XXI Wherein Elnora Makes a Confession. IHESE days wers the beginning of the weeks that followed. After June the moth hunts | grew less frequent—the fields and woods were scoured for material for Elnora’s grade work. Mrs. Com- stock was a great help. Always her practical thought and sterling com- mon sense were useful. When they were afield until exhausted they came back to the cabin for food, to prepare specimens and classify them and to talk over the day. One warm August afternoon a blue coated messenger entered the gate. “1 have a message for Philip Am- Mrs. Comstock stepped to the back door and clanged the dinner bell sharp- ly, paused a second and rang again. In a short time Ammon and Elnora “Are you ill, mother?” eried Rinora. Mrs. Comstock Indicated the boy. E i i a hk ji gE AH “afl i; i 28 8 : <a and it's probable 1 am to blame that he is now.” “You have had a tine time?" asked They had reached the fence. Am- mon vaulted over to take a short cut across the fields He turned nnd look ed at her. “The best, the sweetest, the most wholesome time any man ever had io this worid,” he said. “Elnora, if | talked hours | counldn’t make you un- derstand what a think should be it—just to have strength to go to your duty and to go quickly (ioodby! You must hurry!” Ammon gazed at her. He tried 0 drop her hand and only clutched it ¥ closer. Suddenly be drew her toward him. “Elnora.” he whispered, “will you kiss me goodby 7 Elnora drew back and stared at him with wide eyes. “I'd strike you soon- er.” she said “Have | ever said or “Elnora,” he whispered, “will you kiss me goodby done anything in your presence that made you feel free to ask that, Philip Ammon?" “No!” panted Ammon. "No! [I think so much of you I just wanted to touch your lips once before 1 left you. You know, Elnora” — “Don't distress yourself,” said EI pora calmly. *1 am broad enough to judge you sanely. | know what you mean. It would be no harm to you It would not matter to me, but here we will think of some one else Edith Carr would not want your lips towor row if she knew they had touched mine today. | was wise to suy ‘Go quick: ly. " Ammon still clung to her “Will you | write me?" he begged. “No.” said Elnora. “There is noth- lig to say save goodby We can do ! that now.” Ammon held on. “Promise that you will write me only one letter,” he urged. “1 want just one message from you to lock in my desk and keep al ways. Promise you will write once, E} nora.” Elnora looked straight into his eyes and smiled serenely. “If the talking | trees tell me this winter the secret of how a man may grow perfect I will write you what it is, Philip. In all the time 1 have known you I never have liked you so little. Goodby.” Elnora crossed the road, climbed the fence and sought the shelter of their own woods. She took a diagonal course and followed it until she came to the path leading past the violet patch. She went down this hurriedly. Her hands were clinched at her sides, her eyes dry and bright, her cheeks red flushed and her breath coming fast. When she reached the patch she ing for breath. Her hands up, and her lined face grew ghastly. She stared at the sky and then at the prostrate girl figure. Over and over she tried to speak, but only a word came. Elnora uttered one wild little ery and fled into her mother's arms. “Oh, mother!" she sobbed. “Will you ever forgive me?" Mrs. Comstock’s arms swept togeth- er in a tight grip around Elnora. “There isn’t a thing on God's foot- stool from a to izzard 1 won't forgive you, my precious girl!” she said. “Tell mother what it 18.” Elnora lifted her wet face. “He told me,” she panted, “just as soon as he decently could—that second day he told me. Almost all his life he's been engaged to a girl at home. He never cared anything about me. He was just interested In the moths and grow- ing strong.” “Elnora” —the mother’s head bent until the white hair mingled with the brown—*Elnora, why didn't you tell me at first?” Elnora caught her breath in a sharp snatch. “1 know 1 should!” she sob- bed. “1 will bear any punishment for pot, but | didn't feel as if 1 possibly could. 1 was afraid.” “Afraid of what?" the shaking hand is Th i i i —— she found. to her amazement. that ' with Ammon’s belp she once more had it complete save a pair of yellow Em- perors. From every source at her com- mand she tried to complete the series with these moths and could pot find ! any for sale. Then came a notification that Elnora would be compelled to attend a week's session of the teachers’ institute held at the county seat twenty miles north of Onabasha the following week. They went to Opabasha together and chased a simple and appropriate suit and hat, goods for a dainty colored frock and a dress skirt several fancy waists. Margaret Sin came down and the sewing began. When everything was finished and packed Elnora kissed her mother good- by at the depot and the train pulled out. Mrs. Comstock went to the bank and inquired for the cashier. “1 want to know just how I am fixed here.” she said. The cashier laughed. “Well, you haven't been in a hurry,” he replied. “We have been ready for you any time these (weunty years, but you didn’t seem to pay much attention Your account is rather Hourishing.” Mrs. Comstock sank into a chair and waited while the cashier read a jum- ble of figures to her. It meant that her deposits hud exceeded ber expenses from $100 to $300 a year, according to the cattle, sheep, hogs, poultry, but- ter und eggs she bad sold. The aggre- gate of these sums had been com- pounding iuterest throughout the years. Mrs. Comstock stured at the total with dazed and unbelieving eyes. Through her sick heart rushed the realization that If she merely bad stood before that wicket and asked one question she would have known that all those bitter years of skimping for Elnora and herself had been unnecessary She arose and went back to the depot. “1 want to send a message.” she said She picked up the pencil and with rash extravagance wrote: “Found money at bank didn't know about. If you want to go to college come on first train and get ready.” She hesitated a second. and then she said to herself grimly. “Yes, I'll pay for that too,” gnd recklessly added. “With love, Mother" Then she sat waiting for the answer. It came in less than an hour “Going to teach this winter. With dearest love, Elnora.” Mrs, Comstock held the message a long time. When she arose she was ravenously hungry, but the pain in her heart was na little easier. She went to a restaurant and got some food. then to a dressmaker. At night she was so tired she scarcely could walk home. but she built a fire and cooked Ef Ped and ate a hearty meal. Later she went out by the west fence and gathered an -armful of tansy, which she boiled to a thick green tea. Then she stirred in oatmeal until it was a stiff paste. She spread n sheet over her bed and began tearing strips of old muslin. She bandaged each hand and arm with the mixture and plaster ed the soggy. evil smelling stuff in a thick poultice over her face and neck. She was so tired she had to sleep, and when she awoke she was half skinned. She bathed ber face and hands, did the work and went back to town, com- ing home at night to go through the same process, By the third morning she was & raw, even red; the fourth she had fad- ed to a brilliant pink under the sooth- ing influence of a cream recommend- ed. That day came a letter from El- nora saying that she could not come BE —— | New Buggies and Carriages The sunshine of lager beer satisfaction radi- ates from every bottle of ELK COUNTY BREWING COMPANY'S EXPORT. Every glass is a sparkl- exquisite taste any brewer’s sibly create. Our ment is equipped latest mechani- and sanitary de- the art of brew- cently installed a ment ranking Our sanitary ilizing the bottles filled, and the of pasteurizing § has been auto- guarantees the our product. We at the brewery tles, as exposure to light ing draught of and is as pure as skill can pos- entire establish- with the very cal inventions vices known to ing, having re- bottling equip- second to none. methods of ster- before they are scientific process the beer after it matically bottled lasting purity of bottle our beer in AMBRE bot- injures flavor. Elk County Brewing Company ST. MARYS, PENNSYLVANIA Are You Going to Travel 57-43-14 The Fauble showing of Trunks, Bags and Suit Cases WILL PLEASE YOU Complete Assortment Now Here. The Largest Assortment of Trunks Ever Shown in Bellefonte. ALL PRICED HONESTLY. FAUBLE’S dh
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