a girl of the limberlost-第36节

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reached　over　and　dropped　a　rose　she　carried　into　the

seat　she　had　occupied　that　September　morning　when　she

entered　the　high　school。　　She　spoke　the　few　words　she

had　to　say　in　behalf　of　the　class　beautifully；　had　the

tiny　wink　ready　for　Billy；　and　the　smile　and　nod　of

recognition　for　Wesley　and　Margaret。　　When　at　last　she

looked　into　the　eyes　of　a　white…faced　woman　next　them；

she　slipped　a　hand　to　her　side　and　raised　her　skirt　the

fraction　of　an　inch；　just　enough　to　let　the　embroidered

edge　of　a　petticoat　show　a　trifle。　　When　she　saw　the　look

of　relief　which　flooded　her　mother's　face；　Elnora　knew

that　forgiveness　was　in　her　heart；　and　that　she　would

go　home　in　the　morning。



It　was　late　afternoon　before　she　arrived；　and　a　dray

followed　with　a　load　of　packages。　　Mrs。　Comstock　was

overwhelmed。　　She　sat　half　dazed　and　made　Elnora　show

her　each　costly　and　beautiful　or　simple　and　useful　gift；

tell　her　carefully　what　it　was　and　from　where　it　came。　

She　studied　the　faces　of　Elnora's　particular　friends。　

The　gifts　from　them　had　to　be　set　in　a　group。　　Several　times

she　started　to　speak　and　then　stopped。　　At　last；　between

her　dry　lips；　came　a　harsh　whisper。



〃Elnora；　what　did　you　give　back　for　these　things？〃



〃I'll　show　you；〃　said　Elnora　cheerfully。　　〃I　made　the

same　gifts　for　the　Bird　Woman；　Aunt　Margaret　and　you

if　you　care　for　it。　　But　I　have　to　run　upstairs　to　get　it。〃



When　she　returned　she　handed　her　mother　an　oblong　frame；

hand　carved；　enclosing　Elnora's　picture；　taken　by　a

schoolmate's　camera。　　She　wore　her　storm…coat　and　carried

a　dripping　umbrella。　　From　under　it　looked　her　bright　face；

her　books　and　lunchbox　were　on　her　arm；　and　across　the

bottom　of　the　frame　was　carved；　〃Your　Country　Classmate。〃



Then　she　offered　another　frame。



〃I　am　strong　on　frames；〃　she　said。　　〃They　seemed　to

be　the　best　I　could　do　without　money。　　I　located　the

maple　and　the　black　walnut　myself；　in　a　little　corner　that

had　been　overlooked　between　the　river　and　the　ditch。　

They　didn't　seem　to　belong　to　any　one　so　I　just　took　them。　

Uncle　Wesley　said　it　was　all　right；　and　he　cut　and　hauled

them　for　me。　　I　gave　the　mill　half　of　each　tree　for　sawing

and　curing　the　remainder。　　Then　I　gave　the　wood…carver

half　of　that　for　making　my　frames。　　A　photographer　gave

me　a　lot　of　spoiled　plates；　and　I　boiled　off　the　emulsion；　and

took　the　specimens　I　framed　from　my　stuff。　　The　man

said　the　white　frames　were　worth　three　and　a　half；　and　the

black　ones　five。　　I　exchanged　those　little　framed　pictures

for　the　photographs　of　the　others。　　For　presents；　I　gave

each　one　of　my　crowd　one　like　this；　only　a　different　moth。　

The　Bird　Woman　gave　me　the　birch　bark。　　She　got　it　up

north　last　summer。〃



Elnora　handed　her　mother　a　handsome　black…walnut

frame　a　foot　and　a　half　wide　by　two　long。　　It　finished　a

small；　shallow　glass…covered　box　of　birch　bark；　to　the

bottom　of　which　clung　a　big　night　moth　with　delicate　pale

green　wings　and　long　exquisite　trailers。



〃So　you　see　I　did　not　have　to　be　ashamed　of　my　gifts；〃

said　Elnora。　　〃I　made　them　myself　and　raised　and

mounted　the　moths。〃



〃Moth；　you　call　it；〃　said　Mrs。　Comstock。　　〃I've　seen　a

few　of　the　things　before。〃



〃They　are　numerous　around　us　every　June　night；　or　at

least　they　used　to　be；〃　said　Elnora。　　〃I've　sold　hundreds

of　them；　with　butterflies；　dragonflies；　and　other　specimens。　

Now；　I　must　put　away　these　and　get　to　work；　for　it　is

almost　June　and　there　are　a　few　more　I　want　dreadfully。　

If　I　find　them　I　will　be　paid　some　money　for　which　I　have

been　working。〃



She　was　afraid　to　say　college　at　that　time。　　She　thought　it

would　be　better　to　wait　a　few　days　and　see　if　an　opportunity

would　not　come　when　it　would　work　in　more　naturally。　

Besides；　unless　she　could　secure　the　Yellow　Emperor　she

needed　to　complete　her　collection；　she　could　not　talk

college　until　she　was　of　age；　for　she　would　have　no　money。









CHAPTER　XII





WHEREIN　MARGARET　SINTON　REVEALS　A　SECRET；

AND　MRS。　COMSTOCK　POSSESSES　THE　LIMBERLOST





Elnora；　bring　me　the　towel；　quick！〃　cried　Mrs　Comstock。



〃In　a　minute；　mother；〃　mumbled　Elnora。



She　was　standing　before　the　kitchen　mirror；　tying　the

back　part　of　her　hair；　while　the　front　turned　over　her　face。



〃Hurry！　　There's　a　varmint　of　some　kind！〃



Elnora　ran　into　the　sitting…room　and　thrust　the　heavy

kitchen　towel　into　her　mother's　hand。　　Mrs。　Comstock

swung　open　the　screen　door　and　struck　at　some　object；

Elnora　tossed　the　hair　from　her　face　so　that　she　could　see

past　her　mother。　　The　girl　screamed　wildly。



〃Don't！　Mother；　don't！〃



Mrs。　Comstock　struck　again。　　Elnora　caught　her　arm。　

〃It's　the　one　I　want！　　It's　worth　a　lot　of　money！　

Don't！　　Oh；　you　shall　not！〃



〃Shan't；　missy？〃　blazed　Mrs。　Comstock。　　〃When　did

you　get　to　bossing　me？〃



The　hand　that　held　the　screen　swept　a　half…circle　and

stopped　at　Elnora's　cheek。　　She　staggered　with　the　blow；

and　across　her　face；　paled　with　excitement；　a　red　mark

arose　rapidly。　　The　screen　slammed　shut；　throwing　the

creature　on　the　floor　before　them。　　Instantly　Mrs。

Comstock　crushed　it　with　her　foot。　　Elnora　stepped　back。　

Excepting　the　red　mark；　her　face　was　very　white。



〃That　was　the　last　moth　I　needed；〃　she　said；　〃to　complete

a　collection　worth　three　hundred　dollars。　　You've　ruined

it　before　my　eyes！〃



〃Moth！〃　cried　Mrs。　Comstock。　　〃You　say　that　because

you　are　mad。　　Moths　have　big　wings。　　I　know　a　moth！〃



〃I've　kept　things　from　you；〃　said　Elnora；　〃because　I

didn't　dare　confide　in　you。　　You　had　no　sympathy　with　me。　

But　you　know　I　never　told　you　untruths　in　all　my　life。〃



〃It's　no　moth！〃　reiterated　Mrs。　Comstock。



〃It　is！〃　cried　Elnora。　　〃It's　from　a　case　in　the　ground。　

Its　wings　take　two　or　three　hours　to　expand　and　harden。〃



〃If　I　had　known　it　was　a　moth〃　Mrs。　Comstock　wavered。



〃You　did　know！　　I　told　you！　　I　begged　you　to　stop！　

It　meant　just　three　hundred　dollars　to　me。〃



〃Bah！　　Three　hundred　fiddlesticks！〃



〃They　are　what　have　paid　for　books；　tuition；　and　clothes

for　the　past　four　years。　　They　are　what　I　could　have

started　on　to　college。　　You've　ruined　the　very　one　I　needed。　

You　never　made　any　pretence　of　loving　me。　　At　last　I'll

be　equally　frank　with　you。　　I　hate　you！　　You　are　a　selfish；

wicked　woman！　　I　hate　you！〃



Elnora　turned；　went　through　the　kitchen　and　from　the

back　door。　　She　followed　the　garden　path　to　the　gate　and

walked　toward　the　swamp　a　short　distance　when　reaction

overtook　her。　　She　dropped　on　the　ground　and　leaned

against　a　big　log。　　When　a　little　child；　desperate　as　now；

she　had　tried　to　die　by　holding　her　breath。　　She　had

thought　in　that　way　to　make　her　mother　sorry；　but　she　had

learned　that　life　was　a　thing　thrust　upon　her　and　she　could

not　leave　it　at　her　wish。



She　was　so　stunned　over　the　loss　of　that　moth；　which

she　had　childishly　named　the　Yellow　Emperor；　that　she

scarcely　remembered　the　blow。　　She　had　thought　no　luck

in　all　the　world　would　be　so　rare　as　to　complete　her

collection；　now　she　had　been　forced　to　see　a　splendid

Imperialis　destroyed　before　her。　　There　was　a　possibility

that　she　could　find　another；　but　she　was　facing　the

certainty　that　the　one　she　might　have　had　and　with　which　she

undoubtedly　could　have　attracted　others；　was　spoiled　by

her　mother。　　How　long　she　sat　there　Elnora　did　not　know

or　care。　　She　simply　suffered　in　dumb；　abject　misery；　an

occasional　dry　sob　shaking　her。　　Aunt　Margaret　was　right。　

Elnora　felt　that　morning　that　her　mother　never　would　be

any　different。　　The　girl　had　reached　the　place　where　she

realized　that　she　could　endure　it　no　longer。



As　Elnora　left　the　room；　Mrs。　Comstock　took　one　step

after　her。



〃You　little　huzzy！〃　she　gasped。



But　Elnora　was　gone。　　Her　mother　stood　staring。



〃She　never　did　lie　to　me；〃　she　muttered。　　〃I　guess

it　was　a　moth。　　And　the　only　one　she　needed　to　get　three

hundred　dollars；　she　said。　　I　wish　I　hadn't　been　so　fast！　

I　never　saw　anything　like　it。　　I　thought　it　was　some

deadly；　stinging；　biting　thing。　　A　body　does　have　to　be

mighty　careful　here。　　But　likely　I've　spilt　the　milk　now。

Pshaw！　　She　can　find　another！　　There's　no　use　to　be　foolish。　

Maybe　moths　are　like　snakes；　where　there's　one；　there　are　two。〃



Mrs。　Comstock　took　the　broom　and　swept　the　moth　out

of　the　door。　　Then　she　got　down　on　her　knees　and

carefully　examined　the　steps；　logs　and　the　earth　of　the

flower　beds　at　each　side。　　She　found　the　place　where

the　creature　had　emerged　from　the　ground；　and　the　hard；

dark…brown　case　which　had　enclosed　it；　still　wet　inside。　

Then　she　knew　Elnora　had　been　right。　　It　was　a　moth。　

Its　wings　had　been　damp　and　not　expanded。　　Mrs。　Comstock

never　before　had　seen　one　in　that　state；　and　she

did　not　know　how　they　originated。　　She　had　thought　all

of　them　came　from　cases　spun　on　trees　or　against　walls

or　boa