a girl of the limberlost-第46节

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He　had　not　intended　to　voice　that　thought。



〃Yes；〃　she　said；　looking　into　his　eyes。　　〃Just　in　time

to　prevent　my　mother　from　saving　the　life　of　my　father。　

She　came　near　never　forgiving　me。〃



〃Ah；　cruel！〃　cried　Philip。



〃I　find　much　in　life　that　is　cruel；　from　our　standpoints；〃

said　Elnora。　　〃It　takes　the　large　wisdom　of　the　Unfathomable；

the　philosophy　of　the　Almighty；　to　endure　some　of　it。　

But　there　is　always　right　somewhere；　and　at　last　it　seems

to　come。〃



〃Will　it　come　to　you？〃　asked　Philip；　who　found　himself

deeply　affected。



〃It　has　come；〃　said　the　girl　serenely。　　〃It　came　a　week　ago。　

It　came　in　fullest　measure　when　my　mother　ceased　to　regret

that　I　had　been　born。　　Now；　work　that　I　love　has　comethat

should　constitute　happiness。　　A　little　farther　along　is　my

violet　bed。　　I　want　you　to　see　it。〃



As　Philip　Ammon　followed　he　definitely　settled　upon　the

name　of　the　unusual　feature　of　Elnora's　face。　　It　should　be

called　〃experience。〃　　She　had　known　bitter　experiences

early　in　life。　　Suffering　had　been　her　familiar　more　than　joy。　

He　watched　her　earnestly；　his　heart　deeply　moved。　　She　led

him　into　a　swampy　half…open　space　in　the　woods；　stopped

and　stepped　aside。　　He　uttered　a　cry　of　surprised　delight。



A　few　decaying　logs　were　scattered　around；　the　grass

grew　in　tufts　long　and　fine。　　Blue　flags　waved；　clusters　of

cowslips　nodded　gold　heads；　but　the　whole　earth　was　purple

with　a　thick　blanket　of　violets　nodding　from　stems　a　foot

in　length。　　Elnora　knelt　and　slipping　her　fingers　between

the　leaves　and　grasses　to　the　roots；　gathered　a　few　violets

and　gave　them　to　Philip。



〃Can　your　city　greenhouses　surpass　them？〃　she　asked。



He　sat　on　a　log　to　examine　the　blooms。



〃They　are　superb！〃　he　said。　　〃I　never　saw　such

length　of　stem　or　such　rank　leaves；　while　the　flowers　are

the　deepest　blue；　the　truest　violet　I　ever　saw　growing　wild。　

They　are　coloured　exactly　like　the　eyes　of　the　girl　I　am

going　to　marry。〃



Elnora　handed　him　several　others　to　add　to　those　he　held。　

〃She　must　have　wonderful　eyes；〃　she　commented。



〃No　other　blue　eyes　are　quite　so　beautiful；〃　he　said。　

〃In　fact；　she　is　altogether　lovely。〃



〃Is　it　customary　for　a　man　to　think　the　girl　he　is　going

to　marry　lovely？　　I　wonder　if　I　should　find　her　so。〃



〃You　would；〃　said　Philip。　　〃No　one　ever　fails　to。　　She　is

tall　as　you；　very　slender；　but　perfectly　rounded；　you

know　about　her　eyes；　her　hair　is　black　and　wavywhile

her　complexion　is　clear　and　flushed　with　red。〃



〃Why；　she　must　be　the　most　beautiful　girl　in　the　whole

world！〃　she　cried。



〃No；　indeed！〃　he　said。　　〃She　is　not　a　particle　better

looking　in　her　way　than　you　are　in　yours。　　She　is　a　type

of　dark　beauty；　but　you　are　equally　as　perfect。　　She　is

unusual　in　her　combination　of　black　hair　and　violet　eyes；

although　every　one　thinks　them　black　at　a　little　distance。　

You　are　quite　as　unusual　with　your　fair　face；　black　brows；

and　brown　hair；　indeed；　I　know　many　people　who　would

prefer　your　bright　head　to　her　dark　one。　　It's　all　a　question

of　tasteand　being　engaged　to　the　girl；〃　he　added。



〃That　would　be　likely　to　prejudice　one；〃　laughed　Elnora。



〃Edith　has　a　birthday　soon；　if　these　last　will　you　let　me

have　a　box　of　them　to　send　her？〃



〃I　will　help　gather　and　pack　them　for　you；　so　they　will

carry　nicely。　　Does　she　hunt　moths　with　you？〃



Back　went　Philip　Ammon's　head　in　a　gale　of　laughter。



〃No！〃　he　cried。　　〃She　says　they　are　‘creepy。'　　She　would

go　into　a　spasm　if　she　were　compelled　to　touch　those

caterpillars　I　saw　you　handling　yesterday。〃



〃Why　would　she？〃　marvelled　Elnora。　　〃Haven't　you

told　her　that　they　are　perfectly　clean；　helpless；

and　harmless　as　so　much　animate　velvet？〃



〃No；　I　have　not　told　her。　　She　wouldn't　care　enough

about　caterpillars　to　listen。〃



〃In　what　is　she　interested？〃



〃What　interests　Edith　Carr？　　Let　me　think！　　First；　I

believe　she　takes　pride　in　being　a　little　handsomer　and

better　dressed　than　any　girl　of　her　set。　　She　is　interested

in　having　a　beautiful　home；　fine　appointments；　in　being

petted；　praised；　and　the　acknowledged　leader　of　society。



〃She　likes　to　find　new　things　which　amuse　her；　and　to　always

and　in　all　circumstances　have　her　own　way　about　everything。〃



〃Good　gracious！〃　cried　Elnora；　staring　at　him。　　〃But　what

does　she　do？　　How　does　she　spend　her　time？〃



〃Spend　her　time！〃　repeated　Philip。　　〃Well；　she　would　call

that　a　joke。　　Her　days　are　never　long　enough。　　There　is

endless　shopping；　to　find　the　pretty　things；　regular　visits

to　the　dressmakers；　calls；　parties；　theatres；　entertainments。　

She　is　always　rushed。　　I　never　am　able　to　be　with　her　half　as

much　as　I　would　like。〃



〃But　I　mean　work；〃　persisted　Elnora。　　〃In　what　is　she

interested　that　is　useful　to　the　world？〃



〃Me！〃　cried　Philip　promptly。



〃I　can　understand　that；〃　laughed　Elnora。　　〃What　I

can't　understand　is　how　you　can　be　in〃　　She　stopped　in

confusion；　but　she　saw　that　he　had　finished　the　sentence　as

she　had　intended。　　〃I　beg　your　pardon！〃　she　cried。　　〃I　didn't

intend　to　say　that。　　But　I　cannot　understand　these　people

I　hear　about　who　live　only　for　their　own　amusement。　

Perhaps　it　is　very　great；　I'll　never　have　a　chance　to　know。　

To　me；　it　seems　the　only　pleasure　in　this　world　worth

having　is　the　joy　we　derive　from　living　for　those　we　love；

and　those　we　can　help。　　I　hope　you　are　not　angry　with　me。〃



Philip　sat　silently　looking　far　away；　with　deep　thought

in　his　eyes。



〃You　are　angry；〃　faltered　Elnora。



His　look　came　back　to　her　as　she　knelt　before　him　among

the　flowers　and　he　gazed　at　her　steadily。



〃No　doubt　I　should　be；〃　he　said；　〃but　the　fact　is　I

am　not。　　I　cannot　understand　a　life　purely　for　personal

pleasure　myself。　　But　she　is　only　a　girl；　and　this　is

her　playtime。　　When　she　is　a　woman　in　her　own　home；　then

she　will　be　different；　will　she　not？〃



Elnora　never　resembled　her　mother　so　closely　as　when

she　answered　that　question。



〃I　would　have　to　be　well　acquainted　with　her　to　know；

but　I　should　hope　so。　　To　make　a　real　home　for　a　tired

business　man　is　a　very　different　kind　of　work　from　that

required　to　be　a　leader　of　society。　　It　demands　different

talent　and　education。　　Of　course；　she　means　to　change；　or

she　would　not　have　promised　to　make　a　home　for　you。　　I　suspect

our　dope　is　cool　now；　let's　go　try　for　some　butterflies。〃



As　they　went　along　the　path　together　Elnora　talked　of

many　things　but　Philip　answered　absently。　　Evidently　he

was　thinking　of　something　else。　　But　the　moth　bait

recalled　him　and　he　was　ready　for　work　as　they　made　their

way　back　to　the　woods。　　He　wanted　to　try　the　Limberlost；

but　Elnora　was　firm　about　remaining　on　home　ground。　

She　did　not　tell　him　that　lights　hung　in　the　swamp　would

be　a　signal　to　call　up　a　band　of　men　whose　presence

she　dreaded。　　So　they　started；　Ammon　carrying　the　dope；

Elnora　the　net；　Billy　and　Mrs。　Comstock　following　with

cyanide　boxes　and　lanterns。



First　they　tried　for　butterflies　and　captured　several　fine

ones　without　trouble。　　They　also　called　swarms　of　ants；

bees；　beetles；　and　flies。　　When　it　grew　dusk；　Mrs。　Comstock

and　Philip　went　to　prepare　supper。　　Elnora　and　Billy

remained　until　the　butterflies　disappeared。　　Then　they

lighted　the　lanterns；　repainted　the　trees　and　followed

the　home　trail。



〃Do　you　'spec　you'll　get　just　a　lot　of　moths？〃　asked

Billy；　as　he　walked　beside　Elnora。



〃I　am　sure　I　hardly　know；〃　said　the　girl。　　〃This　is　a

new　way　for　me。　　Perhaps　they　will　come　to　the　lights；　but

few　moths　eat；　and　I　have　some　doubt　about　those　which

the　lights　attract　settling　on　the　right　trees。　　Maybe　the

smell　of　that　dope　will　draw　them。　　Between　us；　Billy；　I

think　I　like　my　old　way　best。　　If　I　can　find　a　hidden　moth；

slip　up　and　catch　it　unawares；　or　take　it　in　full　flight；

it's　my　captive；　and　I　can　keep　it　until　it　dies　naturally。　

But　this　way　you　seem　to　get　it　under　false　pretences；　it　has　no

chance；　and　it　will　probably　ruin　its　wings　struggling　for

freedom　before　morning。〃



〃Well；　any　moth　ought　to　be　proud　to　be　taken　anyway；

by　you；〃　said　Billy。　　〃Just　look　what　you　do！　　You　can

make　everybody　love　them。　　People　even　quit　hating

caterpillars　when　they　see　you　handle　them　and　hear　you

tell　all　about　them。　　You　must　have　some　to　show　people

how　they　are。　　It's　not　like　killing　things　to　see　if　you

can；　or　because　you　want　to　eat　them；　the　way　most　men

kill　birds。　　I　think　it　is　right　for　you　to　take　enough　for

collections；　to　show　city　people；　and　to　illustrate　the

Bird　Woman's　books。　　You　go　on　and　take　them！　　The　moths

don't　care。　　They're　glad　to　have　you。　　They　like　it！〃



〃Billy；　I　see　your　future；〃　said　Elnora。　　〃We　will

educate　you　and　send　you　up　to　Mr。　Ammon　to　make　a

great　lawyer。　　You'd　beat　the　world　as　a　special　pleader。



You　actually　make　me　feel　that　I　a