a girl of the limberlost-第49节

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much　really　worth　knowing　as　you　do；　but　she's　ahead　of

you　miles　on　fun。〃



〃Oh；　we　had　some　good　times　in　the　high　school；〃　said　Elnora。　

〃Life　hasn't　been　all　work　and　study。　　Is　Edith　Carr　a

college　girl？〃



〃No。　　She　is　the　very　selectest　kind　of　a　private　boarding…

school　girl。〃



〃Who　is　she？〃　asked　Mrs。　Comstock。



Philip　opened　his　lips。



〃She　is　a　girl　in　Chicago；　that　Mr。　Ammon　knows　very

well；〃　said　Elnora。　　〃She　is　beautiful　and　rich；　and　a

friend　of　his　sister's。　　Or；　didn't　you　say　that？〃



〃I　don't　remember；　but　she　is；〃　said　Philip。　　〃This　moth

needs　an　alcohol　bath　to　remove　the　dope。〃



〃Won't　the　down　come；　too？〃　asked　Elnora　anxiously。



〃No。　　You　watch　and　you　will　see　it　come　out；　as

Polly　would　say；　‘a　perfectly　good'　moth。〃



〃Is　your　sister　younger　than　you？〃　inquired　Elnora。



〃Yes；〃　said　Philip；　〃but　she　is　three　years　older　than　you。　

She　is　the　dearest　sister　in　all　the　world。　　I'd　love

to　see　her　now。〃



〃Why　don't　you　send　for　her；〃　suggested　Elnora。　

〃Perhaps　she'd　like　to　help　us　catch　moths。〃



〃Yes；　I　think　Polly　in　a　Virot　hat；　Picot　embroidered

frock　and　three…inch　heels　would　take　more　moths　than

any　one　who　ever　tried　the　Limberlost；〃　laughed　Philip。



〃Well；　you　find　many　of　them；　and　you　are　her　brother。〃



〃Yes；　but　that　is　different。　　Father　was　reared　in

Onabasha；　and　he　loved　the　country。　　He　trained　me　his

way　and　mother　took　charge　of　Polly。　　I　don't　quite

understand　it。　　Mother　is　a　great　home　body　herself；

but　she　did　succeed　in　making　Polly　strictly　ornamental。〃



〃Does　Tom　Levering　need　a　‘strictly　ornamental'　girl？〃



〃You　are　too　matter　of　fact！　　Too　‘strictly'　material。　

He　needs　a　darling　girl　who　will　love　him　plenty；　and　Polly

is　that。〃



〃Well；　then；　does　the　Limberlost　need　a　‘strictly　ornamental'　girl？〃



〃No！〃　cried　Philip。　　〃You　are　ornament　enough　for

the　Limberlost。　　I　have　changed　my　mind。　　I　don't　want

Polly　here。　　She　would　not　enjoy　catching　moths；　or　anything

we　do。〃



〃She　might；〃　persisted　Elnora。　　〃You　are　her　brother；

and　surely　you　care　for　these　things。〃



〃The　argument　does　not　hold；〃　said　Philip。　　〃Polly　and

I　do　not　like　the　same　things　when　we　are　at　home；　but　we

are　very　fond　of　each　other。　　The　member　of　my　family

who　would　go　crazy　about　this　is　my　father。　　I　wish　he

could　come；　if　only　for　a　week。　　I'd　send　for　him；　but　he　is

tied　up　in　preparing　some　papers　for　a　great　corporation

case　this　summer。　　He　likes　the　country。　　It　was　his　vote

that　brought　me　here。〃



Philip　leaned　back　against　the　arbour；　watching　the

grosbeak　as　it　hunted　food　between　a　tomato　vine　and　a

day　lily。　　Elnora　set　him　to　making　labels；　and　when　he

finished　them　he　asked　permission　to　write　a　letter。　

He　took　no　pains　to　conceal　his　page；　and　from　where　she

sat　opposite　him；　Elnora　could　not　look　his　way　without

reading：　　〃My　dearest　Edith。〃　　He　wrote　busily　for　a　time

and　then　sat　staring　across　the　garden。



〃Have　you　run　out　of　material　so　quickly？〃　asked　Elnora。



〃That's　about　it；〃　said　Philip。　　〃I　have　said　that　I　am

getting　well　as　rapidly　as　possible；　that　the　air　is　fine；　the

folks　at　Uncle　Doc's　all　well；　and　entirely　too　good　to　me；

that　I　am　spending　most　of　my　time　in　the　country　helping

catch　moths　for　a　collection；　which　is　splendid　exercise；

now　I　can't　think　of　another　thing　that　will　be　interesting。〃



There　was　a　burst　of　exquisite　notes　in　the　maple。



〃Put　in　the　grosbeak；〃　suggested　Elnora。　　〃Tell　her

you　are　so　friendly　with　him　you　feed　him　potato　bugs。〃



Philip　lowered　the　pen　to　the　sheet；　bent　forward；

then　hesitated。



〃Blest　if　I　do！〃　he　cried。　　〃She'd　think　a　grosbeak　was

a　depraved　person　with　a　large　nose。　　She'd　never　dream

that　it　was　a　black…robed　lover；　with　a　breast　of　snow　and

a　crimson　heart。　　She　doesn't　care　for　hungry　babies　and

potato　bugs。　　I　shall　write　that　to　father。　　He　will　find

it　delightful。〃



Elnora　deftly　picked　up　a　moth；　pinned　it　and　placed　its　wings。　

She　straightened　the　antennae；　drew　each　leg　into　position

and　set　it　in　perfectly　lifelike　manner。　　As　she　lifted　her

work　to　see　if　she　had　it　right；　she　glanced　at　Philip。　

He　was　still　frowning　and　hesitating　over　the　paper。



〃I　dare　you　to　let　me　dictate　a　couple　of　paragraphs。〃



〃Done！〃　cried　Philip。　　〃Go　slowly　enough　that　I　can　write　it。〃



Elnora　laughed　gleefully。



〃I　am　writing　this；〃　she　began；　〃in　an　old　grape　arbour

in　the　country；　near　a　log　cabin　where　I　had　my　dinner。　

From　where　I　sit　I　can　see　directly　into　the　home　of　the

next…door　neighbour　on　the　west。　　His　name　is　R。　B。　Grosbeak。　

From　all　I　have　seen　of　him；　he　is　a　gentleman　of　the　old

school；　the　oldest　school　there　is；　no　doubt。　　He　always

wears　a　black　suit　and　cap　and　a　white　vest；　decorated　with

one　large　red　heart；　which　I　think　must　be　the　emblem　of

some　ancient　order。　　I　have　been　here　a　number　of　times；

and　I　never　have　seen　him　wear　anything　else；　or　his　wife

appear　in　other　than　a　brown　dress　with　touches　of　white。



〃It　has　appealed　to　me　at　times　that　she　was　a　shade

neglectful　of　her　home　duties；　but　he　does　not　seem　to

feel　that　way。　　He　cheerfully　stays　in　the　sitting…room；

while　she　is　away　having　a　good　time；　and　sings　while

he　cares　for　the　four　small　children。　　I　must　tell　you　about

his　music。　　I　am　sure　he　never　saw　inside　a　conservatory。　

I　think　he　merely　picked　up　what　he　knows　by　ear　and　without

vocal　training；　but　there　is　a　tenderness　in　his　tones；

a　depth　of　pure　melody；　that　I　never　have　heard　surpassed。　

It　may　be　that　I　think　more　of　his　music　than　that　of　some

other　good　vocalists　hereabout；　because　I　see　more　of　him

and　appreciate　his　devotion　to　his　home　life。



〃I　just　had　an　encounter　with　him　at　the　west　fence；

and　induced　him　to　carry　a　small　gift　to　his　children。　

When　I　see　the　perfect　harmony　in　which　he　lives；　and

the　depth　of　content　he　and　the　brown　lady　find　in　life；

I　am　almost　persuaded　to　　Now　this　is　going　to　be

poetry；〃　said　Elnora。　　〃Move　your　pen　over　here　and

begin　with　a　quote　and　a　cap。〃



Philip's　face　had　been　an　interesting　study　while　he

wrote　her　sentences。　　Now　he　gravely　set　the　pen　where

she　indicated；　and　Elnora　dictated





　　　　　　　　　　〃Buy　a　nice　little　home　in　the　country；

　　　　　　　　　　　And　settle　down　there　for　life。〃





〃That's　the　truth！〃　cried　Philip。　　〃It's　as　big　a　temptation　as

I　ever　had。　　Go　on！〃



〃That's　all；〃　said　Elnora。　　〃You　can　finish。　　The　moths

are　done。　　I　am　going　hunting　for　whatever　I　can　find　for

the　grades。〃



〃Wait　a　minute；〃　begged　Philip。　　〃I　am　going；　too。〃



〃No。　　You　stay　with　mother　and　finish　your　letter。〃



〃It　is　done。　　I　couldn't　add　anything　to　that。〃



〃Very　well！　　Sign　your　name　and　come　on。　　But　I

forgot　to　tell　you　all　the　bargain。　　Maybe　you　won't　send

the　letter　when　you　hear　that。　　The　remainder　is　that

you　show　me　the　reply　to　my　part　of　it。〃



〃Oh；　that's　easy！　　I　wouldn't　have　the　slightest　objection

to　showing　you　the　whole　letter。〃



He　signed　his　name；　folded　the　sheets　and　slipped　them

into　his　pocket。



〃Where　are　we　going　and　what　do　we　take？〃



〃Will　you　go；　mother？〃　asked　Elnora。



〃I　have　a　little　work　that　should　be　done；〃　said

Mrs。　Comstock。　　〃Could　you　spare　me？　　Where　do　you　want

to　go？〃



〃We　will　go　down　to　Aunt　Margaret's　and　see　her　a

few　minutes　and　get　Billy。　　We　will　be　back　in　time

for　supper。〃



Mrs。　Comstock　smiled　as　she　watched　them　down　the　road。　

What　a　splendid…looking　pair　of　young　creatures　they　were！　

How　finely　proportioned；　how　full　of　vitality！　　Then　her

face　grew　troubled　as　she　saw　them　in　earnest　conversation。　

Just　as　she　was　wishing　she　had　not　trusted　her　precious

girl　with　so　much　of　a　stranger；　she　saw　Elnora　stoop　to

lift　a　branch　and　peer　under。　　The　mother　grew　content。　

Elnora　was　thinking　only　of　her　work。　　She　was　to　be

trusted　utterly。









CHAPTER　XVI





WHEREIN　THE　LIMBERLOST　SINGS　FOR　PHILIP；

AND　THE　TALKING　TREES　TELL　GREAT　SECRETS





A　few　days　later　Philip　handed　Elnora　a　sheet

of　paper　and　she　read：　　〃In　your　condition　I

should　think　the　moth　hunting　and　life　at　that

cabin　would　be　very　good　for　you；　but　for　any　sake　keep

away　from　that　Grosbeak　person；　and　don't　come　home

with　your　head　full　of　granger　ideas。　　No　doubt　he　has　a

remarkable　voice；　but　I　can't　bear　untrained　singers；　and

don't　you　get　the　idea　that　a　June　song　is　perennial。　

You　are　not　hearing　the　music　he　will　make　when　the

four　babies　have　the　scarlet　fever　and　the　measles；　and

the　gadding　wife　leaves　him　at　home　to　care　for　them　then。　

Poor　soul；　I　pity　her！　　How　she　exists　where　rampant

cows　bellow　at　you；　frogs　croak；　mosquitoes　consume

you；　the　butter　goes　to　oil　in　summer　and　bricks　in　winter；

while　the　pump　freezes　every　day；　and　there　is　no