a girl of the limberlost-第54节

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His　colour　faded　slightly。　　〃I　have　to　take　the　first　train；〃

he　said。　　〃My　father　is　ill　and　I　am　needed。〃



He　handed　the　sheet　to　Elnora。　　〃I　have　about　two

hours；　as　I　remember　the　trains　north；　but　my　things　are

all　over　Uncle　Doc's　house；　so　I　must　go　at　once。〃



〃Certainly；〃　said　Elnora；　giving　back　the　message。　

〃Is　there　anything　I　can　do　to　help？　　Mother；　bring

Philip　a　glass　of　buttermilk　to　start　on。　　I　will　gather

what　you　have　here。〃



〃Never　mind。　　There　is　nothing　of　importance。　　I　don't

want　to　be　hampered。　　I'll　send　for　it　if　I　miss　anything

I　need。〃



Philip　drank　the　milk；　said　good…bye　to　Mrs。　Comstock；

thanked　her　for　all　her　kindness；　and　turned　to　Elnora。



〃Will　you　walk　to　the　edge　of　the　Limberlost　with　me？〃

he　asked。　　Elnora　assented。　　Mrs。　Comstock　followed

to　the　gate；　urged　him　to　come　again　soon；　and　repeated

her　good…bye。　　Then　she　went　back　to　the　arbour　to

await　Elnora's　return。　　As　she　watched　down　the　road

she　smiled　softly。



〃I　had　an　idea　he　would　speak　to　me　first；〃　she　thought；

〃but　this　may　change　things　some。　　He　hasn't　time。　

Elnora　will　come　back　a　happy　girl；　and　she　has

good　reason。　　He　is　a　model　young　man。　　Her　lot　will

be　very　different　from　mine。〃



She　picked　up　her　embroidery　and　began　setting　dainty

precise　little　stitches；　possible　only　to　certain　women。



On　the　road　Elnora　spoke　first。　　〃I　do　hope　it　is

nothing　serious；〃　she　said。　　〃Is　he　usually　strong？〃



〃Quite　strong；〃　said　Philip。　　〃I　am　not　at　all　alarmed

but　I　am　very　much　ashamed。　　I　have　been　well　enough

for　the　past　month　to　have　gone　home　and　helped　him

with　some　critical　cases　that　were　keeping　him　at　work

in　this　heat。　　I　was　enjoying　myself　so　I　wouldn't　offer

to　go；　and　he　would　not　ask　me　to　come；　so　long　as　he　could

help　it。　　I　have　allowed　him　to　overtax　himself　until　he

is　down；　and　mother　and　Polly　are　north　at　our　cottage。　

He's　never　been　sick　before；　and　it's　probable　I　am　to

blame　that　he　is　now。〃



〃He　intended　you　to　stay　this　long　when　you　came；〃

urged　Elnora。



〃Yes；　but　it's　hot　in　Chicago。　　I　should　have

remembered　him。　　He　is　always　thinking　of　me。　　Possibly　he

has　needed　me　for　days。　　I　am　ashamed　to　go　to　him　in

splendid　condition　and　admit　that　I　was　having　such　a

fine　time　I　forgot　to　come　home。〃



〃You　have　had　a　fine　time；　then？〃　asked　Elnora。



They　had　reached　the　fence。　　Philip　vaulted　over　to

take　a　short　cut　across　the　fields。　　He　turned　and　looked

at　her。



〃The　best；　the　sweetest；　and　most　wholesome　time

any　man　ever　had　in　this　world；〃　he　said。　　〃Elnora；　if

I　talked　hours　I　couldn't　make　you　understand　what　a

girl　I　think　you　are。　　I　never　in　all　my　life　hated　anything

as　I　hate　leaving　you。　　It　seems　to　me　that　I　have　not

strength　to　do　it。〃



〃If　you　have　learned　anything　worth　while　from　me；〃

said　Elnora；　〃that　should　be　it。　　Just　to　have　strength　to

go　to　your　duty；　and　to　go　quickly。〃



He　caught　the　hand　she　held　out　to　him　in　both　his。　

〃Elnora；　these　days　we　have　had　together；　have　they

been　sweet　to　you？〃



〃Beautiful　days！〃　said　Elnora。　　〃Each　like　a　perfect

dream　to　be　thought　over　and　over　all　my　life。　　Oh；　they

have　been　the　only　really　happy　days　I've　ever　known；

these　days　rich　with　mother's　love；　and　doing　useful　work

with　your　help。　　Good…bye！　　You　must　hurry！〃



Philip　gazed　at　her。　　He　tried　to　drop　her　hand；　only

clutched　it　closer。　　Suddenly　he　drew　her　toward　him。　

〃Elnora；〃　he　whispered；　〃will　you　kiss　me　good…bye？〃



Elnora　drew　back　and　stared　at　him　with　wide　eyes。　

〃I'd　strike　you　sooner！〃　she　said。　　〃Have　I　ever　said　or

done　anything　in　your　presence　that　made　you　feel　free　to

ask　that；　Philip　Ammon？〃



〃No！〃　panted　Philip。　　〃No！　　I　think　so　much　of　you

I　wanted　to　touch　your　lips　once　before　I　left　you。　

You　know；　Elnora〃



〃Don't　distress　yourself；〃　said　Elnora　calmly。　　〃I　am

broad　enough　to　judge　you　sanely。　　I　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　to…morrow　if　she　knew　they

had　touched　mine　to…day。　　I　was　wise　to　say：　　‘Go　quickly！'〃



Philip　still　clung　to　her。　　〃Will　you　write　me？〃　he　begged。



〃No；〃　said　Elnora。　　〃There　is　nothing　to　say；　save　good…bye。　

We　can　do　that　now。〃



He　held　on。　　〃Promise　that　you　will　write　me　only　one

letter；〃　he　urged。　　〃I　want　just　one　message　from　you　to

lock　in　my　desk；　and　keep　always。　　Promise　you　will

write　once；　Elnora。〃



She　looked　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　I　have　known　you；　I　never　have　liked　you

so　little。　　Good…bye。〃



She　drew　away　her　hand　and　swiftly　turned　back　to　the　road。　

Philip　Ammon；　wordless；　started　toward　Onabasha　on　a　run。



Elnora　crossed　the　road；　climbed　the　fence　and　sought

the　shelter　of　their　own　woods。　　She　chose　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　clenched　at　her　side；　her　eyes　dry　and

bright；　her　cheeks　red…flushed；　and　her　breath　coming　fast。　

When　she　reached　the　patch　she　turned　into　it　and　stood

looking　around　her。



The　mosses　were　dry；　the　flowers　gone；　weeds　a　foot

high　covered　it。　　She　turned　away　and　went　on　down　the

path　until　she　was　almost　in　sight　of　the　cabin。



Mrs。　Comstock　smiled　and　waited　in　the　arbour　until

it　occurred　to　her　that　Elnora　was　a　long　time　coming；　so

she　went　to　the　gate。　　The　road　stretched　away　toward

the　Limberlost　empty　and　lonely。　　Then　she　knew　that

Elnora　had　gone　into　their　own　woods　and　would　come　in

the　back　way。　　She　could　not　understand　why　the　girl　did

not　hurry　to　her　with　what　she　would　have　to　tell。　

She　went　out　and　wandered　around　the　garden。　　Then　she

stepped　into　the　path　and　started　along　the　way　leading　to

the　woods；　past　the　pool　now　framed　in　a　thick　setting　of

yellow　lilies。　　Then　she　saw；　and　stopped；　gasping　for　breath。　

Her　hands　flew　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　dry　breath　came。　

She　turned　and　fled　back　to　the　garden。



In　the　familiar　enclosure　she　gazed　around　her　like　a

caged　animal　seeking　escape。　　The　sun　beat　down　on　her

bare　head　mercilessly；　and　mechanically　she　moved　to　the

shade　of　a　half…grown　hickory　tree　that　voluntarily　had

sprouted　beside　the　milk　house。　　At　her　feet　lay　an　axe

with　which　she　made　kindlings　for　fires。　　She　stooped　and

picked　it　up。　　The　memory　of　that　prone　figure　sobbing　in

the　grass　caught　her　with　a　renewed　spasm。　　She　shut　her

eyes　as　if　to　close　it　out。　　That　made　hearing　so　acute　she

felt　certain　she　heard　Elnora　moaning　beside　the　path。　

The　eyes　flew　open。　　They　looked　straight　at　a　few

spindling　tomato　plants　set　too　near　the　tree　and　stunted

by　its　shade。　　Mrs。　Comstock　whirled　on　the　hickory　and

swung　the　axe。　　Her　hair　shook　down；　her　clothing　became

disarranged；　in　the　heat　the　perspiration　streamed；　but

stroke　fell　on　stroke　until　the　tree　crashed　over；　grazing

a　corner　of　the　milk　house　and　smashing　the　garden　fence

on　the　east。



At　the　sound　Elnora　sprang　to　her　feet　and　came　running

down　the　garden　walk。　　〃Mother！〃　she　cried。　　〃Mother！　

What　in　the　world　are　you　doing？〃



Mrs。　Comstock　wiped　her　ghastly　face　on　her　apron。　

〃I've　laid　out　to　cut　that　tree　for　years；〃　she　said。　

〃It　shades　the　beets　in　the　morning；　and　the　tomatoes

in　the　afternoon！〃



Elnora　uttered　one　wild　little　cry　and　fled　into　her

mother's　arms。　　〃Oh　mother！〃　she　sobbed。　　〃Will　you

ever　forgive　me？〃



Mrs。　Comstock's　arms　swept　together　in　a　tight　grip

around　Elnora。



〃There　isn't　a　thing　on　God's　footstool　from　a　to　izzard

I　won't　forgive　you；　my　precious　girl！〃　she　said。　　〃Tell　mother

what　it　is！〃



Elnora　lifted　her　wet　face。　　〃He　told　me；〃　she　panted；

〃just　as　soon　as　he　decently　couldthat　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　only

interested　in　the　moths　and　growing　strong。〃



Mrs。　Comstock's　arms　tightened。　　With　a　shaking　hand

she　stroked　the　bright　hair。



〃Tell　me；　honey；〃　she　said。　　〃Is　he　to　blame　for　a

single　one　of　these　tears？〃



〃Not　one！〃　sobbed　Elnora。　　〃Oh　mother；　I　won't　forgive　you

if　you　don't　believe　that。　　Not　one！　　He　never　said；

or　looked；　or　did　anything　all　the　world　might　not

have　known。　　He　likes　me　very　much　as　a　friend。　

He　hated　to　go　dreadfully！〃



〃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。　　〃I　know