Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-07-25
CHAPTER VI.
Wherein The Heart Of Pete Corson 10
Touched by a Girl

Tor time and then went into her
room and closed the door. Sitting on
the edge Of the bed, she thought for
O few minutes and then suddenly bur
led her face in the pillow and again
heaved with laughter.
Down the road plodded Margaret and
Wesley Sinton. Neither Of them had
words to utter their united thought.
"Donew Kissed Wesley at last. "Done
brown. Did you ever feel like a bloom
in, COMPOUNDED donkey? How did the
woman do itW
"She didn't do it, gulped Margaret
through her tears. "She didn't do any
thing. She just trusted to Elnora' s
great big soul to bring her out right,
and really she was right, and so it had
to bring her. She's darling. Wesley.
But she's got a time before her. Did
you see Kate ComstOck grab that mon
ey? Before six months she'll be out
combing the Limberlost for bugs and
arrow points to help pay the tax.
know her"
well, I don'tw exclaimed Sinton
"She's too many for me. But there is
a laugh left in her vet. didn't s'pose
there was. Bet you a dollar II we
could see her this minute she'd be
chuckling over the way we got left
Both Of them stopped in the road and
looked back.
There's Elnora's light in her room"
said Margaret. 1.-THE poor child will
feel those clothes and pore over her
books till morning. but she'll look de-
cent to go to school, anyway. Nothing
is too big price to pay for that"
Yes, II Kate lets her wear them.
Ten to one she makes her finish the
week with that old stuff"
mo, she won't" said Margaret. "She
don't dare. Kate made some conces-
sions all right, big ones for her-if she
did get her way in the main. She bent
some, and If Elnora proves that she
can walk out barehanded in the morn
ing and come back with that much
money In her pocket, an armful OF
books and buy turnout like that she
proves that she is Of some considera-
ton, and Rates smart enough. She'll
think twice before she'll do that. FL
nora won't wear calico dress to high
school again. You watch and see If
she does. She may have got the best
clothes she'll get for time for the
least money. but she won't know 1t I'M
til she tries to buy goods herself at
the same rates. Wesley, what about
those prices? Didn't they shrink con-
siderable?"
you began it." said Wesley. "Those
prices were all right. We didn't say
what the goods cost us; we said what
they would cost her. Surely she's mis-
taken about being able to pay all that.
Can she pick up stuff Of that value
around the Limberlost? Didn't the
Bird Woman see her trouble and Just
give her the money!
Il don't think So" said Margaret.
"Seems to me I've heard Of her pay.
ing or Offering to pay them that would
take the money for bugs and butter
flies. and I've known people who sold
that banker Indian stuff. Once I
heard that his pipe collection beat that
Of the government at the Philadelphia
centennial Those things have come
to have value"
"Well. there's about bushel Of that
kind Of valuables piled up In the wood
shed that belongs to Elnora. At least
/ picked them up because she said she
hNv no
did Kate Comstock do thatT
You will keep on harping, Wesley.
l told you she didn't do it. Elnora
did it. She walked in and took things
right out Of our hands. Spose we'd
got Elnora when she was a baby, and
we'd heaped on her all the love We
can't on our own, and we'd coddled,
petted and shielded her, would she
have made the woman that living
alone. learning to think for herself
and taking all the knocks Kate Com
stock could give have made Of herr"
You bet your life" cried Wesley
warmly. Loving anybody don't hurt
them. We wouldn't have done any
thing but love her. You can't hurt a
child loving 1t. she'd have learned to
work. be sensible. study. and grown
into woman with us. without suffer
ing like a poor homeless dog"
But you don't get the point, Wes-
lev. She would have grown into a fine
woman with US; just seems as II Ell
nora was born to be fine, but as we
would have raised her. would her
heart ever have known the world as 1t
does now? Where's the anguish, Yves
lev, that child cant comprehend? See
ing what she's seen Of her mother
hasn't hardened her. guess we'd
better keep out. Maybe Kate Com
stock knows what she's doing. Sure
rs you live. Elnora has grown bigger
on knocks than she would on love-"
~ don't s'pOse there ever was a very
ine point TO anything but l missed it,"
said Wesley, "because l am blunt,
rough and have no book learning to
speak Of Since you put 1t into words
see what you mean, but it's dinged
hard on Elnora, just the same. And
don't keep out. keep watching closer
than ever. got my slap in the face
hut If l don't miss my guess. Kate
Comstock learned her lesson. same as
I did. She learncd that was in ear
most, that ! would haul her to court If
aha didn't loosen IN a hit and sha'l II