Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-10-15
A GIRL
OF The
.LIMBERLOST
By
GENE STRATT0N.pORTrR
Copyright 1909. by Doubleday. Page
& Co.
CHAPTER Kill.

Troubles, and Her Mother Again Re.
fuses to Help Her.
|1HE next night Elnora hurried
ITI to Sinton's. She threw oper
the back door and searched
Margaret's face with anxious
Eyes.
You got itr' painted Elnora. "You
got It'll can see by your face that you
did. Oh. give it to mer'
lies. I got It. honcy-tgot 1t. all right
hut don't be 30 fast You can't have II
l,efore Saturday 1t had been kept in
such q damp place It needed gluing.
1t had to have strings. and key was
gone. knew how much you wanted
1t. 80 I sent Wesley right to town with
1t. They said they could Ax It good
as new. but 1t should be vanished and
that II would take several days for the
glue to set You can huve It Satur
day"
Saturday morningT
HE Just said Saturday. But, Elnora
you've got to promise me that you will
leave 1t here. or in town. and not let
your mother get hint of It don't
know what she'd do"
Uncle Wesley can bring It here un.
til Monday. Then will take 1t to
school SO that can practice at noon
Oh, I don't know how to thank you"
Elnora lived by the minute until Sat.
urday. when. contrary to bis usual
custom. Slnton went to town In the
forenoon. taking her along to buy
some groceries. Sinton drove straight
to the music store and asked for the
violin he had left to be mended.
In its new coat Of varnlsh. with new
keys and strings. It looked greatly like
any other violin to Sinton. but to El-
nora 1t was the most beautiful instru-
ment ever made and priceless treas
ure. She held It In her arms. touched
the strings softly and then she drew
the bow across them in whispering
measure. She had no time to think
what a remarkably good bow It was
for sixteen years disuse. The tan
leather case might have impressed her
as being In fine condition also had she
been in a state to question anything.
She did remember to ask for the bill
and she was gravely presented with
a slip calling for four strings, one key
and coat Of varnish. total $1.50.
As soon as her work was done she
ran down to Slnton's and began to
play. and on Monday the violin went
to school with her. She made arrange
ments with the superintendent to leave
It In his Office and scarcely took time
for her food at noon. she was 30 eager
to practice. Her skill was so great
that the leader Of the orchestra Of
fered to give her lessons II she wonld
play to pay for them, so her progress
was rapid m technical work. But from
the first day the instrument became
hers. with perfect faith that she could
play as her father did. she spent half
her practice time in Initiating the
sounds of all outdoors and ilnprovising
the songs her happy heart sang.
So the first year went. and the Sec
ond and third were repetition; but
the fourth was different. for that was
the close OF the course. ending with
graduation and all Its attendant cere-
monies and expenses. To Elnora these
appeared mountain high. She had
boarded every cent. thinking twice
before she parted with a penny. but
teaching ma :ural history In the grades
had taken time from her studies In
school which must be made up out
side. She was conscientious student,
ranking first In most Of her classes and
standing high In oil the branches. Her
interest In her violin had grown with
the years.
Three years had changed Elnora
from the girl Of sixteen to the very
verge Of womanhood. She had grown
tall, round and her face had the love
liness of perfect complexion, beautiful
eyes and hair and an added touch
from within that might have been call
ed comprehension.
She was 80 absorbed In her classes
and her music that she had not been
able to gather specimens as usual
When she realized this and hunted
assidiously, she soon found that
changing natural conditions bad af-
fected such work and specimens were
scarce.
All the time the expense Of books,
clothing and incidentals had continued.
Elnora added to her bank account
whenever she could and drew out when
she was compelled. but she omitted the
important feature Of calling for bal
ance. So one early spring morning In
the last quarter Of the fourth year she
almost tainted when she learned that
all her funds were gone. Commence
ment, with its extra expense, was com
ing. She had no money and very few
cocoons to open In June. which woulo
he too late. She had one collection for
the Bird Woman complete to pair OF
lmperialis moths. and that was her
only asset. On the day she added these
big yellow Emperors she would get q
check for $500. but she would not gel
It until these specimens were secured
She remembered that she never had
found an Emperor before June.
Moreover. that sum was for her first
year in college. Then she would be Of
age, and she meant to sell enough OF
her share Of her fathers land to finish
She knew her mother would oppose bel
bitterly in that, for Mrs. Comstock hat
clung to every acre and tree that be
longed to her husband. Her land wal
almost complete forest where hel
neighbors owned cleared farms dottet
with wells that every hour sucked oi
from beneath her holdings. but she wa
too absorbed In the grief she nursed Il
know or care. The taxes for the Brush
wood road and the redredging OF tn
great Limoerlost ditch had been NOR
than she could pay from her income
and she had trembled before the wicke
az she asked the banker II she hat
funds to pay 1t and wondered why b.
laughed a. he assured her she had, TO
Mrs. Csmstock had spent no time o.
compounding interest and never addet
me sums she had been depositnl
through nearly twenty years. Now sh
thought her funds were almost gone
and every day she worried over ex
penses. She could see no reason u
going through the forms Of graduation