Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-07-04

did Kate Comstock do that%
"You will keep On harping. Wesley.
I told you she didn't do it. .Elnora
did 1t! She walked in and took things
right out Of our hands. S'pose 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 her.?
"You bet your life!' cried Wesley
warmly. Lowing anybody don't hurt
them. We wouldn't have done any
thing but love her. You can't hurt a
child loving it. She'd have learned to
work, be sensible, study, and grown
into a woman with us, without suffer-
ing like a poor homeless dog"
But you don't get the point, Wes-
ley. She would have grown into a fine
woman with us; just seems as If FL
nora was born to be fine, but as we
would have raised her. would her
heart ever have known the world as it
does now? Where's the anguish, Yves
ley, that child can't comprehend? See
ing what she's seen Of her mother
hasn't hardened her. I guess we'd
better keep out. Maybe Kate Com
stock knows what she's doing. Sure
as you live, Elnora has grown bigger
m Enn0lyo fhon chm -n,,11 on 1ornn
II don't s'pose there ever was a very
fine point to anything but I missed it,"
said Wesley, because I am blunt.
rough and have no book learning to
speak of. Since you put it into words
l see what you mean, but it's dinged
hard on Elnora, just the anne. And I
don't keep out. I keep watching closer
than ever I got my slap in the face.
but If I don't miss my guess, Kate
Comstock learned her lesson, same as
/ did. She learned that I was in ear.
nest, that would haul her to court if
she didn't loosen up a bit, and she'll
loosen. You see If she don't"
Up in the attic Elnora lighted two
UAANAS SCl IAC" I'LL 2 14LJlC I0O4CS
stacked the books and put away the
precious clothes lovingly. Then she
slipped into her little white nightdress,
shook down her hair that it might be-
come thoroughly dry, set a chair before
the table and reverently opened one Of
the books. A stiff draft swept the at
tic, for it stretched the length Of the
cabin and had a window in each end.
Elnora arose ard. going to the east
window, closed it. She stood for a
minute looking at the stars, the sky
and the dark outline of the struggling
trees of the rapidly dismantling Linn.
berlost. In the region Of her case a
tiny point of light flashed and disap-
| peared. Elnora Strengthened and won.
dered. Was it wise to leave her pre-
cious money there? The light flashed
nce more, wavered a few seconds and
died out. The girl waited. She did not
see it again. and so she went back to
her books.
In the Limberlost the hulking figure
of a a slouched down the trail.
1.-THE Bird Woman was at Freckles
room this evening"" he muttered
wonder what for?"
He left the trail, entered the inclo
sure still distinctly outlined and ap'
preached the case. The first point OF
light flashed from the tiny electric
lamp on his vest. He took a duplicate
key from his pocket, felt for the pad
lock and opened it. The door swung
wide. The light flashed the second
time. Swiftly his glance swept the IN
terror. ~A'.>,es.~Aa-ssss se'
bout a fourth Of her moths gone
Elnora must have been with the BIRD
Woman and given them to her." Their
he stood tense. His keen eyes discov
cred the roll Of bills hastily thrust back
in the bottom Of the case. He snatchel
them up, shut off the light, relockec
the case by touch and swiftly ven
down the trail. Every few seconds he
paused and listened intently. Just as
he reached the road the low boot of
screeeh owl wayeEingly prolonged fel
on his ears. and he stopped. An in