The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1912-10-12


eyes and hair and an added touch.
from within that might have been call
ed comprehension.
She was so 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 had at
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 it's extra expense, was CON-
ing. She had no money and very few
cocoons to open in June, which would
be 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 a
check for $500. but she would not get
1t 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 her
bitterly in that, for Mrs. Comstock had
chung to every acre and tree that he.
longed to her husband. Her land was
almost complete forest where her
neighbors owned cleared farms dotted
with wells that every hour sucked oil
from beneath her holdings, but she was
too absorbed in the grief she nursed to
know or care. The taxes for the Brush
wood road and the redredging of the
great Limberlost ditch had been more
than she could pay from her income,
and she had trembled before the wicket
as she asked the banker if she had
funds to pay it and wondered why he
laughed as he assured her she had, for
Mrs. Comstock had spent no time on
compromising interest and never added
the sums she had been depositing
through nearly twenty years. Now she
thought her funds were almost gone,
and every day she worried over ex-
penses. She could see no reason in
going through the forms of graduation
when pupils had all in their heads that
was required to graduate. Elnora
knew she had to have her diploma in
order to enter the college she wanted
to attend. but she did not dare utter the
word until high school was finished, for
instead of softening, as she hoped her
mother had begun to do, she seemed to
remain very much the same.
When the girl reached the swamp
she sat on a log and thought bitterly
over the absolute expense she was
compelled to meet. Every member of
her particular set was having an ex-
pensive photograph taken to exchange
with the others. Elnora loved these
girls and boys, and to say she could
not have their pictures to keep was
more than she could bear. Each one
would give to all the others hand
some graduation present. She knew
they would prepare gifts for her wheth.
er she could make present in return
or not. Then it was the custom for
each graduating class to give a great
entertainment and use the funds to
present the school with a statue for
the entrance hall. Einora had been
cast for and was practicing part in
that performance. She was expected
to furnish her dress and personal ne
cessities. She had been told that she
must have green dress. And where
was 1t to come from?
Every girl Of the class would have
three beautiful new frocks for COM
mencement-one for the baccalaureate
sermon, another, which could be plain
er, for graduation exercises and a
handsome one for the banquet and ball.
Elnora faced the past three years and
wondered how she could have spent so
much money and not kept account of
1t. She did not realize where it had
gone. She did not know what she
could do now. She thought over the
photographs and at last settled that
question to her satisfaction. She stud
led longer over the gifts, ten handsome
ones there must be, and at last decided
she could arrange for them. The green
dress came first. The lights would be
dim in the scene and the setting deep
woods. She could manage that. She
simply could not have three dresses.
She would have to get a very simple
one for the sermon and do the best she
could for graduation. Whatever she
got for that must be made with a
guimpe that could be taken out to
make it little more festive for the
ball. But where could she get even
two pretty dresses?
The only hope she could see was to
break into her collection, sell some
moths and try to replace them in
June. But she knew that never would