Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-08-15
XIII.


ster north your knowing.
CHAPTER XIII.
Wherein EInora Has More Financial
Troubles, and Her Mother Again Re-
fuses to Help Hor.
@HE next night Elnora hurried
to Sinton's. She threw open
the back door and searched
~ Margaret's face with anxious
eyes.
'You got it," painted Elnora. "You
got it! I can see by your face that you
did. Oh, give it to me-"
eyes, 1 got it, honey-I got it, all right.
but don't be SO fast. You can't have it,
before Saturday. 1t had been kept in
such a damp place it needed gluing,
it had to have strings, and a key was
gone. l knew how much you wanted
it, so l sent Wesley right to town with
it. They said they could fix it good
as new, but it should be vanished and
that it would take several days for the
glue to set. You can have it Satur-
day"
Saturday morning"
"He just said Saturday. But, Elnora,
you've got to promise me that you will
leave it here, or in town, and not let
your mother get a hint Of it. I don't
know what she'd do"
"Uncle Wesley can bring it here un-
til Monday. Then l will take it to
school so that I can practice at noon.
oh, l don't know how to thank you"
Elnora lived by the minute until Sat
urday, when, contrary to his usual
custom, Sinton went to town in the
some groceries. Sinton drove straight
to the music store and asked for the
violin he had left to be mended.
In it's new coat Of varnish, with new
keys and strings. it looked greatly like
any other violin to Sinton, but to FL
nora it was the most beautiful instru-
ment ever made and a 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 a coat Of varnish, total $3.50.
AS soon as her work was done she
ran down to Sinton's and began to
play, and on Monday the violin went
to school with her. She made arrange
ments with the superintendent to leave
1t In his Office and scarcely took time
for her food at noon, she was so eager
to practice. Her skill was so great
that the leader of the orchestra Of
fered to give her lessons if she would
play to pay for them, so her progress
was rapid in 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 %improvising
the songs her happy heart sang.
So the first year went. and the Sec
ond and third were a repetition; but
the fourth was different, for that was
the close of the course, ending with
graduation and all it's 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 natural history in the grades
had taken time from her studies in
school which must be made up out
side. She was a conscientious student.
ranking first in most Of her classes and
standing high in all 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 so absorbed In her classes
and her music that she had not been