The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1912-10-05
CONTINUED
CHAPTER XII.

Il sue slowly walked up Tue
~ street and turned in at the
wide entrance to the school grounds.
She scarcely could comprehend that
only a week ago she had gone there
friendless, alone. and so sick at heart
that she was physically Ill. Today she
had decent clothing, books, friends and
her mind was at ease to work on her
studies.
As she approached home that night
the girl paused in amazement. Fer
mother had company, and she was
laughing. Elnora entered the kitchen
softly and peeped into the sitting ROOM
Mrs. Comstock sat in her chaif hold
ing book and every few seconds a
soft chuckle broke into a real laugh.
Mark Twain was doing his work, while
Mrs. Comstock was not lacking in a
sense of humor. Elnora entered the
room before her mother saw her. Mrs.
Comstocl looked up with flushed face.
where did you get this?" she de-
manded.
II bought it," said Elnora.
Bought it! With all the taxes due!'
II paid for it out Of my Indian mon
ey, MOTHER" said Elnora. Il couldn't
bear to spend so much on myself and
nothing at all on you. was afraid to
buy the dress I should have liked to,
and thought the book would be COM
pany while I was gone. I haven't
read it, but do hope it's good''
Good! It's the biggest piece Of
as foolishness have read in all my life
IL I've laughed all day ever since found
b 1t. I had notion to go out and read
II some Of it to the COWS and see If they
Y wouldn't laugh"
y If it made you laugh, it's a wise
i book" said Elnora.
d wise" cried Mrs. Comstock. ''You
y can stake your life it's wise book. It
I takes the smartest man there is to do
Il this kind Of fooling." And she began
laughing again.
u. Elnora, highly satisfied with her pur-
ID chase, went to her room and put on
\ her working clothes. Thereafter she
T made point Of getting a book that
: she thought would interest her mother
from the library every week and leav-
ing It on the sitting room table. Every
night she carried home at least two
schoolbooks and studied until she had
mastered the points Of each lesson.
She did her share Of the work faith.
fully, and every available minute she
was in the fields searching for cocoons
for the moths promised to become her
best source of income.
She gathered large baskets Of nests
flowers, MOSES, insects land all sorts
of natural history specimens and sold
them to the grade teachers. At first
she tried to tell these instructors what
to teach their pupils about the speci
mems, but, recognizing how much
more she knew than they, one after
another begged her to study at home
and use her spare hours in school ia
exhibit and explain nature subjects to
their pupils. Elnora loved the work
and she needed the money, for every
few days some matter of expense arose
that she had not expected.
When the music swelled from the
school orchestra Elnora's heart almost
broke with throbbing Joy. for music
always had affected her strangely, and
since she had been comfortable enough
In her surroundings to notice things
she had listened to every note to find
what it was that literally hurt he,
heart, and at last she knew. It was
the talking of the violins. They were
human voices, and they spoke tan
guage ElnOra understood It seemed
to her that she must climb up on the
stage, take the instruments from the
fingers of the players and make them
speak what was in her heart. She
fairly prayed to get hold of one, If only
~, for second.
That night she said to her mother
Il am perfectly crazy for violin.
am sure / could play one; sure as !
live. Did any ONE Elnora never
completed that sentence.
"Hush!' Numbered Mrs. Comstock
BE quiet. Never mention those things
before me again-never as long as yor
live. loathe them. They are snare
of the very devil himself They were
made to lure men and women from
LAcAI uOuCS anu Luelr uOuOr. ever
see you with one in your fingers viii
smash it in pieces"
IT, Naturally Elnora hushed, but sht
thought of nothing else after she hat
y done justice to her lessons. At las
there came day when for some rea
son the leader of the orchestra left his
:, violin on the grand piano. That morn
ing Elnora made her first mistake /,
algebra. At noon, as soon as tn,
/ great building was empty, she slipped
into the auditorium, found the sid,
I door which led to the stage, and, 20
Y Ing through the musicians entrance
she took the violin. She carried i
s back into the little side room wher,
the orchestra assembled, closed oil th,
doors, opened the case and lifted on
the instrument. Nz j II
She laid it on her breast, dropped he
@3@5 chin on it and drew the bow softl;
l55 across the strings FS 0nnS M P III anf1pa