A Girl of the Limberlost | Page 3

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A Girl of The Limberlost By Gene Stratton Porter TO ALL GIRLS OF
THE LIMBERLOST IN GENERAL AND ONE JEANETTE HELEN
PORTER IN PARTICULAR
CHARACTERS
ELNORA, who collects moths to pay for her education, and lives the
Golden Rule.
PHILIP AMMON, who assists in moth hunting, and gains a new
conception of love.
MRS. COMSTOCK, who lost a delusion and found a treasure.
WESLEY SINTON, who always did his best.
MARGARET SINTON, who "mothers" Elnora.
BILLY, a boy from real life.
EDITH CARR, who discovers herself.
HART HENDERSON, to whom love means all things.
POLLY AMMON, who pays an old score.
TOM LEVERING, engaged to Polly.
TERENCE O'MORE, Freckles grown tall.

MRS. O'MORE, who remained the Angel.
TERENCE, ALICE and LITTLE BROTHER, the O'MORE children.

A GIRL OF THE LIMBERLOST
CHAPTER I
WHEREIN ELNORA GOES TO HIGH SCHOOL AND LEARNS
MANY LESSONS NOT FOUND IN HER BOOKS
Elnora Comstock, have you lost your senses?" demanded the angry
voice of Katharine Comstock while she glared at her daughter.
"Why mother!" faltered the girl.
"Don't you `why mother' me!" cried Mrs. Comstock. "You know very
well what I mean. You've given me no peace until you've had your way
about this going to school business; I've fixed you good enough, and
you're ready to start. But no child of mine walks the streets of
Onabasha looking like a play-actress woman. You wet your hair and
comb it down modest and decent and then be off, or you'll have no time
to find where you belong."
Elnora gave one despairing glance at the white face, framed in a most
becoming riot of reddish-brown hair, which she saw in the little kitchen
mirror. Then she untied the narrow black ribbon, wet the comb and
plastered the waving curls close to her head, bound them fast, pinned
on the skimpy black hat and opened the back door.
"You've gone so plumb daffy you are forgetting your dinner," jeered
her mother.
"I don't want anything to eat," replied Elnora.
"You'll take your dinner or you'll not go one step. Are you crazy? Walk
almost three miles and no food from six in the morning until six at

night. A pretty figure you'd cut if you had your way! And after I've
gone and bought you this nice new pail and filled it especial to start
on!"
Elnora came back with a face still whiter and picked up the lunch.
"Thank you, mother! Good-bye!" she said. Mrs. Comstock did not
reply. She watched the girl follow the long walk to the gate and go
from sight on the road, in the bright sunshine of the first Monday of
September.
"I bet a dollar she gets enough of it by night!" commented Mrs.
Comstock.
Elnora walked by instinct, for her eyes were blinded with tears. She left
the road where it turned south, at the corner of the Limberlost, climbed
a snake fence and entered a path worn by her own feet. Dodging under
willow and scrub oak branches she came at last to the faint outline of
an old trail made in the days when the precious timber of the swamp
was guarded by armed men. This path she followed until she reached a
thick clump of bushes. From the debris in the end of a hollow log she
took a key that unlocked the padlock of a large weatherbeaten old box,
inside of which lay several books, a butterfly apparatus, and a small
cracked mirror. The walls were lined thickly with gaudy butterflies,
dragonflies, and moths. She set up the mirror and once more pulling the
ribbon from her hair, she shook the bright mass over her shoulders,
tossing it dry in the sunshine. Then she straightened it, bound it loosely,
and replaced her hat. She tugged vainly at the low brown calico collar
and gazed despairingly at the generous length of the narrow skirt. She
lifted it as she would have cut it if possible. That disclosed the heavy
high leather shoes, at sight of which she seemed positively ill, and
hastily dropped the