A Girl of the Limberlost

ng to his home. His heart was hot and filled with indignation. He had told

thing of Elnora?

hat do you say to going to town? There's

you see h

go that way. It wasn't only clothes; there were books, and entrance fees for out-of-town people, that she didn't know about; while there must have been jeers, whispers, and laughing. Maggie, I fe

n we do,

, but between us we must see that the girl is not too hard pressed about money, and that she is dressed so s

that skirts should be pleated to the band instead of gathered, and full enough to sit in, and s

of supper, whi

appetite. She dressed while Wesley ate, put away the food while he dressed, and then they drove toward the city through the beautiful September evening, and as they went they

d what they wanted to see neither of them knew, so

e better ge

said Wesl

y dresses, a

I thought you would manage that. I kno

h school girls came into th

ly. "There, Maggie! Like them! That'

assing; they seemed to have so much, and she could not d

but won't you wait o

pped with won

ee my girls. They both died of diphtheria when they were little, but they had yellow hair, dark eyes and pink cheeks, and

mpathy on ev

one of them. "We are

d buying pretty things for them, there is nothing left for me, but to do what I can for some one who has no mother to care for her. I know a

a lucky girl,

ike you do. Please tell me about your clothes. Are these the dresses and hats

with his head high through pride in her, but his heart was sore over the memory o

ham or linen dresses," they said,

o the delighted Margaret that school dresses should be bright and p

You tell her just how much you want to spend, and what you want to buy, and she will know how to get the most for your

go, tell me about your hair. Elnora's hair is bright and w

ked four gir

name of the girl I w

high school to-day?"

asses?" demanded Ma

been overlooked and passed by with indifference, because she was so very shabby? If she had ap

ry in the Freshman class to-day," said E

he girl," s

so very poor?" q

will go to the poorhouse; but there is a big farm, covered with lots of good timber. The taxes are high for women who can't manage to clear and work the land. There ought to be enough to keep two of them in good shape all their lives, if they only knew how to do it. But no

m promised

your hair," persist

r use after windy days. Then they left her with the experienced clerk, and when at last Wesley found her she wa

ny stockings?"

hat--" she hesitated and glanced at Wesley. "Of course, a hat!" prompted Wesley. "T

s. But the man said some brown stockings ou

ck-soled, beautifully shaped brown walking shoe

y are the right size, W

girl of sixteen w

don't fit when she tries them, we will drive straig

y should give Elnora their purchas

will be awful mad

of Kate Comstock's land and cut a tree, or drive off a calf to pay for them. Why I know one tree she owns that would put Elnora in heaven for a year. Just think of it, Margaret! It's not fair. One-third of what is there belongs to Elnora by law, and if Kate Comstock raises a row I'll tell her so, and see that the girl ge

inton, you're

laws made to provide for them? I can bring it up in court and force Kate to educate

ate would

and working her fields. Let her sell a good tree, or a few acres. Something is going to be done, right now. Elnora's been fairly happy up to this, but to spoil the school life she's planned, is to ruin all her life. I won't have it! If Elnora won't take these things,

and blue plaid. On each of them lay a yard and a half of wide ribbon to match. There were handkerchiefs and a brown leather belt. In her

w," she explained. "It ha

them taken off

for the hat, and those things were a dolla

admitted Wesley, "but will

of them go on just where those came off, and nobody will ever know the difference. They match the hat to a moral, and they are just a little longer an

sley anxiously. "Don't you ri

while I get the th

rgaret took them up and pinche

ey are fine

rned it in his big hands. He glanc

e said softly. "Like as not I'll have to ta

. "That's a happy little shoe to get the chance to carry as fin

d at Margare

rainy days, and those things she has now ain

you get hig

e man said he would make them che

ill do her past Christmas," she

t she stopped at the old case Duncan gave her, and took out that pail, where it had been all day, and put a napkin inside it. Coming home she confessed she was half starved because she hid her dinner under a culvert, and

the table. "Might be a couple of books, or drawing tools or mo

nother for salad, a glass with a lid which screwed on, held by a ring in a corner, for custard or jelly, a f

s almost cr

to fill it!"

g and make one of those dresses to-morrow. Can't you make a plain gingham dress in a day? I'll pick a chi

resses when it comes to making them. There are going to be edgings of plain green, pink, and brown to th

said Wesley. "Can the two of you mak

she'll ne

I'll say better alone. But she'll come, and she'll help make the dress. These other things are our Christmas gifts to Elnora. She'll no do

brown raincoat. Margaret dropped the hat, arose and took the coat. Sh

in to-night?" she inquired so

, dropping back in her chair, th

ey. "It's Christmas for you, too, Margaret!" He shook out fold after fold of soft gray

she exclaimed, and fled

ess patterns in salt water for half an hour. Wesley held the lamp while she hung the goods on the l