the first thing
in the morning.

CHAPTER III

WHEREIN ELNORA VISITS THE BIRD WOMAN, AND OPENS A BANK ACCOUNT

Four o'clock the following morning Elnora was shelling beans. At six she
fed the chickens and pigs, swept two of the rooms of the cabin, built a
fire, and put on the kettle for breakfast. Then she climbed the narrow
stairs to the attic she had occupied since a very small child, and
dressed in the hated shoes and brown calico, plastered down her crisp
curls, ate what breakfast she could, and pinning on her hat started for
town.

"There is no sense in your going for an hour yet," said her mother.

"I must try to discover some way to earn those books," replied Elnora.
"I am perfectly positive I shall not find them lying beside the road
wrapped in tissue paper, and tagged with my name."

She went toward the city as on yesterday. Her perplexity as to where
tuition and books were to come from was worse but she did not feel quite
so badly. She never again would have to face all of it for the first
time. There had been times yesterday when she had prayed to be hidden,
or to drop dead, and neither had happened. "I believe the best way to
get an answer to prayer is to work for it," muttered Elnora grimly.

Again she followed the trail to the swamp, rearranged her hair and left
the tin pail. This time she folded a couple of sandwiches in the napkin,
and tied them in a neat light paper parcel which she carried in
her hand. Then she hurried along the road to Onabasha and found a
book-store. There she asked the prices of the list of books that she
needed, and learned that six dollars would not quite supply them. She
anxiously inquired for second-hand books, but was told that the only way
to secure them was from the last year's Freshmen. Just then Elnora felt
that she positively could not approach any of those she supposed to be
Sophomores and ask to buy their old books. The only balm the girl could
see for the humiliation of yesterday was to appear that day with a set
of new books.

"Do you wish these?" asked the clerk hurriedly, for the store was
rapidly filling with school children wanting anything from a dictionary
to a pen.

"Yes," gasped Elnora, "Oh, yes! But I cannot pay for them just now.
Please let me take them, and I will pay for them on Friday, or return
them as perfect as they are. Please trust me for them a few days."

"I'll ask the proprietor," he said. When he came back Elnora knew the
an