Page:A Girl of the Limberlost.djvu/225

Rh brushed her face. She caught the folds and clung to it with all her might. "Oh, father! father!" she moaned. "I need you! I don't believe you would have done this!" She clung to the coat in dry-eyed agony and tried to think what she could do. At last she opened the door. "I can't find my dress," she said. "Well, as it's the only one there, I shouldn't think it would be much trouble." "You mean for me to wear an old washed dress to-night?" "It's a good dress. There isn't a hole in it! There's no reason on earth why you shouldn't wear it." "Except that I will not," said Elnora. "Didn't you get me any dress for Commencement, either?" "If you soil that to-night, I've plenty of time to wash it again." Sinton's voice called from the gate. "In a minute," answered Elnora. She ran upstairs and in an incredibly short time came down wearing one of her gingham school dresses. With a cold, hard face she passed her mother and went into the night. A half hour later Margaret and Billy stopped for Mrs. Comstock with the carriage. She had determined fully that she would not go before they called. With the sound of their voices a sort of horror of being left seized her, so she put on her hat, locked the door and went out to them. "How did Elnora look?" inquired Margaret anxiously.