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CHAPTER XII

"Elnora, bring me the towel, quick!" cried Mrs. Comstock. "In a minute, mother," mumbled Elnora. She was standing before the kitchen mirror, tying the back part of her hair, while the front turned over her face. "Hurry! There's a varmint of some kind!" Elnora ran into the sitting room and thrust the heavy kitchen towel into her mother's hand. Mrs. Comstock swung open the screen door and struck at some object. Elnora tossed the hair from her face so that she could see past her mother. The girl screamed wildly. "Don't! Mother, don't!" Mrs. Comstock struck again. Elnora caught her arm. "It's the one I want! It's worth a lot of money! Don't! Oh, you shall not!" "Shan't, missy?" blazed Mrs. Comstock. "When did you get to bossing me?" The hand that held the screen swept a half-circle and stopped at Elnora's cheek. She staggered with the blow, and across her face, paled with excitement, a red mark