could be thirty oil wells drilled
that would yield to us the thousands our neighbours are draining from
under us, and the bare land is worth over one hundred dollars an acre
for farming. She is not poor, she is--I don't know what she is. A great
trouble soured and warped her. It made her peculiar. She does not in
the least understand, but it is because she doesn't care to, instead of
ignorance. She does not----"

Elnora stopped.

"She is--is different," finished the girl.

Anna came with the roses. The Bird Woman set one on the front of the
draped yoke, one on each shoulder and the last among the bright masses
of brown hair. Then she turned the girl facing the tall mirror.

"Oh!" panted Elnora. "You are a genius! Why, I will look as well as any
of them."

"Thank goodness for that!" cried the Bird Woman. "If it wouldn't do, I
should have been ill. You are lovely; altogether lovely! Ordinarily I
shouldn't say that; but when I think of how you are carpentered, I'm
admiring the result."

The organ began rolling out the march as they came in sight. Elnora
took her place at the head of the procession, while every one wondered.
Secretly they had hoped that she would be dressed well enough, that she
would not appear poor and neglected. What this radiant young creature,
gowned in the most recent style, her smooth skin flushed with
excitement, and a rose-set coronet of red gold on her head, had to do
with the girl they knew was difficult to decide. The signal was given
and Elnora began the slow march across the vestry and down the aisle.
The music welled softly, and Margaret began to sob without knowing why.

Mrs. Comstock gripped her hands together and shut her eyes. It seemed
an eternity to the suffering woman before Margaret caught her arm and
whispered, "Oh, Kate! For any sake look at her! Here! The aisle across!"

Mrs. Comstock opened her eyes and directing them where she was told,
gazed intently, and slid down in her seat close to collapse. She was
saved by Margaret's tense clasp and her command: "Here! Idiot! Stop
that!"

In the blaze of light Elnora climbed the steps to the palm-embowered
platform, crossed it and took her place. Sixty young men and women,
each of them dressed the best possible, followed her. There were manly,
fine-looking men in that class which Elnora led. There were girls of
beauty and grace, but not one of them was handsomer or clothed in better
taste than she.

Billy thought the time nev