panted Elnora. "And oh, mother, I
wanted him so!"

CHAPTER XVIII

WHEREIN MRS. COMSTOCK EXPERIMENTS WITH REJUVENATION, AND ELNORA TEACHES
NATURAL HISTORY

For the following week Mrs. Comstock and Elnora worked so hard there
was no time to talk, and they were compelled to sleep from physical
exhaustion. Neither of them made any pretence of eating, for they could
not swallow without an effort, so they drank milk and worked. Elnora
kept on setting bait for Catacolae and Sphinginae, which, unlike the
big moths of June, live several months. She took all the dragonflies and
butterflies she could, and when she went over the list for the man of
India, she found, to her amazement, that with Philip's help she once
more had it complete save a pair of Yellow Emperors.

This circumstance was so surprising she had a fleeting thought of
writing Philip and asking him to see if he could not secure her a pair.
She did tell the Bird Woman, who from every source at her command tried
to complete the series with these moths, but could not find any for
sale.

"I think the mills of the Gods are grinding this grist," said Elnora,
"and we might as well wait patiently until they choose to send a Yellow
Emperor."

Mrs. Comstock invented work. When she had nothing more to do, she hoed
in the garden although the earth was hard and dry and there were no
plants that really needed attention. Then came a notification that
Elnora would be compelled to attend a week's session of the Teachers'
Institute held at the county seat twenty miles north of Onabasha the
following week. That gave them something of which to think and real
work to do. Elnora was requested to bring her violin. As she was on the
programme of one of the most important sessions for a talk on nature
work in grade schools, she was driven to prepare her speech, also to
select and practise some music. Her mother turned her attention to
clothing.

They went to Onabasha together and purchased a simple and appropriate
fall suit and hat, goods for a dainty little coloured frock, and a dress
skirt and several fancy waists. Margaret Sinton came down and the sewing
began. When everything was finished and packed, Elnora kissed her mother
good-bye at the depot, and entered the train. Mrs. Comstock went into
the waiting-room and dropped into a seat to rest. Her heart was so sore
her whole left side felt tender. She was half starved for the food she
had no appetite to take. She had