across the garden after a
butterfly. He caught it and came back mightily pleased with himself. As
the creature struggled in the net, Elnora noted a repulsed look on Edith
Carr's face. Levering helped the situation beautifully.

"Now what have I got?" he demanded. "Is it just a common one that every
one knows and you don't keep, or is it the rarest bird off the perch?"

"You must have had practice, you took that so perfectly," said Elnora.
"I am sorry, but it is quite common and not of a kind I keep. Suppose
all of you see how beautiful it is and then it may go nectar hunting
again."

She held the butterfly where all of them could see, showed its upper and
under wing colours, answered Polly's questions as to what it ate,
how long it lived, and how it died. Then she put it into Polly's hand
saying: "Stand there in the light and loosen your hold slowly and
easily."

Elnora caught a brush from the table and began softly stroking the
creature's sides and wings. Delighted with the sensation the butterfly
opened and closed its wings, clinging to Polly's soft little fingers,
while every one cried out in surprise. Elnora laid aside the brush, and
the butterfly sailed away.

"Why, you are a wizard! You charm them!" marvelled Levering.

"I learned that from the Bird Woman," said Elnora. "She takes soft
brushes and coaxes butterflies and moths into the positions she wants
for the illustrations of a book she is writing. I have helped her often.
Most of the rare ones I find go to her."

"Then you don't keep all you take?" questioned Levering.

"Oh, dear, no!" cried Elnora. "Not a tenth! For myself, a pair of each
kind to use in illustrating the lectures I give in the city schools in
the winter, and one pair for each collection I make. One might as well
keep the big night moths of June, for they only live four or five
days anyway. For the Bird Woman, I only save rare ones she has not
yet secured. Sometimes I think it is cruel to take such creatures from
freedom, even for an hour, but it is the only way to teach the masses
of people how to distinguish the pests they should destroy, from the
harmless ones of great beauty. Here comes mother with something cool to
drink."

Mrs. Comstock came deliberately, talking to Philip as she approached.
Elnora gave her one searching look, but could discover only an extreme
brightness of eye to denote any unusual feeling. She wore one of her
lavender dresses, while her snowy hair was high