"
Elnora again smiled that pitiful smile.
"Do you think I didn't know that I was funny and would be laughed at?"
she asked.
"Funny?" cried Mrs. Comstock hotly.
"Yes, funny! A regular caricature," answered Elnora. "No one else wore
calico, not even one other. No one else wore high heavy shoes, not even
one. No one else had such a funny little old hat; my hair was not right,
my ribbon invisible compared with the others, I did not know where
to go, or what to do, and I had no books. What a spectacle I made for
them!" Elnora laughed nervously at her own picture. "But there are
always two sides! The professor said in the algebra class that he never
had a better solution and explanation than mine of the proposition he
gave me, which scored one for me in spite of my clothes."
"Well, I wouldn't brag on myself!"
"That was poor taste," admitted Elnora. "But, you see, it is a case of
whistling to keep up my courage. I honestly could see that I would have
looked just as well as the rest of them if I had been dressed as they
were. We can't afford that, so I have to find something else to brace
me. It was rather bad, mother!"
"Well, I'm glad you got enough of it!"
"Oh, but I haven't," hurried in Elnora. "I just got a start. The hardest
is over. To-morrow they won't be surprised. They will know what
to expect. I am sorry to hear about the dredge. Is it really going
through?"
"Yes. I got my notification today.
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