She told only of
the sermon, graduation exercises, and the ball.
"Well, I wouldn't trouble myself over that," sniffed Mrs. Comstock. "If
you want to go to a sermon, put on the dress you always use for meeting.
If you need white for the exercises wear the new dress you got last
spring. As for the ball, the best thing for you to do is to stay a mile
away from such folly. In my opinion you'd best bring home your books,
and quit right now. You can't be fixed like the rest of them, don't be
so foolish as to run into it. Just stay here and let these last few days
go. You can't learn enough more to be of any account."
"But, mother," gasped Elnora. "You don't understand!"
"Oh, yes, I do!" said Mrs. Comstock. "I understand perfectly. So long as
the money lasted, you held up your head, and went sailing without even
explaining how you got it from the stuff you gathered. Goodness knows
I couldn't see. But now it's gone, you come whining to me. What have I
got? Have you forgot that the ditch and the road completely strapped me?
I haven't any money. There's nothing for you to do but get out of it."
"I can't!" said Elnora desperately. "I've gone on too long. It would
make a break in everything. They wouldn't let me have my diploma!"
"What's the difference? You've got the stuff in your head. I wouldn't
give a rap for a scrap of paper. That don't mean anything!"
"But I've worked four years for it, and I can't enter--I ought to have
it to help me get a school, when I want to teach.
Pages:
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188