"
"She loved my father and he died," said Elnora. "The same thing, in
quite as tragic a manner, has happened to thousands of other women, and
they have gone on with calm faces and found happiness in life by loving
others. There was something else I am afraid I never shall forget;
this I know I shall not, but talking does not help. I must deliver my
presents and photographs to the crowd. I have a picture and I made a
present for you, too, if you would care for them."
"I shall love anything you give me," said the Bird Woman. "I know you
well enough to know that whatever you do will be beautiful."
Elnora was pleased over that, and as she tried on her dress for the
last fitting she was really happy. She was lovely in the dainty gown:
it would serve finely for the ball and many other like occasions, and it
was her very own.
The Bird Woman's driver took Elnora in the carriage and she called
on all the girls with whom she was especially intimate, and left her
picture and the package containing her gift to them. By the time she
returned parcels for her were arriving. Friends seemed to spring from
everywhere. Almost every one she knew had some gift for her, while
because they so loved her the members of her crowd had made
her beautiful presents. There were books, vases, silver pieces,
handkerchiefs, fans, boxes of flowers and candy. One big package settled
the trouble at Sinton's, for it contained a dainty dress from Margaret,
a five-dollar gold piece, conspicuously labelled, "I earned this
myself," from Billy, with which to buy music; and a gorgeous cut-glass
perfume bottle, it would have cost five dollars to fill with even a
moderate-priced scent, from Wesley.
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