He feels that now Mr. Ammon will perfectly hate her for coming
down there and driving you away. And you went to give her the chance she
wanted. Oh, Elnora! It is becoming funny! I see it, too!"
The Angel rocked on the bedside. Elnora faced the dark in silence.
"Forgive me," gulped the Angel. "I didn't mean to laugh. I didn't think
it was funny, until all at once it came to me. Oh, dear! Elnora, it
_is_ funny! I've got to laugh!"
"Maybe it is," admitted Elnora "to others; but it isn't very funny to
me. And it won't be to Philip, or to mother."
That was very true. Mrs. Comstock had been slightly prepared for
stringent action of some kind, by what Elnora had said. The mother
instantly had guessed where the girl would go, but nothing was said
to Philip. That would have been to invalidate Elnora's test in the
beginning, and Mrs. Comstock knew her child well enough to know that she
never would marry Philip unless she felt it right that she should. The
only way was to find out, and Elnora had gone to seek the information.
There was nothing to do but wait until she came back, and her mother
was not in the least uneasy but that the girl would return brave and
self-reliant, as always.
Philip Ammon hurried back to the Limberlost, strong in the hope that now
he might take Elnora into his arms and receive her promise to become his
wife. His first shock of disappointment came when he found her gone.
In talking with Mrs.
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