As soon as her work was done she ran down to Sintons’ and began to play, and on Monday the violin went to school with her.  She made arrangements with the superintendent to leave it in his office and scarcely took time for her food at noon, she was so eager to practise.  Often one of the girls asked her to stay in town all night for some lecture or entertainment.  She could take the violin with her, practise, and secure help.  Her skill was so great that the leader of the orchestra offered to give her lessons if she would play to pay for them, so her progress was rapid in technical work.  But from the first day the instrument became hers, with perfect faith that she could play as her father did, she spent half her practice time in imitating the sounds of all outdoors and improvising the songs her happy heart sang in those days.

So the first year went, and the second and third were a repetition; but the fourth was different, for that was the close of the course, ending with graduation and all its attendant ceremonies and expenses.  To Elnora these appeared mountain high.  She had hoarded every cent, thinking twice before she parted with a penny, but teaching natural history in the grades had taken time from her studies in school which must be made up outside.  She was a conscientious student, ranking first in most of her classes, and standing high in all branches.  Her interest in her violin had grown with the years.  She went to school early and practised half an hour in the little room adjoining the stage, while the orchestra gathered.  She put in a full hour at noon, and remained another half hour at night.  She carried the violin to Sintons’ on Saturday and practised all the time she could there, while Margaret watched the road to see that Mrs. Comstock was not coming.  She had become so skilful that it was a delight to hear her play music of any composer, but when she played her own, that was joy inexpressible, for then the wind blew, the water rippled, the Limberlost sang her songs of sunshine, shadow, black storm, and white night.

Since her dream Elnora had regarded her mother with peculiar tenderness.  The girl realized, in a measure, what had happened.  She avoided anything that possibly could stir bitter memories or draw deeper a line on the hard, white face.  This cost many sacrifices, much work, and sometimes delayed progress, but the horror of that awful dream remained with Elnora.  She worked her way cheerfully, doing all she could to interest her mother in things that happened in school, in the city, and by carrying books that were entertaining from the public library.