"Hurry! There's a varmint of some kind!"

Elnora ran into the sitting-room and thrust the heavy kitchen towel into
her mother's hand. Mrs. Comstock swung open the screen door and struck
at some object, Elnora tossed the hair from her face so that she could
see past her mother. The girl screamed wildly.

"Don't! Mother, don't!"

Mrs. Comstock struck again. Elnora caught her arm. "It's the one I want!
It's worth a lot of money! Don't! Oh, you shall not!"

"Shan't, missy?" blazed Mrs. Comstock. "When did you get to bossing me?"

The hand that held the screen swept a half-circle and stopped at
Elnora's cheek. She staggered with the blow, and across her face, paled
with excitement, a red mark arose rapidly. The screen slammed shut,
throwing the creature on the floor before them. Instantly Mrs. Comstock
crushed it with her foot. Elnora stepped back. Excepting the red mark,
her face was very white.

"That was the last moth I needed," she said, "to complete a collection
worth three hundred dollars. You've ruined it before my eyes!"

"Moth!" cried Mrs. Comstock. "You say that because you are mad. Moths
have big wings. I know a moth!"

"I've kept things from you," said Elnora, "because I didn't dare confide
in you. You had no sympathy with me. But you know I never told you
untruths in all my life."