for the first time). Philip realizes he will never love Edith, leaves home, and proposes to Elnora. On the very afternoon that he gives Elnora an engagement ring, Edith drives up (accompanied by Hart, Polly, and Tom) to the Comstocks' home, in an uninvited visit. When Edith demands to speak to Elnora privately and swears that Elnora will never take Philip from her, Elnora is cool and polite. After Edith and the group, including Philip, leave, Elnora secretly takes off, leaving a note behind showing nothing of her plans and giving Edith the chance to prove that Philip would marry no one else. Elnora travels to stay with the O'Mores (Freckles and the Angel). Philip becomes ill with worry about Elnora. Edith's friend Hart sees Elnora with the O'Mores and convinces Edith to let him send word to Philip of Elnora's whereabouts. Hart persuades Edith to admit that she is wrong and that Philip will marry no one except Elnora. The story ends happily with the joyful reunion, and Edith, determined to change her previously less than noble disposition, does something absolutely wonderful, uncharacteristic, and humble: She finds the moth that Elnora needs, carefully captures it, and brings it to her. In the denouement, it is implied that Edith will marry Hart, just as Philip will marry Elnora. Characters The central character of Stratton-Porter's previous novel, Freckles, is a man whose job it is to patrol and guard valuable timber trees in the Limberlost Swamp. Freckles appears in Girl of the Limberlost as a friend of Elnora. In the film Freckles is an owl. This partial list of characters is taken from the novel, p. xiv. Elnora, who collects moths to pay for her education, and lives the Golden Rule Philip Ammon, who assists in moth hunting, and gains a new conception of love Mrs. Comstock, who lost a delusion and found a treasure Wesley Sinton, who always did his best Margaret Sinton, who "mothers" Elnora Billy, a boy from real life Edith Carr, who discovers herself Polly Ammon, who pays an old score Tom Levering, engaged to Polly Terence O'More, Freckles grown tall The Bird Woman, a friend of Elnora (who stands in for Gene Stratton-Porter herself) Character development Five characters undergo rather harsh development of character: Katharine Comstock, Margaret Sinton, Philip Ammon, Edith Carr, and Elnora herself. Elnora grows from an obedient, if faintly resentful, teenaged high school