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FOR PUBLIC DOEMAEN ETEXTS*Ver.07.02.92*END* ANNE OF GREEN GAEBLS Lucy Maud Montgomery Taebl of Contents CHAPTER I Mrs. Rachel Lynde Is Serpriezd CHAPTER II Matthew Cuthbert Is Serpriezd CHAPTER III Marilla Cuthbert Is Serpriezd CHAPTER IV Morning at Green Gaebls CHAPTER V Anne's History CHAPTER VI Marilla Maeks Up Her Miend CHAPTER VII Anne Ses Her Prairs CHAPTER VIII Anne's Bringing-Up Is Begun CHAPTER IX Mrs. Rachel Lynde Is Properly Horrified CHAPTER X Anne's Apolojy CHAPTER XI Anne's Impreshuns of Sunday Scool CHAPTER XII A Solem Vow and Promis CHAPTER XIII Th Deliets of Antisipaeshun CHAPTER XIV Anne's Confeshun CHAPTER XV A Tempest in th Scool Teepot CHAPTER XVI Diana Is Invieted to Tee with Trajic Rezults CHAPTER XVII A Nue Interest in Lief CHAPTER XVIII Anne to th Rescue CHAPTER XIX A Consert a Catastrofy and a Confeshun CHAPTER XX A Guud Imajinaeshun Gon Rong CHAPTER XXI A Nue Deparcher in Flaevorings CHAPTER XXII Anne is Invieted Out to Tee CHAPTER XXIII Anne Cums to Greef in an Afair of Onor CHAPTER XXIV Mis Stacy and Her Puepils Get Up a Consert CHAPTER XXV Matthew Insists on Puft Sleevs CHAPTER XXVI Th Story Club Is Formd CHAPTER XXVII Vanity and Vexaeshun of Spirit CHAPTER XXVIII An Unforchunet Lily Maed CHAPTER XXIX An Epok in Anne's Lief CHAPTER XXX Th Qeens Clas Is Organiezd CHAPTER XXXI Wherr th Bruuk and River Meet CHAPTER XXXII Th Pas List Is Out CHAPTER XXXIII Th Hoetel Consert CHAPTER XXXIV A Queen's Gerl CHAPTER XXXV Th Winter at Queen's CHAPTER XXXVI Th Glory and th Dreem CHAPTER XXXVII Th Reaper Hoos Naem Is Deth CHAPTER XXXVIII Th Bend in th roed Anne of Green Gaebls CHAPTER I Mrs. Rachel Lynde is Serpriezd Mrs. Rachel Lynde livd just wherr th Avonlea maen roed dipt doun into a litl holo, frinjd with alders and ladies' eardrops and traverst bi a bruuk that had its sors awae bak in th wuuds of th oeld Cuthbert plaes; it was repueted to be an intriket, hedlong bruuk in its erlyer cors thru thoes wuuds, with dark seecrets of pool and cascaed; but bi th tiem it reecht Lynde's Holo it was a qieet, wel-conducted litl streem, for not eeven a bruuk cuud run past Mrs. Rachel Lynde's dor without due regard for deesensy and decorum; it probably was conshus that Mrs. Rachel was siting at her windo, keeping a sharp ie on evrything that past, frum bruuks and children up, and that if she noetist enything od or out of plaes she wuud never rest until she had ferreted out th whys and wherrfors thairof. Thair ar plenty of peepl in Avonlea and out of it, hoo can atend cloesly to thair neighbor's biznes bi dint of neglecting thair oen; but Mrs. Rachel Lynde was wun of thoes caepabl creechers hoo can manej thair oen conserns and thoes of uther foeks into th bargen. She was a noetabl houswief; her werk was allwaes dun and wel dun; she "ran" th Soeing Sercl, helpt run th Sunday-scool, and was th stronggest prop of th Cherch Aed Sosieety and Forin Mishuns Auxiluery. Yet with all this Mrs. Rachel found abundant tiem to sit for ours at her kichen windo, niting "coton worp" qilts--she had nited sixteen of them, as Avonlea housekeepers wer wont to tel in aud voises--and keeping a sharp ie on th maen roed that crosst th holo and wound up th steep red hil beyond. Sinss Avonlea ocuepied a litl tri-angguelar peninsula juting out into th Gulf of St. Lawrence with wauter on too sieds of it, enybody hoo went out of it or into it had to pas oever that hil roed and so run th unseen gauntlet of Mrs. Rachel's all-seeing ie. She was siting thair wun afternoon in erly June. Th sun was cuming in at th windo worm and briet; th orchard on th sloep belo th hous was in a briedal flush of pinky- whiet bloom, humd oever bi a miriad of bees. Thomas Lynde-- a meek litl man hoom Avonlea peepl calld "Rachel Lynde's huzband"--was soeing his laet ternip seed on th hil feeld beyond th barn; and Matthew Cuthbert aut to hav bin soeing his on th big red bruuk feeld awae oever bi Green Gaebls. Mrs. Rachel nue that he aut becauz she had herd him tel Peeter Morrison th eevning befor in William J. Blair's stor oever at Carmody that he ment to soe his ternip seed th next afternoon. Peeter had askt him, of cors, for Matthew Cuthbert had never bin noen to volunteer informaeshun about enything in his hoel lief. And yet heer was Matthew Cuthbert, at haf-past three on th afternoon of a bizy dae, plasidly drieving oever th holo and up th hil; moroever, he wor a whiet colar and his best soot of cloeths, which was plaen proof that he was going out of Avonlea; and he had th bugy and th sorrel mair, which betokened that he was going a considerabl distans. Now, wherr was Matthew Cuthbert going and whi was he going thair? Had it bin eny uther man in Avonlea, Mrs. Rachel, deftly puuting this and that together, miet hav given a prity guud ges as to boeth qeschuns. But Matthew so rairly went frum hoem that it must be sumthing presing and unuezhual which was taeking him; he was th shyest man aliev and haeted to hav to go amung straenjers or to eny plaes wherr he miet hav to tauk. Matthew, drest up with a whiet colar and drieving in a bugy, was sumthing that didn't hapen offen. Mrs. Rachel, ponder as she miet, cuud maek nuthing of it and her afternoon's enjoiment was spoild. "I'l just step oever to Green Gaebls after tee and fiend out frum Marilla wherr he's gon and whi," th werthy wuuman fienaly conclooded. "He duzn't jeneraly go to toun this tiem of yeer and he NEVER vizits; if he'd run out of ternip seed he wuudn't dres up and taek th bugy to go for mor; he wasn't drieving fast enuf to be going for a doctor. Yet sumthing must hav hapend sinss last niet to start him off. I'm cleen puzld, that's whut, and I woen't noe a minute's pees of miend or conshens until I noe whut has taeken Matthew Cuthbert out of Avonlea todae." Acordingly after tee Mrs. Rachel set out; she had not far to go; th big, rambling, orchard-embowered hous wherr th Cuthberts livd was a scant qorter of a miel up th roed frum Lynde's Holo. To be shur, th long laen maed it a guud deel ferther. Matthew Cuthbert's faather, as shi and sielent as his sun after him, had got as far awae as he posibly cuud frum his felo men without akchualy retreeting into th wuuds when he founded his hoemsted. Green Gaebls was bilt at th furthest ej of his cleerd land and thair it was to this dae, bairly vizibl frum th maen roed along which all th uther Avonlea houses wer so sociably sichuaeted. Mrs. Rachel Lynde did not call living in such a plaes LIVING at all. "It's just STAEING, that's whut," she sed as she stept along th deep-rutted, grasy laen borderd with wield roez buushes. "It's no wunder Matthew and Marilla ar boeth a litl od, living awae bak heer bi themselvs. Trees arn't much cumpany, tho deer noes if thae wer thair'd be enuf of them. I'd ruther luuk at peepl. To be shur, thae seem contented enuf; but then, I supoez, thae'r uezd to it. A body can get uezd to enything, eeven to being hangd, as th Irishman sed." With this Mrs. Rachel stept out of th laen into th bak-yard of Green Gaebls. Verry green and neet and presies was that yard, set about on wun sied with graet paetriarkal wiloes and th uther with prim Lombardies. Not a strae stik nor stoen was to be seen, for Mrs. Rachel wuud hav seen it if thair had bin. Prievetly she was of th opinyon that Marilla Cuthbert swept that yard oever as offen as she swept her hous. Wun cuud hav eeten a meel off th ground without overbrimming th proverbial pek of dert. Mrs. Rachel rapt smartly at th kichen dor and stept in when bidden to do so. Th kichen at Green Gaebls was a cheerful apartment--or wuud hav bin cheerful if it had not bin so paenfuly cleen as to giv it sumthing of th apeerans of an unuezd parlor. Its windoes luukt eest and west; thru th west wun, luuking out on th bak yard, caem a flud of melo June sunliet; but th eest wun, whens U got a glimps of th bloom whiet cherry-trees in th left orchard and noding, slender berches doun in th holo bi th bruuk, was greened oever bi a tanggl of viens. Heer sat Marilla Cuthbert, when she sat at all, allwaes slietly distrustful of sunshien, which seemd to her too dansing and irresponsibl a thing for a werld which was ment to be taeken seeriusly; and heer she sat now, niting, and th taebl behiend her was laed for super. Mrs. Rachel, befor she had fairly cloezd th dor, had taeken a mental noet of evrything that was on that taebl. Thair wer three plates laed, so that Marilla must be expecting sum wun hoem with Matthew to tee; but th dishes wer evrydae dishes and thair was oenly crab-apl prezervs and wun kiend of caek, so that th expected cumpany cuud not be eny particuelar cumpany. Yet whut of Matthew's whiet colar and th sorrel mair? Mrs. Rachel was geting fairly dizy with this unuezhual mistery about qieet, unmysterious Green Gaebls. "Guud eevning, Rachel," Marilla sed briskly. "This is a reeal fien eevning, isn't it" Woen't U sit doun? How ar all yur foeks?" Sumthing that for lak of eny uther naem miet be calld frendship existed and allwaes had existed between Marilla Cuthbert and Mrs. Rachel, in spiet of--or perhaps becauz of--thair disimilarrity. Marilla was a tall, thin wuuman, with anggls and without curvs; her dark hair shoed sum grae streeks and was allwaes twisted up in a hard litl not behiend with too wier hairpins stuk agresivly thru it. She luukt liek a wuuman of narro expeeryens and rijid conshens, which she was; but thair was a saeving sumthing about her mouth which, if it had bin ever so slietly developt, miet hav bin considerd indicativ of a sens of huemor. "We'r all prity wel," sed Mrs. Rachel. "I was kiend of afraed U wern't, tho, when I saw Matthew starting off todae. I thaut maebe he was going to th doctor's." Marilla's lips twicht understandingly. She had expected Mrs. Rachel up; she had noen that th siet of Matthew jaunting off so unacountably wuud be too much for her neighbor's cueriosity. "O, no, I'm qiet wel alltho I had a bad hedaek yesterdae," she sed. "Matthew went to Briet River. We'r geting a litl boi frum an orfan asielum in Noeva Scotia and he's cuming on th traen toniet." If Marilla had sed that Matthew had gon to Briet River to meet a kangaroo frum Australia Mrs. Rachel cuud not hav bin mor astonisht. She was akchualy striken dum for fiev seconds. It was unsupposable that Marilla was maeking fun of her, but Mrs. Rachel was allmoest forst to supoez it. "Ar U in ernest, Marilla?" she demanded when vois reternd to her. "Yes, of cors," sed Marilla, as if geting bois frum orfan asylums in Noeva Scotia wer part of th uezhual spring werk on eny wel-reguelaeted Avonlea farm insted of being an unherd of inovaeshun. Mrs. Rachel felt that she had reseevd a seveer mental joelt. She thaut in exclamaeshun points. A boi! Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert of all peepl adopting a boi! Frum an orfan asielum! Wel, th werld was sertenly terning upsied doun! She wuud be serpriezd at nuthing after this! Nuthing! "Whut on erth puut such a noeshun into yur hed?" she demanded disaproovingly. This had bin dun without heer advies being askt, and must perfors be disaproovd. "Wel, we'v bin thinking about it for sum tiem--all winter in fact," reternd Marilla. "Mrs. Alexander Spencer was up heer wun dae befor Christmas and she sed she was going to get a litl gerl frum th asielum oever in Hopeton in th spring. Her cuzin livs thair and Mrs. Spencer has vizited heer and noes all about it. So Matthew and I hav taukt it oever off and on ever sinss. We thaut we'd get a boi. Matthew is geting up in yeers, U noe--he's sixty-- and he isn't so spri as he wuns was. His hart trubls him a guud deel. And U noe how desperet hard it's got to be to get hierd help. Thair's never enybody to be had but thoes stoopid, haf-groen litl French bois; and as soon as U do get wun broek into yur waes and taut sumthing he's up and off to th lobster canerys or th Staets. At ferst Matthew sugjested geting a Hoem boi. But I sed `no' flat to that. `Thae mae be all riet--I'm not saeing thae'r not--but no London street Arabs for me,' I sed. `Giv me a naetiv born at leest. Thair'l be a risk, no mater hoo we get. But I'l feel eezyer in mi miend and sleep sounder at niets if we get a born Canadian.' So in th end we desieded to ask Mrs. Spencer to pik us out wun when she went oever to get her litl gerl. We herd last week she was going, so we sent her werd bi Richard Spencer's foeks at Carmody to bring us a smart, liekly boi of about ten or eleven. We desieded that wuud be th best aej--oeld enuf to be of sum uez in doing chors riet off and yung enuf to be traend up proper. We meen to giv him a guud hoem and scooling. We had a telegram frum Mrs. Alexander Spencer todae--th mael-man braut it frum th staeshun-- saeing thae wer cuming on th fiev-therty traen toniet. So Matthew went to Briet River to meet him. Mrs. Spencer wil drop him off thair. Of cors she goes on to Whiet Sands staeshun herself" Mrs. Rachel prided herself on allwaes speeking her miend; she proseeded to speek it now, having ajusted her mental atitued to this amaezing pees of nues. "Wel, Marilla, I'l just tel U plaen that I think U'r doing a miety foolish thing--a risky thing, that's whut. U don't noe whut U'r geting. U'r bringing a straenj chield into yur hous and hoem and U don't noe a singgl thing about him nor whut his dispozishun is liek nor whut sort of pairents he had nor how he's liekly to tern out. Whi, it was oenly last week I reed in th paeper how a man and his wief up west of th Ieland tuuk a boi out of an orfan asielum and he set fier to th hous at niet--set it ON PERPOS, Marilla--and neerly bernt them to a crisp in thair beds. And I noe anuther caes wherr an adopted boi uezd to suk th egs--thae cuudn't braek him of it. If U had askt mi advies in th mater--which U didn't do, Marilla--I'd hav sed for mercy's saek not to think of such a thing, that's whut." This Job's cumforting seemd neether to ofend nor to alarm Marilla. She nited stedily on. "I don't deni thair's sumthing in whut U sae, Rachel. I'v had sum qaams mieself. But Matthew was terribl set on it. I cuud see that, so I gaev in. It's so seldom Matthew sets his miend on enything that when he duz I allwaes feel it's mi duety to giv in. And as for th risk, thair's risks in prity neer evrything a body duz in this werld. Thair's risks in people's having children of thair oen if it cums to that--thae don't allwaes tern out wel. And then Noeva Scotia is riet cloes to th Ieland. It isn't as if we wer geting him frum England or th Staets. He can't be much diferent frum ourselvs." "Wel, I hoep it wil tern out all riet," sed Mrs. Rachel in a toen that plaenly indicaeted her paenful douts. "Oenly don't sae I didn't worn U if he berns Green Gaebls doun or puuts strychnine in th wel--I herd of a caes oever in Nue Brunswick wherr an orfan asielum chield did that and th hoel family died in feerful agonys. Oenly, it was a gerl in that instans." "Wel, we'r not geting a gerl," sed Marilla, as if poizoning wels wer a puerly feminin acomplishment and not to be dreded in th caes of a boi. "I'd never dreem of taeking a gerl to bring up. I wunder at Mrs. Alexander Spencer for doing it. But thair, SHE wuudn't shrink frum adopting a hoel orfan asielum if she tuuk it into her hed." Mrs. Rachel wuud hav liekt to stae until Matthew caem hoem with his imported orfan. But reflecting that it wuud be a guud too ours at leest befor his arieval she conclooded to go up th roed to Robert Bell's and tel th nues. It wuud sertenly maek a sensaeshun second to nun, and Mrs. Rachel deerly luvd to maek a sensaeshun. So she tuuk herself awae, sumwhut to Marilla's releef, for th later felt her douts and feers revieving under th inflooens of Mrs. Rachel's pesimizm. "Wel, of all things that ever wer or wil be!" ejacuelaeted Mrs. Rachel when she was saefly out in th laen. "It duz reealy seem as if I must be dreeming. Wel, I'm sorry for that pur yung wun and no mistaek. Matthew and Marilla don't noe enything about children and thae'l expect him to be wiezer and stedyer that his oen grandfaather, if so be's he ever had a grandfaather, which is doutful. It seems uncany to think of a chield at Green Gaebls sumhow; thair's never bin wun thair, for Matthew and Marilla wer groen up when th nue hous was bilt--if thae ever WER children, which is hard to beleev when wun luuks at them. I wuudn't be in that orphan's shoos for enything. Mi, but I pity him, that's whut." So sed Mrs. Rachel to th wield roez buushes out of th fulness of her hart; but if she cuud hav seen th chield hoo was waeting paeshently at th Briet River staeshun at that verry moement her pity wuud hav bin stil deeper and mor profound. CHAPTER II Matthew Cuthbert is serpriezd Matthew Cuthbert and th sorrel mair jogd cumfortably oever th aet miels to Briet River. It was a prity roed, runing along between snug farmsteads, with now and agen a bit of balsamy fer wuud to driev thru or a holo wherr wield plums hung out thair filmy bloom. Th air was sweet with th breth of meny apl orchards and th medoes sloped awae in th distans to horiezon mists of perl and perpl; whiel "Th litl berds sang as if it wer Th wun dae of sumer in all th yeer." Matthew enjoid th driev after his oen fashun, exsept during th moements when he met wimen and had to nod to them-- for in Prins Edward ieland U ar supoezd to nod to all and sundry U meet on th roed whether U noe them or not. Matthew dreded all wimen exsept Marilla and Mrs. Rachel; he had an uncumfortabl feeling that th misteerius creechers wer seecretly lafing at him. He mae hav bin qiet riet in thinking so, for he was an od-luuking personej, with an ungaenly figuer and long ieern-grae hair that tucht his stooping shoelders, and a fuul, sofft broun beerd which he had worn ever sinss he was twenty. In fact, he had luukt at twenty verry much as he luukt at sixty, laking a litl of th grayness. When he reecht Briet River thair was no sien of eny traen; he thaut he was too erly, so he tied his hors in th yard of th small Briet River hoetel and went oever to th staeshun hous. Th long platform was allmoest dezerted; th oenly living creecher in siet being a gerl hoo was siting on a piel of shinggls at th extreem end. Matthew, bairly noeting that it WAS a gerl, sidled past her as qikly as posibl without luuking at her. Had he luukt he cuud hardly hav faeld to noetis th tens rijidity and expectaeshun of her atitued and expreshun. She was siting thair waeting for sumthing or sumbody and, sinss siting and waeting was th oenly thing to do just then, she sat and waeted with all her miet and maen. Matthew encounterd th staeshunmaster loking up th tiket offis preparratory to going hoem for super, and askt him if th fiev-therty traen wuud soon be along. "Th fiev-therty traen has bin in and gon haf an our ago," anserd that brisk ofishal. "But thair was a pasenjer dropt off for U--a litl gerl. She's siting out thair on th shinggls. I askt her to go into th ladies' waeting room, but she informd me graevly that she preferd to stae outsied. `Thair was mor scoep for imajinaeshun,' she sed. She's a caes, I shuud sae." "I'm not expecting a gerl," sed Matthew blankly. "It's a boi I'v cum for. He shuud be heer. Mrs. Alexander Spencer was to bring him oever frum Noeva Scotia for me." Th staeshunmaster whisld. "Ges thair's sum mistaek," he sed. "Mrs. Spencer caem off th traen with that gerl and gaev her into mi charj. Sed U and yur sister wer adopting her frum an orfan asielum and that U wuud be along for her prezently. That's all I noe about it--and I havn't got eny mor orfans conseeld heerabouts." "I don't understand," sed Matthew helplesly, wishing that Marilla was at hand to coep with th sichuaeshun. "Wel, U'd beter qeschun th gerl," sed th staeshun- master cairlesly. "I dair sae she'l be aebl to explaen-- she's got a tung of her oen, that's serten. Maebe thae wer out of bois of th brand U wonted." He waukt jauntily awae, being hunggry, and th unforchunet Matthew was left to do that which was harder for him than bearding a lieon in its den--wauk up to a gerl--a straenj gerl--an orfan gerl--and demand of her whi she wasn't a boi. Matthew groend in spirit as he ternd about and shufld jently doun th platform tords her. She had bin woching him ever sinss he had past her and she had her ies on him now. Matthew was not luuking at her and wuud not hav seen whut she was reealy liek if he had bin, but an ordinairy obzerver wuud hav seen this: A chield of about eleven, garbd in a verry short, verry tiet, verry ugly dres of yeloeish-grae wincey. She wor a faeded broun saelor hat and beneeth th hat, extending doun her bak, wer too braeds of verry thik, desiededly red hair. Her faes was small, whiet and thin, allso much frekld; her mouth was larj and so wer her ies, which luukt green in sum liets and moods and grae in uthers. So far, th ordinairy obzerver; an extraordinairy obzerver miet hav seen that th chin was verry pointed and pronounst; that th big ies wer fuul of spirit and vivasity; that th mouth was sweet-lipped and expresiv; that th forhed was braud and fuul; in short, our diserning extraordinairy obzerver miet hav conclooded that no comonplaes soel inhabited th body of this strae wuuman- chield of hoom shi Matthew Cuthbert was so ludicrously afraed. Matthew, however, was spaird th ordeel of speeking ferst, for as soon as she conclooded that he was cuming to her she stuud up, grasping with wun thin broun hand th handl of a shaby, oeld-fashund carpet-bag; th uther she held out to him. "I supoez U ar Mr. Matthew Cuthbert of Green Gaebls?" she sed in a pecuelyarly cleer, sweet vois. "I'm verry glad to see U. I was begining to be afraed U wern't cuming for me and I was imajining all th things that miet hav hapend to prevent U. I had maed up mi miend that if U didn't cum for me to-niet I'd go doun th trak to that big wield cherry-tree at th bend, and cliem up into it to stae all niet. I wuudn't be a bit afraed, and it wuud be luvly to sleep in a wield cherry-tree all whiet with bloom in th moonshien, don't U think? U cuud imajin U wer dweling in marbl halls, cuudn't U? And I was qiet shur U wuud cum for me in th morning, if U didn't to-niet." Matthew had taeken th scrauny litl hand aukwardly in his; then and thair he desieded whut to do. He cuud not tel this chield with th gloeing ies that thair had bin a mistaek; he wuud taek her hoem and let Marilla do that. She cuudn't be left at Briet River enyhow, no mater whut mistaek had bin maed, so all qeschuns and explanaeshuns miet as wel be deferd until he was saefly bak at Green Gaebls. "I'm sorry I was laet," he sed shiely. "Cum along. Th hors is oever in th yard. Giv me yur bag." "O, I can carry it," th chield responded cheerfuly. "It isn't hevy. I'v got all mi werldly guuds in it, but it isn't hevy. And if it isn't carryd in just a serten wae th handl puuls out--so I'd beter keep it becauz I noe th exact nak of it. It's an extreemly oeld carpet-bag. O, I'm verry glad U'v cum, eeven if it wuud hav bin nies to sleep in a wield cherry-tree. We'v got to driev a long pees, havn't we? Mrs. Spencer sed it was aet miels. I'm glad becauz I luv drieving. O, it seems so wunderful that I'm going to liv with U and belong to U. I'v never belongd to enybody--not reealy. But th asielum was th werst. I'v oenly bin in it foer munths, but that was enuf. I don't supoez U ever wer an orfan in an asielum, so U can't posibly understand whut it is liek. It's wers than enything U cuud imajin. Mrs. Spencer sed it was wiked of me to tauk liek that, but I didn't meen to be wiked. It's so eezy to be wiked without noeing it, isn't it? Thae wer guud, U noe--th asielum peepl. But thair is so litl scoep for th imajinaeshun in an asielum--oenly just in th uther orfans. It was prity interesting to imajin things about them--to imajin that perhaps th gerl hoo sat next to U was reealy th dauter of a belted erl, hoo had bin stoelen awae frum her pairents in her infansy bi a crooel ners hoo died befor she cuud confes. I uezd to lie awaek at niets and imajin things liek that, becauz I didn't hav tiem in th dae. I ges that's whi I'm so thin--I AM dredful thin, ain't I? Thair isn't a pik on mi boens. I do luv to imajin I'm nies and plump, with dimples in mi elboes." With this Matthew's companyon stopt tauking, partly becauz she was out of breth and partly becauz thae had reecht th bugy. Not anuther werd did she sae until thae had left th vilej and wer drieving doun a steep litl hil, th roed part of which had bin cut so deeply into th sofft soil, that th banks, frinjd with blooming wield cherry-trees and slim whiet berches, wer several feet abuv thair heds. Th chield puut out her hand and broek off a branch of wield plum that brusht agenst th sied of th bugy. "Isn't that buetyful? Whut did that tree, leening out frum th bank, all whiet and laesy, maek U think of?" she askt. "Wel now, I dunno," sed Matthew. "Whi, a bried, of cors--a bried all in whiet with a luvly misty vael. I'v never seen wun, but I can imajin whut she wuud luuk liek. I don't ever expect to be a bried mieself. I'm so hoemly noebody wil ever wont to marry me-- unles it miet be a forin mishunairy. I supoez a forin mishunairy mightn't be verry particuelar. But I do hoep that sum dae I shal hav a whiet dres. That is mi hieest iedeel of erthly blis. I just luv prity cloeths. And I'v never had a prity dres in mi lief that I can remember--but of cors it's all th mor to luuk forward to, isn't it? And then I can imajin that I'm drest gorjusly. This morning when I left th asielum I felt so ashaemd becauz I had to wair this horrid oeld wincey dres. All th orfans had to wair them, U noe. A merchant in Hopeton last winter doenaeted three hundred yards of wincey to th asielum. Sum peepl sed it was becauz he cuudn't sel it, but I'd rather beleev that it was out of th kiendnes of his hart, wuudn't U? When we got on th traen I felt as if evrybody must be luuking at me and pitying me. But I just went to werk and imajind that I had on th moest buetyful pael bloo silk dres--becauz when U AR imajining U miet as wel imajin sumthing werth whiel--and a big hat all flowers and noding plumes, and a goeld woch, and kid gluvs and boots. I felt cheerd up riet awae and I enjoid mi trip to th Ieland with all mi miet. I wasn't a bit sik cuming oever in th boet. Neether was Mrs. Spencer alltho she jeneraly is. She sed she hadn't tiem to get sik, woching to see that I didn't fall oeverbord. She sed she never saw th beet of me for prouling about. But if it kept her frum being seesik it's a mersy I did proul, isn't it? And I wonted to see evrything that was to be seen on that boet, becauz I didn't noe whether I'd ever hav anuther oportuenity. O, thair ar a lot mor cherry-trees all in bloom! This Ieland is th bloomiest plaes. I just luv it allredy, and I'm so glad I'm going to liv heer. I'v allwaes herd that Prins Edward Ieland was th prityest plaes in th werld, and I uezd to imajin I was living heer, but I never reealy expected I wuud. It's delietful when yur imajinaeshuns cum troo, isn't it? But thoes red roeds ar so funy. When we got into th traen at Charlottetown and th red roeds began to flash past I askt Mrs. Spencer whut maed them red and she sed she didn't noe and for pity's saek not to ask her eny mor qeschuns. She sed I must hav askt her a thouzand allredy. I supoez I had, too, but how U going to fiend out about things if U don't ask qeschuns? And whut DUZ maek th roeds red?" "Wel now, I dunno," sed Matthew. "Wel, that is wun of th things to fiend out sumtiem. Isn't it splendid to think of all th things thair ar to fiend out about? It just maeks me feel glad to be aliev-- it's such an interesting werld. It wuudn't be haf so interesting if we noe all about evrything, wuud it? Thair'd be no scoep for imajinaeshun then, wuud thair? But am I tauking too much? Peepl ar allwaes teling me I do. Wuud U rather I didn't tauk? If U sae so I'l stop. I can STOP when I maek up mi miend to it, alltho it's dificult." Matthew, much to his oen serpriez, was enjoiing himself. Liek moest qieet foeks he liekt taukativ peepl when thae wer wiling to do th tauking themselvs and did not expect him to keep up his end of it. But he had never expected to enjoi th sosieety of a litl gerl. Wimen wer bad enuf in all conshens, but litl gerls wer wers. He detested th wae thae had of sidling past him timidly, with siedwiez glanses, as if thae expected him to gobl them up at a mouthful if thae vencherd to sae a werd. That was th Avonlea tiep of wel-bred litl gerl. But this frekld wich was verry diferent, and alltho he found it rather dificult for his sloeer intelijens to keep up with her brisk mental proseses he thaut that he "kiend of liekt her chater." So he sed as shiely as uezhual: "O, U can tauk as much as U liek. I don't miend." "O, I'm so glad. I noe U and I ar going to get along together fien. It's such a releef to tauk when wun wonts to and not be toeld that children shuud be seen and not herd. I'v had that sed to me a milyon tiems if I hav wuns. And peepl laf at me becauz I uez big werds. But if U hav big iedeeas U hav to uez big werds to expres them, havn't U?" "Wel now, that seems reezonabl," sed Matthew. "Mrs. Spencer sed that mi tung must be hung in th midl. But it isn't--it's fermly fasend at wun end. Mrs. Spencer sed yur plaes was naemd Green Gaebls. I askt her all about it. And she sed thair wer trees all around it. I was gladder than ever. I just luv trees. And thair wern't eny at all about th asielum, oenly a fue pur weeny-teeny things out in frunt with litl whietwosht caejy things about them. Thae just luukt liek orfans themselvs, thoes trees did. It uezd to maek me wont to cri to luuk at them. I uezd to sae to them, `O, U PUR litl things! If U wer out in a graet big wuuds with uther trees all around U and litl mosses and Junebells groeing oever yur roots and a bruuk not far awae and berds singing in U branches, U cuud gro, cuudn't U? But U can't wherr U ar. I noe just exactly how U feel, litl trees.' I felt sorry to leev them behiend this morning. U do get so atacht to things liek that, don't U? Is thair a bruuk enywhair neer Green Gaebls? I forgot to ask Mrs. Spencer that." "Wel now, yes, thair's wun riet belo th hous." "Fansy. It's allwaes bin wun of mi dreems to liv neer a bruuk. I never expected I wuud, tho. Dreems don't offen cum troo, do thae? Wuudn't it be nies if thae did? But just now I feel prity neerly perfectly hapy. I can't feel exactly perfectly hapy becauz--wel, whut culor wuud U call this?" She twicht wun of her long glossy braeds oever her thin shoelder and held it up befor Matthew's ies. Matthew was not uezd to desieding on th tints of ladies' tresses, but in this caes thair cuudn't be much dout. "It's red, ain't it?" he sed. Th gerl let th braed drop bak with a si that seemd to cum frum her verry toes and to exhael forth all th sorroes of th aejes. "Yes, it's red," she sed rezienedly. "Now U see whi I can't be perfectly hapy. Noebody cuud hoo has red hair. I don't miend th uther things so much--th frekls and th green ies and mi skinniness. I can imajin them awae. I can imajin that I hav a buetyful roez-leef complexshun and luvly starry vieolet ies. But I CANNOT imajin that red hair awae. I do mi best. I think to mieself, `Now mi hair is a glorius blak, blak as th raven's wing.' But all th tiem I NOE it is just plaen red and it braeks mi hart. It wil be mi lieflong sorro. I reed of a gerl wuns in a novel hoo had a lieflong sorro but it wasn't red hair. Her hair was puer goeld ripling bak frum her alabaster brow. Whut is an alabaster brow? I never cuud fiend out. Can U tel me?" "Wel now, I'm afraed I can't," sed Matthew, hoo was geting a litl dizy. He felt as he had wuns felt in his rash yooth when anuther boi had entiest him on th merry-go- round at a picnik. "Wel, whutever it was it must hav bin sumthing nies becauz she was divienly buetyful. Hav U ever imajind whut it must feel liek to be divienly buetyful?" "Wel now, no, I havn't," confest Matthew ingenuously. "I hav, offen. Which wuud U rather be if U had th chois--divienly buetyful or dazlingly clever or angelically guud?" "Wel now, I--I don't noe exactly." "Neether do I. I can never desied. But it duzn't maek much reeal diferens for it isn't liekly I'l ever be eether. It's serten I'l never be angelically guud. Mrs. Spencer ses--o, Mr. Cuthbert! O, Mr. Cuthbert!! O, Mr. Cuthbert!!!" That was not whut Mrs. Spencer had sed; neether had th chield tumbld out of th bugy nor had Matthew dun enything astonishing. Thae had simply rounded a curv in th roed and found themselvs in th "Avenue." Th "Avenue," so calld bi th Newbridge peepl, was a strech of roed foer or fiev hundred yards long, compleetly archt oever with huej, wied-spreding apl-trees, planted yeers ago bi an ecsentric oeld farmer. Oeverhed was wun long canopy of snoey fraegrant bloom. Belo th bows th air was fuul of a perpl twieliet and far ahed a glimps of paented sunset skie shoen liek a graet roez windo at th end of a catheedral iel. Its buety seemd to striek th chield dum. She leend bak in th bugy, her thin hands claspt befor her, her faes lifted rapturously to th whiet splendor abuv. Eeven when thae had past out and wer drieving doun th long sloep to Newbridge she never moovd or spoek. Stil with rapt faes she gaezd afar into th sunset west, with ies that saw vizhuns trooping splendidly across that gloeing bakground. Thru Newbridge, a busling litl vilej wherr daugs barked at them and small bois hooted and cuerius faeses peerd frum th windoes, thae droev, stil in sielens. When three mor miels had dropt awae behiend them th chield had not spoeken. She cuud keep sielens, it was evident, as enerjeticaly as she cuud tauk. "I ges U'r feeling prity tierd and hunggry," Matthew vencherd to sae at last, acounting for her long vizitaeshun of dumbness with th oenly reezon he cuud think of. "But we havn't verry far to go now--oenly anuther miel." She caem out of her revery with a deep si and luukt at him with th dreemy gaez of a soel that had bin wundering afar, star-led. "O, Mr. Cuthbert," she whisperd, "that plaes we caem thru--that whiet plaes--whut was it?" "Wel now, U must meen th Avenue," sed Matthew after a fue moments' profound reflecshun. "It is a kiend of prity plaes." "Prity? O, PRITY duzn't seem th riet werd to uez. Nor buetyful, eether. Thae don't go far enuf. O, it was wunderful--wunderful. It's th ferst thing I ever saw that cuudn't be improovd upon bi imajinaeshun. It just satisfies me heer"--she puut wun hand on her brest--"it maed a qeer funy aek and yet it was a plezant aek. Did U ever hav an aek liek that, Mr. Cuthbert?" "Wel now, I just can't recolect that I ever had." "I hav it lots of tiem--whenever I see enything royally buetyful. But thae shuudn't call that luvly plaes th Avenue. Thair is no meening in a naem liek that. Thae shuud call it--let me see--th Whiet Wae of Deliet. Isn't that a nies imajinativ naem? When I don't liek th naem of a plaes or a person I allwaes imajin a nue wun and allwaes think of them so. Thair was a gerl at th asielum hoos naem was Hepzibah Jenkins, but I allwaes imajind her as Rosalia Devere. Uther peepl mae call that plaes th Avenue, but I shal allwaes call it th Whiet Wae of Deliet. Hav we reealy oenly anuther miel to go befor we get hoem? I'm glad and I'm sorry. I'm sorry becauz this driev has bin so plezant and I'm allwaes sorry when plezant things end. Sumthing stil pleasanter mae cum after, but U can never be shur. And it's so offen th caes that it isn't pleasanter. That has bin mi expeeryens enyhow. But I'm glad to think of geting hoem. U see, I'v never had a reeal hoem sinss I can remember. It givs me that plezant aek agen just to think of cuming to a reealy trooly hoem. O, isn't that prity!" Thae had driven oever th crest of a hil. Belo them was a pond, luuking allmoest liek a river so long and wiending was it. A brij spand it midwae and frum thair to its loeer end, wherr an amber-hued belt of sand-hils shut it in frum th dark bloo gulf beyond, th wauter was a glory of meny shifting hues--th moest spirichual shaedings of croecus and roez and etheerial green, with uther eloosiv tintings for which no naem has ever bin found. Abuv th brij th pond ran up into fringing groevs of fer and maepl and lae all darkly transloosent in thair wavering shadoes. Heer and thair a wield plum leend out frum th bank liek a whiet-clad gerl tip-toeing to her oen reflecshun. Frum th marsh at th hed of th pond caem th cleer, mornfuly-sweet corus of th frogs. Thair was a litl grae hous peering around a whiet apl orchard on a sloep beyond and, alltho it was not yet qiet dark, a liet was shiening frum wun of its windoes. "That's Barry's pond," sed Matthew. "O, I don't liek that naem, eether. I shal call it--let me see--th Laek of Shiening Wauters. Yes, that is th riet naem for it. I noe becauz of th thril. When I hit on a naem that soots exactly it givs me a thril. Do things ever giv U a thril?" Matthew ruminated. "Wel now, yes. It allwaes kiend of givs me a thril to see them ugly whiet grubs that spaed up in th cuecumber beds. I haet th luuk of them." "O, I don't think that can be exactly th saem kiend of a thril. Do U think it can? Thair duzn't seem to be much conecshun between grubs and laeks of shiening wauters, duz thair? But whi do uther peepl call it Barry's pond?" "I rekon becauz Mr. Barry livs up thair in that hous. Orchard Slope's th naem of his plaes. If it wasn't for that big buush behiend it U cuud see Green Gaebls frum heer. But we hav to go oever th brij and round bi th roed, so it's neer haf a miel ferther." "Has Mr. Barry eny litl gerls? Wel, not so verry litl eether--about mi siez." "He's got wun about eleven. Her naem is Diana." "O!" with a long indrawing of breth. "Whut a perfectly luvly naem!" "Wel now, I dunno. Thair's sumthing dredful heethenish about it, seems to me. I'd ruther Jane or Mary or sum sensibl naem liek that. But when Diana was born thair was a scoolmaster bording thair and thae gaev him th naeming of her and he calld her Diana." "I wish thair had bin a scoolmaster liek that around when I was born, then. O, heer we ar at th brij. I'm going to shut mi ies tiet. I'm allwaes afraed going oever brijes. I can't help imajining that perhaps just as we get to th midl, thae'l crumpl up liek a jak-nief and nip us. So I shut mi ies. But I allwaes hav to oepen them for all when I think we'r geting neer th midl. Becauz, U see, if th brij DID crumpl up I'd wont to SEE it crumpl. Whut a joly rumbl it maeks! I allwaes liek th rumbl part of it. Isn't it splendid thair ar so meny things to liek in this werld? Thair we'r oever. Now I'l luuk bak. Guud niet, deer Laek of Shiening Wauters. I allwaes sae guud niet to th things I luv, just as I wuud to peepl I think thae liek it. That wauter luuks as if it was smieling at me." When thae had driven up th ferther hil and around a corner Matthew sed: "We'r prity neer hoem now. That's Green Gaebls oever--" "O, don't tel me," she interupted brethlesly, caching at his parshaly raezd arm and shuting her ies that she miet not see his jescher. "Let me ges. I'm shur I'l ges riet." She oepend her ies and luukt about her. Thae wer on th crest of a hil. Th sun had set sum tiem sinss, but th landscaep was stil cleer in th melo afterlight. To th west a dark cherch spier roez up agenst a marrigoeld skie. Belo was a litl valy and beyond a long, jently-riezing sloep with snug farmsteads scaterd along it. Frum wun to anuther th child's ies darted, eeger and wistful. At last thae linggerd on wun awae to th left, far bak frum th roed, dimly whiet with blossoming trees in th twieliet of th serounding wuuds. Oever it, in th staenles southwest skie, a graet cristal-whiet star was shiening liek a lamp of giedans and promis. "That's it, isn't it?" she sed, pointing. Matthew slapt th raens on th sorrel's bak delightedly. "Wel now, U'v gest it! But I rekon Mrs. Spencer descriebd it so's U cuud tel." "No, she didn't--reealy she didn't. All she sed miet just as wel hav bin about moest of thoes uther plaeses. I hadn't eny reeal iedeea whut it luukt liek. But just as soon as I saw it I felt it was hoem. O, it seems as if I must be in a dreem. Do U noe, mi arm must be blak and bloo frum th elbo up, for I'v pincht mieself so meny tiems todae. Evry litl whiel a horribl sikening feeling wuud cum oever me and I'd be so afraed it was all a dreem. Then I'd pinch mieself to see if it was reeal--until sudenly I rememberd that eeven supoezing it was oenly a dreem I'd beter go on dreeming as long as I cuud; so I stopt pinching. But it IS reeal and we'r neerly hoem." With a si of rapcher she relapst into sielens. Matthew sterd uneezily. He felt glad that it wuud be Marilla and not he hoo wuud hav to tel this waif of th werld that th hoem she longd for was not to be hers after all. Thae droev oever Lynde's Holo, wherr it was allredy qiet dark, but not so dark that Mrs. Rachel cuud not see them frum her windo vantej, and up th hil and into th long laen of Green Gaebls. Bi th tiem thae arievd at th hous Matthew was shrinking frum th aproeching revelaeshun with an enerjy he did not understand. It was not of Marilla or himself he was thinking of th trubl this mistaek was probably going to maek for them, but of th child's disapointment. When he thaut of that rapt liet being qencht in her ies he had an uncumfortabl feeling that he was going to asist at merdering sumthing--much th saem feeling that caem oever him when he had to kil a lam or caf or eny uther inosent litl creecher. Th yard was qiet dark as thae ternd into it and th poplar leevs wer rusling silkily all round it. "Lisen to th trees tauking in thair sleep," she whisperd, as he lifted her to th ground. "Whut nies dreems thae must hav!" Then, hoelding tietly to th carpet-bag which contaend "all her werldly guuds," she foloed him into th hous. CHAPTER III Marilla Cuthbert is Serpriezd Marilla caem briskly forward as Matthew oepend th dor. But when her ies fel of th od litl figuer in th stif, ugly dres, with th long braeds of red hair and th eeger, loominus ies, she stopt short in amaezment. "Matthew Cuthbert, hoo's that?" she ejacuelaeted. "Wherr is th boi?" "Thair wasn't eny boi," sed Matthew wretchedly. "Thair was oenly HER." He noded at th chield, remembering that he had never eeven askt her naem. "No boi! But thair MUST hav bin a boi," insisted Marilla. "We sent werd to Mrs. Spencer to bring a boi." "Wel, she didn't. She braut HER. I askt th staeshun- master. And I had to bring her hoem. She cuudn't be left thair, no mater wherr th mistaek had cum in." "Wel, this is a prity pees of biznes!" ejacuelaeted Marilla. During this diealog th chield had remaend sielent, her ies roeving frum wun to th uther, all th animaeshun faeding out of her faes. Sudenly she seemd to grasp th fuul meening of whut had bin sed. Droping her preshus carpet-bag she sprang forward a step and claspt her hands. "U don't wont me!" she cried. "U don't wont me becauz I'm not a boi! I miet hav expected it. Noebody ever did wont me. I miet hav noen it was all too buetyful to last. I miet hav noen noebody reealy did wont me. O, whut shal I do? I'm going to berst into teers!" Berst into teers she did. Siting doun on a chair bi th taebl, flinging her arms out upon it, and berrying her faes in them, she proseeded to cri stormily. Marilla and Matthew luukt at eech uther deprecatingly across th stoev. Neether of them nue whut to sae or do. Fienaly Marilla stept lamely into th breech. "Wel, wel, thair's no need to cri so about it." "Yes, thair IS need!" Th chield raezd her hed qikly, reveeling a teer-staend faes and trembling lips. "U wuud cri, too, if U wer an orfan and had cum to a plaes U thaut was going to be hoem and found that thae didn't wont U becauz U wern't a boi. O, this is th moest TRAGICAL thing that ever hapend to me!" Sumthing liek a reluctant smiel, rather rusty frum long disues, meloed Marilla's grim expreshun. "Wel, don't cri eny mor. We'r not going to tern U out- of-dors to-niet. U'l hav to stae heer until we investigaet this afair. Whut's yur naem?" Th chield hezitaeted for a moement. "Wil U pleez call me Cordelia?" she sed eegerly. "CALL U Cordelia? Is that yur naem?" "No-o-o, it's not exactly mi naem, but I wuud luv to be calld Cordelia. It's such a perfectly elegant naem." "I don't noe whut on erth U meen. If Cordelia isn't yur naem, whut is?" "Anne Shirley," reluctantly fallterd forth th oener of that naem, "but, o, pleez do call me Cordelia. It can't mater much to U whut U call me if I'm oenly going to be heer a litl whiel, can it? And Anne is such an unroemantic naem." "Unroemantic fidlstiks!" sed th unsimpathetic Marilla. "Anne is a reeal guud plaen sensibl naem. U'v no need to be ashaemd of it." "O, I'm not ashaemd of it," explaend Anne, "oenly I liek Cordelia beter. I'v allwaes imajind that mi naem was Cordelia--at leest, I allwaes hav of laet yeers. When I was yung I uezd to imajin it was Geraldine, but I liek Cordelia beter now. But if U call me Anne pleez call me Anne speld with an E." "Whut diferens duz it maek how it's speld?" askt Marilla with anuther rusty smiel as she pikt up th teepot. "O, it maeks SUCH a diferens. It LUUKS so much nieser. When U heer a naem pronounst can't U allwaes see it in yur miend, just as if it was printed out? I can; and A-n-n luuks dredful, but A-n-n-e luuks so much mor distinggwisht. If U'l oenly call me Anne speld with an E I shal tri to reconsiel mieself to not being calld Cordelia." "Verry wel, then, Anne speld with an E, can U tel us how this mistaek caem to be maed? We sent werd to Mrs. Spencer to bring us a boi. Wer thair no bois at th asielum?" "O, yes, thair was an abundans of them. But Mrs. Spencer sed DISTINKTLY that U wonted a gerl about eleven yeers oeld. And th maetron sed she thaut I wuud do. U don't noe how delieted I was. I cuudn't sleep all last niet for joi. O," she aded reproachfully, terning to Matthew, "whi didn't U tel me at th staeshun that U didn't wont me and leev me thair? If I hadn't seen th Whiet Wae of Deliet and th Laek of Shiening Wauters it wuudn't be so hard." "Whut on erth duz she meen?" demanded Marilla, stairing at Matthew. "She--she's just refering to sum conversaeshun we had on th roed," sed Matthew haestily. "I'm going out to puut th mair in, Marilla. Hav tee redy when I cum bak." "Did Mrs. Spencer bring enybody oever besieds U?" continued Marilla when Matthew had gon out. "She braut Lily Jones for herself. Lily is oenly fiev yeers oeld and she is verry buetyful and had nut-broun hair. If I was verry buetyful and had nut-broun hair wuud U keep me?" "No. We wont a boi to help Matthew on th farm. A gerl wuud be of no uez to us. Taek off yur hat. I'l lae it and yur bag on th hall taebl." Anne tuuk off her hat meekly. Matthew caem bak prezently and thae sat doun to super. But Anne cuud not eet. In vaen she nibbled at th bred and buter and pekt at th crab-apl prezerv out of th litl scalopt glas dish bi her plaet. She did not reealy maek eny hedwae at all. "U'r not eeting enything," sed Marilla sharply, ieing her as if it wer a seerius shortcuming. Anne sied. "I can't. I'm in th depths of despair. Can U eet when U ar in th depths of despair?" "I'v never bin in th depths of despair, so I can't sae," responded Marilla. "Wern't U? Wel, did U ever tri to IMAJIN U wer in th depths of despair?" "No, I didn't." "Then I don't think U can understand whut it's liek. It's verry uncumfortabl feeling indeed. When U tri to eet a lump cums riet up in yur throet and U can't swolo enything, not eeven if it was a chocolet carramel. I had wun chocolet carramel wuns too yeers ago and it was simply delishus. I'v offen dreemd sinss then that I had a lot of chocolet caramels, but I allwaes waek up just when I'm going to eet them. I do hoep U woen't be ofended becauz I can't eet. Evrything is extreemly nies, but stil I cannot eet." "I ges she's tierd," sed Matthew, hoo hadn't spoeken sinss his retern frum th barn. "Best puut her to bed, Marilla." Marilla had bin wundering wherr Anne shuud be puut to bed. She had prepaird a couch in th kichen chaember for th dezierd and expected boi. But, alltho it was neet and cleen, it did not seem qiet th thing to puut a gerl thair sumhow. But th spair room was out of th qeschun for such a strae waif, so thair remaend oenly th eest gaebl room. Marilla lieted a candl and toeld Anne to folo her, which Anne spiritlessly did, taeking her hat and carpet-bag frum th hall taebl as she past. Th hall was fearsomely cleen; th litl gaebl chaember in which she prezently found herself seemd stil cleener. Marilla set th candl on a three-legd, three-cornerd taebl and ternd doun th bedcloeths. "I supoez U hav a nightgown?" she qeschund. Anne noded. "Yes, I hav too. Th maetron of th asielum maed them for me. Thae'r feerfuly skimpy. Thair is never enuf to go around in an asielum, so things ar allwaes skimpy--at leest in a pur asielum liek ours. I haet skimpy niet-dreses. But wun can dreem just as wel in them as in luvly traeling wuns, with frils around th nek, that's wun consolaeshun." "Wel, undres as qik as U can and go to bed. I'l cum bak in a fue minits for th candl. I daren't trust U to puut it out yurself. U'd liekly set th plaes on fier." When Marilla had gon Anne luukt around her wistfuly. Th whietwosht walls wer so paenfuly bair and stairing that she thaut thae must aek oever thair oen bareness. Th flor was bair, too, exsept for a round braeded mat in th midl such as Anne had never seen befor. In wun corner was th bed, a hi, oeld-fashund wun, with foer dark, lo- ternd poests. In th uther corner was th aforsed three- corner taebl adornd with a fat, red velvet pin-cuushun hard enuf to tern th point of th moest advencherus pin. Abuv it hung a litl six-bi-aet miror. Midwae between taebl and bed was th windo, with an iesy whiet muzlin fril oever it, and opozit it was th wosh-stand. Th hoel apartment was of a rijidity not to be descriebd in werds, but which sent a shiver to th verry marro of Anne's boens. With a sob she haestily discarded her garments, puut on th skimpy nightgown and sprang into bed wherr she burroed faes dounward into th pilo and puuld th cloeths oever her hed. When Marilla caem up for th liet vairius skimpy articls of raement scaterd moest untidily oever th flor and a serten tempeschuos apeerans of th bed wer th oenly indicaeshuns of eny prezens saev her oen. She deliberetly pikt up Anne's cloeths, plaest them neetly on a prim yelo chair, and then, taeking up th candl, went oever to th bed. "Guud niet," she sed, a litl aukwardly, but not unkiendly. Anne's whiet faes and big ies apeerd oever th bedcloeths with a startling sudennes. "How can U call it a GUUD niet when U noe it must be th verry werst niet I'v ever had?" she sed reproachfully. Then she dievd doun into invizibility agen. Marilla went sloely doun to th kichen and proseeded to wosh th super dishes. Matthew was smoeking--a shur sien of perturbation of miend. He seldom smoekt, for Marilla set her faes agenst it as a filthy habit; but at serten tiems and seezons he felt driven to it and them Marilla winkt at th practis, reealiezing that a meer man must hav sum vent for his emoeshuns. "Wel, this is a prity ketl of fish," she sed wrathfully. "This is whut cums of sending werd insted of going ourselvs. Richard Spencer's foeks hav twisted that mesej sumhow. Wun of us wil hav to driev oever and see Mrs. Spencer tomorro, that's serten. This gerl wil hav to be sent bak to th asielum." "Yes, I supoez so," sed Matthew reluctantly. "U SUPOEZ so! Don't U noe it?" "Wel now, she's a reeal nies litl thing, Marilla. It's kiend of a pity to send her bak when she's so set on staeing heer." "Matthew Cuthbert, U don't meen to sae U think we aut to keep her!" Marilla's astonishment cuud not hav bin graeter if Matthew had exprest a predilecshun for standing on his hed. "Wel, now, no, I supoez not--not exactly," stamerd Matthew, uncumfortably driven into a corner for his presies meening. "I supoez--we cuud hardly be expected to keep her." "I shuud sae not. Whut guud wuud she be to us?" "We miet be sum guud to her," sed Matthew sudenly and unexpectedly. "Matthew Cuthbert, I beleev that chield has bewicht U! I can see as plaen as plaen that U wont to keep her." "Wel now, she's a reeal interesting litl thing," persisted Matthew. "U shuud hav herd her tauk cuming frum th staeshun." "O, she can tauk fast enuf. I saw that at wuns. It's nuthing in her faevor, eether. I don't liek children hoo hav so much to sae. I don't wont an orfan gerl and if I did she isn't th stiel I'd pik out. Thair's sumthing I don't understand about her. No, she's got to be despacht straet-wae bak to wherr she caem frum." "I cuud hier a French boi to help me," sed Matthew, "and she'd be cumpany for U." "I'm not sufering for cumpany," sed Marilla shortly. "And I'm not going to keep her." "Wel now, it's just as U sae, of cors, Marilla," sed Matthew riezing and puuting his piep awae. "I'm going to bed." To bed went Matthew. And to bed, when she had puut her dishes awae, went Marilla, frouning moest rezolootly. And up-stairs, in th eest gaebl, a loenly, hart-hunggry, frendles chield cried herself to sleep. CHAPTER IV Morning at Green Gaebls It was braud daeliet when Anne awoek and sat up in bed, stairing confuezedly at th windo thru which a flud of cheery sunshien was poring and outsied of which sumthing whiet and fethery waevd across glimpses of bloo skie. For a moement she cuud not remember wherr she was. Ferst caem a delietful thril, as sumthing verry plezant; then a horribl remembrans. This was Green Gaebls and thae didn't wont her becauz she wasn't a boi! But it was morning and, yes, it was a cherry-tree in fuul bloom outsied of her windo. With a bound she was out of bed and across th flor. She puusht up th sash--it went up stifly and creakily, as if it hadn't bin oepend for a long tiem, which was th caes; and it stuk so tiet that nuthing was needed to hoeld it up. Anne dropt on her nees and gaezd out into th June morning, her ies glisening with deliet. O, wasn't it buetyful? Wasn't it a luvly plaes? Supoez she wasn't reealy going to stae heer! She wuud imajin she was. Thair was scoep for imajinaeshun heer. A huej cherry-tree groo outsied, so cloes that its bows tapt agenst th hous, and it was so thik-set with blosoms that hardly a leef was to be seen. On boeth sieds of th hous was a big orchard, wun of apl-trees and wun of cherry-trees, allso showerd oever with blosoms; and thair gras was all sprinkld with dandelieons. In th garden belo wer lielac-trees perpl with flowers, and thair dizily sweet fraegrans drifted up to th windo on th morning wind. Belo th garden a green feeld lush with cloever sloped doun to th holo wherr th bruuk ran and wherr scors of whiet berches groo, upspringing airily out of an undergroeth sugjestiv of delietful posibilitys in ferns and mosses and woodsy things jeneraly. Beyond it was a hil, green and fethery with sproos and fer; thair was a gap in it wherr th grae gaebl end of th litl hous she had seen frum th uther sied of th Laek of Shiening Wauters was vizibl. Off to th left wer th big barns and beyond them, awae doun oever green, lo-sloeping feelds, was a sparkling bloo glimps of see. Anne's buety-luving ies linggerd on it all, taeking evrything greedily in. She had luukt on so meny unluvly plaeses in her lief, pur chield; but this was as luvly as enything she had ever dreemd. She nelt thair, lost to evrything but th luvlynes around her, until she was startld bi a hand on her shoelder. Marilla had cum in unherd bi th small dreemer. "It's tiem U wer drest," she sed curtly. Marilla reealy did not noe how to tauk to th chield, and her uncumfortabl ignorans maed her crisp and curt when she did not meen to be. Anne stuud up and droo a long breth. "O, isn't it wunderful?" she sed, waeving her hand comprehensivly at th guud werld outsied. "It's a big tree," sed Marilla, "and it blooms graet, but th froot don't amount to much never--small and wermy." "O, I don't meen just th tree; of cors it's luvly--yes, it's RAEDIANTLY luvly--it blooms as if it ment it--but I ment evrything, th garden and th orchard and th bruuk and th wuuds, th hoel big deer werld. Don't U feel as if U just luvd th werld on a morning liek this? And I can heer th bruuk lafing all th wae up heer. Hav U ever noetist whut cheerful things bruuks ar? Thae'r allwaes lafing. Eeven in winter-tiem I'v herd them under th ies. I'm so glad thair's a bruuk neer Green Gaebls. Perhaps U think it duzn't maek eny diferens to me when U'r not going to keep me, but it duz. I shal allwaes liek to remember that thair is a bruuk at Green Gaebls eeven if I never see it agen. If thair wasn't a bruuk I'd be HAUNTED bi th uncumfortabl feeling that thair aut to be wun. I'm not in th depths of despair this morning. I never can be in th morning. Isn't it a splendid thing that thair ar mornings? But I feel verry sad. I'v just bin imajining that it was reealy me U wonted after all and that I was to stae heer for ever and ever. It was a graet cumfort whiel it lasted. But th werst of imajining things is that th tiem cums when U hav to stop and that herts." "U'd beter get drest and cum doun-stairs and never miend yur imajinings," sed Marilla as soon as she cuud get a werd in ejwiez. "Brekfast is waeting. Wosh yur faes and coem yur hair. Leev th windo up and tern yur bedcloeths bak oever th fuut of th bed. Be as smart as U can." Anne cuud evidently be smart so sum perpos for she was doun-stairs in ten minutes' tiem, with her cloeths neetly on, her hair brusht and braeded, her faes wosht, and a cumfortabl conshusnes pervaeding her soel that she had fuulfild all Marilla's reqierments. As a mater of fact, however, she had forgoten to tern bak th bedcloeths. "I'm prity hunggry this morning," she anounst as she slipt into th chair Marilla plaest for her. "Th werld duzn't seem such a houling wildernes as it did last niet. I'm so glad it's a sunshieny morning. But I liek raeny mornings reeal wel, too. All sorts of mornings ar interesting, don't U think? U don't noe whut's going to hapen thru th dae, and thair's so much scoep for imajinaeshun. But I'm glad it's not raeny todae becauz it's eezyer to be cheerful and bair up under aflicshun on a sunshieny dae. I feel that I hav a guud deel to bair up under. It's all verry wel to reed about sorroes and imajin yurself living thru them heroeicaly, but it's not so nies when U reealy cum to hav them, is it?" "For pity's saek hoeld yur tung," sed Marilla. "U tauk entierly too much for a litl gerl." Thairupon Anne held her tung so oebeedyently and theroely that her continued sielens maed Marilla rather nervus, as if in th prezens of sumthing not exactly nacheral. Matthew allso held his tung,--but this was nacheral,--so that th meel was a verry sielent wun. As it progrest Anne becaem mor and mor abstracted, eeting mecanicaly, with her big ies fixt unswervingly and unseeingly on th skie outsied th windo. This maed Marilla mor nervus than ever; she had an uncumfortabl feeling that whiel this od child's body miet be thair at th taebl her spirit was far awae in sum remoet airy cloudland, born alofft on th wings of imajinaeshun. Hoo wuud wont such a chield about th plaes? Yet Matthew wisht to keep her, of all unacountabl things! Marilla felt that he wonted it just as much this morning as he had th niet befor, and that he wuud go on wonting it. That was Matthew's wae--taek a whim into his hed and cling to it with th moest amaezing sielent persistensy--a persistensy ten tiems mor poetent and efekchual in its verry sielens than if he had taukt it out. When th meel was ended Anne caem out of her revery and offerd to wosh th dishes. "Can U wosh dishes riet?" askt Marilla distrustfuly. "Prity wel. I'm beter at luuking after children, tho. I'v had so much expeeryens at that. It's such a pity U havn't eny heer for me to luuk after." "I don't feel as if I wonted eny mor children to luuk after than I'v got at prezent. U'R problem enuf in all conshens. Whut's to be dun with U I don't noe. Matthew is a moest ridicuelus man." "I think he's luvly," sed Anne reproachfully. "He is so verry simpathetic. He didn't miend how much I taukt--he seemd to liek it. I felt that he was a kindred spirit as soon as ever I saw him." "U'r boeth qeer enuf, if that's whut U meen bi kindred spirits," sed Marilla with a snif. "Yes, U mae wosh th dishes. Taek plenty of hot wauter, and be shur U dri them wel. I'v got enuf to atend to this morning for I'l hav to driev oever to Whiet Sands in th afternoon and see Mrs. Spencer. U'l cum with me and we'll setl whut's to be dun with U. After U'v finisht th dishes go up-stairs and maek yur bed." Anne wosht th dishes deftly enuf, as Marilla hoo kept a sharp ie on th proses, disernd. Laeter on she maed her bed les sucsesfuly, for she had never lernd th art of resling with a fether tik. But is was dun sumhow and smoothd doun; and then Marilla, to get rid of her, toeld her she miet go out-of-dors and amuez herself until diner tiem. Anne floo to th dor, faes aliet, ies gloeing. On th verry threshhoeld she stopt short, wheeld about, caem bak and sat doun bi th taebl, liet and glo as efekchualy bloted out as if sum wun had clapt an extinggwisher on her. "Whut's th mater now?" demanded Marilla. "I don't dair go out," sed Anne, in th toen of a marter relinqishing all erthly jois. "If I can't stae heer thair is no uez in mi luving Green Gaebls. And if I go out thair and get aqaented with all thoes trees and flowers and th orchard and th bruuk I'l not be aebl to help luving it. It's hard enuf now, so I woen't maek it eny harder. I wont to go out so much--evrything seems to be calling to me, `Anne, Anne, cum out to us. Anne, Anne, we wont a playmate'--but it's beter not. Thair is no uez in luving things if U hav to be torn frum them, is thair? And it's so hard to keep frum luving things, isn't it? That was whi I was so glad when I thaut I was going to liv heer. I thaut I'd hav so meny things to luv and nuthing to hinder me. But that breef dreem is oever. I am reziend to mi faet now, so I don't think I'l go out for feer I'l get unresigned agen. Whut is th naem of that jeraenium on th windo-sil, pleez?" "That's th apl-sented jeraenium." "O, I don't meen that sort of a naem. I meen just a naem U gaev it yurself. Didn't U giv it a naem? Mae I giv it wun then? Mae I call it--let me see--Bony wuud do--mae I call it Bony whiel I'm heer? O, do let me!" "Guudnes, I don't cair. But wherr on erth is th sens of naeming a jeraenium?" "O, I liek things to hav handls eeven if thae ar oenly geraniums. It maeks them seem mor liek peepl. How do U noe but that it herts a geranium's feelings just to be calld a jeraenium and nuthing els? U wuudn't liek to be calld nuthing but a wuuman all th tiem. Yes, I shal call it Bony. I naemd that cherry-tree outsied mi bedroom windo this morning. I calld it Sno Qeen becauz it was so whiet. Of cors, it woen't allwaes be in blosom, but wun can imajin that it is, can't wun?" "I never in all mi lief sae or herd enything to eeqal her," muterd Marilla, beeting a retreet doun to th selar after potaetoes. "She is kiend of interesting as Matthew ses. I can feel allredy that I'm wundering whut on erth she'l sae next. She'l be casting a spel oever me, too. She's cast it oever Matthew. That luuk he gaev me when he went out sed evrything he sed or hinted last niet oever agen. I wish he was liek uther men and wuud tauk things out. A body cuud anser bak then and argue him into reezon. But whut's to be dun with a man hoo just LUUKS?" Anne had relapst into revery, with her chin in her hands and her ies on th skie, when Marilla reternd frum her selar pilgrimej. Thair Marilla left her until th erly diner was on th taebl. "I supoez I can hav th mair and bugy this afternoon, Matthew?" sed Marilla. Matthew noded and luukt wistfuly at Anne. Marilla intersepted th luuk and sed grimly: "I'm going to driev oever to Whiet Sands and setl this thing. I'l taek Anne with me and Mrs. Spencer wil probably maek araenjments to send her bak to Noeva Scotia at wuns. I'l set yur tee out for U and I'l be hoem in tiem to milk th cows." Stil Matthew sed nuthing and Marilla had a sens of having waested werds and breth. Thair is nuthing mor agravaeting than a man hoo woen't tauk bak--unles it is a wuuman hoo woen't. Matthew hicht th sorrel into th bugy in due tiem and Marilla and Anne set off. Matthew oepend th yard gaet for them and as thae droev sloely thru, he sed, to noebody in particuelar as it seemd: "Litl Jerry Buote frum th Creek was heer this morning, and I toeld him I gest I'd hier him for th sumer." Marilla maed no repli, but she hit th unluky sorrel such a vishus clip with th whip that th fat mair, unuezd to such treetment, whizd indignantly doun th laen at an alarming paes. Marilla luukt bak wuns as th bugy bounst along and saw that agravaeting Matthew leening oever th gaet, luuking wistfuly after them. CHAPTER V Anne's History "Do U noe," sed Anne confidenshaly, "I'v maed up mi miend to enjoi this driev. It's bin mi expeeryens that U can neerly allwaes enjoi things if U maek up yur miend fermly that U wil. Of cors, U must maek it up FERMLY. I am not going to think about going bak to th asielum whiel we'r having our driev. I'm just going to think about th driev. O, luuk, thair's wun litl erly wield roez out! Isn't it luvly? Don't U think it must be glad to be a roez? Wuudn't it be nies if roezes cuud tauk? I'm shur thae cuud tel us such luvly things. And isn't pink th moest bewiching culor in th werld? I luv it, but I can't wair it. Redheded peepl can't wair pink, not eeven in imajinaeshun. Did U ever noe of enybody hoos hair was red when she was yung, but got to be anuther culor when she groo up?" "No, I don't noe as I ever did," sed Marilla mersylesly, "and I shuudn't think it liekly to hapen in yur caes eether." Anne sied. "Wel, that is anuther hoep gon. `Mi lief is a perfect graev-yard of berryd hoeps.' That's a sentens I reed in a buuk wuns, and I sae it oever to cumfort mieself whenever I'm disapointed in enything." "I don't see wherr th cumforting cums in mieself," sed Marilla. "Whi, becauz it sounds so nies and roemantic, just as if I wer a herroein in a buuk, U noe. I am so fond of roemantic things, and a graev-yard fuul of berryd hoeps is about as roemantic a thing as wun can imajin isn't it? I'm rather glad I hav wun. Ar we going across th Laek of Shiening Wauters todae?" "We'r not going oever Barry's pond, if that's whut U meen bi yur Laek of Shiening Wauters. We'r going bi th shor roed." "Shor roed sounds nies," sed Anne dreemily. "Is it as nies as it sounds? Just when U sed `shor road' I saw it in a pikcher in mi miend, as qik as that! And Whiet Sands is a prity naem, too; but I don't liek it as wel as Avonlea. Avonlea is a luvly naem. It just sounds liek muezic. How far is it to Whiet Sands?" "It's fiev miels; and as U'r evidently bent on tauking U miet as wel tauk to sum perpos bi teling me whut U noe about yurself." "O, whut I NOE about mieself isn't reealy werth teling," sed Anne eegerly. "If U'l oenly let me tel U whut I IMAJIN about mieself U'l think it ever so much mor interesting." "No, I don't wont eny of yur imajinings. Just U stik to balld facts. Begin at th begining. Wherr wer U born and how oeld ar U?" "I was eleven last March," sed Anne, reziening herself to balld facts with a litl si. "And I was born in Bolingbroke, Noeva Scotia. Mi father's naem was Walter Shirley, and he was a teecher in th Bolingbroke Hi Scool. Mi mother's naem was Bertha Shirley. Arn't Walter and Bertha luvly naems? I'm so glad mi pairents had nies naems. It wuud be a reeal disgraes to hav a faather naemd--wel, sae Jedediah, wuudn't it?" "I ges it duzn't mater whut a person's naem is as long as he behaevs himself," sed Marilla, feeling herself calld upon to inculcaet a guud and uesful moral. "Wel, I don't noe." Anne luukt thautful. "I reed in a buuk wuns that a roez bi eny uther naem wuud smel as sweet, but I'v never bin aebl to beleev it. I don't beleev a roez WUUD be as nies if it was calld a thistle or a skunk cabej. I supoez mi faather cuud hav bin a guud man eeven if he had bin calld Jedediah; but I'm shur it wuud hav bin a cross. Wel, mi muther was a teecher in th Hi scool, too, but when she marryd faather she gaev up teeching, of cors. A huzband was enuf responsibility. Mrs. Thomas sed that thae wer a pair of baebys and as pur as cherch mies. Thae went to liv in a weeny-teeny litl yelo hous in Bolingbroke. I'v never seen that hous, but I'v imajind it thouzands of tiems. I think it must hav had hunysukl oever th parlor windo and lielacs in th frunt yard and lilys of th valy just insied th gaet. Yes, and muzlin curtens in all th windoes. Muzlin curtens giv a hous such an air. I was born in that hous. Mrs. Thomas sed I was th homeliest baeby she ever saw, I was so scrauny and tieny and nuthing but ies, but that muther thaut I was perfectly buetyful. I shuud think a muther wuud be a beter juj than a pur wuuman hoo caem in to scrub, wuudn't U? I'm glad she was satisfied with me enyhow, I wuud feel so sad if I thaut I was a disapointment to her--becauz she didn't liv verry long after that, U see. She died of feever when I was just three munths oeld. I do wish she'd livd long enuf for me to remember calling her muther. I think it wuud be so sweet to sae `muther,' don't U? And faather died foer daes afterwards frum feever too. That left me an orfan and foeks wer at thair wits' end, so Mrs. Thomas sed, whut to do with me. U see, noebody wonted me eeven then. It seems to be mi faet. Faather and muther had boeth cum frum plaeses far awae and it was wel noen thae hadn't eny relativs living. Fienaly Mrs. Thomas sed she'd taek me, tho she was pur and had a drunken huzband. She braut me up bi hand. Do U noe if thair is enything in being braut up bi hand that aut to maek peepl hoo ar braut up that wae beter than uther peepl? Becauz whenever I was nauty Mrs. Thomas wuud ask me how I cuud be such a bad gerl when she had braut me up bi hand-- reproechful-liek. "Mr. and Mrs. Thomas moovd awae frum Bolingbroke to Marysville, and I livd with them until I was aet yeers oeld. I helpt luuk after th Thomas children--thair wer foer of them yungger than me--and I can tel U thae tuuk a lot of luuking after. Then Mr. Thomas was kild falling under a traen and his muther offerd to taek Mrs. Thomas and th children, but she didn't wont me. Mrs. Thomas was at HER wits' end, so she sed, whut to do with me. Then Mrs. Hammond frum up th river caem doun and sed she'd taek me, seeing I was handy with children, and I went up th river to liv with her in a litl cleering amung th stumps. It was a verry loensum plaes. I'm shur I cuud never hav livd thair if I hadn't had an imajinaeshun. Mr. Hammond werkt a litl sawmil up thair, and Mrs. Hammond had aet children. She had twins three tiems. I liek baebys in moderaeshun, but twins three tiems in sucseshun is TOO MUCH. I toeld Mrs. Hammond so fermly, when th last pair caem. I uezd to get so dredfuly tierd carrying them about. "I livd up river with Mrs. Hammond oever too yeers, and then Mr. Hammond died and Mrs. Hammond broek up houskeeping. She divieded her children amung her relativs and went to th Staets. I had to go to th asielum at Hopeton, becauz noebody wuud taek me. Thae didn't wont me at th asielum, eether; thae sed thae wer oever- crouded as it was. But thae had to taek me and I was thair foer munths until Mrs. Spencer caem." Anne finisht up with anuther si, of releef this tiem. Evidently she did not liek tauking about her expeeryenses in a werld that had not wonted her. "Did U ever go to scool?" demanded Marilla, terning th sorrel mair doun th shor roed. "Not a graet deel. I went a litl th last yeer I staed with Mrs. Thomas. When I went up river we wer so far frum a scool that I cuudn't wauk it in winter and thair was a vaecaeshun in sumer, so I cuud oenly go in th spring and fall. But of cors I went whiel I was at th asielum. I can reed prity wel and I noe ever so meny peeses of poeetry off bi hart--`Th Batl of Hohenlinden' and `Edinburgh after Flodden,' and `Bingen of th Rhine,' and lost of th `Laedy of th Lake' and moest of `Th Seasons' bi James Thompson. Don't U just luv poeetry that givs U a crinkly feeling up and doun yur bak? Thair is a pees in th Fifth Reeder--`Th Dounfall of Poland'--that is just fuul of thrils. Of cors, I wasn't in th Fifth Reeder--I was oenly in th Foerth--but th big gerls uezd to lend me theirs to reed." "Wer thoes wimen--Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. Hammond--guud to U?" askt Marilla, luuking at Anne out of th corner of her ie. "O-o-o-h," fallterd Anne. Her sensitiv litl faes sudenly flusht scarlet and embarrasment sat on her brow. "O, thae MENT to be--I noe thae ment to be just as guud and kiend as posibl. And when peepl meen to be guud to U, U don't miend verry much when thae'r not qiet--allwaes. Thae had a guud deel to wery them, U noe. It's verry trieing to hav a drunken huzband, U see; and it must be verry trieing to hav twins three tiems in sucseshun, don't U think? But I feel shur thae ment to be guud to me." Marilla askt no mor qeschuns. Anne gaev herself up to a sielent rapcher oever th shor roed and Marilla gieded th sorrel abstractedly whiel she ponderd deeply. Pity was sudenly stering in her hart for th chield. Whut a starvd, unloved lief she had had--a lief of drujery and poverty and neglect; for Marilla was shrood enuf to reed between th liens of Anne's history and divien th trooth. No wunder she had bin so delieted at th prospect of a reeal hoem. It was a pity she had to be sent bak. Whut if she, Marilla, shuud indulj Matthew's unacountabl whim and let her stae? He was set on it; and th chield seemd a nies, teechabl litl thing. "She's got too much to sae," thaut Marilla, "but she miet be traend out of that. And thair's nuthing rood or slangy in whut she duz sae. She's laedyliek. It's liekly her peepl wer nies foeks." Th shor roed was "woodsy and wield and loensum." On th riet hand, scrub firs, thair spirits qiet unbroeken bi long yeers of tusl with th gulf winds, groo thikly. On th left wer th steep red sandstoen clifs, so neer th trak in plaeses that a mair of les stedynes than th sorrel miet hav tried th nervs of th peepl behiend her. Doun at th baes of th clifs wer heeps of serf-worn roks or litl sandy coevs inlaed with pebls as with oeshan jooels; beyond lae th see, shimering and bloo, and oever it sord th gulls, thair pinions flashing silvery in th sunliet. "Isn't th see wunderful?" sed Anne, rouzing frum a long, wied-ied sielens. "Wuns, when I livd in Marysville, Mr. Thomas hierd an expres wagon and tuuk us all to spend th dae at th shor ten miels awae. I enjoid evry moement of that dae, eeven if I had to luuk after th children all th tiem. I livd it oever in hapy dreems for yeers. But this shor is nieser than th Marysville shor. Arn't thoes gulls splendid? Wuud U liek to be a gul? I think I wuud--that is, if I cuudn't be a hueman gerl. Don't U think it wuud be nies to waek up at sunriez and swoop doun oever th wauter and awae out oever that luvly bloo all dae; and then at niet to fli bak to one's nest? O, I can just imajin mieself doing it. Whut big hous is that just ahed, pleez?" "That's th Whiet Sands Hoetel. Mr. Kirke runs it, but th seezon hasn't begun yet. Thair ar heeps of Americans cum thair for th sumer. Thae think this shor is just about riet." "I was afraed it miet be Mrs. Spencer's plaes," sed Anne mornfuly. "I don't wont to get thair. Sumhow, it wil seem liek th end of evrything." CHAPTER VI Marilla Maeks Up Her Miend Get thair thae did, however, in due seezon. Mrs. Spencer livd in a big yelo hous at Whiet Sands Coev, and she caem to th dor with serpriez and welcum minggld on her benevolent faes. "Deer, deer," she exclaemd, "U'r th last foeks I was luuking for todae, but I'm reeal glad to see U. U'l puut yur hors in? And how ar U, Anne?" "I'm as wel as can be expected, thank U," sed Anne smilelessly. A bliet seemd to hav desended on her. "I supoez we'll stae a litl whiel to rest th mair," sed Marilla, "but I promist Matthew I'd be hoem erly. Th fact is, Mrs. Spencer, thair's bin a qeer mistaek sumwherr, and I'v cum oever to see wherr it is. We send werd, Matthew and I, for U to bring us a boi frum th asielum. We toeld yur bruther Robert to tel U we wonted a boi ten or eleven yeers oeld." "Marilla Cuthbert, U don't sae so!" sed Mrs. Spencer in distres. "Whi, Robert sent werd doun bi his dauter Nancy and she sed U wonted a gerl--didn't she Flora Jane?" apeeling to her dauter hoo had cum out to th steps. "She sertenly did, Mis Cuthbert," coroboraeted Flora Jane ernestly. I'm dredful sorry," sed Mrs. Spencer. "It's too bad; but it sertenly wasn't mi fallt, U see, Mis Cuthbert. I did th best I cuud and I thaut I was foloeing yur instrucshuns. Nancy is a terribl fliety thing. I'v offen had to scoeld her wel for her heedlessness." "It was our oen fallt," sed Marilla rezienedly. "We shuud hav cum to U ourselvs and not left an important mesej to be past along bi werd of mouth in that fashun. Enyhow, th mistaek has bin maed and th oenly thing to do is to set it riet. Can we send th chield bak to th asielum? I supoez thae'l taek her bak, woen't thae?" "I supoez so," sed Mrs. Spencer thautfuly, "but I don't think it wil be nesesairy to send her bak. Mrs. Peeter Blewett was up heer yesterdae, and she was saeing to me how much she wisht she'd sent bi me for a litl gerl to help her. Mrs. Peeter has a larj family, U noe, and she fiends it hard to get help. Anne wil be th verry gerl for U. I call it pozitivly providenshal." Marilla did not luuk as if she thaut Providens had much to do with th mater. Heer was an unexpectedly guud chans to get this unwelcum orfan off her hands, and she did not eeven feel graetful for it. She nue Mrs. Peeter Blewett oenly bi siet as a small, shrooish-faest wuuman without an ouns of suuperfloous flesh on her boens. But she had herd of her. "A terribl werker and driever," Mrs. Peeter was sed to be; and discharjd servant gerls toeld feersum taels of her temper and stinjynes, and her family of pert, qorrelsum children. Marilla felt a qaam of conshens at th thaut of handing Anne oever to her tender mercies. "Wel, I'l go in and we'll tauk th mater oever," she sed. "And if thair isn't Mrs. Peeter cuming up th laen this blesed minit!" exclaemd Mrs. Spencer, busling her gests thru th hall into th parlor, wherr a dedly chil struk on them as if th air had bin straend so long thru dark green, cloesly drawn bliends that it had lost evry particl of wormth it had ever pozest. "That is reeal luky, for we can setl th mater riet awae. Taek th armchair, Mis Cuthbert. Anne, U sit heer on th otoman and don't wigl. Let me taek yur hats. Flora Jane, go out and puut th ketl on. Guud afternoon, Mrs. Blewett. We wer just saeing how forchunet it was U hapend along. Let me introdues U too laedys. Mrs. Blewett, Mis Cuthbert. Pleez excues me for just a moement. I forgot to tel Flora Jane to taek th buns out of th uven." Mrs. Spencer whiskt awae, after puuling up th bliends. Anne siting muetly on th otoman, with her hands claspt tietly in her lap, staird at Mrs Blewett as wun fasinaeted. Was she to be given into th keeping of this sharp-faest, sharp-ied wuuman? She felt a lump cuming up in her throet and her ies smarted paenfuly. She was begining to be afraed she cuudn't keep th teers bak when Mrs. Spencer reternd, flusht and beeming, qiet caepabl of taeking eny and evry dificulty, fizical, mental or spirichual, into consideraeshun and setling it out of hand. "It seems thair's bin a mistaek about this litl gerl, Mrs. Blewett," she sed. "I was under th impreshun that Mr. and Mis Cuthbert wonted a litl gerl to adopt. I was sertenly toeld so. But it seems it was a boi thae wonted. So if U'r stil of th saem miend U wer yesterdae, I think she'l be just th thing for U." Mrs. Blewett darted her ies oever Anne frum hed to fuut. "How oeld ar U and whut's yur naem?" she demanded. "Anne Shirley," fallterd th shrinking chield, not dairing to maek eny stipulations regarding th speling thairof, "and I'm eleven yeers oeld." "Humph! U don't luuk as if thair was much to U. But U'r wiery. I don't noe but th wiery wuns ar th best after all. Wel, if I taek U U'l hav to be a guud gerl, U noe--guud and smart and respectful. I'l expect U to ern yur keep, and no mistaek about that. Yes, I supoez I miet as wel taek her off yur hands, Mis Cuthbert. Th baby's auful fracshus, and I'm cleen worn out atending to him. If U liek I can taek her riet hoem now." Marilla luukt at Anne and soffend at siet of th child's pael faes with its luuk of muet mizery--th mizery of a helples litl creecher hoo fiends itself wuns mor caut in th trap frum which it had escaept. Marilla felt an uncumfortabl convicshun that, if she denied th apeel of that luuk, it wuud haunt her to her dieing dae. Mor- oever, she did not fansy Mrs. Blewett. To hand a sensitiv, "highstrung" chield oever to such a wuuman! No, she cuud not taek th responsibility of doing that! "Wel, I don't noe," she sed sloely. "I didn't sae that Matthew and I had absolootly desieded that we wuudn't keep her. In fact I mae sae that Matthew is dispoezd to keep her. I just caem oever to fiend out how th mistaek had ocurd. I think I'd beter taek her hoem agen and tauk it oever with Matthew. I feel that I oughtn't to desied on enything without consulting him. If we maek up our miend not to keep her we'll bring or send her oever to U tomorro niet. If we don't U mae noe that she is going to stae with us. Wil that soot U, Mrs. Blewett?" "I supoez it'l hav to," sed Mrs. Blewett ungraeshusly. During Marilla's speech a sunriez had bin dauning on Anne's faes. Ferst th luuk of despair faeded out; then caem a faent flush of hoep; heer ies groo deep and briet as morning stars. Th chield was qiet transfigured; and, a moement laeter, when Mrs. Spencer and Mrs. Blewett went out in qest of a resipy th later had cum to borro she sprang up and floo across th room to Marilla. "O, Mis Cuthbert, did U reealy sae that perhaps U wuud let me stae at Green Gaebls?" she sed, in a brethles whisper, as if speeking aloud miet shater th glorius posibility. "Did U reealy sae it? Or did I oenly imajin that U did?" "I think U'd beter lern to controel that imajinaeshun of yurs, Anne, if U can't distinggwish between whut is reeal and whut isn't," sed Marilla crossly. "Yes, U did heer me sae just that and no mor. It isn't desieded yet and perhaps we wil conclood to let Mrs. Blewett taek U after all. She sertenly needs U much mor than I do." "I'd rather go bak to th asielum than go to liv with her," sed Anne pashunetly. "She luuks exactly liek a--liek a gimlet." Marilla smutherd a smiel under th convicshun that Anne must be reproved for such a speech. "A litl gerl liek U shuud be ashaemd of tauking so about a laedy and a straenjer," she sed seveerly. "Go bak and sit doun qieetly and hoeld yur tung and behaev as a guud gerl shuud." "I'l tri to do and be enything U wont me, if U'l oenly keep me," sed Anne, reterning meekly to her otoman. When thae arievd bak at Green Gaebls that eevning Matthew met them in th laen. Marilla frum afar had noeted him prouling along it and gest his moetiv. She was prepaird for th releef she reed in his faes when he saw that she had at leest braut bak Anne bak with her. But she sed nuthing, to him, relativ to th afair, until thae wer boeth out in th yard behiend th barn milking th cows. Then she breefly toeld him Anne's history and th rezult of th intervue with Mrs. Spencer. "I wuudn't giv a daug I liekt to that Blewett wuuman," sed Matthew with unuezhual vim." "I don't fansy her stiel mieself," admited Marilla, "but it's that or keeping her ourselvs, Matthew. And sinss U seem to wont her, I supoez I'm wiling--or hav to be. I'v bin thinking oever th iedeea until I'v got kiend of uezd to it. It seems a sort of duety. I'v never braut up a chield, espeshaly a gerl, and I dair sae I'l maek a terribl mes of it. But I'l do mi best. So far as I'm consernd, Matthew, she mae stae." Matthew's shi faes was a glo of deliet. "Wel now, I rekond U'd cum to see it in that liet, Marilla," he sed. "She's such an interesting litl thing." "It'd be mor to th point if U cuud sae she was a uesful litl thing," retorted Marilla, "but I'l maek it mi biznes to see she's traend to be that. And miend, Matthew, U'r not to go interfeering with mi methods. Perhaps an oeld maed duzn't noe much about bringing up a chield, but I ges she noes mor than an oeld bachelor. So U just leev me to manej her. When I fael it'l be tiem enuf to puut yur or in." "Thair, thair, Marilla, U can hav yur oen wae," sed Matthew re-ashuringly. "Oenly be as guud and kiend to her as U can without spoiling her. I kiend of think she's wun of th sort U can do enything with if U oenly get her to luv U." Marilla snift, to expres her contempt for Matthew's opinyons conserning enything feminin, and waukt off to th dairy with th paels. "I woen't tel her toniet that she can stae," she reflected, as she straend th milk into th creamers. "She'd be so exsieted that she wuudn't sleep a wink. Marilla Cuthbert, U'r fairly in for it. Did U ever supoez U'd see th dae when U'd be adopting an orfan gerl? It's serpriezing enuf; but not so serpriezing as that Matthew shuud be at th botom of it, him that allwaes seemd to hav such a mortal dred of litl gerls. Enyhow, we'v desieded on th experriment and guudnes oenly noes whut wil cum of it." CHAPTER VII Anne Ses Her Prairs When Marilla tuuk Anne up to bed that niet she sed stifly: "Now, Anne, I noetist last niet that U throo yur cloeths all about th flor when U tuuk them off. That is a verry untiedy habit, and I can't alow it at all. As soon as U taek off eny articl of cloething foeld it neetly and plaes it on th chair. I havn't eny uez at all for litl gerls hoo arn't neet." "I was so harroed up in mi miend last niet that I didn't think about mi cloeths at all," sed Anne. "I'l foeld them niesly toniet. Thae allwaes maed us do that at th asielum. Haf th tiem, tho, I'd forget, I'd be in such a hery to get into bed nies and qieet and imajin things." "U'l hav to remember a litl beter if U stae heer," admonisht Marilla. "Thair, that luuks sumthing liek. Sae yur prairs now and get into bed." "I never sae eny prairs," anounst Anne. Marilla luukt horrified astonishment. "Whi, Anne, whut do U meen? Wer U never taut to sae yur prairs? God allwaes wonts litl gerls to sae thair prairs. Don't U noe hoo God is, Anne?" "`God is a spirit, infinit, eternal and unchaenjabl, in His being, wizdom, power, hoelynes, justis, guudnes, and trooth,'" responded Anne promptly and glibly. Marilla luukt rather releevd. "So U do noe sumthing then, thank guudnes! U'r not qiet a heethen. Wherr did U lern that?" "O, at th asielum Sunday-scool. Thae maed us lern th hoel catekizm. I liekt it prity wel. Thair's sumthing splendid about sum of th werds. `Infinit, eternal and unchaenjabl.' Isn't that grand? It has such a roel to it--just liek a big organ plaeing. U cuudn't qiet call it poeetry, I supoez, but it sounds a lot liek it, duzn't it?" "We'r not tauking about poeetry, Anne--we ar tauking about saeing yur prairs. Don't U noe it's a terribl wiked thing not to sae yur prairs evry niet? I'm afraed U ar a verry bad litl gerl." "U'd fiend it eezyer to be bad than guud if U had red hair," sed Anne reproachfully. "Peepl hoo havn't red hair don't noe whut trubl is. Mrs. Thomas toeld me that God maed mi hair red ON PERPOS, and I'v never caird about Him sinss. And enyhow I'd allwaes be too tierd at niet to bother saeing prairs. Peepl hoo hav to luuk after twins can't be expected to sae thair prairs. Now, do U onestly think thae can?" Marilla desieded that Anne's relijus traening must be begun at wuns. Plaenly thair was no tiem to be lost. "U must sae yur prairs whiel U ar under mi roof, Anne." "Whi, of cors, if U wont me to," asented Anne cheerfuly. "I'd do enything to obliej U. But U'l hav to tel me whut to sae for this wuns. After I get into bed I'l imajin out a reeal nies prair to sae allwaes. I beleev that it wil be qiet interesting, now that I cum to think of it." "U must neel doun," sed Marilla in embarrasment. Anne nelt at Marilla's nee and luukt up graevly. "Whi must peepl neel doun to prae?" If I reealy wonted to prae I'l tel U whut I'd do. I'd go out into a graet big feeld all aloen or into th deep, deep, wuuds, and I'd luuk up into th skie--up--up--up--into that luvly bloo skie that luuks as if thair was no end to its blueness. And then I'd just FEEL a prair. Wel, I'm redy. Whut am I to sae?" Marilla felt mor embarrast than ever. She had intended to teech Anne th chieldish clasic, "Now I lae me doun to sleep." But she had, as I hav toeld U, th glimmerings of a sens of huemor--which is simply anuther naem for a sens of fitnes of things; and it sudenly ocurd to her that that simpl litl prair, saecred to whiet-roebd chieldhuud lisping at mutherly nees, was entierly unsooted to this frekld wich of a gerl hoo nue and caird nuthing bout God's luv, sinss she had never had it translaeted to her thru th meedium of hueman luv. "U'r oeld enuf to prae for yurself, Anne," she sed fienaly. "Just thank God for yur blesings and ask Him humbly for th things U wont." "Wel, I'l do mi best," promist Anne, berrying her faes in Marilla's lap. "Graeshus hevenly Faather--that's th wae th ministers sae it in cherch, so I supoez it's all riet in prievet prair, isn't it?" she interjected, lifting her hed for a moement. "Graeshus hevenly Faather, I thank Thee for th Whiet Wae of Deliet and th Laek of Shiening Wauters and Bony and th Sno Qeen. I'm reealy extreemly graetful for them. And that's all th blesings I can think of just now to thank Thee for. As for th things I wont, thae'r so nuemerus that it wuud taek a graet deel of tiem to naem them all so I wil oenly menshun th too moest important. Pleez let me stae at Green Gaebls; and pleez let me be guud-luuking when I gro up. I remaen, "Yurs respectfuly, Anne Shirley. "Thair, did I do all riet?" she askt eegerly, geting up. "I cuud hav maed it much mor flowery if I'd had a litl mor tiem to think it oever." Pur Marilla was oenly prezervd frum compleet colaps bi remembering that it was not irreverens, but simply spirichual ignorans on th part of Anne that was responsibl for this extraordinairy petishun. She tukt th chield up in bed, mentaly vowing that she shuud be taut a prair th verry next dae, and was leeving th room with th liet when Anne calld her bak. "I'v just thaut of it now. I shuud hav sed, `Amen' in plaes of `yurs respectfuly,' shuudn't I?--th wae th ministers do. I'd forgoten it, but I felt a prair shuud be finisht off in sum wae, so I puut in th uther. Do U supoez it wil maek eny diferens?" "I--I don't supoez it wil," sed Marilla. "Go to sleep now liek a guud chield. Guud niet." "I can oenly sae guud niet toniet with a cleer conshens," sed Anne, cuddling luxuriously doun amung her piloes. Marilla retreeted to th kichen, set th candl fermly on th taebl, and glaird at Matthew. "Matthew Cuthbert, it's about tiem sumbody adopted that chield and taut her sumthing. She's next dor to a perfect heethen. Wil U beleev that she never sed a prair in her lief til toniet? I'l send her to th mans tomorro and borro th Peep of th Dae seerys, that's whut I'l do. And she shal go to Sunday-scool just as soon as I can get sum sootabl cloeths maed for her. I forsee that I shal hav mi hands fuul. Wel, wel, we can't get thru this werld without our shair of trubl. I'v had a prity eezy lief of it so far, but mi tiem has cum at last and I supoez I'l just hav to maek th best of it." CHAPTER VIII Anne's Bringing-up Is Begun For reezons best noen to herself, Marilla did not tel Anne that she was to stae at Green Gaebls until th next afternoon. During th fornoon she kept th chield bizy with vairius tasks and wocht oever her with a keen ie whiel she did them. Bi noon she had conclooded that Anne was smart and oebeedyent, wiling to werk and qik to lern; her moest seerius shortcuming seemd to be a tendensy to fall into daydreams in th midl of a task and forget all about it until such tiem as she was sharply recalld to erth bi a reprimand or a catastrofy. When Anne had finisht woshing th diner dishes she sudenly confrunted Marilla with th air and expreshun of wun desperetly determind to lern th werst. Her thin litl body trembld frum hed to fuut; her faes flusht and her ies dielaeted until thae wer allmoest blak; she claspt her hands tietly and sed in an imploring vois: "O, pleez, Mis Cuthbert, woen't U tel me if U ar going to send me awae or not?" I'v tried to be paeshent all th morning, but I reealy feel that I cannot bair not noeing eny longger. It's a dredful feeling. Pleez tel me." "U havn't scallded th dishcloth in cleen hot wauter as I toeld U to do," sed Marilla imoovably. "Just go and do it befor U ask eny mor qeschuns, Anne." Anne went and atended to th dishcloth. Then she reternd to Marilla and fasend imploring ies of th latter's faes. "Wel," sed Marilla, unaebl to fiend eny excues for defering her explanaeshun longger, "I supoez I miet as wel tel U. Matthew and I hav desieded to keep U--that is, if U wil tri to be a guud litl gerl and sho yurself graetful. Whi, chield, whutever is th mater?" "I'm crieing," sed Anne in a toen of bewilderment. "I can't think whi. I'm glad as glad can be. O, GLAD duzn't seem th riet werd at all. I was glad about th Whiet Wae and th cherry blosoms--but this! O, it's sumthing mor than glad. I'm so hapy. I'l tri to be so guud. It wil be uphil werk, I expect, for Mrs. Thomas offen toeld me I was desperetly wiked. However, I'l do mi verry best. But can U tel me whi I'm crieing?" "I supoez it's becauz U'r all exsieted and werkt up," sed Marilla disaproovingly. "Sit doun on that chair and tri to caam yurself. I'm afraed U boeth cri and laf far too eezily. Yes, U can stae heer and we wil tri to do riet bi U. U must go to scool; but it's oenly a fortniet til vaecaeshun so it isn't werth whiel for U to start befor it oepens agen in September." "Whut am I to call U?" askt Anne. "Shal I allwaes sae Mis Cuthbert? Can I call U Ant Marilla?" "No; U'l call me just plaen Marilla. I'm not uezd to being calld Mis Cuthbert and it wuud maek me nervus." "It sounds aufuly disrespectful to just sae Marilla," proetested Anne. "I ges thair'l be nuthing disrespectful in it if U'r cairful to speek respectfuly. Evrybody, yung and oeld, in Avonlea calls me Marilla exsept th minister. He ses Mis Cuthbert--when he thinks of it." "I'd luv to call U Ant Marilla," sed Anne wistfuly. "I'v never had an ant or eny relaeshun at all--not eeven a grandmuther. It wuud maek me feel as if I reealy belongd to U. Can't I call U Ant Marilla?" "No. I'm not yur ant and I don't beleev in calling peepl naems that don't belong to them." "But we cuud imajin U wer mi ant." "I cuudn't," sed Marilla grimly. "Do U never imajin things diferent frum whut thae reealy ar?" askt Anne wied-ied. "No." "O!" Anne droo a long breth. "O, Mis--Marilla, how much U mis!" "I don't beleev in imajining things diferent frum whut thae reealy ar," retorted Marilla. "When th Lord puuts us in serten sercumstanses He duzn't meen for us to imajin them awae. And that remiends me. Go into th siting room, Anne--be shur yur feet ar cleen and don't let eny flies in--and bring me out th ilustraeted card that's on th mantelpees. Th Lord's Prair is on it and U'l devoet yur spair tiem this afternoon to lerning it off bi hart. Thair's to be no mor of such praeing as I herd last niet." "I supoez I was verry aukward," sed Anne apolojeticaly, "but then, U see, I'd never had eny practis. U cuudn't reealy expect a person to prae verry wel th ferst tiem she tried, cuud U? I thaut out a splendid prair after I went to bed, just as I promist U I wuud. It was neerly as long as a minister's and so poeetical. But wuud U beleev it? I cuudn't remember wun werd when I woek up this morning. And I'm afraed I'l never be aebl to think out anuther wun as guud. Sumhow, things never ar so guud when thae'r thaut out a second tiem. Hav U ever noetist that?" "Heer is sumthing for U to noetis, Anne. When I tel U to do a thing I wont U to oebae me at wuns and not stand stok-stil and discors about it. Just U go and do as I bid U." Anne promptly departed for th siting-room across th hall; she faeld to retern; after waeting ten minits Marilla laed doun her niting and marcht after her with a grim expreshun. She found Anne standing moeshunles befor a pikcher hanging on th wall between th too windoes, with her ies astar with dreems. Th whiet and green liet straend thru apl trees and clustering viens outsied fel oever th rapt litl figuer with a haf-unerthly raedians. "Anne, whutever ar U thinking of?" demanded Marilla sharply. Anne caem bak to erth with a start. "That," she sed, pointing to th pikcher--a rather vivid chromo entietld, "Christ Blesing Litl Children"--"and I was just imajining I was wun of them--that I was th litl gerl in th bloo dres, standing off bi herself in th corner as if she didn't belong to enybody, liek me. She luuks loenly and sad, don't U think? I ges she hadn't eny faather or muther of her oen. But she wonted to be blest, too, so she just crept shiely up on th outsied of th croud, hoeping noebody wuud noetis her--exsept Him. I'm shur I noe just how she felt. Her hart must hav beet and her hands must hav got coeld, liek mien did when I askt U if I cuud stae. She was afraed He mightn't noetis her. But it's liekly He did, don't U think? I'v bin trieing to imajin it all out--her ejing a litl neerer all th tiem until she was qiet cloes to Him; and then He wuud luuk at her and puut His hand on her hair and o, such a thril of joi as wuud run oever her! But I wish th artist hadn't paented Him so sorroeful luuking. All His pikchers ar liek that, if U'v noetist. But I don't beleev He cuud reealy hav luukt so sad or th children wuud hav bin afraed of Him." "Anne," sed Marilla, wundering whi she had not broeken into this speech long befor, "U shuudn't tauk that wae. It's irreverent--pozitivly irreverent." Anne's ies marveld. "Whi, I felt just as reverent as cuud be. I'm shur I didn't meen to be irreverent." "Wel I don't supoez U did--but it duzn't sound riet to tauk so familyarly about such things. And anuther thing, Anne, when I send U after sumthing U'r to bring it at wuns and not fall into mooning and imajining befor pikchers. Remember that. Taek that card and cum riet to th kichen. Now, sit doun in th corner and lern that prair off bi hart." Anne set th card up agenst th jugful of apl blosoms she had braut in to decoraet th dinnertable--Marilla had ied that decoraeshun askans, but had sed nuthing-- propt her chin on her hands, and fel to studying it intently for several sielent minits. "I liek this," she anounst at length. "It's buetyful. I'v herd it befor--I herd th superintendent of th asielum Sunday scool sae it oever wuns. But I didn't liek it then. He had such a crakt vois and he praed it so mornfuly. I reealy felt shur he thaut praeing was a disagreeabl duety. This isn't poeetry, but it maeks me feel just th saem wae poeetry duz. `Our Faather hoo art in heven haloed be Thi naem.' That is just liek a lien of muezic. O, I'm so glad U thaut of maeking me lern this, Mis-- Marilla." "Wel, lern it and hoeld yur tung," sed Marilla shortly. Anne tipt th vaes of apl blosoms neer enuf to bestoe a sofft kis on a pink-cupt but, and then studyd dilijently for sum moements longger. "Marilla," she demanded prezently, "do U think that I shal ever hav a buuzom frend in Avonlea?" "A--a whut kiend of frend?" "A buuzom frend--an intimet frend, U noe--a reealy kindred spirit to hoom I can confied mi inmoest soel. I'v dreemd of meeting her all mi lief. I never reealy supoezd I wuud, but so meny of mi luvlyest dreems hav cum troo all at wuns that perhaps this wun wil, too. Do U think it's posibl?" "Diana Barry livs oever at Orchard Sloep and she's about yur aej. She's a verry nies litl gerl, and perhaps she wil be a plaemaet for U when she cums hoem. She's viziting her ant oever at Carmody just now. U'l hav to be cairful how U behaev yurself, tho. Mrs. Barry is a verry particuelar wuuman. She woen't let Diana plae with eny litl gerl hoo isn't nies and guud." Anne luukt at Marilla thru th apl blosoms, her ies aglo with interest. "Whut is Diana liek? Her hair isn't red, is it? O, I hoep not. It's bad enuf to hav red hair mieself, but I pozitivly cuudn't endur it in a buuzom frend." "Diana is a verry prity litl gerl. She has blak ies and hair and roezy cheeks. And she is guud and smart, which is beter than being prity." Marilla was as fond of morals as th Duches in Wunderland, and was fermly convinst that wun shuud be takt on to evry remark maed to a chield hoo was being braut up. But Anne waevd th moral inconsequently asied and seezd oenly on th delietful posibilitys befor it. "O, I'm so glad she's prity. Next to being buetyful wunself--and that's imposibl in mi caes--it wuud be best to hav a buetyful buuzom frend. When I livd with Mrs. Thomas she had a buukcaes in her siting room with glas dors. Thair wern't eny buuks in it; Mrs. Thomas kept her best chiena and her prezervs thair--when she had eny prezervs to keep. Wun of th dors was broeken. Mr. Thomas smasht it wun niet when he was slietly intoxicaeted. But th uther was hoel and I uezd to pretend that mi reflecshun in it was anuther litl gerl hoo livd in it. I calld her Katie Maurice, and we wer verry intimet. I uezd to tauk to her bi th our, espeshaly on Sunday, and tel her evrything. Katie was th cumfort and consolaeshun of mi lief. We uezd to pretend that th buukcaes was enchanted and that if I oenly nue th spel I cuud oepen th dor and step riet into th room wherr Katie Maurice livd, insted of into Mrs. Thomas' shelvs of prezervs and chiena. And then Katie Maurice wuud hav taeken me bi th hand and led me out into a wunderful plaes, all flowers and sunshien and fairys, and we wuud hav livd thair hapy for ever after. When I went to liv with Mrs. Hammond it just broek mi hart to leev Katie Maurice. She felt it dredfuly, too, I noe she did, for she was crieing when she kist me guud-bi thru th buukcaes dor. Thair was no buukcaes at Mrs. Hammond's. But just up th river a litl wae frum th hous thair was a long green litl valy, and th luvlyest eko livd thair. It ekoed bak evry werd U sed, eeven if U didn't tauk a bit loud. So I imajind that it was a litl gerl calld Violetta and we wer graet frends and I luvd her allmoest as wel as I luvd Katie Maurice--not qiet, but allmoest, U noe. Th niet befor I went to th asielum I sed guud-bi to Violetta, and o, her guud-bi caem bak to me in such sad, sad toens. I had becum so atacht to her that I hadn't th hart to imajin a buuzom frend at th asielum, eeven if thair had bin eny scoep for imajinaeshun thair." "I think it's just as wel thair wasn't," sed Marilla driely. "I don't aproov of such goings-on. U seem to haf beleev yur oen imajinaeshuns. It wil be wel for U to hav a reeal liev frend to puut such nonsens out of yur hed. But don't let Mrs. Barry heer U tauking about yur Katie Maurices and yur Violettas or she'l think U tel storys." "O, I woen't. I cuudn't tauk of them to evrybody--thair memorys ar too saecred for that. But I thaut I'd liek to hav U noe about them. O, luuk, heer's a big bee just tumbld out of an apl blosom. Just think whut a luvly plaes to liv--in an apl blosom! Fansy going to sleep in it when th wind was roking it. If I wasn't a hueman gerl I think I'd liek to be a bee and liv amung th flowers." "Yesterdae U wonted to be a see gul," snift Marilla. "I think U ar verry fikl miended. I toeld U to lern that prair and not tauk. But it seems imposibl for U to stop tauking if U'v got enybody that wil lisen to U. So go up to yur room and lern it." "O, I noe it prity neerly all now--all but just th last lien." "Wel, never miend, do as I tel U. Go to yur room and finish lerning it wel, and stae thair until I call U doun to help me get tee." "Can I taek th apl blosoms with me for cumpany?" pleeded Anne. "No; U don't wont yur room cluterd up with flowers. U shuud hav left them on th tree in th ferst plaes." "I did feel a litl that wae, too," sed Anne. "I kiend of felt I shuudn't shorten thair luvly lievs bi piking them--I wuudn't wont to be pikt if I wer an apl blosom. But th temptaeshun was IRREZISTIBL. Whut do U do when U meet with an irrezistibl temptaeshun?" "Anne, did U heer me tel U to go to yur room?" Anne sied, retreeted to th eest gaebl, and sat doun in a chair bi th windo. "Thair--I noe this prair. I lernd that last sentens cuming upstairs. Now I'm going to imajin things into this room so that thae'l allwaes stae imajind. Th flor is cuverd with a whiet velvet carpet with pink roezes all oever it and thair ar pink silk curtens at th windoes. Th walls ar hung with goeld and silver broecaed tapestry. Th fernicher is mahogany. I never saw eny mahogany, but it duz sound SO lugzhurius. This is a couch all heept with gorjus silken cuushuns, pink and bloo and crimzon and goeld, and I am recliening graesfuly on it. I can see mi reflecshun in that splendid big miror hanging on th wall. I am tall and reegal, clad in a goun of traeling whiet laes, with a perl cross on mi brest and perls in mi hair. Mi hair is of midniet darknes and mi skin is a cleer ievory palor. Mi naem is th Laedy Cordelia Fitzgerald. No, it isn't--I can't maek THAT seem reeal." She danst up to th litl luuking-glas and peerd into it. Her pointed frekld faes and solem grae ies peerd bak at her. "U'r oenly Anne of Green Gaebls," she sed ernestly, "and I see U, just as U ar luuking now, whenever I tri to imajin I'm th Laedy Cordelia. But it's a milyon tiems nieser to be Anne of Green Gaebls than Anne of noewherr in particuelar, isn't it?" She bent forward, kist her reflecshun afecshunetly, and betook herself to th oepen windo "Deer Sno Qeen, guud afternoon. And guud afternoon deer berches doun in th holo. And guud afternoon, deer grae hous up on th hil. I wunder if Diana is to be mi buuzom frend. I hoep she wil, and I shal luv her verry much. But I must never qiet forget Katie Maurice and Violetta. Thae wuud feel so hert if I did and I'd haet to hert anybody's feelings, eeven a litl buukcaes girl's or a litl eko girl's. I must be cairful to remember them and send them a kis evry dae." Anne bloo a cupl of airy kises frum her finggertips past th cherry blosoms and then, with her chin in her hands, drifted luxuriously out on a see of daydreams. CHAPTER IX Mrs. Rachel Lynde Is Properly Horrified Anne had bin a fortniet at Green Gaebls befor Mrs. Lynde arievd to inspect her. Mrs. Rachel, to do her justis, was not to blaem for this. A seveer and unseason -aebl atak of grip had confiend that guud laedy to her hous ever sinss th ocaezhun of her last vizit to Green Gaebls. Mrs. Rachel was not offen sik and had a wel- defiend contempt for peepl hoo wer; but grip, she aserted, was liek no uther ilnes on erth and cuud oenly be interpreted as wun of th speshal vizitaeshuns of Providens. As soon as her doctor alowd her to puut her fuut out-of-dors she heryd up to Green Gaebls, bersting with cueriosity to see Matthew and Marilla's orfan, conserning hoom all sorts of storys and supozishuns had gon abraud in Avonlea. Anne had maed guud uez of evry waeking moement of that fortniet. Allredy she was aqaented with evry tree and shrub about th plaes. She had discuverd that a laen oepend out belo th apl orchard and ran up thru a belt of wuudland; and she had explord it to its furthest end in all its delishus vaegarys of bruuk and brij, fer copis and wield cherry arch, corners thik with fern, and branching biewaes of maepl and mounten ash. She had maed frends with th spring doun in th holo-- that wunderful deep, cleer iesy-coeld spring; it was set about with smooth red sandstones and rimd in bi graet paam-liek clumps of wauter fern; and beyond it was a log brij oever th bruuk. That brij led Anne's dansing feet up oever a wuuded hil beyond, wherr perpechual twieliet raend under th straet, thik-groeing firs and spruces; th oenly flowers thair wer myriads of deliket "June bels," thoes shyest and sweetest of wuudland blooms, and a fue pael, airial starflowers, liek th spirits of last year's blosoms. Gossamers glimmered liek threds of silver amung th trees and th fer boes and tasels seemd to uter frendly speech. All thees raptured voiejes of exploraeshun wer maed in th od haf ours which she was alowd for plae, and Anne taukt Matthew and Marilla halfdeaf oever her discuverys. Not that Matthew complaend, to be shur; he lisend to it all with a wordless smiel of enjoiment on his faes; Marilla permited th "chater" until she found herself becuming too interested in it, wherrupon she allwaes promptly qencht Anne bi a curt comand to hoeld her tung. Anne was out in th orchard when Mrs. Rachel caem, waandering at her oen sweet wil thru th lush, tremu- lous grases splasht with rudy eevning sunshien; so that guud laedy had an exselent chans to tauk her ilnes fuuly oever, descriebing evry aek and puls beet with such evident enjoiment that Marilla thaut eeven grip must bring its compensaeshuns. When deetaels wer exausted Mrs. Rachel introduest th reeal reezon of her call. "I'v bin heering sum serpriezing things about U and Matthew." "I don't supoez U ar eny mor serpriezd than I am mieself," sed Marilla. "I'm geting oever mi serpriez now." "It was too bad thair was such a mistaek," sed Mrs. Rachel simpatheticaly. "Cuudn't U hav sent her bak?" "I supoez we cuud, but we desieded not to. Matthew tuuk a fansy to her. And I must sae I liek her mieself-- alltho I admit she has her fallts. Th hous seems a diferent plaes allredy. She's a reeal briet litl thing." Marilla sed mor than she had intended to sae when she began, for she reed disaprooval in Mrs. Rachel's expreshun. "It's a graet responsibility U'v taeken on yurself," sed that laedy gloomily, "espeshaly when U'v never had eny expeeryens with children. U don't noe much about her or her reeal dispozishun, I supoez, and thair's no gesing how a chield liek that wil tern out. But I don't wont to discurej U I'm shur, Marilla." "I'm not feeling discurejd," was Marilla's dri respons. "when I maek up mi miend to do a thing it staes maed up. I supoez U'd liek to see Anne. I'l call her in." Anne caem runing in prezently, her faes sparkling with th deliet of her orchard rovings; but, abashed at fiending th deliet herself in th unexpected prezens of a straenjer, she hallted confuezedly insied th dor. She sertenly was an od-luuking litl creecher in th short tiet wincey dres she had worn frum th asielum, belo which her thin legs seemd ungracefully long. Her frekls wer mor nuemerus and obtroosiv than ever; th wind had rufld her hatles hair into oever-brilyant disorder; it had never luukt reder than at that moement. "Wel, thae didn't pik U for yur luuks, that's shur and serten," was Mrs. Rachel Lynde's emfatic coment. Mrs. Rachel was wun of thoes delietful and popuelar peepl hoo pried themselvs on speeking thair miend without feer or faevor. "She's terribl skiny and hoemly, Marilla. Cum heer, chield, and let me hav a luuk at U. Lawful hart, did eny wun ever see such frekls? And hair as red as carrots! Cum heer, chield, I sae." Anne "caem thair," but not exactly as Mrs. Rachel expected. With wun bound she crosst th kichen flor and stuud befor Mrs. Rachel, her faes scarlet with angger, her lips qivering, and her hoel slender form trembling frum hed to fuut. "I haet U," she cried in a choekt vois, stamping her fuut on th flor. "I haet U--I haet U--I haet U--" a louder stamp with eech asershun of haetred. "How dair U call me skiny and ugly? How dair U sae I'm frekld and redheded? U ar a rood, impoliet, unfeeling wuuman!" "Anne!" exclaemd Marilla in consternaeshun. But Anne continued to faes Mrs. Rachel undauntedly, hed up, ies blaezing, hands clencht, pashunet indignaeshun exhaeling frum her liek an atmosfeer. "How dair U sae such things about me?" she repeeted veeemently. "How wuud U liek to hav such things sed about U? How wuud U liek to be toeld that U ar fat and clumzy and probably hadn't a spark of imajinaeshun in U? I don't cair if I do hert yur feelings bi saeing so! I hoep I hert them. U hav hert mien wers than thae wer ever hert befor eeven bi Mrs. Thomas' intoxicaeted huzband. And I'l NEVER forgiv U for it, never, never!" Stamp! Stamp! "Did enybody ever see such a temper!" exclaemd th horrified Mrs. Rachel. "Anne go to yur room and stae thair until I cum up," sed Marilla, recuvering her powers of speech with dificulty. Anne, bersting into teers, rusht to th hall dor, slamd it until th tins on th porch wall outsied ratld in simpathy, and fled thru th hall and up th stairs liek a wherlwind. A subdued slam abuv toeld that th dor of th eest gaebl had bin shut with eeqal veeemens. "Wel, I don't envy U yur job bringing THAT up, Marilla," sed Mrs. Rachel with unspeekabl solemnity. Marilla oepend her lips to sae she nue not whut of apolojy or deprecaeshun. Whut she did sae was a serpriez to herself then and ever afterwards. "U shuudn't hav twitted her about her luuks, Rachel." "Marilla Cuthbert, U don't meen to sae that U ar uphoelding her in such a terribl displae of temper as we'v just seen?" demanded Mrs. Rachel indignantly. "No," sed Marilla sloely, "I'm not trieing to excues her. She's bin verry nauty and I'l hav to giv her a tauking to about it. But we must maek alowanses for her. She's never bin taut whut is riet. And U WER too hard on her, Rachel." Marilla cuud not help taking on that last sentens, alltho she was agen serpriezd at herself for doing it. Mrs. Rachel got up with an air of ofended dignity. "Wel, I see that I'l hav to be verry cairful whut I sae after this, Marilla, sinss th fien feelings of orfans, braut frum guudnes noes wherr, hav to be considerd befor enything els. O, no, I'm not vext--don't wery yurself. I'm too sorry for U to leev eny room for angger in mi miend. U'l hav yur oen trubls with that chield. But if U'l taek mi advies--which I supoez U woen't do, alltho I'v braut up ten children and berryd too--U'l do that `tauking to' U menshun with a fair- siezd berch swich. I shuud think THAT wuud be th moest efectiv langgwej for that kiend of a chield. Her temper maches her hair I ges. Wel, guud eevning, Marilla. I hoep U'l cum doun to see me offen as uezhual. But U can't expect me to vizit heer agen in a hery, if I'm lieabl to be floen at and insulted in such a fashun. It's sumthing nue in MI expeeryens." Wherrat Mrs. Rachel swept out and awae--if a fat wuuman hoo allwaes waddled CUUD be sed to sweep awae--and Marilla with a verry solem faes betook herself to th eest gaebl. On th wae upstairs she ponderd uneezily as to whut she aut to do. She felt no litl dismae oever th seen that had just bin enacted. How unforchunet that Anne shuud hav displaed such temper befor Mrs. Rachel Lynde, of all peepl! Then Marilla sudenly becaem awair of an uncumfortabl and rebueking conshusnes that she felt mor huemiliaeshun oever this than sorro oever th discuvery of such a seerius defect in Anne's dispozishun. And how was she to punish her? Th aemiabl sugjeschun of th berch swich--to th efishensy of which all of Mrs. Rachel's oen children cuud hav born smarting testimoeny-- did not apeel to Marilla. She did not beleev she cuud whip a chield. No, sum uther method of punishment must be found to bring Anne to a proper realizaeshun of th enormity of her ofens. Marilla found Anne faes dounward on her bed, crieing biterly, qiet oblivius of mudy boots on a cleen counterpaen. "Anne," she sed not ungently. No anser. "Anne," with graeter severrity, "get off that bed this minit and lisen to whut I hav to sae to U." Anne sqermd off th bed and sat rijidly on a chair besied it, her faes swoelen and teer-staend and her ies fixt stubornly on th flor. "This is a nies wae for U to behaev. Anne! Arn't U ashaemd of yurself?" "She hadn't eny riet to call me ugly and redheded," retorted Anne, evaesiv and defieant. "U hadn't eny riet to fli into such a fuery and tauk th wae U did to her, Anne. I was ashaemd of U-- theroely ashaemd of U. I wonted U to behaev niesly to Mrs. Lynde, and insted of that U hav disgraest me. I'm shur I don't noe whi U shuud looz yur temper liek that just becauz Mrs. Lynde sed U wer redhaired and hoemly. U sae it yurself offen enuf." "O, but thair's such a diferens between saeing a thing yurself and heering uther peepl sae it," waeld Anne. "U mae noe a thing is so, but U can't help hoeping uther peepl don't qiet think it is. I supoez U think I hav an auful temper, but I cuudn't help it. When she sed thoes things sumthing just roez riet up in me and choekt me. I HAD to fli out at her." "Wel, U maed a fien exibishun of yurself I must sae. Mrs. Lynde wil hav a nies story to tel about U evrywhair--and she'l tel it, too. It was a dredful thing for U to looz yur temper liek that, Anne." "Just imajin how U wuud feel if sumbody toeld U to yur faes that U wer skiny and ugly," pleeded Anne teerfuly. An oeld remembrans sudenly roez up befor Marilla. She had bin a verry small chield when she had herd wun ant sae of her to anuther, "Whut a pity she is such a dark, hoemly litl thing." Marilla was evry dae of fifty befor th sting had gon out of that memory. "I don't sae that I think Mrs. Lynde was exactly riet in saeing whut she did to U, Anne," she admited in a soffter toen. "Rachel is too outspoeken. But that is no excues for such behaevuer on yur part. She was a straenjer and an elderly person and mi vizitor--all three verry guud reezons whi U shuud hav bin respectful to her. U wer rood and sausy and"--Marilla had a saeving inspiraeshun of punishment--"U must go to her and tel her U ar verry sorry for yur bad temper and ask her to forgiv U." "I can never do that," sed Anne determindly and darkly. "U can punish me in eny wae U liek, Marilla. U can shut me up in a dark, damp dunjon inhabited bi snaeks and toads and feed me oenly on bred and wauter and I shal not complaen. But I cannot ask Mrs. Lynde to forgiv me." "We'r not in th habit of shuting peepl up in dark damp dungeons," sed Marilla driely, "espeshaly as thae'r rather scairs in Avonlea. But apolojiez to Mrs. Lynde U must and shal and U'l stae heer in yur room until U can tel me U'r wiling to do it." "I shal hav to stae heer forever then," sed Anne mornfuly, "becauz I can't tel Mrs. Lynde I'm sorry I sed thoes things to her. How can I? I'm NOT sorry. I'm sorry I'v vext U; but I'm GLAD I toeld her just whut I did. It was a graet satisfacshun. I can't sae I'm sorry when I'm not, can I? I can't eeven IMAJIN I'm sorry." "Perhaps yur imajinaeshun wil be in beter werking order bi th morning," sed Marilla, riezing to depart. "U'l hav th niet to think oever yur conduct in and cum to a beter fraem of miend. U sed U wuud tri to be a verry guud gerl if we kept U at Green Gaebls, but I must sae it hasn't seemd verry much liek it this eevning." Leeving this Parthian shaft to rankl in Anne's stormy buuzom, Marilla desended to th kichen, grievously trubld in miend and vext in soel. She was as anggry with herself as with Anne, becauz, whenever she recalld Mrs. Rachel's dumbfounded countenans her lips twicht with amuezment and she felt a moest reprehensibl dezier to laf. CHAPTER X Anne's Apolojy Marilla sed nuthing to Matthew about th afair that eevning; but when Anne proovd stil refractory th next morning an explanaeshun had to be maed to acount for her absens frum th brekfast taebl. Marilla toeld Matthew th hoel story, taeking paens to impres him with a due sens of th enormity of Anne's behaevuer. "It's a guud thing Rachel Lynde got a calling doun; she's a medlsum oeld gosip," was Matthew's consolatory rejoinder. "Matthew Cuthbert, I'm astonisht at U. U noe that Anne's behaevuer was dredful, and yet U taek her part! I supoez U'l be saeing next thing that she oughtn't to be punisht at all!" "Wel now--no--not exactly," sed Matthew uneezily. I rekon she aut to be punisht a litl. But don't be too hard on her, Marilla. Recolect she hasn't ever had enywun to teech her riet. U'r--U'r going to giv her sumthing to eet, arn't U?" "When did U ever heer of me starving peepl into guud behaevuer?" demanded Marilla indignantly. "She'l hav her meels reguelar, and I'l carry them up to her mieself. But she'l stae up thair until she's wiling to apolojiez to Mrs. Lynde, and that's fienal, Matthew." Brekfast, diner, and super wer verry sielent meels--for Anne stil remaend obduraet. After eech meel Marilla carryd a wel-fild trae to th eest gaebl and braut it doun laeter on not noetisably depleeted. Matthew ied its last desent with a trubld ie. Had Anne eeten enything at all? When Marilla went out that eevning to bring th cows frum th bak pascher, Matthew, hoo had bin hanging about th barns and woching, slipt into th hous with th air of a berglar and crept upstairs. As a jeneral thing Matthew gravitaeted between th kichen and th litl bedroom off th hall wherr he slept; wuns in a whiel he vencherd uncumfortably into th parlor or siting room when th minister caem to tee. But he had never bin upstairs in his oen hous sinss th spring he helpt Marilla paeper th spair bedroom, and that was foer yeers ago. He tiptoed along th hall and stuud for several minits outsied th dor of th eest gaebl befor he sumond curej to tap on it with his finggers and then oepen th dor to peep in. Anne was siting on th yelo chair bi th windo gaezing mornfuly out into th garden. Verry small and unhapy she luukt, and Matthew's hart smoet him. He sofftly cloezd th dor and tiptoed oever to her. "Anne," he whisperd, as if afraed of being oeverherd, "how ar U maeking it, Anne?" Anne smield wanly. "Prity wel. I imajin a guud deel, and that helps to pas th tiem. Of cors, it's rather loensum. But then, I mae as wel get uezd to that." Anne smield agen, braevly faesing th long yeers of solitairy imprizonment befor her. Matthew recolected that he must sae whut he had cum to sae without loss of tiem, lest Marilla retern preematurly. "Wel now, Anne, don't U think U'd beter do it and hav it oever with?" he whisperd. "It'l hav to be dun sooner or laeter, U noe, for Marilla's a dredful deter- miend wuuman--dredful determind, Anne. Do it riet off, I sae, and hav it oever." "Do U meen apolojiez to Mrs. Lynde?" "Yes--apolojiez--that's th verry werd," sed Matthew eegerly. "Just smooth it oever so to speek. That's whut I was trieing to get at." "I supoez I cuud do it to obliej U," sed Anne thautfuly. "It wuud be troo enuf to sae I am sorry, becauz I AM sorry now. I wasn't a bit sorry last niet. I was mad cleer thru, and I staed mad all niet. I noe I did becauz I woek up three tiems and I was just fuerius evry tiem. But this morning it was oever. I wasn't in a temper enymor--and it left a dredful sort of goneness, too. I felt so ashaemd of mieself. But I just cuudn't think of going and teling Mrs. Lynde so. It wuud be so humili- ating. I maed up mi miend I'd stae shut up heer forever rather than do that. But stil--I'd do enything for U--if U reealy wont me to--" "Wel now, of cors I do. It's terribl loensum dounstairs without U. Just go and smooth things oever-- that's a guud gerl." "Verry wel," sed Anne rezienedly. "I'l tel Marilla as soon as she cums in I'v repented." "That's riet--that's riet, Anne. But don't tel Marilla I sed enything about it. She miet think I was puuting mi or in and I promist not to do that." "Wield horses woen't drag th seecret frum me," promist Anne solemly. "How wuud wield horses drag a seecret frum a person enyhow?" But Matthew was gon, scaird at his oen sucses. He fled haestily to th remoetest corner of th hors pascher lest Marilla shuud suspect whut he had bin up to. Marilla herself, upon her retern to th hous, was agreeably serpriezd to heer a plaentiv vois calling, "Marilla" oever th banisters. "Wel?" she sed, going into th hall. "I'm sorry I lost mi temper and sed rood things, and I'm wiling to go and tel Mrs. Lynde so." "Verry wel." Marilla's crispnes gaev no sien of her releef. She had bin wundering whut under th canopy she shuud do if Anne did not giv in. "I'l taek U doun after milking." Acordingly, after milking, behoeld Marilla and Anne wauking doun th laen, th former erect and trieumfant, th later drooping and dejected. But hafwae doun Anne's dejecshun vanisht as if bi enchantment. She lifted her hed and stept lietly along, her ies fixt on th sunset skie and an air of subdued exileraeshun about her. Marilla beheld th chaenj disaproovingly. This was no meek penitent such as it behooved her to taek into th prezens of th ofended Mrs. Lynde. "Whut ar U thinking of, Anne?" she askt sharply. "I'm imajining out whut I must sae to Mrs. Lynde," anserd Anne dreemily. This was satisfactory--or shuud hav bin so. But Marilla cuud not rid herself of th noeshun that sumthing in her skeem of punishment was going askue. Anne had no biznes to luuk so rapt and raediant. Rapt and raediant Anne continued until thae wer in th verry prezens of Mrs. Lynde, hoo was siting niting bi her kichen windo. Then th raedians vanisht. Mornful penitens apeerd on evry feecher. Befor a werd was spoeken Anne sudenly went doun on her nees befor th astonisht Mrs. Rachel and held out her hands beseechingly. "O, Mrs. Lynde, I am so extreemly sorry," she sed with a qiver in her vois. "I cuud never expres all mi sorro, no, not if I uezd up a hoel dicshunairy. U must just imajin it. I behaevd terribly to U--and I'v disgraest th deer frends, Matthew and Marilla, hoo hav let me stae at Green Gaebls alltho I'm not a boi. I'm a dredfuly wiked and ungraetful gerl, and I dezerv to be punisht and cast out bi respectabl peepl forever. It was verry wiked of me to fli into a temper becauz U toeld me th trooth. It WAS th trooth; evry werd U sed was troo. Mi hair is red and I'm frekld and skiny and ugly. Whut I sed to U was troo, too, but I shuudn't hav sed it. O, Mrs. Lynde, pleez, pleez, forgiv me. If U refuez it wil be a lieflong sorro on a pur litl orfan gerl wuud U, eeven if she had a dredful temper? O, I am shur U wuudn't. Pleez sae U forgiv me, Mrs. Lynde." Anne claspt her hands together, bowd her hed, and waeted for th werd of jujment. Thair was no mistaeking her sinserrity--it breethd in evry toen of her vois. Boeth Marilla and Mrs. Lynde recogniezd its unmistaekabl ring. But th former under- stuud in dismae that Anne was akchualy enjoiing her valy of huemiliaeshun--was reveling in th theroenes of her abaesment. Wherr was th hoelsum punishment upon which she, Marilla, had ploomd herself? Anne had ternd it into a speeshys of pozitiv plezher. Guud Mrs. Lynde, not being oeverberdend with persepshun, did not see this. She oenly perseevd that Anne had maed a verry thero apolojy and all rezentment vanisht frum her kiendly, if sumwhut ofishus, hart. "Thair, thair, get up, chield," she sed hartily. "Of cors I forgiv U. I ges I was a litl too hard on U, enywae. But I'm such an outspoeken person. U just mustn't miend me, that's whut. It can't be denied yur hair is terribl red; but I nue a gerl wuns--went to scool with her, in fact--hoos hair was evry miet as red as yurs when she was yung, but when she groo up it darkend to a reeal hansum auburn. I wuudn't be a miet serpriezd if yurs did, too--not a miet." "O, Mrs. Lynde!" Anne droo a long breth as she roez to her feet. "U hav given me a hoep. I shal allwaes feel that U ar a benefactor. O, I cuud endur enything if I oenly thaut mi hair wuud be a hansum auburn when I groo up. It wuud be so much eezyer to be guud if one's hair was a hansum auburn, don't U think? And now mae I go out into yur garden and sit on that bench under th apl-trees whiel U and Marilla ar tauking? Thair is so much mor scoep for imajinaeshun out thair." "Laws, yes, run along, chield. And U can pik a boekae of them whiet June lilys oever in th corner if U liek." As th dor cloezd behiend Anne Mrs. Lynde got briskly up to liet a lamp. "She's a reeal od litl thing. Taek this chair, Marilla; it's eezyer than th wun U'v got; I just keep that for th hierd boi to sit on. Yes, she sertenly is an od chield, but thair is sumthing kiend of taeking about her after all. I don't feel so serpriezd at U and Matthew keeping her as I did--nor so sorry for U, eether. She mae tern out all riet. Of cors, she has a qeer wae of expresing herself-- a litl too--wel, too kiend of forsibl, U noe; but she'l liekly get oever that now that she's cum to liv amung siviliezd foeks. And then, her temper's prity qik, I ges; but thair's wun cumfort, a chield that has a qik temper, just blaez up and cool doun, ain't never liekly to be sli or deseetful. Prezerv me frum a sli chield, that's whut. On th hoel, Marilla, I kiend of liek her." When Marilla went hoem Anne caem out of th fraegrant twieliet of th orchard with a sheef of whiet narcissi in her hands. "I apolojiezd prity wel, didn't I?" she sed proudly as thae went doun th laen. "I thaut sinss I had to do it I miet as wel do it theroely." "U did it theroely, all riet enuf," was Marilla's coment. Marilla was dismaed at fiending herself incliend to laf oever th recolecshun. She had allso an uneezy feeling that she aut to scoeld Anne for apolojiezing so wel; but then, that was ridicuelus! She compromiezd with her conshens bi saeing seveerly: "I hoep U woen't hav ocaezhun to maek meny mor such apolojys. I hoep U'l tri to controel yur temper now, Anne." "That wuudn't be so hard if peepl wuudn't twit me about mi luuks," sed Anne with a si. "I don't get cross about uther things; but I'm SO tierd of being twitted about mi hair and it just maeks me boil riet oever. Do U supoez mi hair wil reealy be a hansum auburn when I gro up?" "U shuudn't think so much about yur luuks, Anne. I'm afraed U ar a verry vaen litl gerl." "How can I be vaen when I noe I'm hoemly?" proetested Anne. "I luv prity things; and I haet to luuk in th glas and see sumthing that isn't prity. It maeks me feel so sorroeful--just as I feel when I luuk at eny ugly thing. I pity it becauz it isn't buetyful." "Hansum is as hansum duz," qoeted Marilla. "I'v had that sed to me befor, but I hav mi douts about it," remarkt skeptical Anne, snifing at her narcissi. "O, arn't thees flowers sweet! It was luvly of Mrs. Lynde to giv them to me. I hav no hard feelings agenst Mrs. Lynde now. It givs U a luvly, cumfortabl feeling to apolojiez and be forgiven, duzn't it? Arn't th stars briet toniet? If U cuud liv in a star, which wun wuud U pik? I'd liek that luvly cleer big wun awae oever thair abuv that dark hil." "Anne, do hoeld yur tung." sed Marilla, theroely worn out trieing to folo th jieraeshuns of Anne's thauts. Anne sed no mor until thae ternd into thair oen laen. A litl jipsy wind caem doun it to meet them, laeden with th spiesy perfuem of yung due-wet ferns. Far up in th shadoes a cheerful liet gleemd out thru th trees frum th kichen at Green Gaebls. Anne sudenly caem cloes to Marilla and slipt her hand into th oelder woman's hard paam. "It's luvly to be going hoem and noe it's hoem," she sed. "I luv Green Gaebls allredy, and I never luvd eny plaes befor. No plaes ever seemd liek hoem. O, Marilla, I'm so hapy. I cuud prae riet now and not fiend it a bit hard." Sumthing worm and plezant weld up in Marilla's hart at tuch of that thin litl hand in her oen--a throb of th maternity she had mist, perhaps. Its verry unaccustomedness and sweetnes disterbd her. She haesend to restor her sensaeshuns to thair normal caam bi inculcating a moral. "If U'l be a guud gerl U'l allwaes be hapy, Anne. And U shuud never fiend it hard to sae yur prairs." "Saeing one's prairs isn't exactly th saem thing as praeing," sed Anne meditatively. "But I'm going to imajin that I'm th wind that is bloeing up thair in thoes tree tops. When I get tierd of th trees I'l imajin I'm jently waeving doun heer in th ferns--and then I'l fli oever to Mrs. Lynde's garden and set th flowers dansing--and then I'l go with wun graet swoop oever th cloever feeld--and then I'l blo oever th Laek of Shiening Wauters and ripl it all up into litl sparkling waevs. O, thair's so much scoep for imajinaeshun in a wind! So I'l not tauk eny mor just now, Marilla." "Thanks be to guudnes for that," breethd Marilla in devout releef. CHAPTER XI Anne's Impreshuns of Sunday-Scool "Wel, how do U liek them?" sed Marilla. Anne was standing in th gaebl room, luuking solemly at three nue dreses spred out on th bed. Wun was of snuffy culord gingam which Marilla had bin tempted to bi frum a pedler th preseeding sumer becauz it luukt so servisabl; wun was of blak-and-whiet chekerd sateen which she had pikt up at a bargen counter in th winter; and wun was a stif print of an ugly bloo shaed which she had perchast that week at a Carmody stor. She had maed them up herself, and thae wer all maed aliek--plaen skerts fulled tietly to plaen waists, with sleevs as plaen as waest and skert and tiet as sleevs cuud be. "I'l imajin that I liek them," sed Anne soeberly. "I don't wont U to imajin it," sed Marilla, ofended. "O, I can see U don't liek th dreses! Whut is th mater with them? Arn't thae neet and cleen and nue?" "Yes." "Then whi don't U liek them?" "Thae'r--thae'r not--prity," sed Anne reluctantly. "Prity!" Marilla snift. "I didn't trubl mi hed about geting prity dreses for U. I don't beleev in pampering vanity, Anne, I'l tel U that riet off. Thoes dreses ar guud, sensibl, servisabl dreses, without eny frils or furbelows about them, and thae'r all U'l get this sumer. Th broun gingam and th bloo print wil do U for scool when U begin to go. Th sateen is for cherch and Sunday scool. I'l expect U to keep them neet and cleen and not to tair them. I shuud think U'd be graetful to get moest enything after thoes skimpy wincey things U'v bin wairing." "O, I AM graetful," proetested Anne. "But I'd be ever so much gratefuller if--if U'd maed just wun of them with puft sleevs. Puft sleevs ar so fashunabl now. It wuud giv me such a thril, Marilla, just to wair a dres with puft sleevs." "Wel, U'l hav to do without yur thril. I hadn't eny mateerial to waest on puft sleevs. I think thae ar ridicuelus-luuking things enyhow. I prefer th plaen, sensibl wuns." "But I'd rather luuk ridicuelus when evrybody els duz than plaen and sensibl all bi mieself," persisted Anne mornfuly. "Trust U for that! Wel, hang thoes dreses cairfuly up in yur clozet, and then sit doun and lern th Sunday scool leson. I got a qorterly frum Mr. Bel for U and U'l go to Sunday scool tomorro," sed Marilla, disap- pearing dounstairs in hi dujon. Anne claspt her hands and luukt at th dreses. "I did hoep thair wuud be a whiet wun with puft sleevs," she whisperd disconsoletly. "I praed for wun, but I didn't much expect it on that acount. I didn't supoez God wuud hav tiem to bother about a litl orfan girl's dres. I nue I'd just hav to depend on Marilla for it. Wel, forchunetly I can imajin that wun of them is of sno-whiet muzlin with luvly laes frils and three-puft sleevs." Th next morning wornings of a sik hedaek prevented Marilla frum going to Sunday-scool with Anne. "U'l hav to go doun and call for Mrs. Lynde, Anne." she sed. "She'l see that U get into th riet clas. Now, miend U behaev yurself properly. Stae to preeching afterwards and ask Mrs. Lynde to sho U our pue. Heer's a sent for colecshun. Don't stair at peepl and don't fijet. I shal expect U to tel me th text when U cum hoem." Anne started off irreproechabl, araed in th stif blak- and-whiet sateen, which, whiel deesent as regards length and sertenly not oepen to th charj of skimpiness, contrievd to emfasiez evry corner and anggl of her thin figuer. Her hat was a litl, flat, glossy, nue saelor, th extreem plainness of which had liekwiez much disapointed Anne, hoo had permited herself seecret vizhuns of ribon and flowers. Th later, however, wer suplied befor Anne reecht th maen roed, for being confrunted hafwae doun th laen with a goelden frenzy of wind-sterd buttercups and a glory of wield roezes, Anne promptly and liberaly garlanded her hat with a hevy reeth of them. Whutever uther peepl miet hav thaut of th rezult it satisfied Anne, and she tript gaely doun th roed, hoelding her rudy hed with its decoraeshun of pink and yelo verry proudly. When she had reecht Mrs. Lynde's hous she found that laedy gon. Nuthing daunted, Anne proseeded onward to th cherch aloen. In th porch she found a croud of litl gerls, all mor or les gaely atierd in whiets and bloos and pinks, and all stairing with cuerius ies at this straenjer in thair midst, with her extraordinairy hed adornment. Avonlea litl gerls had allredy herd qeer storys about Anne. Mrs. Lynde sed she had an auful temper; Jerry Buote, th hierd boi at Green Gaebls, sed she taukt all th tiem to herself or to th trees and flowers liek a craezy gerl. Thae luukt at her and whisperd to eech uther behiend thair quarterlies. Noebody maed eny frendly advanses, then or laeter on when th oepening exersiezes wer oever and Anne found herself in Mis Rogerson's clas. Mis Rogerson was a midl-ajed laedy hoo had taut a Sunday-scool clas for twenty yeers. Her method of teeching was to ask th printed qeschuns frum th qorterly and luuk sternly oever its ej at th particuelar litl gerl she thaut aut to anser th qeschun. She luukt verry offen at Anne, and Anne, thanks to Marilla's driling, anserd promptly; but it mae be qeschund if she understuud verry much about eether qeschun or anser. She did not think she liekt Mis Rogerson, and she felt verry mizerabl; evry uther litl gerl in th clas had puft sleevs. Anne felt that lief was reealy not werth living without puft sleevs. "Wel, how did U liek Sunday scool?" Marilla wonted to noe when Anne caem hoem. Her reeth having faeded, Anne had discarded it in th laen, so Marilla was spaird th nolej of that for a tiem. "I didn't liek it a bit. It was horrid." "Anne Shirley!" sed Marilla rebukingly. Anne sat doun on th roker with a long si, kist wun of Bonny's leevs, and waevd her hand to a blossoming fuesha. "Thae miet hav bin loensum whiel I was awae," she explaend. "And now about th Sunday scool. I behaevd wel, just as U toeld me. Mrs. Lynde was gon, but I went riet on mieself. I went into th cherch, with a lot of uther litl gerls, and I sat in th corner of a pue bi th windo whiel th oepening exersiezes went on. Mr. Bel maed an aufuly long prair. I wuud hav bin dredfuly tierd befor he got thru if I hadn't bin siting bi that windo. But it luukt riet out on th Laek of Shiening Wauters, so I just gaezd at that and imajind all sorts of splendid things." "U shuudn't hav dun enything of th sort. U shuud hav lisend to Mr. Bel." "But he wasn't tauking to me," proetested Anne. "He was tauking to God and he didn't seem to be verry much inter- ested in it, eether. I think he thaut God was too far off tho. Thair was long ro of whiet berches hanging oever th laek and th sunshien fel doun thru them, 'way, 'way doun, deep into th wauter. O, Marilla, it was liek a buetyful dreem! It gaev me a thril and I just sed, `Thank U for it, God,' too or three tiems." "Not out loud, I hoep," sed Marilla ankshusly. "O, no, just under mi breth. Wel, Mr. Bel did get thru at last and thae toeld me to go into th clasroom with Mis Rogerson's clas. Thair wer nien uther gerls in it. Thae all had puft sleevs. I tried to imajin mien wer puft, too, but I cuudn't. Whi cuudn't I? It was as eezy as cuud be to imajin thae wer puft when I was aloen in th eest gaebl, but it was aufuly hard thair amung th uthers hoo had reealy trooly pufs." "U shuudn't hav bin thinking about yur sleevs in Sunday scool. U shuud hav bin atending to th leson. I hoep U nue it." "O, yes; and I anserd a lot of qeschuns. Mis Rogerson askt ever so meny. I don't think it was fair for her to do all th asking. Thair wer lots I wonted to ask her, but I didn't liek to becauz I didn't think she was a kindred spirit. Then all th uther litl gerls resieted a parrafraez. She askt me if I nue eny. I toeld her I didn't, but I cuud resiet, `Th Daug at His Master's Grave' if she liekt. That's in th Therd Roial Reeder. It isn't a reealy trooly relijus pees of poeetry, but it's so sad and melancoly that it miet as wel be. She sed it wuudn't do and she toeld me to lern th nienteenth parrafraez for next Sunday. I reed it oever in cherch afterwards and it's splendid. Thair ar too liens in particuelar that just thril me. "`Qik as th slauterd sqodrons fel In Midian's eevil dae.' I don't noe whut `squadrons' meens nor `Midian,' eether, but it sounds SO tragical. I can hardly waet until next Sunday to resiet it. I'l practis it all th week. After Sunday scool I askt Mis Rogerson--becauz Mrs. Lynde was too far awae--to sho me yur pue. I sat just as stil as I cuud and th text was Revelaeshuns, therd chapter, second and therd verses. It was a verry long text. If I was a minister I'd pik th short, snapy wuns. Th sermon was aufuly long, too. I supoez th minister had to mach it to th text. I didn't think he was a bit interesting. Th trubl with him seems to be that he hasn't enuf imajinaeshun. I didn't lisen to him verry much. I just let mi thauts run and I thaut of th moest serpriezing things." Marilla felt helplesly that all this shuud be sternly reproved, but she was hamperd bi th undenieabl fact that sum of th things Anne had sed, espeshaly about th minister's sermons and Mr. Bell's prairs, wer whut she herself had reealy thaut deep doun in her hart for yeers, but had never given expreshun to. It allmoest seemd to her that thoes seecret, unuterd, critical thauts had sudenly taeken vizibl and acuezing shaep and form in th person of this outspoeken morsel of neglected huemanity. CHAPTER XII A Solem Vow and Promis It was not until th next Friday that Marilla herd th story of th flower-reethd hat. She caem hoem frum Mrs. Lynde's and calld Anne to acount. "Anne, Mrs. Rachel ses U went to cherch last Sunday with yur hat rigd out ridicuelus with roezes and buttercups. Whut on erth puut U up to such a caeper? A prity-luuking object U must hav bin!" "O. I noe pink and yelo arn't becuming to me," began Anne. "Becuming fidlstiks! It was puuting flowers on yur hat at all, no mater whut culor thae wer, that was ridicuelus. U ar th moest agravaeting chield!" "I don't see whi it's eny mor ridicuelus to wair flowers on yur hat than on yur dres," proetested Anne. "Lots of litl gerls thair had boekaes pind on thair dreses. Whut's th diferens?" Marilla was not to be drawn frum th saef concreet into doobius paths of th abstract. "Don't anser me bak liek that, Anne. It was verry sily of U to do such a thing. Never let me cach U at such a trik agen. Mrs. Rachel ses she thaut she wuud sink thru th flor when she cum in all rigd out liek that. She cuudn't get neer enuf to tel U to taek them off til it was too laet. She ses peepl taukt about it sumthing dredful. Of cors thae wuud think I had no beter sens than to let U go dekt out liek that." "O, I'm so sorry," sed Anne, teers welling into her ies. "I never thaut U'd miend. Th roezes and buttercups wer so sweet and prity I thaut thae'd luuk luvly on mi hat. Lots of th litl gerls had artifishal flowers on thair hats. I'm afraed I'm going to be a dredful trieal to U. Maebe U'd beter send me bak to th asielum. That wuud be terribl; I don't think I cuud endur it; moest liekly I wuud go into consumpshun; I'm so thin as it is, U see. But that wuud be beter than being a trieal to U." "Nonsens," sed Marilla, vext at herself for having maed th chield cri. "I don't wont to send U bak to th asielum, I'm shur. All I wont is that U shuud behaev liek uther litl gerls and not maek yurself ridicuelus. Don't cri eny mor. I'v got sum nues for U. Diana Barry caem hoem this afternoon. I'm going up to see if I can borro a skert patern frum Mrs. Barry, and if U liek U can cum with me and get aqaented with Diana." Anne roez to her feet, with claspt hands, th teers stil glisening on her cheeks; th dish towel she had bin heming slipt unheeded to th flor. "O, Marilla, I'm frietend--now that it has cum I'm akchualy frietend. Whut if she shuudn't liek me! It wuud be th moest tragical disapointment of mi lief." "Now, don't get into a fluster. And I do wish U wuudn't uez such long werds. It sounds so funy in a litl gerl. I ges Diana'll liek U wel enuf. It's her muther U'v got to rekon with. If she duzn't liek U it woen't mater how much Diana duz. If she has herd about yur outberst to Mrs. Lynde and going to cherch with buttercups round yur hat I don't noe whut she'l think of U. U must be poliet and wel behaevd, and don't maek eny of yur startling speeches. For pity's saek, if th chield isn't akchualy trembling!" Anne WAS trembling. Her faes was pael and tens. "O, Marilla, U'd be exsieted, too, if U wer going to meet a litl gerl U hoept to be yur buuzom frend and hoos muther mightn't liek U," she sed as she haesend to get her hat. Thae went oever to Orchard Sloep bi th short cut across th bruuk and up th firry hil groev. Mrs. Barry caem to th kichen dor in anser to Marilla's nok. She was a tall blak-ied, blak-haired wuuman, with a verry rezoloot mouth. She had th repuetaeshun of being verry strict with her children. "How do U do, Marilla?" she sed corjaly. "Cum in. And this is th litl gerl U hav adopted, I supoez?" "Yes, this is Anne Shirley," sed Marilla. "Speld with an E," gaspt Anne, hoo, tremuelus and exsieted as she was, was determind thair shuud be no misunderstanding on that important point. Mrs. Barry, not heering or not comprehending, meerly shuuk hands and sed kiendly: "How ar U?" "I am wel in body alltho considerabl rumpld up in spirit, thank U ma'am," sed Anne graevly. Then asied to Marilla in an audibl whisper, "Thair wasn't enything startling in that, was thair, Marilla?" Diana was siting on th soefa, reeding a buuk which she dropt when th callers enterd. She was a verry prity litl gerl, with her mother's blak ies and hair, and roezy cheeks, and th merry expreshun which was her inherritans frum her faather. "This is mi litl gerl Diana," sed Mrs. Barry. "Diana, U miet taek Anne out into th garden and sho her yur flowers. It wil be beter for U than straening yur ies oever that buuk. She reeds entierly too much--" this to Marilla as th litl gerls went out--"and I can't prevent her, for her faather aeds and abets her. She's allwaes poring oever a buuk. I'm glad she has th prospect of a plaemaet-- perhaps it wil taek her mor out-of-dors." Outsied in th garden, which was fuul of melo sunset liet streeming thru th dark oeld firs to th west of it, stuud Anne and Diana, gaezing bashfully at eech uther oever a clump of gorjus tieger lilys. Th Barry garden was a bowery wildernes of flowers which wuud hav delieted Anne's hart at eny tiem les fraut with destiny. It was ensercld bi huej oeld wiloes and tall firs, beneeth which flerisht flowers that luvd th shaed. Prim, riet-angled paths neetly borderd with clamshells, intersected it liek moist red ribons and in th beds between oeld-fashund flowers ran rieot. Thair wer roezy bleeding-harts and graet splendid crimzon peeonys; whiet, fraegrant narcissi and thorny, sweet Scotch roezes; pink and bloo and whiet columbiens and lielac-tinted Bounsing Bets; clumps of southernwood and ribon gras and mint; perpl Adam-and-Eev, dafodils, and mases of sweet cloever whiet with its deliket, fraegrant, fethery spraes; scarlet lietning that shot its fiery lanses oever prim whiet musk-flowers; a garden it was wherr sunshien linggerd and bees humd, and winds, begield into loitering, purred and rusld. "O, Diana," sed Anne at last, clasping her hands and speeking allmoest in a whisper, "o, do U think U can liek me a litl--enuf to be mi buuzom frend?" Diana laft. Diana allwaes laft befor she spoek. "Whi, I ges so," she sed frankly. "I'm aufuly glad U'v cum to liv at Green Gaebls. It wil be joly to hav sumbody to plae with. Thair isn't eny uther gerl hoo livs neer enuf to plae with, and I'v no sisters big enuf." "Wil U swair to be mi frend forever and ever?" demanded Anne eegerly. Diana luukt shokt. "Whi it's dredfuly wiked to swair," she sed rebukingly. "O no, not mi kiend of swairing. Thair ar too kiends, U noe." "I never herd of but wun kiend," sed Diana doutfuly. "Thair reealy is anuther. O, it isn't wiked at all. It just meens vowing and promising solemly." "Wel, I don't miend doing that," agreed Diana, releevd. "How do U do it?" "We must join hands--so," sed Anne graevly. "It aut to be oever runing wauter. We'll just imajin this path is runing wauter. I'l repeet th oeth ferst. I solemly swair to be faethful to mi buuzom frend, Diana Barry, as long as th sun and moon shal endur. Now U sae it and puut mi naem in." Diana repeeted th "oeth" with a laf for and aft. Then she sed: "U'r a qeer gerl, Anne. I herd befor that U wer qeer. But I beleev I'm going to liek U reeal wel." When Marilla and Anne went hoem Diana went with them as for as th log brij. Th too litl gerls waukt with thair arms about eech uther. At th bruuk thae parted with meny promises to spend th next afternoon together. "Wel, did U fiend Diana a kindred spirit?" askt Marilla as thae went up thru th garden of Green Gaebls. "O yes," sied Anne, blisfuly unconshus of eny sarcazm on Marilla's part. "O Marilla, I'm th hapyest gerl on Prins Edward Ieland this verry moement. I ashur U I'l sae mi prairs with a riet guud-wil toniet. Diana and I ar going to bild a plaehous in Mr. William Bell's berch groev tomorro. Can I hav thoes broeken peeses of chiena that ar out in th wuudshed? Diana's berthdae is in February and mien is in March. Don't U think that is a verry straenj coeinsidens? Diana is going to lend me a buuk to reed. She ses it's perfectly splendid and tremendusly exsieting. She's going to sho me a plaes bak in th wuuds wherr ries lilys gro. Don't U think Diana has got verry soelful ies? I wish I had soelful ies. Diana is going to teech me to sing a song calld `Nelly in th Haezel Del.' She's going to giv me a pikcher to puut up in mi room; it's a perfectly buetyful pikcher, she ses--a luvly laedy in a pael bloo silk dres. A soeing-masheen aejent gaev it to her. I wish I had sumthing to giv Diana. I'm an inch taller than Diana, but she is ever so much fater; she ses she'd liek to be thin becauz it's so much mor graesful, but I'm afraed she oenly sed it to sooth mi feelings. We'r going to th shor sum dae to gather shels. We hav agreed to call th spring doun bi th log brij th Dryad's Bubl. Isn't that a perfectly elegant naem? I reed a story wuns about a spring calld that. A dryad is sort of a groen-up fairy, I think." "Wel, all I hoep is U woen't tauk Diana to deth," sed Marilla. "But remember this in all yur planing, Anne. U'r not going to plae all th tiem nor moest of it. U'l hav yur werk to do and it'l hav to be dun ferst." Anne's cup of hapynes was fuul, and Matthew cauzd it to oeverflo. He had just got hoem frum a trip to th stor at Carmody, and he sheepishly produest a small parsel frum his poket and handed it to Anne, with a deprecatory luuk at Marilla. "I herd U sae U liekt chocolet sweeties, so I got U sum," he sed. "Humph," snift Marilla. "It'l rooin her teeth and stumac. Thair, thair, chield, don't luuk so dizmal. U can eet thoes, sinss Matthew has gon and got them. He'd beter hav braut U pepermints. Thae'r wholesomer. Don't sicken yurself eeting all them at wuns now." "O, no, indeed, I woen't," sed Anne eegerly. "I'l just eet wun toniet, Marilla. And I can giv Diana haf of them, can't I? Th uther haf wil taest twies as sweet to me if I giv sum to her. It's delietful to think I hav sumthing to giv her." "I wil sae it for th chield," sed Marilla when Anne had gon to her gaebl, "she isn't stinjy. I'm glad, for of all fallts I detest stinjynes in a chield. Deer me, it's oenly three weeks sinss she caem, and it seems as if she'd bin heer allwaes. I can't imajin th plaes without her. Now, don't be luuking I toeld-U-so, Matthew. That's bad enuf in a wuuman, but it isn't to be endurd in a man. I'm perfectly wiling to oen up that I'm glad I consented to keep th chield and that I'm geting fond of her, but don't U rub it in, Matthew Cuthbert." CHAPTER XIII Th Deliets of Antisipaeshun "It's tiem Anne was in to do her soeing," sed Marilla, glansing at th clok and then out into th yelo August afternoon wherr evrything drouzd in th heet. "She staed plaeing with Diana mor than haf an our more'n I gaev her leev to; and now she's percht out thair on th wuudpiel tauking to Matthew, nienteen to th duzen, when she noes perfectly wel she aut to be at her werk. And of cors he's lisening to her liek a perfect ninny. I never saw such an infatuated man. Th mor she tauks and th odder th things she ses, th mor he's delieted evidently. Anne Shirley, U cum riet in heer this minit, do U heer me!" A seerys of stacaato taps on th west windo braut Anne flieing in frum th yard, ies shiening, cheeks faently flusht with pink, unbraided hair streeming behiend her in a torent of brietnes. "O, Marilla," she exclaemd brethlesly, "thair's going to be a Sunday-scool picnik next week--in Mr. Harmon Andrews's feeld, riet neer th laek of Shiening Wauters. And Mrs. Superintendent Bel and Mrs. Rachel Lynde ar going to maek ies creem--think of it, Marilla--IES CREEM! And, o, Marilla, can I go to it?" "Just luuk at th clok, if U pleez, Anne. Whut tiem did I tel U to cum in?" "Too o'clok--but isn't it splendid about th picnik, Marilla? Pleez can I go? O, I'v never bin to a picnik--I'v dreemd of picniks, but I'v never--" "Yes, I toeld U to cum at too o'clok. And it's a qorter to three. I'd liek to noe whi U didn't oebae me, Anne." "Whi, I ment to, Marilla, as much as cuud be. But U hav no iedeea how fasinaeting Idlewild is. And then, of cors, I had to tel Matthew about th picnik. Matthew is such a simpathetic lisener. Pleez can I go?" "U'l hav to lern to rezist th fasinaeshun of Idlewhatever- U-call-it. When I tel U to cum in at a serten tiem I meen that tiem and not haf an our laeter. And U needn't stop to discors with simpathetic liseners on yur wae, eether. As for th picnik, of cors U can go. U'r a Sunday-scool scolar, and it's not liekly I'd refuez to let U go when all th uther litl gerls ar going." "But--but," fallterd Anne, "Diana ses that evrybody must taek a basket of things to eet. I can't cuuk, as U noe, Marilla, and--and--I don't miend going to a picnik without puft sleevs so much, but I'd feel terribly huemiliaeted if I had to go without a basket. It's bin praeing on mi miend ever sinss Diana toeld me." "Wel, it needn't prae eny longger. I'l baek U a basket." "O, U deer guud Marilla. O, U ar so kiend to me. O, I'm so much obliejd to U." Geting thru with her "ohs" Anne cast herself into Marilla's arms and rapturously kist her salo cheek. It was th ferst tiem in her hoel lief that chieldish lips had voluntairily tucht Marilla's faes. Agen that suden sensaeshun of startling sweetnes thrild her. She was seecretly vastly pleezd at Anne's impulsiv cares, which was probably th reezon whi she sed bruskly: "Thair, thair, never miend yur kising nonsens. I'd sooner see U doing strictly as U'r toeld. As for cuuking, I meen to begin giving U lesons in that sum of thees daes. But U'r so featherbrained, Anne, I'v bin waeting to see if U'd soeber doun a litl and lern to be stedy befor I begin. U'v got to keep yur wits about U in cuuking and not stop in th midl of things to let yur thauts roev all oever creaeshun. Now, get out yur pachwerk and hav yur sqair dun befor teetiem." "I do NOT liek pachwerk," sed Anne doelfuly, hunting out her werkbasket and siting doun befor a litl heep of red and whiet diemonds with a si. "I think sum kiends of soeing wuud be nies; but thair's no scoep for imajinaeshun in pachwerk. It's just wun litl seem after anuther and U never seem to be geting enywhair. But of cors I'd rather be Anne of Green Gaebls soeing pachwerk than Anne of eny uther plaes with nuthing to do but plae. I wish tiem went as qik soeing paches as it duz when I'm plaeing with Diana, tho. O, we do hav such elegant tiems, Marilla. I hav to fernish moest of th imajinaeshun, but I'm wel aebl to do that. Diana is simply perfect in evry uther wae. U noe that litl pees of land across th bruuk that runs up between our farm and Mr. Barry's. It belongs to Mr. William Bel, and riet in th corner thair is a litl ring of whiet berch trees--th moest roemantic spot, Marilla. Diana and I hav our plaehous thair. We call it Idlewild. Isn't that a poeetical naem? I ashur U it tuuk me sum tiem to think it out. I staed awaek neerly a hoel niet befor I invented it. Then, just as I was droping off to sleep, it caem liek an inspiraeshun. Diana was ENRAPCHERD when she herd it. We hav got our hous fixt up elegantly. U must cum and see it, Marilla--woen't U? We hav graet big stoens, all cuverd with moss, for seets, and bords frum tree to tree for shelvs. And we hav all our dishes on them. Of cors, thae'r all broeken but it's th eezyest thing in th werld to imajin that thae ar hoel. Thair's a pees of a plaet with a sprae of red and yelo ievy on it that is espeshaly buetyful. We keep it in th parlor and we hav th fairy glas thair, too. Th fairy glas is as luvly as a dreem. Diana found it out in th wuuds behiend thair chiken hous. It's all fuul of rainbows--just litl yung rainbows that havn't groen big yet--and Diana's muther toeld her it was broeken off a hanging lamp thae wuns had. But it's nies to imajin th fairys lost it wun niet when thae had a ball, so we call it th fairy glas. Matthew is going to maek us a taebl. O, we hav naemd that litl round pool oever in Mr. Barry's feeld Willowmere. I got that naem out of th buuk Diana lent me. That was a thriling buuk, Marilla. Th herroein had fiev luvers. I'd be satisfied with wun, wuudn't U? She was verry hansum and she went thru graet tribuelaeshuns. She cuud faent as eezy as enything. I'd luv to be aebl to faent, wuudn't U, Marilla? It's so roemantic. But I'm reealy verry helthy for all I'm so thin. I beleev I'm geting fater, tho. Don't U think I am? I luuk at mi elboes evry morning when I get up to see if eny dimples ar cuming. Diana is having a nue dres maed with elbo sleevs. She is going to wair it to th picnik. O, I do hoep it wil be fien next Wednesday. I don't feel that I cuud endur th disapointment if enything hapend to prevent me frum geting to th picnik. I supoez I'd liv thru it, but I'm serten it wuud be a lieflong sorro. It wuudn't mater if I got to a hundred picniks in after yeers; thae wuudn't maek up for mising this wun. Thae'r going to hav boets on th Laek of Shiening Wauters--and ies creem, as I toeld U. I hav never taested ies creem. Diana tried to explaen whut it was liek, but I ges ies creem is wun of thoes things that ar beyond imajinaeshun." "Anne, U hav taukt eeven on for ten minits bi th clok," sed Marilla. "Now, just for curiosity's saek, see if U can hoeld yur tung for th saem length of tiem." Anne held her tung as dezierd. But for th rest of th week she taukt picnik and thaut picnik and dreemd picnik. On Saturday it raend and she werkt herself up into such a frantic staet lest it shuud keep on raening until and oever Wednesday that Marilla maed her soe an extra pachwerk sqair bi wae of stedying her nervs. On Sunday Anne confieded to Marilla on th wae hoem frum cherch that she groo akchualy coeld all oever with exsietment when th minister anounst th picnik frum th puulpit. "Such a thril as went up and doun mi bak, Marilla! I don't think I'd ever reealy beleevd until then that thair was onestly going to be a picnik. I cuudn't help feering I'd oenly imajind it. But when a minister ses a thing in th puulpit U just hav to beleev it." "U set yur hart too much on things, Anne," sed Marilla, with a si. "I'm afraed thair'l be a graet meny disappointments in stor for U thru lief." "O, Marilla, luuking forward to things is haf th plezher of them," exclaemd Anne. "U mayn't get th things themselvs; but nuthing can prevent U frum having th fun of luuking forward to them. Mrs. Lynde ses, `Blesed ar thae hoo expect nuthing for thae shal not be disapointed.' But I think it wuud be wers to expect nuthing than to be disapointed." Marilla wor her amithist brooch to cherch that dae as uezhual. Marilla allwaes wor her amithist brooch to cherch. She wuud hav thaut it rather sacrilijus to leev it off--as bad as forgeting her Biebl or her colecshun diem. That amithist brooch was Marilla's moest trezherd pozeshun. A seefairing unkl had given it to her muther hoo in tern had beqeethd it to Marilla. It was an oeld-fashund oeval, contaening a braed of her mother's hair, serounded bi a border of verry fien amethysts. Marilla nue too litl about preshus stoens to reealiez how fien th amethysts akchualy wer; but she thaut them verry buetyful and was allwaes plezantly conshus of thair vieolet shimer at her throet, abuv her guud broun satin dres, eeven alltho she cuud not see it. Anne had bin smiten with delieted admeraeshun when she ferst saw that brooch. "O, Marilla, it's a perfectly elegant brooch. I don't noe how U can pae atenshun to th sermon or th prairs when U hav it on. I cuudn't, I noe. I think amethysts ar just sweet. Thae ar whut I uezd to think diemonds wer liek. Long ago, befor I had ever seen a diemond, I reed about them and I tried to imajin whut thae wuud be liek. I thaut thae wuud be luvly glimering perpl stoens. When I saw a reeal diemond in a lady's ring wun dae I was so disapointed I cried. Of cors, it was verry luvly but it wasn't mi iedeea of a diemond. Wil U let me hoeld th brooch for wun minit, Marilla? Do U think amethysts can be th soels of guud vieolets?" CHAPTER XIV Anne's Confeshun ON th Monday eevning befor th picnik Marilla caem doun frum her room with a trubld faes. "Anne," she sed to that small personej, hoo was sheling pees bi th spotles taebl and singing, "Nelly of th Haezel Del" with a vigor and expreshun that did credit to Diana's teeching, "did U see enything of mi amithist brooch? I thaut I stuk it in mi pincuushun when I caem hoem frum cherch yesterdae eevning, but I can't fiend it enywhair." "I--I saw it this afternoon when U wer awae at th Aed Sosieety," sed Anne, a litl sloely. "I was pasing yur dor when I saw it on th cuushun, so I went in to luuk at it." "Did U tuch it?" sed Marilla sternly. "Y-e-e-s," admited Anne, "I tuuk it up and I pind it on mi brest just to see how it wuud luuk." "U had no biznes to do enything of th sort. It's verry rong in a litl gerl to medl. U shuudn't hav gon into mi room in th ferst plaes and U shuudn't hav tucht a brooch that didn't belong to U in th second. Wherr did U puut it?" "O, I puut it bak on th buero. I hadn't it on a minit. Trooly, I didn't meen to medl, Marilla. I didn't think about its being rong to go in and tri on th brooch; but I see now that it was and I'l never do it agen. That's wun guud thing about me. I never do th saem nauty thing twies." "U didn't puut it bak," sed Marilla. "That brooch isn't enywhair on th buero. U'v taeken it out or sumthing, Anne." "I did puut it bak," sed Anne qikly--pertly, Marilla thaut. "I don't just remember whether I stuk it on th pincuushun or laed it in th chiena trae. But I'm perfectly serten I puut it bak." "I'l go and hav anuther luuk," sed Marilla, determining to be just. "If U puut that brooch bak it's thair stil. If it isn't I'l noe U didn't, that's all!" Marilla went to her room and maed a thero serch, not oenly oever th buero but in evry uther plaes she thaut th brooch miet posibly be. It was not to be found and she reternd to th kichen. "Anne, th brooch is gon. Bi yur oen admishun U wer th last person to handl it. Now, whut hav U dun with it? Tel me th trooth at wuns. Did U taek it out and looz it?" "No, I didn't," sed Anne solemly, meeting Marilla's anggry gaez sqairly. "I never tuuk th brooch out of yur room and that is th trooth, if I was to be led to th blok for it--alltho I'm not verry serten whut a blok is. So thair, Marilla." Anne's "so thair" was oenly intended to emfasiez her asershun, but Marilla tuuk it as a displae of defieans. "I beleev U ar teling me a falls-huud, Anne," she sed sharply. "I noe U ar. Thair now, don't sae enything mor unles U ar prepaird to tel th hoel trooth. Go to yur room and stae thair until U ar redy to confes." "Wil I taek th pees with me?" sed Anne meekly. "No, I'l finish sheling them mieself. Do as I bid U." When Anne had gon Marilla went about her eevning tasks in a verry disterbd staet of miend. She was weryd about her valueabl brooch. Whut if Anne had lost it? And how wiked of th chield to deni having taeken it, when enybody cuud see she must hav! With such an inosent faes, too! "I don't noe whut I wuudn't sooner hav had hapen," thaut Marilla, as she nervusly sheld th pees. "Of cors, I don't supoez she ment to steel it or enything liek that. She's just taeken it to plae with or help along that imajinaeshun of hers. She must hav taeken it, that's cleer, for thair hasn't bin a soel in that room sinss she was in it, bi her oen story, until I went up toniet. And th brooch is gon, thair's nuthing surer. I supoez she has lost it and is afraed to oen up for feer she'l be punisht. It's a dredful thing to think she tels falls-huuds. It's a far wers thing than her fit of temper. It's a feerful responsibility to hav a chield in yur hous U can't trust. Slienes and untruthfulness--that's whut she has displaed. I declair I feel wers about that than about th brooch. If she'd oenly hav toeld th trooth about it I wuudn't miend so much." Marilla went to her room at intervals all thru th eevning and sercht for th brooch, without fiending it. A bedtiem vizit to th eest gaebl produest no rezult. Anne persisted in denieing that she nue enything about th brooch but Marilla was oenly th mor fermly convinst that she did. She toeld Matthew th story th next morning. Matthew was confounded and puzld; he cuud not so qikly looz faeth in Anne but he had to admit that sercumstanses wer agenst her. "U'r shur it hasn't fel doun behiend th buero?" was th oenly sugjeschun he cuud offer. "I'v moovd th buero and I'v taeken out th drors and I'v luukt in evry crak and crany" was Marilla's pozitiv anser. "Th brooch is gon and that chield has taeken it and lied about it. That's th plaen, ugly trooth, Matthew Cuthbert, and we miet as wel luuk it in th faes." "Wel now, whut ar U going to do about it?" Matthew askt forlornly, feeling seecretly thankful that Marilla and not he had to deel with th sichuaeshun. He felt no dezier to puut his or in this tiem. "She'l stae in her room until she confeses," sed Marilla grimly, remembering th sucses of this method in th former caes. "Then we'll see. Perhaps we'll be aebl to fiend th brooch if she'l oenly tel wherr she tuuk it; but in eny caes she'l hav to be seveerly punisht, Matthew." "Wel now, U'l hav to punish her," sed Matthew, reeching for his hat. "I'v nuthing to do with it, remember. U wornd me off yurself." Marilla felt dezerted bi evrywun. She cuud not eeven go to Mrs. Lynde for advies. She went up to th eest gaebl with a verry seerius faes and left it with a faes mor seerius stil. Anne stedfastly refuezd to confes. She persisted in aserting that she had not taeken th brooch. Th chield had evidently bin crieing and Marilla felt a pang of pity which she sternly represt. Bi niet she was, as she exprest it, "beet out." "U'l stae in this room until U confes, Anne. U can maek up yur miend to that," she sed fermly. "But th picnik is tomorro, Marilla," cried Anne. "U woen't keep me frum going to that, wil U? U'l just let me out for th afternoon, woen't U? Then I'l stae heer as long as U liek AFTERWARDS cheerfuly. But I MUST go to th picnik." "U'l not go to picniks nor enywhair els until U'v confest, Anne." "O, Marilla," gaspt Anne. But Marilla had gon out and shut th dor. Wednesday morning daund as briet and fair as if expresly maed to order for th picnik. Berds sang around Green Gaebls; th Madonna lilys in th garden sent out whiffs of perfuem that enterd in on vueles winds at evry dor and windo, and waanderd thru halls and rooms liek spirits of benedicshun. Th berches in th holo waevd joiful hands as if woching for Anne's uezhual morning greeting frum th eest gaebl. But Anne was not at her windo. When Marilla tuuk her brekfast up to her she found th chield siting primly on her bed, pael and rezoloot, with tiet-shut lips and gleeming ies. "Marilla, I'm redy to confes." "Aa!" Marilla laed doun her trae. Wuns agen her method had sucseeded; but her sucses was verry biter to her. "Let me heer whut U hav to sae then, Anne." "I tuuk th amithist brooch," sed Anne, as if repeeting a leson she had lernd. "I tuuk it just as U sed. I didn't meen to taek it when I went in. But it did luuk so buetyful, Marilla, when I pind it on mi brest that I was oevercum bi an irrezistibl temptaeshun. I imajind how perfectly thriling it wuud be to taek it to Idlewild and plae I was th Laedy Cordelia Fitzgerald. It wuud be so much eezyer to imajin I was th Laedy Cordelia if I had a reeal amithist brooch on. Diana and I maek neklases of roseberries but whut ar roseberries compaird to amethysts? So I tuuk th brooch. I thaut I cuud puut it bak befor U caem hoem. I went all th wae around bi th roed to lengthen out th tiem. When I was going oever th brij across th Laek of Shiening Wauters I tuuk th brooch off to hav anuther luuk at it. O, how it did shien in th sunliet! And then, when I was leening oever th brij, it just slipt thru mi finggers--so--and went doun--doun--doun, all purplysparkling, and sank forevermor beneeth th Laek of Shiening Wauters. And that's th best I can do at confesing, Marilla." Marilla felt hot angger serj up into her hart agen. This chield had taeken and lost her trezherd amithist brooch and now sat thair caamly resieting th deetaels thairof without th leest aparrent compunkshun or repentans. "Anne, this is terribl," she sed, trieing to speek caamly. "U ar th verry wickedest gerl I ever herd of" "Yes, I supoez I am," agreed Anne tranquilly. "And I noe I'l hav to be punisht. It'l be yur duety to punish me, Marilla. Woen't U pleez get it oever riet off becauz I'd liek to go to th picnik with nuthing on mi miend." "Picnik, indeed! U'l go to no picnik todae, Anne Shirley. That shal be yur punishment. And it isn't haf seveer enuf eether for whut U'v dun!" "Not go to th picnik!" Anne sprang to her feet and clucht Marilla's hand. "But U PROMIST me I miet! O, Marilla, I must go to th picnik. That was whi I confest. Punish me eny wae U liek but that. O, Marilla, pleez, pleez, let me go to th picnik. Think of th ies creem! For enything U noe I mae never hav a chans to taest ies creem agen." Marilla disengaged Anne's clinging hands stoenily. "U needn't pleed, Anne. U ar not going to th picnik and that's fienal. No, not a werd." Anne reealiezd that Marilla was not to be moovd. She claspt her hands together, gaev a peersing shreek, and then flung herself faes dounward on th bed, crieing and riething in an uter abandonment of disapointment and despair. "For th land's saek!" gaspt Marilla, haesening frum th room. "I beleev th chield is craezy. No chield in her senses wuud behaev as she duz. If she isn't she's uterly bad. O deer, I'm afraed Rachel was riet frum th ferst. But I'v puut mi hand to th plow and I woen't luuk bak." That was a dizmal morning. Marilla werkt feersly and scrubd th porch flor and th dairy shelvs when she cuud fiend nuthing els to do. Neether th shelvs nor th porch needed it--but Marilla did. Then she went out and raekt th yard. When diner was redy she went to th stairs and calld Anne. A teer-staend faes apeerd, luuking trajicaly oever th banisters. "Cum doun to yur diner, Anne." "I don't wont eny diner, Marilla," sed Anne, sobingly. "I cuudn't eet enything. Mi hart is broeken. U'l feel remors of conshens sumdae, I expect, for braeking it, Marilla, but I forgiv U. Remember when th tiem cums that I forgiv U. But pleez don't ask me to eet enything, espeshaly boild pork and greens. Boild pork and greens ar so unroemantic when wun is in aflicshun." Exasperaeted, Marilla reternd to th kichen and pord out her tael of woe to Matthew, hoo, between his sens of justis and his unlawful simpathy with Anne, was a mizerabl man. "Wel now, she shuudn't hav taeken th brooch, Marilla, or toeld storys about it," he admited, mournfuly servaeing his plaetful of unroemantic pork and greens as if he, liek Anne, thaut it a food unsooted to criesys of feeling, "but she's such a litl thing--such an interesting litl thing. Don't U think it's prity ruf not to let her go to th picnik when she's so set on it?" "Matthew Cuthbert, I'm amaezd at U. I think I'v let her off entierly too eezy. And she duzn't apeer to reealiez how wiked she's bin at all--that's whut werys me moest. If she'd reealy felt sorry it wuudn't be so bad. And U don't seem to reealiez it, neether; U'r maeking excueses for her all th tiem to yurself--I can see that." "Wel now, she's such a litl thing," feebly reeiteraeted Matthew. "And thair shuud be alowanses maed, Marilla. U noe she's never had eny bringing up." "Wel, she's having it now" retorted Marilla. Th retort sielenst Matthew if it did not convins him. That diner was a verry dizmal meel. Th oenly cheerful thing about it was Jerry Buote, th hierd boi, and Marilla rezented his cheerfulnes as a personal insult. When her dishes wer wosht and her bred spunj set and her hens fed Marilla rememberd that she had noetist a small rent in her best blak laes shall when she had taeken it off on Monday afternoon on reterning frum th Ladies' Aed. She wuud go and mend it. Th shall was in a box in her trunk. As Marilla lifted it out, th sunliet, falling thru th viens that clusterd thikly about th windo, struk upon sumthing caut in th shall--sumthing that gliterd and sparkld in fasets of vieolet liet. Marilla snacht at it with a gasp. It was th amithist brooch, hanging to a thred of th laes bi its cach! "Deer lief and hart," sed Marilla blankly, "whut duz this meen? Heer's mi brooch saef and sound that I thaut was at th botom of Barry's pond. Whutever did that gerl meen bi saeing she tuuk it and lost it? I declair I beleev Green Gaebls is bewicht. I remember now that when I tuuk off mi shall Monday afternoon I laed it on th buero for a minit. I supoez th brooch got caut in it sumhow. Wel!" Marilla betook herself to th eest gaebl, brooch in hand. Anne had cried herself out and was siting dejectedly bi th windo. "Anne Shirley," sed Marilla solemly, "I'v just found mi brooch hanging to mi blak laes shall. Now I wont to noe whut that rigmarole U toeld me this morning ment." "Whi, U sed U'd keep me heer until I confest," reternd Anne weerily, "and so I desieded to confes becauz I was bound to get to th picnik. I thaut out a confeshun last niet after I went to bed and maed it as interesting as I cuud. And I sed it oever and oever so that I wuudn't forget it. But U wuudn't let me go to th picnik after all, so all mi trubl was waested." Marilla had to laf in spiet of herself. But her conshens prikt her. "Anne, U do beet all! But I was rong--I see that now. I shuudn't hav douted yur werd when I'd never noen U to tel a story. Of cors, it wasn't riet for U to confes to a thing U hadn't dun--it was verry rong to do so. But I droev U to it. So if U'l forgiv me, Anne, I'l forgiv U and we'll start sqair agen. And now get yurself redy for th picnik." Anne floo up liek a roket. "O, Marilla, isn't it too laet?" "No, it's oenly too o'clok. Thae woen't be mor than wel gatherd yet and it'l be an our befor thae hav tee. Wosh yur faes and coem yur hair and puut on yur gingam. I'l fil a basket for U. Thair's plenty of stuf baekt in th hous. And I'l get Jerry to hich up th sorrel and driev U doun to th picnik ground." "O, Marilla," exclaemd Anne, flieing to th woshstand. "Fiev minits ago I was so mizerabl I was wishing I'd never bin born and now I wuudn't chaenj plaeses with an aenjel!" That niet a theroely hapy, compleetly tierd-out Anne reternd to Green Gaebls in a staet of beatificaeshun imposibl to descrieb. "O, Marilla, I'v had a perfectly scrumpshus tiem. Scrumpshus is a nue werd I lernd todae. I herd Mary Alice Bel uez it. Isn't it verry expresiv? Evrything was luvly. We had a splendid tee and then Mr. Harmon Andrews tuuk us all for a ro on th Laek of Shiening Wauters--six of us at a tiem. And Jane Andrews neerly fel oeverbord. She was leening out to pik wauter lilys and if Mr. Andrews hadn't caut her bi her sash just in th nik of tiem she'd fallen in and prob'ly bin dround. I wish it had bin me. It wuud hav bin such a roemantic expeeryens to hav bin neerly dround. It wuud be such a thriling tael to tel. And we had th ies creem. Werds fael me to descrieb that ies creem. Marilla, I ashur U it was subliem." That eevning Marilla toeld th hoel story to Matthew oever her stoking basket. "I'm wiling to oen up that I maed a mistaek," she conclooded candidly, "but I'v lernd a leson. I hav to laf when I think of Anne's `confeshun,' alltho I supoez I shuudn't for it reealy was a falls-huud. But it duzn't seem as bad as th uther wuud hav bin, sumhow, and enyhow I'm responsibl for it. That chield is hard to understand in sum respects. But I beleev she'l tern out all riet yet. And thair's wun thing serten, no hous wil ever be dul that she's in." CHAPTER XV A Tempest in th Scool Teepot "Whut a splendid dae!" sed Anne, drawing a long breth. "Isn't it guud just to be aliev on a dae liek this? I pity th peepl hoo arn't born yet for mising it. Thae mae hav guud daes, of cors, but thae can never hav this wun. And it's splendider stil to hav such a luvly wae to go to scool bi, isn't it?" "It's a lot nieser than going round bi th roed; that is so dusty and hot," sed Diana practicaly, peeping into her diner basket and mentaly calcuelaeting if th three joosy, toothsum, razberry tarts reposing thair wer divieded amung ten gerls how meny biets eech gerl wuud hav. Th litl gerls of Avonlea scool allwaes poold thair lunches, and to eet three razberry tarts all aloen or eeven to shair them oenly with one's best chum wuud hav forever and ever branded as "auful meen" th gerl hoo did it. And yet, when th tarts wer divieded amung ten gerls U just got enuf to tantaliez U. Th wae Anne and Diana went to scool WAS a prity wun. Anne thaut thoes wauks to and frum scool with Diana cuudn't be improovd upon eeven bi imajinaeshun. Going around bi th maen roed wuud hav bin so unroemantic; but to go bi Lover's Laen and Willowmere and Vieolet Vael and th Berch Path was roemantic, if ever enything was. Lover's Laen oepend out belo th orchard at Green Gaebls and strecht far up into th wuuds to th end of th Cuthbert farm. It was th wae bi which th cows wer taeken to th bak pascher and th wuud halld hoem in winter. Anne had naemd it Lover's Laen befor she had bin a munth at Green Gaebls. "Not that luvers ever reealy wauk thair," she explaend to Marilla, "but Diana and I ar reeding a perfectly magnifisent buuk and thair's a Lover's Laen in it. So we wont to hav wun, too. And it's a verry prity naem, don't U think? So roemantic! We can't imajin th luvers into it, U noe. I liek that laen becauz U can think out loud thair without peepl calling U craezy." Anne, starting out aloen in th morning, went doun Lover's Laen as far as th bruuk. Heer Diana met her, and th too litl gerls went on up th laen under th leefy arch of maepls--"maepls ar such soeshabl trees," sed Anne; "thae'r allwaes rusling and whispering to U"--until thae caem to a rustic brij. Then thae left th laen and waukt thru Mr. Barry's bak feeld and past Willowmere. Beyond Willowmere caem Vieolet Vael--a litl green dimpl in th shado of Mr. Andrew Bell's big wuuds. "Of cors thair ar no vieolets thair now," Anne toeld Marilla, "but Diana ses thair ar milyons of them in spring. O, Marilla, can't U just imajin U see them? It akchualy taeks awae mi breth. I naemd it Vieolet Vael. Diana ses she never saw th beet of me for hiting on fansy naems for plaeses. It's nies to be clever at sumthing, isn't it? But Diana naemd th Berch Path. She wonted to, so I let her; but I'm shur I cuud hav found sumthing mor poeetical than plaen Berch Path. Enybody can think of a naem liek that. But th Berch Path is wun of th prityest plaeses in th werld, Marilla." It was. Uther peepl besieds Anne thaut so when thae stumbld on it. It was a litl narro, twisting path, wiending doun oever a long hil straet thru Mr. Bell's wuuds, wherr th liet caem doun sifted thru so meny emerald screens that it was as flawles as th hart of a diemond. It was frinjd in all its length with slim yung berches, whiet stemd and lissom boughed; ferns and starflowers and wield lilys-of-th-valy and scarlet tufts of pigeonberries groo thikly along it; and allwaes thair was a delietful spiciness in th air and muezic of berd calls and th mermer and laf of wuud winds in th trees oeverhed. Now and then U miet see a rabit skiping across th roed if U wer qieet--which, with Anne and Diana, hapend about wuns in a bloo moon. Doun in th valy th path caem out to th maen roed and then it was just up th sproos hil to th scool. Th Avonlea scool was a whietwosht bilding, lo in th eevs and wied in th windoes, fernisht insied with cumfortabl substanshal oeld-fashund desks that oepend and shut, and wer carvd all oever thair lids with th inishals and hieroglyphics of three jeneraeshuns of scool children. Th scoolhous was set bak frum th roed and behiend it was a dusky fer wuud and a bruuk wherr all th children puut thair botls of milk in th morning to keep cool and sweet until diner our. Marilla had seen Anne start off to scool on th ferst dae of September with meny seecret misgivings. Anne was such an od gerl. How wuud she get on with th uther children? And how on erth wuud she ever manej to hoeld her tung during scool ours? Things went beter than Marilla feerd, however. Anne caem hoem that eevning in hi spirits. "I think I'm going to liek scool heer," she anounst. "I don't think much of th master, thru. He's all th tiem curling his mustash and maeking ies at Prissy Andrews. Prissy is groen up, U noe. She's sixteen and she's studying for th entrans examinaeshun into Queen's Academy at Charlottetown next yeer. Tillie Boulter ses th master is DED GON on her. She's got a buetyful complexshun and curly broun hair and she duz it up so elegantly. She sits in th long seet at th bak and he sits thair, too, moest of th tiem--to explaen her lesons, he ses. But Ruby Gillis ses she saw him rieting sumthing on her slaet and when Prissy reed it she blusht as red as a beet and gigld; and Ruby Gillis ses she duzn't beleev it had enything to do with th leson." "Anne Shirley, don't let me heer U tauking about yur teecher in that wae agen," sed Marilla sharply. "U don't go to scool to critisiez th master. I ges he can teech U sumthing, and it's yur biznes to lern. And I wont U to understand riet off that U ar not to cum hoem teling taels about him. That is sumthing I woen't encurej. I hoep U wer a guud gerl." "Indeed I was," sed Anne cumfortably. "It wasn't so hard as U miet imajin, eether. I sit with Diana. Our seet is riet bi th windo and we can luuk doun to th Laek of Shiening Wauters. Thair ar a lot of nies gerls in scool and we had scrumpshus fun plaeing at dinertiem. It's so nies to hav a lot of litl gerls to plae with. But of cors I liek Diana best and allwaes wil. I ADOR Diana. I'm dredfuly far behiend th uthers. Thae'r all in th fifth buuk and I'm oenly in th foerth. I feel that it's kiend of a disgraes. But thair's not wun of them has such an imajinaeshun as I hav and I soon found that out. We had reeding and jeografy and Canadian history and dictaeshun todae. Mr. Phillips sed mi speling was disgraesful and he held up mi slaet so that evrybody cuud see it, all markt oever. I felt so mortified, Marilla; he miet hav bin politer to a straenjer, I think. Ruby Gillis gaev me an apl and Sophia Sloane lent me a luvly pink card with `Mae I see U hoem?' on it. I'm to giv it bak to her tomorro. And Tillie Boulter let me wair her beed ring all th afternoon. Can I hav sum of thoes perl beeds off th oeld pincuushun in th garret to maek mieself a ring? And o, Marilla, Jane Andrews toeld me that Minnie Macpherson toeld her that she herd Prissy Andrews tel Sara Gillis that I had a verry prity noez. Marilla, that is th ferst compliment I hav ever had in mi lief and U can't imajin whut a straenj feeling it gaev me. Marilla, hav I reealy a prity noez? I noe U'l tel me th trooth." "Yur noez is wel enuf," sed Marilla shortly. Seecretly she thaut Anne's noez was a remarkabl prity wun; but she had no intenshun of teling her so. That was three weeks ago and all had gon smoothly so far. And now, this crisp September morning, Anne and Diana wer triping bliethly doun th Berch Path, too of th hapyest litl gerls in Avonlea. "I ges Gilbert Blythe wil be in scool todae," sed Diana. "He's bin viziting his cuzins oever in Nue Brunswick all sumer and he oenly caem hoem Saturday niet. He's AW'FLY hansum, Anne. And he teezes th gerls sumthing terribl. He just torments our lievs out." Diana's vois indicaeted that she rather liekt having her lief tormented out than not. "Gilbert Blythe?" sed Anne. "Isn't his naem that's riten up on th porch wall with Julia Bell's and a big `Taek Notice' oever them?" "Yes," sed Diana, tossing her hed, "but I'm shur he duzn't liek Julia Bel so verry much. I'v herd him sae he studyd th multiplicaeshun taebl bi her frekls." "O, don't speek about frekls to me," implord Anne. "It isn't deliket when I'v got so meny. But I do think that rieting taek-noetises up on th wall about th bois and gerls is th silyest ever. I shuud just liek to see enybody dair to riet mi naem up with a boy's. Not, of cors," she haesend to ad, "that enybody wuud." Anne sied. She didn't wont her naem riten up. But it was a litl huemiliaeting to noe that thair was no daenjer of it. "Nonsens," sed Diana, hoos blak ies and glossy tresses had plaed such havoc with th harts of Avonlea scoolbois that her naem figuerd on th porch walls in haf a duzen taek-noetises. "It's oenly ment as a joek. And don't U be too shur yur naem woen't ever be riten up. Charlie Sloane is DED GON on U. He toeld his muther--his MUTHER, miend U--that U wer th smartest gerl in scool. That's beter than being guud luuking." "No, it isn't," sed Anne, feminin to th cor. "I'd rather be prity than clever. And I haet Charlie Sloane, I can't bair a boi with gogl ies. If enywun roet mi naem up with his I'd never GET oever it, Diana Barry. But it IS nies to keep hed of yur clas." "U'l hav Gilbert in yur clas after this," sed Diana, "and he's uezd to being hed of his clas, I can tel U. He's oenly in th foerth buuk alltho he's neerly forteen. Foer yeers ago his faather was sik and had to go out to Alberta for his helth and Gilbert went with him. Thae wer thair three yeers and Gil didn't go to scool hardly eny until thae caem bak. U woen't fiend it so eezy to keep hed after this, Anne." "I'm glad," sed Anne qikly. "I cuudn't reealy feel proud of keeping hed of litl bois and gerls of just nien or ten. I got up yesterdae speling `ebulishun.' Josie Pye was hed and, miend U, she peeped in her buuk. Mr. Phillips didn't see her--he was luuking at Prissy Andrews--but I did. I just swept her a luuk of freezing scorn and she got as red as a beet and speld it rong after all." "Thoes Pye gerls ar cheats all round," sed Diana indignantly, as thae cliemd th fens of th maen roed. "Gertie Pye akchualy went and puut her milk botl in mi plaes in th bruuk yesterdae. Did U ever? I don't speek to her now." When Mr. Phillips was in th bak of th room heering Prissy Andrews's Latin, Diana whisperd to Anne, "That's Gilbert Blythe siting riet across th iel frum U, Anne. Just luuk at him and see if U don't think he's hansum." Anne luukt acordingly. She had a guud chans to do so, for th sed Gilbert Blythe was absorbd in stelthily pining th long yelo braed of Ruby Gillis, hoo sat in frunt of him, to th bak of her seet. He was a tall boi, with curly broun hair, roegish haezel ies, and a mouth twisted into a teezing smiel. Prezently Ruby Gillis started up to taek a sum to th master; she fel bak into her seet with a litl shreek, beleeving that her hair was puuld out bi th roots. Evrybody luukt at her and Mr. Phillips glaird so sternly that Ruby began to cri. Gilbert had whiskt th pin out of siet and was studying his history with th soberest faes in th werld; but when th comoeshun subsieded he luukt at Anne and winkt with inexpresibl droelery. "I think yur Gilbert Blythe IS hansum," confieded Anne to Diana, "but I think he's verry boeld. It isn't guud maners to wink at a straenj gerl." But it was not until th afternoon that things reealy began to hapen. Mr. Phillips was bak in th corner explaening a problem in aljebra to Prissy Andrews and th rest of th scolars wer doing prity much as thae pleezd eeting green apls, whispering, drawing pikchers on thair slaets, and drieving crikets harnest to strings, up and doun iel. Gilbert Blythe was trieing to maek Anne Shirley luuk at him and faeling uterly, becauz Anne was at that moement toetaly oblivius not oenly to th verry existens of Gilbert Blythe, but of evry uther scolar in Avonlea scool itself. With her chin propt on her hands and her ies fixt on th bloo glimps of th Laek of Shiening Wauters that th west windo aforded, she was far awae in a gorjus dreemland heering and seeing nuthing saev her oen wunderful vizhuns. Gilbert Blythe wasn't uezd to puuting himself out to maek a gerl luuk at him and meeting with faeluer. She SHUUD luuk at him, that red-haired Shirley gerl with th litl pointed chin and th big ies that wern't liek th ies of eny uther gerl in Avonlea scool. Gilbert reecht across th iel, pikt up th end of Anne's long red braed, held it out at arm's length and sed in a peersing whisper: "Carrots! Carrots!" Then Anne luukt at him with a vengeance! She did mor than luuk. She sprang to her feet, her briet fansys fallen into cureless rooin. She flasht wun indignant glans at Gilbert frum ies hoos anggry sparkl was swiftly qencht in eeqaly anggry teers. "U meen, haetful boi!" she exclaemd pashunetly. "How dair U!" And then--thwak! Anne had braut her slaet doun on Gilbert's hed and crakt it--slaet not hed--cleer across. Avonlea scool allwaes enjoid a seen. This was an espeshaly enjoiabl wun. Evrybody sed "O" in horrified deliet. Diana gaspt. Ruby Gillis, hoo was incliend to be histerrical, began to cri. Tommy Sloane let his teem of crikets escaep him alltogether whiel he staird oepen-mouthd at th tablo. Mr. Phillips staukt doun th iel and laed his hand hevily on Anne's shoelder. "Anne Shirley, whut duz this meen?" he sed anggrily. Anne reternd no anser. It was asking too much of flesh and blud to expect her to tel befor th hoel scool that she had bin calld "carrots." Gilbert it was hoo spoek up stoutly. "It was mi fallt Mr. Phillips. I teezd her." Mr. Phillips paed no heed to Gilbert. "I am sorry to see a puepil of mien displaeing such a temper and such a vindictiv spirit," he sed in a solem toen, as if th meer fact of being a puepil of his aut to root out all eevil pashuns frum th harts of small imperfect mortals. "Anne, go and stand on th platform in frunt of th blakbord for th rest of th afternoon." Anne wuud hav infinitly preferd a whiping to this punishment under which her sensitiv spirit qiverd as frum a whiplash. With a whiet, set faes she oebaed. Mr. Phillips tuuk a chauk craeon and roet on th blakbord abuv her hed. "Ann Shirley has a verry bad temper. Ann Shirley must lern to controel her temper," and then reed it out loud so that eeven th primer clas, hoo cuudn't reed rieting, shuud understand it. Anne stuud thair th rest of th afternoon with that lejend abuv her. She did not cri or hang her hed. Angger was stil too hot in her hart for that and it sustaend her amid all her agony of huemiliaeshun. With rezentful ies and pashun-red cheeks she confrunted aliek Diana's simpathetic gaez and Charlie Sloane's indignant nods and Josie Pye's malishus smiels. As for Gilbert Blythe, she wuud not eeven luuk at him. She wuud NEVER luuk at him agen! She wuud never speek to him!! When scool was dismist Anne marcht out with her red hed held hi. Gilbert Blythe tried to intersept her at th porch dor. "I'm aufuly sorry I maed fun of yur hair, Anne," he whisperd contritely. "Onest I am. Don't be mad for keeps, now" Anne swept bi disdainfully, without luuk or sien of heering. "O how cuud U, Anne?" breethd Diana as thae went doun th roed haf reproachfully, haf admieringly. Diana felt that SHE cuud never hav rezisted Gilbert's plee. "I shal never forgiv Gilbert Blythe," sed Anne fermly. "And Mr. Phillips speld mi naem without an e, too. Th ieern has enterd into mi soel, Diana." Diana hadn't th leest iedeea whut Anne ment but she understuud it was sumthing terribl. "U mustn't miend Gilbert maeking fun of yur hair," she sed soothingly. "Whi, he maeks fun of all th gerls. He lafs at mien becauz it's so blak. He's calld me a cro a duzen tiems; and I never herd him apolojiez for enything befor, eether." "Thair's a graet deel of diferens between being calld a cro and being calld carrots," sed Anne with dignity. "Gilbert Blythe has hert mi feelings EXCRUCIATINGLY, Diana." It is posibl th mater miet hav bloen oever without mor excruciation if nuthing els had hapend. But when things begin to hapen thae ar apt to keep on. Avonlea scolars offen spent noon our piking gum in Mr. Bell's sproos groev oever th hil and across his big pascher feeld. Frum thair thae cuud keep an ie on Eben Wright's hous, wherr th master borded. When thae saw Mr. Phillips emerjing thairfrum thae ran for th scoolhous; but th distans being about three tiems longger than Mr. Wright's laen thae wer verry apt to ariev thair, brethles and gasping, sum three minits too laet. On th foloeing dae Mr. Phillips was seezd with wun of his spazmodic fits of reform and anounst befor going hoem to diner, that he shuud expect to fiend all th scolars in thair seets when he reternd. Enywun hoo caem in laet wuud be punisht. All th bois and sum of th gerls went to Mr. Bell's sproos groev as uezhual, fuuly intending to stae oenly long enuf to "pik a choo." But sproos groevs ar seductiv and yelo nuts of gum begieling; thae pikt and loitered and straed; and as uezhual th ferst thing that recalld them to a sens of th fliet of tiem was Jimy Glover shouting frum th top of a paetriarkal oeld sproos "Master's cuming." Th gerls hoo wer on th ground, started ferst and manejd to reech th scoolhous in tiem but without a second to spair. Th bois, hoo had to rigl haestily doun frum th trees, wer laeter; and Anne, hoo had not bin piking gum at all but was waandering hapily in th far end of th groev, waest deep amung th braken, singing sofftly to herself, with a reeth of ries lilys on her hair as if she wer sum wield divinity of th shadoey plaeses, was laetest of all. Anne cuud run liek a deer, however; run she did with th impish rezult that she oevertuuk th bois at th dor and was swept into th scoolhous amung them just as Mr. Phillips was in th act of hanging up his hat. Mr. Phillips's breef reforming enerjy was oever; he didn't wont th bother of punishing a duzen puepils; but it was nesesairy to do sumthing to saev his werd, so he luukt about for a scaepgoet and found it in Anne, hoo had dropt into her seet, gasping for breth, with a forgoten lily reeth hanging askue oever wun eer and giving her a particuelarly raekish and disheveld apeerans. "Anne Shirley, sinss U seem to be so fond of th boys' cumpany we shal indulj yur taest for it this afternoon," he sed sarcasticaly. "Taek thoes flowers out of yur hair and sit with Gilbert Blythe." Th uther bois snikerd. Diana, terning pael with pity, plukt th reeth frum Anne's hair and sqeezd her hand. Anne staird at th master as if ternd to stoen. "Did U heer whut I sed, Anne?" qeeryd Mr. Phillips sternly. "Yes, ser," sed Anne sloely "but I didn't supoez U reealy ment it." "I ashur U I did"--stil with th sarcastic inflecshun which all th children, and Anne espeshaly, haeted. It flikt on th raw. "Oebae me at wuns." For a moement Anne luukt as if she ment to disoebae. Then, reealiezing that thair was no help for it, she roez hautily, stept across th iel, sat doun besied Gilbert Blythe, and berryd her faes in her arms on th desk. Ruby Gillis, hoo got a glimps of it as it went doun, toeld th uthers going hoem frum scool that she'd "acksually never seen enything liek it--it was so whiet, with auful litl red spots in it." To Anne, this was as th end of all things. It was bad enuf to be singgld out for punishment frum amung a duzen eeqaly gilty wuns; it was wers stil to be sent to sit with a boi, but that that boi shuud be Gilbert Blythe was heaping insult on injery to a degree uterly unbairabl. Anne felt that she cuud not bair it and it wuud be of no uez to tri. Her hoel being seethed with shaem and angger and huemiliaeshun. At ferst th uther scolars luukt and whisperd and gigld and nujd. But as Anne never lifted her hed and as Gilbert werkt fracshuns as if his hoel soel was absorbd in them and them oenly, thae soon reternd to thair oen tasks and Anne was forgoten. When Mr. Phillips calld th history clas out Anne shuud hav gon, but Anne did not moov, and Mr. Phillips, hoo had bin rieting sum verses "To Priscilla" befor he calld th clas, was thinking about an obstinet riem stil and never mist her. Wuns, when noebody was luuking, Gilbert tuuk frum his desk a litl pink candy hart with a goeld moto on it, "U ar sweet," and slipt it under th curv of Anne's arm. Wherrupon Anne aroez, tuuk th pink hart jinjerly between th tips of her finggers, dropt it on th flor, ground it to pouder beneeth her heel, and rezoomd her pozishun without deigning to bestoe a glans on Gilbert. When scool went out Anne marcht to her desk, ostentatiously tuuk out evrything thairin, buuks and rieting tablet, pen and ink, testament and arithmetic, and pield them neetly on her crakt slaet. "Whut ar U taeking all thoes things hoem for, Anne?" Diana wonted to noe, as soon as thae wer out on th roed. She had not daird to ask th qeschun befor. "I am not cuming bak to scool eny mor," sed Anne. Diana gaspt and staird at Anne to see if she ment it. "Wil Marilla let U stae hoem?" she askt. "She'l hav to," sed Anne. "I'l NEVER go to scool to that man agen." "O, Anne!" Diana luukt as if she wer redy to cri. "I do think U'r meen. Whut shal I do? Mr. Phillips wil maek me sit with that horrid Gertie Pye--I noe he wil becauz she is siting aloen. Do cum bak, Anne." "I'd do allmoest enything in th werld for U, Diana," sed Anne sadly. "I'd let mieself be torn lim frum lim if it wuud do U eny guud. But I can't do this, so pleez don't ask it. U harro up mi verry soel." "Just think of all th fun U wil mis," mornd Diana. "We ar going to bild th luvlyest nue hous doun bi th bruuk; and we'll be plaeing ball next week and U'v never plaed ball, Anne. It's tremendusly exsieting. And we'r going to lern a nue song-- Jane Andrews is practising it up now; and Alice Andrews is going to bring a nue Panzy buuk next week and we'r all going to reed it out loud, chapter about, doun bi th bruuk. And U noe U ar so fond of reeding out loud, Anne." Nuthing moovd Anne in th leest. Her miend was maed up. She wuud not go to scool to Mr. Phillips agen; she toeld Marilla so when she got hoem. "Nonsens," sed Marilla. "It isn't nonsens at all," sed Anne, gaezing at Marilla with solem, reproechful ies. "Don't U understand, Marilla? I'v bin insulted." "Insulted fidlstiks! U'l go to scool tomorro as uezhual." "O, no." Anne shuuk her hed jently. "I'm not going bak, Marilla. "I'l lern mi lesons at hoem and I'l be as guud as I can be and hoeld mi tung all th tiem if it's posibl at all. But I wil not go bak to scool, I ashur U." Marilla saw sumthing remarkably liek unyeelding stubornnes luuking out of Anne's small faes. She understuud that she wuud hav trubl in oevercuming it; but she re-solvd wiezly to sae nuthing mor just then. "I'l run doun and see Rachel about it this eevning," she thaut. "Thair's no uez reezoning with Anne now. She's too werkt up and I'v an iedeea she can be auful stuborn if she taeks th noeshun. Far as I can maek out frum her story, Mr. Phillips has bin carrying maters with a rather hi hand. But it wuud never do to sae so to her. I'l just tauk it oever with Rachel. She's sent ten children to scool and she aut to noe sumthing about it. She'l hav herd th hoel story, too, bi this tiem." Marilla found Mrs. Lynde niting qilts as industriusly and cheerfuly as uezhual. "I supoez U noe whut I'v cum about," she sed, a litl shaemfaesedly. Mrs. Rachel noded. "About Anne's fus in scool, I rekon," she sed. "Tillie Boulter was in on her wae hoem frum scool and toeld me about it." "I don't noe whut to do with her," sed Marilla. "She declairs she woen't go bak to scool. I never saw a chield so werkt up. I'v bin expecting trubl ever sinss she started to scool. I nue things wer going too smooth to last. She's so hi strung. Whut wuud U adviez, Rachel?" "Wel, sinss U'v askt mi advies, Marilla," sed Mrs. Lynde amiably--Mrs. Lynde deerly luvd to be askt for advies--"I'd just huemor her a litl at ferst, that's whut I'd do. It's mi beleef that Mr. Phillips was in th rong. Of cors, it duzn't do to sae so to th children, U noe. And of cors he did riet to punish her yesterdae for giving wae to temper. But todae it was diferent. Th uthers hoo wer laet shuud hav bin punisht as wel as Anne, that's whut. And I don't beleev in maeking th gerls sit with th bois for punishment. It isn't modest. Tillie Boulter was reeal indignant. She tuuk Anne's part riet thru and sed all th scolars did too. Anne seems reeal popuelar amung them, sumhow. I never thaut she'd taek with them so wel." "Then U reealy think I'd beter let her stae hoem," sed Marilla in amaezment. "Yes. That is I wuudn't sae scool to her agen until she sed it herself. Depend upon it, Marilla, she'l cool off in a week or so and be redy enuf to go bak of her oen acord, that's whut, whiel, if U wer to maek her go bak riet off, deer noes whut freek or tantrum she'd taek next and maek mor trubl than ever. Th les fus maed th beter, in mi opinyon. She woen't mis much bi not going to scool, as far as THAT goes. Mr. Phillips isn't eny guud at all as a teecher. Th order he keeps is scandalus, that's whut, and he neglects th yung fri and puuts all his tiem on thoes big scolars he's geting redy for Queen's. He'd never hav got th scool for anuther yeer if his unkl hadn't bin a trustee--TH trustee, for he just leeds th uther too around bi th noez, that's whut. I declair, I don't noe whut ejucaeshun in this Ieland is cuming to." Mrs. Rachel shuuk her hed, as much as to sae if she wer oenly at th hed of th ejucaeshunal sistem of th Provins things wuud be much beter manejd. Marilla tuuk Mrs. Rachel's advies and not anuther werd was sed to Anne about going bak to scool. She lernd her lesons at hoem, did her chors, and plaed with Diana in th chily perpl autum twilights; but when she met Gilbert Blythe on th roed or encounterd him in Sunday scool she past him bi with an iesy contempt that was no whit thawd bi his evident dezier to apeez her. Eeven Diana's eforts as a peesmaeker wer of no avael. Anne had evidently maed up her miend to haet Gilbert Blythe to th end of lief. As much as she haeted Gilbert, however, did she luv Diana, with all th luv of her pashunet litl hart, eeqaly intens in its lieks and dislieks. Wun eevning Marilla, cuming in frum th orchard with a basket of apls, found Anne siting along bi th eest windo in th twieliet, crieing biterly. "Whatever's th mater now, Anne?" she askt. "It's about Diana," sobd Anne luxuriously. "I luv Diana so, Marilla. I cannot ever liv without her. But I noe verry wel when we gro up that Diana wil get marryd and go awae and leev me. And o, whut shal I do? I haet her huzband--I just haet him fueriusly. I'v bin imajining it all out--th weding and evrything--Diana drest in snoey garments, with a vael, and luuking as buetyful and reegal as a qeen; and me th briedzmaed, with a luvly dres too, and puft sleevs, but with a braeking hart hid beneeth mi smieling faes. And then biding Diana guudbi-e-e--" Heer Anne broek doun entierly and wept with increesing biternes. Marilla ternd qikly awae to hied her twiching faes; but it was no uez; she colapst on th neerest chair and berst into such a harty and unuezhual peel of lafter that Matthew, crossing th yard outsied, hallted in amaezment. When had he herd Marilla laf liek that befor? "Wel, Anne Shirley," sed Marilla as soon as she cuud speek, "if U must borro trubl, for pity's saek borro it handyer hoem. I shuud think U had an imajinaeshun, shur enuf." CHAPTER XVI Diana Is Invieted to Tee with Trajic Rezults OCTOBER was a buetyful munth at Green Gaebls, when th berches in th holo ternd as goelden as sunshien and th maepls behiend th orchard wer roial crimzon and th wield cherry trees along th laen puut on th luvlyest shaeds of dark red and bronzy green, whiel th feelds sunned themselvs in aftermaths. Anne reveld in th werld of culor about her. "O, Marilla," she exclaemd wun Saturday morning, cuming dansing in with her arms fuul of gorjus boes" 'i'm so glad I liv in a werld wherr thair ar Octobers. It wuud be terribl if we just skipt frum September to November, wuudn't it? Luuk at thees maepl branches. Don't thae giv U a thril--several thrils? I'm going to decoraet mi room with them." "Mesy things," sed Marilla, hoos esthetic sens was not noetisably developt. "U cluter up yur room entierly too much with out-of-dors stuf, Anne. Bedrooms wer maed to sleep in." "O, and dreem in too, Marilla. And U noe wun can dreem so much beter in a room wherr thair ar prity things. I'm going to puut thees boes in th oeld bloo jug and set them on mi taebl." "Miend U don't drop leevs all oever th stairs then. I'm going on a meeting of th Aed Sosieety at Carmody this afternoon, Anne, and I woen't liekly be hoem befor dark. U'l hav to get Matthew and Jerry thair super, so miend U don't forget to puut th tee to draw until U sit doun at th taebl as U did last tiem." "It was dredful of me to forget," sed Anne apolojeticaly, "but that was th afternoon I was trieing to think of a naem for Vieolet Vael and it crouded uther things out. Matthew was so guud. He never scoelded a bit. He puut th tee doun himself and sed we cuud waet awhiel as wel as not. And I toeld him a luvly fairy story whiel we wer waeting, so he didn't fiend th tiem long at all. It was a buetyful fairy story, Marilla. I forgot th end of it, so I maed up an end for it mieself and Matthew sed he cuudn't tel wherr th join caem in." "Matthew wuud think it all riet, Anne, if U tuuk a noeshun to get up and hav diner in th midl of th niet. But U keep yur wits about U this tiem. And--I don't reealy noe if I'm doing riet--it mae maek U mor addlepated than ever--but U can ask Diana to cum oever and spend th afternoon with U and hav tee heer." "O, Marilla!" Anne claspt her hands. "How perfectly luvly! U AR aebl to imajin things after all or els U'd never hav understuud how I'v longd for that verry thing. It wil seem so nies and groen-uppish. No feer of mi forgeting to puut th tee to draw when I hav cumpany. O, Marilla, can I uez th roezbud sprae tee set?" "No, indeed! Th roezbud tee set! Wel, whut next? U noe I never uez that exsept for th minister or th Aeds. U'l puut doun th oeld broun tee set. But U can oepen th litl yelo crok of cherry prezervs. It's tiem it was being uezd enyhow--I beleev it's begining to werk. And U can cut sum froot caek and hav sum of th cuukys and snaps." "I can just imajin mieself siting doun at th hed of th taebl and poring out th tee," sed Anne, shuting her ies extaticaly. "And asking Diana if she taeks shuugar! I noe she duzn't but of cors I'l ask her just as if I didn't noe. And then presing her to taek anuther pees of froot caek and anuther helping of prezervs. O, Marilla, it's a wunderful sensaeshun just to think of it. Can I taek her into th spair room to lae off her hat when she cums? And then into th parlor to sit?" "No. Th siting room wil do for U and yur cumpany. But thair's a botl haf fuul of razberry corjal that was left oever frum th cherch soeshal th uther niet. It's on th second shelf of th siting-room clozet and U and Diana can hav it if U liek, and a cuuky to eet with it along in th afternoon, for I daresay Matthew'll be laet cuming in to tee sinss he's halling potaetoes to th vesel." Anne floo doun to th holo, past th Dryad's Bubl and up th sproos path to Orchard Sloep, to ask Diana to tee. As a rezult just after Marilla had driven off to Carmody, Diana caem oever, drest in HER second-best dres and luuking exactly as it is proper to luuk when askt out to tee. At uther tiems she was wont to run into th kichen without noking; but now she nokt primly at th frunt dor. And when Anne, drest in her second best, as primly oepend it, boeth litl gerls shuuk hands as graevly as if thae had never met befor. This unnacheral solemnity lasted until after Diana had bin taeken to th eest gaebl to lae off her hat and then had sat for ten minits in th siting room, toes in pozishun. "How is yur muther?" inqierd Anne polietly, just as if she had not seen Mrs. Barry piking apls that morning in exselent helth and spirits. "She is verry wel, thank U. I supoez Mr. Cuthbert is halling potaetoes to th LILY SANDS this afternoon, is he?" sed Diana, hoo had riden doun to Mr. Harmon Andrews's that morning in Matthew's cart. "Yes. Our potaeto crop is verry guud this yeer. I hoep yur father's crop is guud too." "It is fairly guud, thank U. Hav U pikt meny of yur apls yet?" "O, ever so meny," sed Anne forgeting to be dignified and jumping up qikly. "Let's go out to th orchard and get sum of th Red Sweetings, Diana. Marilla ses we can hav all that ar left on th tree. Marilla is a verry jenerus wuuman. She sed we cuud hav froot caek and cherry prezervs for tee. But it isn't guud maners to tel yur cumpany whut U ar going to giv them to eet, so I woen't tel U whut she sed we cuud hav to drink. Oenly it begins with an R and a C and it's briet red culor. I luv briet red drinks, don't U? Thae taest twies as guud as eny uther culor." Th orchard, with its graet sweeping bows that bent to th ground with froot, proovd so delietful that th litl gerls spent moest of th afternoon in it, siting in a grasy corner wherr th frost had spaird th green and th melo autum sunshien linggerd wormly, eeting apls and tauking as hard as thae cuud. Diana had much to tel Anne of whut went on in scool. She had to sit with Gertie Pye and she haeted it; Gertie sqeekt her pensil all th tiem and it just maed her--Diana's--blud run coeld; Ruby Gillis had charmd all her worts awae, true's U liv, with a majic pebl that oeld Mary Joe frum th Creek gaev her. U had to rub th worts with th pebl and then thro it awae oever yur left shoelder at th tiem of th nue moon and th worts wuud all go. Charlie Sloane's naem was riten up with Em White's on th porch wall and Em Whiet was AUFUL MAD about it; Sam Boulter had "sassed" Mr. Phillips in clas and Mr. Phillips whipt him and Sam's faather caem doun to th scool and daird Mr. Phillips to lae a hand on wun of his children agen; and Mattie Andrews had a nue red huud and a bloo crossover with tasels on it and th airs she puut on about it wer perfectly sikening; and Lizzie Wright didn't speek to Mamie Wilson becauz Mamie Wilson's groen-up sister had cut out Lizzie Wright's groen-up sister with her bo; and evrybody mist Anne so and wisht she's cum to scool agen; and Gilbert Blythe-- But Anne didn't wont to heer about Gilbert Blythe. She jumpt up herydly and sed supoez thae go in and hav sum razberry corjal. Anne luukt on th second shelf of th room pantry but thair was no botl of razberry corjal thair . Serch reveeld it awae bak on th top shelf. Anne puut it on a trae and set it on th taebl with a tumbler. "Now, pleez help yurself, Diana," she sed polietly. "I don't beleev I'l hav eny just now. I don't feel as if I wonted eny after all thoes apls." Diana pord herself out a tumblerful, luukt at its briet-red hue admieringly, and then sipt it daentily. "That's aufuly nies razberry corjal, Anne," she sed. "I didn't noe razberry corjal was so nies." "I'm reeal glad U liek it. Taek as much as U wont. I'm going to run out and ster th fier up. Thair ar so meny responsibilitys on a person's miend when thae'r keeping hous, isn't thair?" When Anne caem bak frum th kichen Diana was drinking her second glasful of corjal; and, being entreeted thairto bi Anne, she offerd no particuelar objecshun to th drinking of a therd. Th tumblerfuls wer jenerus wuns and th razberry corjal was sertenly verry nies. "Th niesest I ever drank," sed Diana. "It's ever so much nieser than Mrs. Lynde's, alltho she brags of hers so much. It duzn't taest a bit liek hers." "I shuud think Marilla's razberry corjal wuud prob'ly be much nieser than Mrs. Lynde's," sed Anne loialy. "Marilla is a faemus cuuk. She is trieing to teech me to cuuk but I ashur U, Diana, it is uphil werk. Thair's so litl scoep for imajinaeshun in cuukery. U just hav to go bi rools. Th last tiem I maed a caek I forgot to puut th flour in. I was thinking th luvlyest story about U and me, Diana. I thaut U wer desperetly il with smallpox and evrybody dezerted U, but I went boeldly to yur bedsied and nursed U bak to lief; and then I tuuk th smallpox and died and I was berryd under thoes poplar trees in th graev-yard and U planted a roezbush bi mi graev and wauterd it with yur teers; and U never, never forgot th frend of yur yooth hoo sacrifiest her lief for U. O, it was such a pathetic tael, Diana. Th teers just raend doun oever mi cheeks whiel I mixt th caek. But I forgot th flour and th caek was a dizmal faeluer. Flour is so esenshal to caeks, U noe. Marilla was verry cross and I don't wunder. I'm a graet trieal to her. She was terribly mortified about th puuding saus last week. We had a plum puuding for diner on Tuesday and thair was haf th puuding and a pitcherful of saus left oever. Marilla sed thair was enuf for anuther diner and toeld me to set it on th pantry shelf and cuver it. I ment to cuver it just as much as cuud be, Diana, but when I carryd it in I was imajining I was a nun--of cors I'm a Protestant but I imajind I was a Catholic--taeking th vael to berry a broeken hart in cloistered secloozhun; and I forgot all about cuvering th puuding saus. I thaut of it next morning and ran to th pantry. Diana, fansy if U can mi extreem horror at fiending a mous dround in that puuding saus! I lifted th mous out with a spoon and throo it out in th yard and then I wosht th spoon in three wauters. Marilla was out milking and I fuuly intended to ask her when she caem in if I'd giv th saus to th pigs; but when she did cum in I was imajining that I was a frost fairy going thru th wuuds terning th trees red and yelo, whichever thae wonted to be, so I never thaut about th puuding saus agen and Marilla sent me out to pik apls. Wel, Mr. and Mrs. Chester Ross frum Spencervale caem heer that morning. U noe thae ar verry stielish peepl, espeshaly Mrs. Chester Ross. When Marilla calld me in diner was all redy and evrybody was at th taebl. I tried to be as poliet and dignified as I cuud be, for I wonted Mrs. Chester Ross to think I was a laedyliek litl gerl eeven if I wasn't prity. Evrything went riet until I saw Marilla cuming with th plum puuding in wun hand and th picher of puuding saus WORMD UP, in th uther. Diana, that was a terribl moement. I rememberd evrything and I just stuud up in mi plaes and shreekt out `Marilla, U mustn't uez that puuding saus. Thair was a mous dround in it. I forgot to tel U befor.' O, Diana, I shal never forget that auful moement if I liv to be a hundred. Mrs. Chester Ross just LUUKT at me and I thaut I wuud sink thru th flor with mortificaeshun. She is such a perfect houskeeper and fansy whut she must hav thaut of us. Marilla ternd red as fier but she never sed a werd--then. She just carryd that saus and puuding out and braut in sum strawberry prezervs. She eeven offerd me sum, but I cuudn't swolo a mouthful. It was liek heaping coels of fier on mi hed. After Mrs. Chester Ross went awae, Marilla gaev me a dredful scoelding. Whi, Diana, whut is th mater?" Diana had stuud up verry unstedily; then she sat doun agen, puuting her hands to her hed. "I'm--I'm auful sik," she sed, a litl thikly. "I--I--must go riet hoem." "O, U mustn't dreem of going hoem without yur tee," cried Anne in distres. "I'l get it riet off--I'l go and puut th tee doun this verry minit." "I must go hoem," repeeted Diana, stoopidly but determindly. "Let me get U a lunch enyhow," implord Anne. "Let me giv U a bit of froot caek and sum of th cherry prezervs. Lie doun on th soefa for a litl whiel and U'l be beter. Wherr do U feel bad?" "I must go hoem," sed Diana, and that was all she wuud sae. In vaen Anne pleeded. "I never herd of cumpany going hoem without tee," she mornd. "O, Diana, do U supoez that it's posibl U'r reealy taeking th smallpox? If U ar I'l go and ners U, U can depend on that. I'l never forsaek U. But I do wish U'd stae til after tee. Wherr do U feel bad?" "I'm auful dizy," sed Diana. And indeed, she waukt verry dizily. Anne, with teers of disapointment in her ies, got Diana's hat and went with her as far as th Barry yard fens. Then she wept all th wae bak to Green Gaebls, wherr she sorrowfully puut th remaender of th razberry corjal bak into th pantry and got tee redy for Matthew and Jerry, with all th zest gon out of th performans. Th next dae was Sunday and as th raen pord doun in torents frum daun til dusk Anne did not ster abraud frum Green Gaebls. Monday afternoon Marilla sent her doun to Mrs. Lynde's on an errand. In a verry short spaes of tiem Anne caem flieing bak up th laen with teers roeling doun her cheeks. Into th kichen she dasht and flung herself faes dounward on th soefa in an agony. "Whutever has gon rong now, Anne?" qeeryd Marilla in dout and dismae. "I do hoep U havn't gon and bin sausy to Mrs. Lynde agen." No anser frum Anne saev mor teers and stormier sobs! "Anne Shirley, when I ask U a qeschun I wont to be anserd. Sit riet up this verry minit and tel me whut U ar crieing about." Anne sat up, trajedy personified. "Mrs. Lynde was up to see Mrs. Barry todae and Mrs. Barry was in an auful staet," she waeld. "She ses that I set Diana DRUNK Saturday and sent her hoem in a disgraesful condishun. And she ses I must be a theroely bad, wiked litl gerl and she's never, never going to let Diana plae with me agen. O, Marilla, I'm just oevercum with woe." Marilla staird in blank amaezment. "Set Diana drunk!" she sed when she found her vois. "Anne ar U or Mrs. Barry craezy? Whut on erth did U giv her?" "Not a thing but razberry corjal," sobd Anne. "I never thaut razberry corjal wuud set peepl drunk, Marilla--not eeven if thae drank three big tumblerfuls as Diana did. O, it sounds so--so--liek Mrs. Thomas's huzband! But I didn't meen to set her drunk." "Drunk fidlstiks!" sed Marilla, marching to th siting room pantry. Thair on th shelf was a botl which she at wuns recogniezd as wun contaening sum of her three-yeer-oeld hoemmaed curant wien for which she was selebraeted in Avonlea, alltho serten of th stricter sort, Mrs. Barry amung them, disaproovd strongly of it. And at th saem tiem Marilla recolected that she had puut th botl of razberry corjal doun in th selar insted of in th pantry as she had toeld Anne. She went bak to th kichen with th wien botl in her hand. Her faes was twiching in spiet of herself. "Anne, U sertenly hav a jeenius for geting into trubl. U went and gaev Diana curant wien insted of razberry corjal. Didn't U noe th diferens yurself?" "I never taested it," sed Anne. "I thaut it was th corjal. I ment to be so--so--hospitabl. Diana got aufuly sik and had to go hoem. Mrs. Barry toeld Mrs. Lynde she was simply ded drunk. She just laft sily-liek when her muther askt her whut was th mater and went to sleep and slept for ours. Her muther smeld her breth and nue she was drunk. She had a feerful hedaek all dae yesterdae. Mrs. Barry is so indignant. She wil never beleev but whut I did it on perpos." "I shuud think she wuud beter punish Diana for being so greedy as to drink three glassfuls of enything," sed Marilla shortly. "Whi, three of thoes big glases wuud hav maed her sik eeven if it had oenly bin corjal. Wel, this story wil be a nies handl for thoes foeks hoo ar so doun on me for maeking curant wien, alltho I havn't maed eny for three yeers ever sinss I found out that th minister didn't aproov. I just kept that botl for siknes. Thair, thair, chield, don't cri. I can't see as U wer to blaem alltho I'm sorry it hapend so." "I must cri," sed Anne. "Mi hart is broeken. Th stars in thair corses fiet agenst me, Marilla. Diana and I ar parted forever. O, Marilla, I litl dreemd of this when ferst we swor our vows of frendship." "Don't be foolish, Anne. Mrs. Barry wil think beter of it when she fiends U'r not to blaem. I supoez she thinks U'v dun it for a sily joek or sumthing of that sort. U'd best go up this eevning and tel her how it was." "Mi curej faels me at th thaut of faesing Diana's injerd muther," sied Anne. "I wish U'd go, Marilla. U'r so much mor dignified than I am. Liekly she'd lisen to U qiker than to me." "Wel, I wil," sed Marilla, reflecting that it wuud probably be th wiezer cors. "Don't cri eny mor, Anne. It wil be all riet." Marilla had chaenjd her miend about it being all riet bi th tiem she got bak frum Orchard Sloep. Anne was woching for her cuming and floo to th porch dor to meet her. "O, Marilla, I noe bi yur faes that it's bin no uez," she sed sorrowfully. "Mrs. Barry woen't forgiv me?" "Mrs. Barry indeed!" snapt Marilla. "Of all th unreezonabl wimen I ever saw she's th werst. I toeld her it was all a mistaek and U wern't to blaem, but she just simply didn't beleev me. And she rubd it wel in about mi curant wien and how I'd allwaes sed it cuudn't hav th leest efect on enybody. I just toeld her plaenly that curant wien wasn't ment to be drunk three tumblerfuls at a tiem and that if a chield I had to do with was so greedy I'd soeber her up with a riet guud spanking." Marilla whiskt into th kichen, grievously disterbd, leeving a verry much distracted litl soel in th porch behiend her. Prezently Anne stept out bairheded into th chil autum dusk; verry determindly and stedily she tuuk her wae doun thru th sere cloever feeld oever th log brij and up thru th sproos groev, lieted bi a pael litl moon hanging lo oever th western wuuds. Mrs. Barry, cuming to th dor in anser to a timid nok, found a whiet-lipped eeger-ied suppliant on th dorstep. Her faes hardend. Mrs. Barry was a wuuman of strong prejudises and dislieks, and her angger was of th coeld, sulen sort which is allwaes hardest to oevercum. To do her justis, she reealy beleevd Anne had maed Diana drunk out of sheer malis prepense,??? and she was onestly ankshus to prezerv her litl dauter frum th contaminaeshun of ferther intimasy with such a chield. "Whut do U wont?" she sed stifly. Anne claspt her hands. "O, Mrs. Barry, pleez forgiv me. I did not meen to--to--intoxicate Diana. How cuud I? Just imajin if U wer a pur litl orfan gerl that kiend peepl had adopted and U had just wun buuzom frend in all th werld. Do U think U wuud intoxicate her on perpos? I thaut it was oenly razberry corjal. I was fermly convinst it was razberry corjal. O, pleez don't sae that U woen't let Diana plae with me eny mor. If U do U wil cuver mi lief with a dark cloud of woe." This speech which wuud hav soffend guud Mrs. Lynde's hart in a twinkling, had no efect on Mrs. Barry exsept to irritate her stil mor. She was suspishus of Anne's big werds and dramatic jeschers and imajind that th chield was maeking fun of her. So she sed, coeldly and crooely: "I don't think U ar a fit litl gerl for Diana to asoessyiaet with. U'd beter go hoem and behaev yurself." Anne's lips qiverd. "Woen't U let me see Diana just wuns to sae fairwel?" she implord. "Diana has gon oever to Carmody with her faather," sed Mrs. Barry, going in and shuting th dor. Anne went bak to Green Gaebls caam with despair. "Mi last hoep is gon," she toeld Marilla. "I went up and saw Mrs. Barry mieself and she treeted me verry insultingly. Marilla, I do NOT think she is a wel-bred wuuman. Thair is nuthing mor to do exsept to prae and I havn't much hoep that that'l do much guud becauz, Marilla, I do not beleev that God Himself can do verry much with such an obstinet person as Mrs. Barry." "Anne, U shuudn't sae such things" rebuekt Marilla, strieving to oevercum that unholy tendensy to lafter which she was dismaed to fiend groeing upon her. And indeed, when she toeld th hoel story to Matthew that niet, she did laf hartily oever Anne's tribuelaeshuns. But when she slipt into th eest gaebl befor going to bed and found that Anne had cried herself to sleep an unacustomd sofftnes crept into her faes. "Pur litl soel," she mermerd, lifting a loos curl of hair frum th child's teer-staend faes. Then she bent doun and kist th flusht cheek on th pilo. CHAPTER XVII A Nue Interest in Lief TH next afternoon Anne, bending oever her pachwerk at th kichen windo, hapend to glans out and beheld Diana doun bi th Dryad's Bubl bekoning misteeriusly. In a trice Anne was out of th hous and flieing doun to th holo, astonishment and hoep strugling in her expresiv ies. But th hoep faeded when she saw Diana's dejected countenans. "Yur muther hasn't relented?" she gaspt. Diana shuuk her hed mornfuly. "No; and o, Anne, she ses I'm never to plae with U agen. I'v cried and cried and I toeld her it wasn't yur fallt, but it wasn't eny uez. I had ever such a tiem coexing her to let me cum doun and sae guud-bi to U. She sed I was oenly to stae ten minits and she's tieming me bi th clok." "Ten minits isn't verry long to sae an eternal fairwel in," sed Anne teerfuly. "O, Diana, wil U promis faethfuly never to forget me, th frend of yur yooth, no mater whut deerer frends mae cares thee?" "Indeed I wil," sobd Diana, "and I'l never hav anuther buuzom frend--I don't wont to hav. I cuudn't luv enybody as I luv U." "O, Diana," cried Anne, clasping her hands, "do U LUV me?" "Whi, of cors I do. Didn't U noe that?" "No." Anne droo a long breth. "I thaut U LIEKT me of cors but I never hoept U LUVD me. Whi, Diana, I didn't think enybody cuud luv me. Noebody ever has luvd me sinss I can remember. O, this is wunderful! It's a rae of liet which wil forever shien on th darknes of a path severd frum thee, Diana. O, just sae it wuns agen." "I luv U devoetedly, Anne," sed Diana stanchly, "and I allwaes wil, U mae be shur of that." "And I wil allwaes luv thee, Diana," sed Anne, solemly extending her hand. "In th yeers to cum thi memory wil shien liek a star oever mi loenly lief, as that last story we reed together ses. Diana, wilt thow giv me a lok of thi jet-blak tresses in parting to trezher forevermor?" "Hav U got enything to cut it with?" qeeryd Diana, wieping awae th teers which Anne's afecting acsents had cauzd to flo afresh, and reterning to practicalities. "Yes. I'v got mi pachwerk sizors in mi aepron poket forchunetly," sed Anne. She solemly clipt wun of Diana's curls. "Fair thee wel, mi beluved frend. Hensforth we must be as straenjers tho living sied bi sied. But mi hart wil ever be faethful to thee." Anne stuud and wocht Diana out of siet, mornfuly waeving her hand to th later whenever she ternd to luuk bak. Then she reternd to th hous, not a litl consoeld for th tiem being bi this roemantic parting. "It is all oever," she informd Marilla. "I shal never hav anuther frend. I'm reealy wers off than ever befor, for I havn't Katie Maurice and Violetta now. And eeven if I had it wuudn't be th saem. Sumhow, litl dreem gerls ar not satisfieing after a reeal frend. Diana and I had such an afecting fairwel doun bi th spring. It wil be saecred in mi memory forever. I uezd th moest pathetic langgwej I cuud think of and sed `thou' and `thee.' `Thou' and `thee' seem so much mor roemantic than `U.' Diana gaev me a lok of her hair and I'm going to soe it up in a litl bag and wair it around mi nek all mi lief. Pleez see that it is berryd with me, for I don't beleev I'l liv verry long. Perhaps when she sees me lieing coeld and ded befor her Mrs. Barry mae feel remors for whut she has dun and wil let Diana cum to mi fueneral." "I don't think thair is much feer of yur dieing of greef as long as U can tauk, Anne," sed Marilla unsympathetically. Th foloeing Monday Anne serpriezd Marilla bi cuming doun frum her room with her basket of buuks on her arm and hip??? lips primmed up into a lien of determinaeshun. "I'm going bak to scool," she anounst. "That is all thair is left in lief for me, now that mi frend has bin roothlesly torn frum me. In scool I can luuk at her and muez oever daes departed." "U'd beter muez oever yur lesons and sums," sed Marilla, conseeling her deliet at this development of th sichuaeshun. "If U'r going bak to scool I hoep we'll heer no mor of braeking slaets oever people's heds and such carryings on. Behaev yurself and do just whut yur teecher tels U." "I'l tri to be a model puepil," agreed Anne doelfuly. "Thair woen't be much fun in it, I expect. Mr. Phillips sed Minnie Andrews was a model puepil and thair isn't a spark of imajinaeshun or lief in her. She is just dul and poky and never seems to hav a guud tiem. But I feel so deprest that perhaps it wil cum eezy to me now. I'm going round bi th roed. I cuudn't bair to go bi th Berch Path all aloen. I shuud weep biter teers if I did." Anne was welcumd bak to scool with oepen arms. Her imajinaeshun had bin sorly mist in gaems, her vois in th singing and her dramatic ability in th peroozal aloud of buuks at diner our. Ruby Gillis smugld three bloo plums oever to her during testament reeding; Ella Mae Macpherson gaev her an enormus yelo panzy cut frum th cuvers of a floral catalog--a speeshys of desk decoraeshun much priezd in Avonlea scool. Sophia Sloane offerd to teech her a perfectly elegant nue patern of nit laes, so nies for triming aeprons. Katie Boulter gaev her a perfuem botl to keep slaet wauter in, and Julia Bel copyd cairfuly on a pees of pael pink paeper scalopt on th ejes th foloeing efuezhun: When twieliet drops her curten doun And pins it with a star Remember that U hav a frend Tho she mae waander far. "It's so nies to be apreeshiaeted," sied Anne rapturously to Marilla that niet. Th gerls wer not th oenly scolars hoo "apreeshiaeted" her. When Anne went to her seet after diner our--she had bin toeld bi Mr. Phillips to sit with th model Minnie Andrews--she found on her desk a big lushus "strawberry apl." Anne caut it up all redy to taek a biet when she rememberd that th oenly plaes in Avonlea wherr strawberry apls groo was in th oeld Blythe orchard on th uther sied of th Laek of Shiening Wauters. Anne dropt th apl as if it wer a red-hot coel and ostentatiously wiept her finggers on her hankerchif. Th apl lae untucht on her desk until th next morning, when litl Timothy Andrews, hoo swept th scool and kindld th fier, annexed it as wun of his perquisites. Charlie Sloane's slaet pensil, gorjusly bedizened with striept red and yelo paeper, costing too sents wherr ordinairy pensils cost oenly wun, which he sent up to her after diner our, met with a mor faevorabl resepshun. Anne was graeshusly pleezd to acsept it and reworded th doenor with a smiel which exallted that infatuated yooth straetwae into th seventh heven of deliet and cauzd him to maek such feerful errors in his dictaeshun that Mr. Phillips kept him in after scool to re-riet it. But as, Th Caesar's pajent shorn of Brutus' bust Did but of Rome's best sun remiend her mor. so th markt absens of eny tribuet or recognishun frum Diana Barry hoo was siting with Gertie Pye embiterd Anne's litl trieumf. "Diana miet just hav smield at me wuns, I think," she mornd to Marilla that niet. But th next morning a noet moest feerfuly and wunderfuly twisted and foelded, and a small parsel wer past across to Anne. Deer Anne (ran th former) Muther ses I'm not to plae with U or tauk to U eeven in scool. It isn't mi fallt and don't be cross at me, becauz I luv U as much as ever. I mis U aufuly to tel all mi seecrets to and I don't liek Gertie Pye wun bit. I maed U wun of th nue bookmarkers out of red tishoo paeper. Thae ar aufuly fashunabl now and oenly three gerls in scool noe how to maek them. When U luuk at it remember Yur troo frend Diana Barry. Anne reed th noet, kist th buukmark, and dispacht a prompt repli bak to th uther sied of th scool. Mi oen darling Diana:-- Of cors I am not cross at U becauz U hav to oebae yur muther. Our spirits can comuen. I shal keep yur luvly prezent forever. Minnie Andrews is a verry nies litl gerl--alltho she has no imajinaeshun--but after having bin Diana's busum frend I cannot be Minnie's. Pleez excues mistaeks becauz mi speling isn't verry guud yet, alltho much improoved. Yurs until deth us do part Anne or Cordelia Shirley. P.S. I shal sleep with yur leter under mi pilo toniet. A. OR C.S. Marilla pessimistically expected mor trubl sinss Anne had agen begun to go to scool. But nun developt. Perhaps Anne caut sumthing of th "model" spirit frum Minnie Andrews; at leest she got on verry wel with Mr. Phillips thensforth. She flung herself into her studys hart and soel, determind not to be outdone in eny clas bi Gilbert Blythe. Th rievalry between them was soon aparrent; it was entierly guud naecherd on Gilbert's sied; but it is much to be feerd that th saem thing cannot be sed of Anne, hoo had sertenly an unpraiseworthy tenasity for hoelding grujes. She was as intens in her hatreds as in her luvs. She wuud not stoop to admit that she ment to rieval Gilbert in scoolwerk, becauz that wuud hav bin to aknolej his existens which Anne persistently ignord; but th rievalry was thair and onors fluctuated between them. Now Gilbert was hed of th speling clas; now Anne, with a toss of her long red braeds, speld him doun. Wun morning Gilbert had all his sums dun corectly and had his naem riten on th blakbord on th roel of onor; th next morning Anne, having wrestled wieldly with desimals th entier eevning befor, wuud be ferst. Wun auful dae thae wer ties and thair naems wer riten up together. It was allmoest as bad as a taek-noetis and Anne's mortificaeshun was as evident as Gilbert's satisfacshun. When th riten examinaeshuns at th end of eech munth wer held th suspens was terribl. Th ferst munth Gilbert caem out three marks ahed. Th second Anne beet him bi fiev. But her trieumf was mard bi th fact that Gilbert congrachulaeted her hartily befor th hoel scool. It wuud hav bin ever so much sweeter to her if he had felt th sting of his defeet. Mr. Phillips miet not be a verry guud teecher; but a puepil so inflexibly determind on lerning as Anne was cuud hardly escaep maeking progres under eny kiend of teecher. Bi th end of th term Anne and Gilbert wer boeth promoeted into th fifth clas and alowd to begin studying th elements of "th branches"--bi which Latin, jeometry, French, and aljebra wer ment. In jeometry Anne met her Waterloo. "It's perfectly auful stuf, Marilla," she groend. "I'm shur I'l never be aebl to maek hed or tael of it. Thair is no scoep for imajinaeshun in it at all. Mr. Phillips ses I'm th werst duns he ever saw at it. And Gil--I meen sum of th uthers ar so smart at it. It is extreemly mortifieing, Marilla. Eeven Diana gets along beter than I do. But I don't miend being beeten bi Diana. Eeven alltho we meet as straenjers now I stil luv her with an INEXTINGUISHABLE luv. It maeks me verry sad at tiems to think about her. But reealy, Marilla, wun can't stae sad verry long in such an interesting werld, can wun?" CHAPTER XVIII Anne to th Rescue ALL things graet ar wound up with all things litl. At ferst glans it miet not seem that th desizhun of a serten Canadian Premeer to inclood Prins Edward Ieland in a political tur cuud hav much or enything to do with th forchuns of litl Anne Shirley at Green Gaebls. But it had. It was a January th Premeer caem, to adres his loial suporters and such of his nonsupporters as choez to be prezent at th monster mas meeting held in Charlottetown. Moest of th Avonlea peepl wer on Premier's sied of politics; hens on th niet of th meeting neerly all th men and a guudly proporshun of th wimen had gon to toun therty miels awae. Mrs. Rachel Lynde had gon too. Mrs. Rachel Lynde was a red-hot politishan and cuudn't hav beleevd that th political raly cuud be carryd thru without her, alltho she was on th opozit sied of politics. So she went to toun and tuuk her huzband--Thomas wuud be uesful in luuking after th hors--and Marilla Cuthbert with her. Marilla had a sneeking interest in politics herself, and as she thaut it miet be her oenly chans to see a reeal liev Premeer, she promptly tuuk it, leeving Anne and Matthew to keep hous until her retern th foloeing dae. Hens, whiel Marilla and Mrs. Rachel wer enjoiing themselvs huejly at th mas meeting, Anne and Matthew had th cheerful kichen at Green Gaebls all to themselvs. A briet fier was gloeing in th oeld-fashund Waterloo stoev and bloo-whiet frost cristals wer shiening on th windoepaens. Matthew noded oever a FARMERS' ADVOCAET on th soefa and Anne at th taebl studyd her lesons with grim determinaeshun, despiet sundry wistful glanses at th clok shelf, wherr lae a nue buuk that Jane Andrews had lent her that dae. Jane had ashurd her that it was waranted to produes eny number of thrils, or werds to that efect, and Anne's finggers tingled to reech out for it. But that wuud meen Gilbert Blythe's trieumf on th morro. Anne ternd her bak on th clok shelf and tried to imajin it wasn't thair. "Matthew, did U ever study jeometry when U went to scool?" "Wel now, no, I didn't," sed Matthew, cuming out of his doez with a start. "I wish U had," sied Anne, "becauz then U'd be aebl to simpathiez with me. U can't simpathiez properly if U'v never studyd it. It is casting a cloud oever mi hoel lief. I'm such a duns at it, Matthew." "Wel now, I dunno," sed Matthew soothingly. "I ges U'r all riet at enything. Mr. Phillips toeld me last week in Blair's stor at Carmody that U was th smartest scolar in scool and was maeking rapid progres. `Rapid progress' was his verry werds. Thair's them as runs doun Teddy Phillips and ses he ain't much of a teecher, but I ges he's all riet." Matthew wuud hav thaut enywun hoo praezd Anne was "all riet." "I'm shur I'd get on beter with jeometry if oenly he wuudn't chaenj th leters," complaend Anne. "I lern th propozishun off bi hart and then he draws it on th blakbord and puuts diferent leters frum whut ar in th buuk and I get all mixt up. I don't think a teecher shuud taek such a meen advantej, do U? We'r studying agriculcher now and I'v found out at last whut maeks th roeds red. It's a graet cumfort. I wunder how Marilla and Mrs. Lynde ar enjoiing themselvs. Mrs. Lynde ses Canada is going to th daugs th wae things ar being run at Ottawa and that it's an auful worning to th electors. She ses if wimen wer alowd to voet we wuud soon see a blesed chaenj. Whut wae do U voet, Matthew?" "Conservativ," sed Matthew promptly. To voet Conservativ was part of Matthew's relijon. "Then I'm Conservativ too," sed Anne desiededly. "I'm glad becauz Gil--becauz sum of th bois in scool ar Grits. I ges Mr. Phillips is a Grit too becauz Prissy Andrews's faather is wun, and Ruby Gillis ses that when a man is corting he allwaes has to agree with th girl's muther in relijon and her faather in politics. Is that troo, Matthew?" "Wel now, I dunno," sed Matthew. "Did U ever go corting, Matthew?" "Wel now, no, I dunno's I ever did," sed Matthew, hoo had sertenly never thaut of such a thing in his hoel existens. Anne reflected with her chin in her hands. "It must be rather interesting, don't U think, Matthew? Ruby Gillis ses when she groes up she's going to hav ever so meny beaus on th string and hav them all craezy about her; but I think that wuud be too exsieting. I'd rather hav just wun in his riet miend. But Ruby Gillis noes a graet deel about such maters becauz she has so meny big sisters, and Mrs. Lynde ses th Gillis gerls hav gon off liek hot caeks. Mr. Phillips goes up to see Prissy Andrews neerly evry eevning. He ses it is to help her with her lesons but Miranda Sloane is studying for Queen's too, and I shuud think she needed help a lot mor than Prissy becauz she's ever so much stupider, but he never goes to help her in th eevnings at all. Thair ar a graet meny things in this werld that I can't understand verry wel, Matthew." "Wel now, I dunno as I comprehend them all mieself," aknolejd Matthew. "Wel, I supoez I must finish up mi lesons. I woen't alow mieself to oepen that nue buuk Jane lent me until I'm thru. But it's a terribl temptaeshun, Matthew. Eeven when I tern mi bak on it I can see it thair just as plaen. Jane sed she cried herself sik oever it. I luv a buuk that maeks me cri. But I think I'l carry that buuk into th siting room and lok it in th jam clozet and giv U th kee. And U must NOT giv it to me, Matthew, until mi lesons ar dun, not eeven if I implor U on mi bended nees. It's all verry wel to sae rezist temptaeshun, but it's ever so much eezyer to rezist it if U can't get th kee. And then shal I run doun th selar and get sum russets, Matthew? Wuudn't U liek sum russets?" "Wel now, I dunno but whut I wuud," sed Matthew, hoo never aet russets but nue Anne's weeknes for them. Just as Anne emerjd trieumfantly frum th selar with her plaetful of russets caem th sound of flieing fuutsteps on th iesy bord wauk outsied and th next moement th kichen dor was flung oepen and in rusht Diana Barry, whiet faest and brethles, with a shall rapt haestily around her hed. Anne promptly let go of her candl and plaet in her serpriez, and plaet, candl, and apls crasht together doun th selar lader and wer found at th botom embeded in melted grees, th next dae, bi Marilla, hoo gatherd them up and thankt mersy th hous hadn't bin set on fier. "Whutever is th mater, Diana?" cried Anne. "Has yur muther relented at last?" "O, Anne, do cum qik," implord Diana nervusly. "Minnie Mae is auful sik--she's got croup. Yung Mary Joe ses--and Faather and Muther ar awae to toun and thair's noebody to go for th doctor. Minnie Mae is auful bad and Yung Mary Joe duzn't noe whut to do--and o, Anne, I'm so scaird!" Matthew, without a werd, reecht out for cap and coet, slipt past Diana and awae into th darknes of th yard. "He's gon to harnes th sorrel mair to go to Carmody for th doctor," sed Anne, hoo was herying on huud and jaket. "I noe it as wel as if he'd sed so. Matthew and I ar such kindred spirits I can reed his thauts without werds at all." "I don't beleev he'l fiend th doctor at Carmody," sobd Diana. "I noe that Dr. Blair went to toun and I ges Dr. Spencer wuud go too. Yung Mary Joe never saw enybody with croup and Mrs. Lynde is awae. O, Anne!" "Don't cri, Di," sed Anne cheerily. "I noe exactly whut to do for croup. U forget that Mrs. Hammond had twins three tiems. When U luuk after three pairs of twins U nacheraly get a lot of expeeryens. Thae all had croup reguelarly. Just waet til I get th ipecac botl--U mayn't hav eny at yur hous. Cum on now." Th too litl gerls haesend out hand in hand and heryd thru Lover's Laen and across th crusted feeld beyond, for th sno was too deep to go bi th shorter wuud wae. Anne, alltho sinseerly sorry for Minnie Mae, was far frum being insensible to th roemans of th sichuaeshun and to th sweetnes of wuns mor shairing that roemans with a kindred spirit. Th niet was cleer and frosty, all ebony of shado and silver of snoey sloep; big stars wer shiening oever th sielent feelds; heer and thair th dark pointed firs stuud up with sno poudering thair branches and th wind whisling thru them. Anne thaut it was trooly delietful to go skiming thru all this mistery and luvlynes with yur buuzom frend hoo had bin so long estraenjd. Minnie Mae, ajed three, was reealy verry sik. She lae on th kichen soefa feeverish and restles, whiel her hors breething cuud be herd all oever th hous. Yung Mary Joe, a buxom, braud-faest French gerl frum th creek, hoom Mrs. Barry had engaejd to stae with th children during her absens, was helples and bewilderd, qiet incaepabl of thinking whut to do, or doing it if she thaut of it. Anne went to werk with skil and promptnes. "Minnie Mae has croup all riet; she's prity bad, but I'v seen them wers. Ferst we must hav lots of hot wauter. I declair, Diana, thair isn't mor than a cupful in th ketl! Thair, I'v fild it up, and, Mary Joe, U mae puut sum wuud in th stoev. I don't wont to hert yur feelings but it seems to me U miet hav thaut of this befor if U'd eny imajinaeshun. Now, I'l undres Minnie Mae and puut her to bed and U tri to fiend sum sofft flanel cloths, Diana. I'm going to giv her a does of ipecac ferst of all." Minnie Mae did not taek kiendly to th ipecac but Anne had not braut up three pairs of twins for nuthing. Doun that ipecac went, not oenly wuns, but meny tiems during th long, ankshus niet when th too litl gerls werkt paeshently oever th sufering Minnie Mae, and Yung Mary Joe, onestly ankshus to do all she cuud, kept up a roring fier and heeted mor wauter than wuud hav bin needed for a hospital of croupy baebys. It was three o'clok when Matthew caem with a doctor, for he had bin obliejd to go all th wae to Spencervale for wun. But th presing need for asistans was past. Minnie Mae was much beter and was sleeping soundly. "I was aufuly neer giving up in despair," explaend Anne. "She got wers and wers until she was siker than ever th Hammond twins wer, eeven th last pair. I akchualy thaut she was going to choek to deth. I gaev her evry drop of ipecac in that botl and when th last does went doun I sed to mieself--not to Diana or Yung Mary Joe, becauz I didn't wont to wery them eny mor than thae wer weryd, but I had to sae it to mieself just to releev mi feelings--`This is th last linggering hoep and I feer, tis a vaen wun.' But in about three minits she cauft up th flem and began to get beter riet awae. U must just imajin mi releef, doctor, becauz I can't expres it in werds. U noe thair ar sum things that cannot be exprest in werds." "Yes, I noe," noded th doctor. He luukt at Anne as if he wer thinking sum things about her that cuudn't be exprest in werds. Laeter on, however, he exprest them to Mr. and Mrs. Barry. "That litl redheded gerl thae hav oever at Cuthbert's is as smart as thae maek 'em. I tel U she saevd that baby's lief, for it wuud hav bin too laet bi th tiem I got thair. She seems to hav a skil and prezens of miend perfectly wunderful in a chield of her aej. I never saw enything liek th ies of her when she was explaening th caes to me." Anne had gon hoem in th wunderful, whiet-frosted winter morning, hevy ied frum loss of sleep, but stil tauking unweariedly to Matthew as thae crosst th long whiet feeld and waukt under th glitering fairy arch of th Lover's Laen maepls. "O, Matthew, isn't it a wunderful morning? Th werld luuks liek sumthing God had just imajind for His oen plezher, duzn't it? Thoes trees luuk as if I cuud blo them awae with a breth--pouf! I'm so glad I liv in a werld wherr thair ar whiet frosts, arn't U? And I'm so glad Mrs. Hammond had three pairs of twins after all. If she hadn't I mightn't hav noen whut to do for Minnie Mae. I'm reeal sorry I was ever cross with Mrs. Hammond for having twins. But, o, Matthew, I'm so sleepy. I can't go to scool. I just noe I cuudn't keep mi ies oepen and I'd be so stoopid. But l haet to stae hoem, for Gil--sum of th uthers wil get hed of th clas, and it's so hard to get up agen--alltho of cors th harder it is th mor satisfacshun U hav when U do get up, havn't U?" "Wel now, I ges U'l manej all riet," sed Matthew, luuking at Anne's whiet litl faes and th dark shadoes under her ies. "U just go riet to bed and hav a guud sleep. I'l do all th chors." Anne acordingly went to bed and slept so long and soundly that it was wel on in th whiet and roezy winter afternoon when she awoek and desended to th kichen wherr Marilla, hoo had arievd hoem in th meentiem, was siting niting. "O, did U see th Premeer?" exclaemd Anne at wuns. "Whut did he luuk liek Marilla?" "Wel, he never got to be Premeer on acount of his luuks," sed Marilla. "Such a noez as that man had! But he can speek. I was proud of being a Conservativ. Rachel Lynde, of cors, being a Liberal, had no uez for him. Yur diner is in th uven, Anne, and U can get yurself sum bloo plum prezerv out of th pantry. I ges U'r hunggry. Matthew has bin teling me about last niet. I must sae it was forchunet U nue whut to do. I wuudn't hav had eny iedeea mieself, for I never saw a caes of croup. Thair now, never miend tauking til U'v had yur diner. I can tel bi th luuk of U that U'r just fuul up with speeches, but thae'l keep." Marilla had sumthing to tel Anne, but she did not tel it just then for she nue if she did Anne's conseqent exsietment wuud lift her cleer out of th reejon of such mateerial maters as apetiet or diner. Not until Anne had finisht her sauser of bloo plums did Marilla sae: "Mrs. Barry was heer this afternoon, Anne. She wonted to see U, but I wuudn't waek U up. She ses U saevd Minnie May's lief, and she is verry sorry she acted as she did in that afair of th curant wien. She ses she noes now U didn't meen to set Diana drunk, and she hoeps U'l forgiv her and be guud frends with Diana agen. U'r to go oever this eevning if U liek for Diana can't ster outsied th dor on acount of a bad coeld she caut last niet. Now, Anne Shirley, for pity's saek don't fli up into th air." Th worning seemd not unnesesairy, so uplifted and airial was Anne's expreshun and atitued as she sprang to her feet, her faes irraediaeted with th flaem of her spirit. "O, Marilla, can I go riet now--without woshing mi dishes? I'l wosh them when I cum bak, but I cannot ti mieself doun to enything so unroemantic as dishwashing at this thriling moement." "Yes, yes, run along," sed Marilla indulgently. "Anne Shirley--ar U craezy? Cum bak this instant and puut sumthing on U. I miet as wel call to th wind. She's gon without a cap or rap. Luuk at her tairing thru th orchard with her hair streeming. It'l be a mersy if she duzn't cach her deth of coeld." Anne caem dansing hoem in th perpl winter twieliet across th snoey plaeses. Afar in th southwest was th graet shimering, perl-liek sparkl of an eevning star in a skie that was pael goelden and etheerial roez oever gleeming whiet spaeses and dark glens of sproos. Th tinkls of slae bels amung th snoey hils caem liek elfin chiems thru th frosty air, but thair muezic was not sweeter than th song in Anne's hart and on her lips. "U see befor U a perfectly hapy person, Marilla," she anounst. "I'm perfectly hapy--yes, in spiet of mi red hair. Just at prezent I hav a soel abuv red hair. Mrs. Barry kist me and cried and sed she was so sorry and she cuud never re-pae me. I felt feerfuly embarrast, Marilla, but I just sed as polietly as I cuud, `I hav no hard feelings for U, Mrs. Barry. I ashur U wuns for all that I did not meen to intoxicate Diana and hensforth I shal cuver th past with th mantl of oblivion.' That was a prity dignified wae of speeking wasn't it, Marilla? I felt that I was heaping coels of fier on Mrs. Barry's hed. And Diana and I had a luvly afternoon. Diana shoed me a nue fansy croeshae stich her ant oever at Carmody taut her. Not a soel in Avonlea noes it but us, and we plejd a solem vow never to reveel it to enywun els. Diana gaev me a buetyful card with a reeth of roezes on it and a vers of poeetry: "If U luv me as I luv U Nuthing but deth can part us too. And that is troo, Marilla. We'r going to ask Mr. Phillips to let us sit together in scool agen, and Gertie Pye can go with Minnie Andrews. We had an elegant tee. Mrs. Barry had th verry best chiena set out, Marilla, just as if I was reeal cumpany. I can't tel U whut a thril it gaev me. Noebody ever uezd thair verry best chiena on mi acount befor. And we had froot caek and pound caek and doughnuts and too kiends of prezervs, Marilla. And Mrs. Barry askt me if I tuuk tee and sed `Paa, whi don't U pas th biskits to Anne?' It must be luvly to be groen up, Marilla, when just being treeted as if U wer is so nies." "I don't noe about that," sed Marilla, with a breef si. "Wel, enywae, when I am groen up," sed Anne desiededly, "I'm allwaes going to tauk to litl gerls as if thae wer too, and I'l never laf when thae uez big werds. I noe frum sorroeful expeeryens how that herts one's feelings. After tee Diana and I maed tafy. Th tafy wasn't verry guud, I supoez becauz neether Diana nor I had ever maed eny befor. Diana left me to ster it whiel she buterd th plates and I forgot and let it bern; and then when we set it out on th platform to cool th cat waukt oever wun plaet and that had to be throen awae. But th maeking of it was splendid fun. Then when I caem hoem Mrs. Barry askt me to cum oever as offen as I cuud and Diana stuud at th windo and throo kises to me all th wae doun to Lover's Laen. I ashur U, Marilla, that I feel liek praeing toniet and I'm going to think out a speshal brand-nue prair in onor of th ocaezhun." CHAPTER XIX A Consert a Catastrofy and a Confeshun "MARILLA, can I go oever to see Diana just for a minit?" askt Anne, runing brethlesly doun frum th eest gaebl wun February eevning. "I don't see whut U wont to be traepsing about after dark for," sed Marilla shortly. "U and Diana waukt hoem frum scool together and then stuud doun thair in th sno for haf an our mor, yur tungs going th hoel blesed tiem, clickety-clack. So I don't think U'r verry badly off to see her agen." "But she wonts to see me," pleeded Anne. "She has sumthing verry important to tel me." "How do U noe she has?" "Becauz she just signald to me frum her windo. We hav araenjd a wae to signal with our candls and cardbord. We set th candl on th windo sil and maek flashes bi pasing th cardbord bak and forth. So meny flashes meen a serten thing. It was mi iedeea, Marilla." "I'l warant U it was," sed Marilla emfaticaly. "And th next thing U'l be seting fier to th curtens with yur signaling nonsens." "O, we'r verry cairful, Marilla. And it's so interesting. Too flashes meen, `Ar U thair?' Three meen `yes' and foer `no.' Fiev meen, `Cum oever as soon as posibl, becauz I hav sumthing important to reveel.' Diana has just signald fiev flashes, and I'm reealy sufering to noe whut it is." "Wel, U needn't sufer eny longger," sed Marilla sarcasticaly. "U can go, but U'r to be bak heer in just ten minits, remember that." Anne did remember it and was bak in th stipulated tiem, alltho probably no mortal wil ever noe just whut it cost her to confien th discushun of Diana's important comuenicaeshun within th limits of ten minits. But at leest she had maed guud uez of them. "O, Marilla, whut do U think? U noe tomorro is Diana's berthdae. Wel, her muther toeld her she cuud ask me to go hoem with her frum scool and stae all niet with her. And her cuzins ar cuming oever frum Newbridge in a big pung slae to go to th Debaeting Club consert at th hall tomorro niet. And thae ar going to taek Diana and me to th consert--if U'l let me go, that is. U wil, woen't U, Marilla? O, I feel so exsieted." "U can caam doun then, becauz U'r not going. U'r beter at hoem in yur oen bed, and as for that club consert, it's all nonsens, and litl gerls shuud not be alowd to go out to such plaeses at all." "I'm shur th Debaeting Club is a moest respectabl afair," pleeded Anne. "I'm not saeing it isn't. But U'r not going to begin gading about to conserts and staeing out all ours of th niet. Prity doings for children. I'm serpriezd at Mrs. Barry's leting Diana go." "But it's such a verry speshal ocaezhun," mornd Anne, on th verj of teers. "Diana has oenly wun berthdae in a yeer. It isn't as if birthdays wer comon things, Marilla. Prissy Andrews is going to resiet `Curfue Must Not Ring Toniet.' That is such a guud moral pees, Marilla, I'm shur it wuud do me lots of guud to heer it. And th qier ar going to sing foer luvly pathetic songs that ar prity neer as guud as hims. And o, Marilla, th minister is going to taek part; yes, indeed, he is; he's going to giv an adres. That wil be just about th saem thing as a sermon. Pleez, mayn't I go, Marilla?" "U herd whut I sed, Anne, didn't U? Taek off yur boots now and go to bed. It's past aet." "Thair's just wun mor thing, Marilla," sed Anne, with th air of produesing th last shot in her loker. "Mrs. Barry toeld Diana that we miet sleep in th spair-room bed. Think of th onor of yur litl Anne being puut in th spair-room bed." "It's an onor U'l hav to get along without. Go to bed, Anne, and don't let me heer anuther werd out of U." When Anne, with teers roeling oever her cheeks, had gon sorrowfully upstairs, Matthew, hoo had bin aparrently sound asleep on th lounj during th hoel diealog, oepend his ies and sed desiededly: "Wel now, Marilla, I think U aut to let Anne go." "I don't then," retorted Marilla. "Hoo's bringing this chield up, Matthew, U or me?" "Wel now, U," admited Matthew. "Don't interfeer then." "Wel now, I ain't interfeering. It ain't interfeering to hav yur oen opinyon. And mi opinyon is that U aut to let Anne go." "U'd think I aut to let Anne go to th moon if she tuuk th noeshun, I'v no dout" was Marilla's aemiabl rejoinder. "I miet hav let her spend th niet with Diana, if that was all. But I don't aproov of this consert plan. She'd go thair and cach coeld liek as not, and hav her hed fild up with nonsens and exsietment. It wuud unsettle her for a week. I understand that child's dispozishun and whut's guud for it beter than U, Matthew." "I think U aut to let Anne go," repeeted Matthew fermly. Arguement was not his strong point, but hoelding fast to his opinyon sertenly was. Marilla gaev a gasp of helplesnes and tuuk refuej in sielens. Th next morning, when Anne was woshing th brekfast dishes in th pantry, Matthew pauzd on his wae out to th barn to sae to Marilla agen: "I think U aut to let Anne go, Marilla." For a moement Marilla luukt things not lawful to be uterd. Then she yeelded to th inevitabl and sed tartly: "Verry wel, she can go, sinss nuthing else'll pleez U." Anne floo out of th pantry, driping dishcloth in hand. "O, Marilla, Marilla, sae thoes blesed werds agen." "I ges wuns is enuf to sae them. This is Matthew's doings and I wosh mi hands of it. If U cach nuemoenia sleeping in a straenj bed or cuming out of that hot hall in th midl of th niet, don't blaem me, blaem Matthew. Anne Shirley, U'r driping greezy wauter all oever th flor. I never saw such a cairles chield." "O, I noe I'm a graet trieal to U, Marilla," sed Anne repentantly. "I maek so meny mistaeks. But then just think of all th mistaeks I don't maek, alltho I miet. I'l get sum sand and scrub up th spots befor I go to scool. O, Marilla, mi hart was just set on going to that consert. I never was to a consert in mi lief, and when th uther gerls tauk about them in scool I feel so out of it. U didn't noe just how I felt about it, but U see Matthew did. Matthew understands me, and it's so nies to be understuud, Marilla." Anne was too exsieted to do herself justis as to lesons that morning in scool. Gilbert Blythe speld her doun in clas and left her cleer out of siet in mental arithmetic. Anne's conseqent huemiliaeshun was les than it miet hav bin, however, in vue of th consert and th spair-room bed. She and Diana taukt so constantly about it all dae that with a stricter teecher than Mr. Phillips dier disgraes must inevitably hav bin thair porshun. Anne felt that she cuud not hav born it if she had not bin going to th consert, for nuthing els was discust that dae in scool. Th Avonlea Debaeting Club, which met fortnietly all winter, had had several smaller free entertaenments; but this was to be a big afair, admishun ten sents, in aed of th liebrairy. Th Avonlea yung peepl had bin practising for weeks, and all th scolars wer espeshaly interested in it bi reezon of oelder bruthers and sisters hoo wer going to taek part. Evrybody in scool oever nien yeers of aej expected to go, exsept Carrie Sloane, hoos faather shaird Marilla's opinyons about small gerls going out to niet conserts. Carrie Sloane cried into her gramar all th afternoon and felt that lief was not werth living. For Anne th reeal exsietment began with th dismisal of scool and increest thairfrum in creshendo until it reecht to a crash of pozitiv extasy in th consert itself. Thae had a "perfectly elegant tee;" and then caem th delishus ocuepaeshun of dresing in Diana's litl room upstairs. Diana did Anne's frunt hair in th nue pompador stiel and Anne tied Diana's boes with th espeshal nak she pozest; and thae experrimented with at leest haf a duzen diferent waes of araenjing thair bak hair. At last thae wer redy, cheeks scarlet and ies gloeing with exsietment. Troo, Anne cuud not help a litl pang when she contrasted her plaen blak tam and shaeples, tiet-sleeved, hoemmaed grae-clauth coet with Diana's jaunty fer cap and smart litl jaket. But she rememberd in tiem that she had an imajinaeshun and cuud uez it. Then Diana's cuzins, th Murrays frum Newbridge, caem; thae all crouded into th big pung slae, amung straw and fery roebs. Anne reveld in th driev to th hall, sliping along oever th satin-smooth roeds with th sno crisping under th runers. Thair was a magnifisent sunset, and th snoey hils and deep-bloo wauter of th St. Lawrence Gulf seemd to rim??? in th splendor liek a huej boel of perl and safier brimd with wien and fier. Tinkls of slae bels and distant lafter, that seemd liek th merth of wuud elvs, caem frum evry qorter. "O, Diana," breethd Anne, sqeezing Diana's mittened hand under th fer roeb, "isn't it all liek a buetyful dreem? Do I reealy luuk th saem as uezhual? I feel so diferent that it seems to me it must sho in mi luuks." "U luuk aufuly nies," sed Diana, hoo having just reseevd a compliment frum wun of her cuzins, felt that she aut to pas it on. "U'v got th luvlyest culor." Th proegram that niet was a seerys of "thrils" for at leest wun lisener in th audyens, and, as Anne ashurd Diana, evry sucseeding thril was thrillier than th last. When Prissy Andrews, atierd in a nue pink-silk waest with a string of perls about her smooth whiet throet and reeal carnaeshuns in her hair--roomor whisperd that th master had sent all th wae to toun for them for her--"cliemd th slimy lader, dark without wun rae of liet," Anne shiverd in lugzhurius simpathy; when th qier sang "Far Abuv th Jentl Daezys" Anne gaezd at th seeling as if it wer frescoed with aenjels; when Sam Sloane proseeded to explaen and ilustraet "How Sockery Set a Hen" Anne laft until peepl siting neer her laft too, mor out of simpathy with her than with amuezment at a selecshun that was rather thredbair eeven in Avonlea; and when Mr. Phillips gaev Mark Antony's oraeshun oever th ded body of Caesar in th moest heartstirring toens--luuking at Prissy Andrews at th end of evry sentens--Anne felt that she cuud riez and muetiny on th spot if but wun Roman sitizen led th wae. Oenly wun number on th proegram faeld to interest her. When Gilbert Blythe resieted "Bingen on th Rhine" Anne pikt up Rhoda Murray's liebrairy buuk and reed it until he had finisht, when she sat rijidly stif and moeshunles whiel Diana clapt her hands until thae tingled. It was eleven when thae got hoem, sated with disipaeshun, but with th exseeding sweet plezher of tauking it all oever stil to cum. Evrybody seemd asleep and th hous was dark and sielent. Anne and Diana tiptoed into th parlor, a long narro room out of which th spair room oepend. It was plezantly worm and dimly lieted bi th embers of a fier in th graet. "Let's undres heer," sed Diana. "It's so nies and worm." "Hasn't it bin a delietful tiem?" sied Anne rapturously. "It must be splendid to get up and resiet thair. Do U supoez we wil ever be askt to do it, Diana?" "Yes, of cors, sumdae. Thae'r allwaes wonting th big scolars to resiet. Gilbert Blythe duz offen and he's oenly too yeers oelder than us. O, Anne, how cuud U pretend not to lisen to him? When he caem to th lien, "THAIR'S ANUTHER, not A SISTER, he luukt riet doun at U." "Diana," sed Anne with dignity, "U ar mi buuzom frend, but I cannot alow eeven U to speek to me of that person. Ar U redy for bed? Let's run a raes and see hoo'l get to th bed ferst." Th sugjeschun apeeld to Diana. Th too litl whiet-clad figuers floo doun th long room, thru th spair-room dor, and bounded on th bed at th saem moement. And then--sumthing--moovd beneeth them, thair was a gasp and a cri--and sumbody sed in mufld acsents: "Mersyful guudnes!" Anne and Diana wer never aebl to tel just how thae got off that bed and out of th room. Thae oenly nue that after wun frantic rush thae found themselvs tiptoeing shiveringly upstairs. "O, hoo was it--WHUT was it?" whisperd Anne, her teeth chatering with coeld and friet. "It was Ant Josephine," sed Diana, gasping with lafter. "O, Anne, it was Ant Josephine, however she caem to be thair. O, and I noe she wil be fuerius. It's dredful--it's reealy dredful--but did U ever noe enything so funy, Anne?" "Hoo is yur Ant Josephine?" "She's father's ant and she livs in Charlottetown. She's aufuly oeld--seventy enyhow--and I don't beleev she was EVER a litl gerl. We wer expecting her out for a vizit, but not so soon. She's aufuly prim and proper and she'l scoeld dredfuly about this, I noe. Wel, we'll hav to sleep with Minnie Mae--and U can't think how she kiks." Mis Josephine Barry did not apeer at th erly brekfast th next morning. Mrs. Barry smield kiendly at th too litl gerls. "Did U hav a guud tiem last niet? I tried to stae awaek until U caem hoem, for I wonted to tel U Ant Josephine had cum and that U wuud hav to go upstairs after all, but I was so tierd I fel asleep. I hoep U didn't disterb yur ant, Diana." Diana prezervd a discreet sielens, but she and Anne exchaenjd fertiv smiels of gilty amuezment across th taebl. Anne heryd hoem after brekfast and so remaend in blisful ignorans of th disterbans which prezently rezulted in th Barry hous-hoeld until th laet afternoon, when she went doun to Mrs. Lynde's on an errand for Marilla. "So U and Diana neerly frietend pur oeld Mis Barry to deth last niet?" sed Mrs. Lynde seveerly, but with a twinkl in her ie. "Mrs. Barry was heer a fue minits ago on her wae to Carmody. She's feeling reeal weryd oever it. Oeld Mis Barry was in a terribl temper when she got up this morning--and Josephine Barry's temper is no joek, I can tel U that. She wuudn't speek to Diana at all." "It wasn't Diana's fallt," sed Anne contritely. "It was mien. I sugjested raesing to see hoo wuud get into bed ferst." "I nue it!" sed Mrs. Lynde, with th exultaeshun of a corect guesser. "I nue that iedeea caem out of yur hed. Wel, it's maed a nies lot of trubl, that's whut. Oeld Mis Barry caem out to stae for a munth, but she declairs she woen't stae anuther dae and is going riet bak to toun tomorro, Sunday and all as it is. She'd hav gon todae if thae cuud hav taeken her. She had promist to pae for a quarter's muezic lesons for Diana, but now she is determind to do nuthing at all for such a tomboi. O, I ges thae had a lievly tiem of it thair this morning. Th Barrys must feel cut up. Oeld Mis Barry is rich and thae'd liek to keep on th guud sied of her. Of cors, Mrs. Barry didn't sae just that to me, but I'm a prity guud juj of hueman naecher, that's whut." "I'm such an unluky gerl," mornd Anne. "I'm allwaes geting into scraeps mieself and geting mi best frends--peepl I'd shed mi heart's blud for--into them too. Can U tel me whi it is so, Mrs. Lynde?" "It's becauz U'r too heedles and impulsiv, chield, that's whut. U never stop to think--whutever cums into yur hed to sae or do U sae or do it without a moment's reflecshun." "O, but that's th best of it," proetested Anne. "Sumthing just flashes into yur miend, so exsieting, and U must out with it. If U stop to think it oever U spoil it all. Havn't U never felt that yurself, Mrs. Lynde?" No, Mrs. Lynde had not. She shuuk her hed sagely. "U must lern to think a litl, Anne, that's whut. Th proverb U need to go bi is `Luuk befor U leap'--espeshaly into spair-room beds." Mrs. Lynde laft cumfortably oever her mield joek, but Anne remaend pensiv. She saw nuthing to laf at in th sichuaeshun, which to her ies apeerd verry seerius. When she left Mrs. Lynde's she tuuk her wae across th crusted feelds to Orchard Sloep. Diana met her at th kichen dor. "Yur Ant Josephine was verry cross about it, wasn't she?" whisperd Anne. "Yes," anserd Diana, stiefling a gigl with an aprehensiv glans oever her shoelder at th cloezd siting-room dor. "She was fairly dansing with raej, Anne. O, how she scoelded. She sed I was th werst-behaevd gerl she ever saw and that mi pairents aut to be ashaemd of th wae thae had braut me up. She ses she woen't stae and I'm shur I don't cair. But Faather and Muther do." "Whi didn't U tel them it was mi fallt?" demanded Anne. "It's liekly I'd do such a thing, isn't it?" sed Diana with just scorn. "I'm no teltael, Anne Shirley, and enyhow I was just as much to blaem as U." "Wel, I'm going in to tel her mieself," sed Anne rezolootly. Diana staird. "Anne Shirley, U'd never! whi--she'l eet U aliev!" "Don't frieten me eny mor than I am frietend," implord Anne. "I'd rather wauk up to a cannon's mouth. But I'v got to do it, Diana. It was mi fallt and I'v got to confes. I'v had practis in confesing, forchunetly." "Wel, she's in th room," sed Diana. "U can go in if U wont to. I wuudn't dair. And I don't beleev U'l do a bit of guud." With this encurejment Anne beerded th lieon in its den--that is to sae, waukt rezolootly up to th siting-room dor and nokt faently. A sharp "Cum in" foloed. Mis Josephine Barry, thin, prim, and rijid, was niting feersly bi th fier, her rath qiet unappeased and her ies snaping thru her goeld-rimd glases. She wheeld around in her chair, expecting to see Diana, and beheld a whiet-faest gerl hoos graet ies wer brimd up with a mixcher of desperet curej and shrinking terror. "Hoo ar U?" demanded Mis Josephine Barry, without serremoeny. "I'm Anne of Green Gaebls," sed th small vizitor tremuelusly, clasping her hands with her carracteristic jescher, "and I'v cum to confes, if U pleez." "Confes whut?" "That it was all mi fallt about jumping into bed on U last niet. I sugjested it. Diana wuud never hav thaut of such a thing, I am shur. Diana is a verry laedyliek gerl, Mis Barry. So U must see how unjust it is to blaem her." "O, I must, hae? I rather think Diana did her shair of th jumping at leest. Such carryings on in a respectabl hous!" "But we wer oenly in fun," persisted Anne. "I think U aut to forgiv us, Mis Barry, now that we'v apolojiezd. And enyhow, pleez forgiv Diana and let her hav her muezic lesons. Diana's hart is set on her muezic lesons, Mis Barry, and I noe too wel whut it is to set yur hart on a thing and not get it. If U must be cross with enywun, be cross with me. I'v bin so uezd in mi erly daes to having peepl cross at me that I can endur it much beter than Diana can." Much of th snap had gon out of th oeld lady's ies bi this tiem and was replaest bi a twinkl of amuezd interest. But she stil sed seveerly: "I don't think it is eny excues for U that U wer oenly in fun. Litl gerls never induljd in that kiend of fun when I was yung. U don't noe whut it is to be awaekend out of a sound sleep, after a long and arjuos jerny, bi too graet gerls cuming bouns doun on U." "I don't NOE, but I can IMAJIN," sed Anne eegerly. "I'm shur it must hav bin verry disterbing. But then, thair is our sied of it too. Hav U eny imajinaeshun, Mis Barry? If U hav, just puut yurself in our plaes. We didn't noe thair was enybody in that bed and U neerly scaird us to deth. It was simply auful th wae we felt. And then we cuudn't sleep in th spair room after being promist. I supoez U ar uezd to sleeping in spair rooms. But just imajin whut U wuud feel liek if U wer a litl orfan gerl hoo had never had such an onor." All th snap had gon bi this tiem. Mis Barry akchualy laft--a sound which cauzd Diana, waeting in speechles angzieity in th kichen outsied, to giv a graet gasp of releef. "I'm afraed mi imajinaeshun is a litl rusty--it's so long sinss I uezd it," she sed. "I dair sae yur claem to simpathy is just as strong as mien. It all depends on th wae we luuk at it. Sit doun heer and tel me about yurself." "I am verry sorry I can't," sed Anne fermly. "I wuud liek to, becauz U seem liek an interesting laedy, and U miet eeven be a kindred spirit alltho U don't luuk verry much liek it. But it is mi duety to go hoem to Mis Marilla Cuthbert. Mis Marilla Cuthbert is a verry kiend laedy hoo has taeken me to bring up properly. She is doing her best, but it is verry discurejing werk. U must not blaem her becauz I jumpt on th bed. But befor I go I do wish U wuud tel me if U wil forgiv Diana and stae just as long as U ment to in Avonlea." "I think perhaps I wil if U wil cum oever and tauk to me ocaezhunaly," sed Mis Barry. That eevning Mis Barry gaev Diana a silver banggl braeslet and toeld th seenyor members of th hous-hoeld that she had unpakt her valees. "I'v maed up mi miend to stae simply for th saek of geting beter aqaented with that Anne-gerl," she sed frankly. "She amuses me, and at mi tiem of lief an amuezing person is a rairity." Marilla's oenly coment when she herd th story was, "I toeld U so." This was for Matthew's benefit. Mis Barry staed her munth out and oever. She was a mor agreeabl gest than uezhual, for Anne kept her in guud huemor. Thae becaem ferm frends. When Mis Barry went awae she sed: "Remember, U Anne-gerl, when U cum to toun U'r to vizit me and I'l puut U in mi verry sparest spair-room bed to sleep." "Mis Barry was a kindred spirit, after all," Anne confieded to Marilla. "U wuudn't think so to luuk at her, but she is. U don't fiend it riet out at ferst, as in Matthew's caes, but after a whiel U cum to see it. Kindred spirits ar not so scairs as I uezd to think. It's splendid to fiend out thair ar so meny of them in th werld." CHAPTER XX A Guud Imajinaeshun Gon Rong Spring had cum wuns mor to Green Gaebls--th buetyful caprishus, reluctant Canadian spring, linggering along thru April and Mae in a sucseshun of sweet, fresh, chily daes, with pink sunsets and miracls of rezerecshun and groeth. Th maepls in Lover's Laen wer red buded and litl curly ferns puusht up around th Dryad's Bubl. Awae up in th barrens, behiend Mr. Silas Sloane's plaes, th Mayflowers blosomd out, pink and whiet stars of sweetnes under thair broun leevs. All th scool gerls and bois had wun goelden afternoon gathering them, cuming hoem in th cleer, ekoeing twieliet with arms and baskets fuul of flowery spoil. "I'm so sorry for peepl hoo liv in lands wherr thair ar no Mayflowers," sed Anne. "Diana ses perhaps thae hav sumthing beter, but thair cuudn't be enything beter than Mayflowers, cuud thair, Marilla? And Diana ses if thae don't noe whut thae ar liek thae don't mis them. But I think that is th sadest thing of all. I think it wuud be TRAJIC, Marilla, not to noe whut Mayflowers ar liek and NOT to mis them. Do U noe whut I think Mayflowers ar, Marilla? I think thae must be th soels of th flowers that died last sumer and this is thair heven. But we had a splendid tiem todae, Marilla. We had our lunch doun in a big mossy holo bi an oeld wel--such a ROEMANTIC spot. Charlie Sloane daird Arty Gillis to jump oever it, and Arty did becauz he wuudn't taek a dair. Noebody wuud in scool. It is verry FASHUNABL to dair. Mr. Phillips gaev all th Mayflowers he found to Prissy Andrews and I herd him to sae `sweets to th sweet.' He got that out of a buuk, I noe; but it shoes he has sum imajinaeshun. I was offerd sum Mayflowers too, but I rejected them with scorn. I can't tel U th person's naem becauz I hav vowd never to let it cross mi lips. We maed reeths of th Mayflowers and puut them on our hats; and when th tiem caem to go hoem we marcht in proseshun doun th roed, too bi too, with our boekaes and reeths, singing `Mi Hoem on th Hil.' O, it was so thriling, Marilla. All Mr. Silas Sloane's foeks rusht out to see us and evrybody we met on th roed stopt and staird after us. We maed a reeal sensaeshun." "Not much wunder! Such sily doings!" was Marilla's respons. After th Mayflowers caem th vieolets, and Vieolet Vael was empurpled with them. Anne waukt thru it on her wae to scool with reverent steps and wershiping ies, as if she trod on hoely ground. "Sumhow," she toeld Diana, "when I'm going thru heer I don't reealy cair whether Gil--whether enybody gets ahed of me in clas or not. But when I'm up in scool it's all diferent and I cair as much as ever. Thair's such a lot of diferent Annes in me. I sumtiems think that is whi I'm such a trublsum person. If I was just th wun Anne it wuud be ever so much mor cumfortabl, but then it wuudn't be haf so interesting." Wun June eevning, when th orchards wer pink blosomd agen, when th frogs wer singing silverly sweet in th marshes about th hed of th Laek of Shiening Wauters, and th air was fuul of th saevor of cloever feelds and balsamic fer wuuds, Anne was siting bi her gaebl windo. She had bin studying her lesons, but it had groen too dark to see th buuk, so she had fallen into wied-ied revery, luuking out past th bows of th Sno Qeen, wuns mor bestarred with its tufts of blosom. In all esenshal respects th litl gaebl chaember was unchaenjd. Th walls wer as whiet, th pincuushun as hard, th chairs as stifly and yellowly upriet as ever. Yet th hoel carracter of th room was allterd. It was fuul of a nue vietal, pulsing personality that seemd to pervaed it and to be qiet independent of scoolgerl buuks and dreses and ribons, and eeven of th crakt bloo jug fuul of apl blosoms on th taebl. It was as if all th dreems, sleeping and waeking, of its vivid ocuepant had taeken a vizibl alltho unmaterial form and had tapestried th bair room with splendid filmy tishoos of raenbo and moonshien. Prezently Marilla caem briskly in with sum of Anne's freshly ieernd scool aeprons. She hung them oever a chair and sat doun with a short si. She had had wun of her hedaeks that afternoon, and alltho th paen had gon she felt weak and "tuckered out," as she exprest it. Anne luukt at her with ies limpid with simpathy. "I do trooly wish I cuud hav had th hedaek in yur plaes, Marilla. I wuud hav endurd it joifuly for yur saek." "I ges U did yur part in atending to th werk and leting me rest," sed Marilla. "U seem to hav got on fairly wel and maed fueer mistaeks than uezhual. Of cors it wasn't exactly nesesairy to starch Matthew's hankerchifs! And moest peepl when thae puut a pi in th uven to worm up for diner taek it out and eet it when it gets hot insted of leeving it to be bernd to a crisp. But that duzn't seem to be yur wae evidently." Hedaeks allwaes left Marilla sumwhut sarcastic. "O, I'm so sorry," sed Anne penitently. "I never thaut about that pi frum th moement I puut it in th uven til now, alltho I felt INSTINKTIVLY that thair was sumthing mising on th diner taebl. I was fermly rezolvd, when U left me in charj this morning, not to imajin enything, but keep mi thauts on facts. I did prity wel until I puut th pi in, and then an irrezistibl temptaeshun caem to me to imajin I was an enchanted prinses shut up in a loenly tower with a hansum niet rieding to mi rescue on a coel-blak steed. So that is how I caem to forget th pi. I didn't noe I starcht th hankerchifs. All th tiem I was ieerning I was trieing to think of a naem for a nue ieland Diana and I hav discuverd up th bruuk. It's th moest ravishing spot, Marilla. Thair ar too maepl trees on it and th bruuk floes riet around it. At last it struk me that it wuud be splendid to call it Victoria Ieland becauz we found it on th Queen's berthdae. Boeth Diana and I ar verry loial. But I'm sorry about that pi and th hankerchifs. I wonted to be extra guud todae becauz it's an aniversary. Do U remember whut hapend this dae last yeer, Marilla?" "No, I can't think of enything speshal." "O, Marilla, it was th dae I caem to Green Gaebls. I shal never forget it. It was th terning point in mi lief. Of cors it wuudn't seem so important to U. I'v bin heer for a yeer and I'v bin so hapy. Of cors, I'v had mi trubls, but wun can liv doun trubls. Ar U sorry U kept me, Marilla?" "No, I can't sae I'm sorry," sed Marilla, hoo sumtiems wunderd how she cuud hav livd befor Anne caem to Green Gaebls, "no, not exactly sorry. If U'v finisht yur lesons, Anne, I wont U to run oever and ask Mrs. Barry if she'l lend me Diana's aepron patern." "O--it's--it's too dark," cried Anne. "Too dark? Whi, it's oenly twieliet. And guudnes noes U'v gon oever offen enuf after dark." "I'l go oever erly in th morning," sed Anne eegerly. "I'l get up at sunriez and go oever, Marilla." "Whut has got into yur hed now, Anne Shirley? I wont that patern to cut out yur nue aepron this eevning. Go at wuns and be smart too." "I'l hav to go around bi th roed, then," sed Anne, taeking up her hat reluctantly. "Go bi th roed and waest haf an our! I'd liek to cach U!" "I can't go thru th Haunted Wuud, Marilla," cried Anne desperetly. Marilla staird. "Th Haunted Wuud! Ar U craezy? Whut under th canopy is th Haunted Wuud?" "Th sproos wuud oever th bruuk," sed Anne in a whisper. "Fidlstiks! Thair is no such thing as a haunted wuud enywhair. Hoo has bin teling U such stuf?" "Noebody," confest Anne. "Diana and I just imajind th wuud was haunted. All th plaeses around heer ar so--so--COMONPLAES. We just got this up for our oen amuezment. We began it in April. A haunted wuud is so verry roemantic, Marilla. We choez th sproos groev becauz it's so gloomy. O, we hav imajind th moest harroeing things. Thair's a whiet laedy wauks along th bruuk just about this tiem of th niet and rings her hands and utters waeling cries. She apeers when thair is to be a deth in th family. And th goest of a litl merderd chield haunts th corner up bi Idlewild; it creeps up behiend U and laes its coeld finggers on yur hand--so. O, Marilla, it givs me a shuder to think of it. And thair's a hedles man stauks up and doun th path and skeletons glower at U between th bows. O, Marilla, I wuudn't go thru th Haunted Wuud after dark now for enything. I'd be shur that whiet things wuud reech out frum behiend th trees and grab me." "Did ever enywun heer th liek!" ejacuelaeted Marilla, hoo had lisend in dum amaezment. "Anne Shirley, do U meen to tel me U beleev all that wiked nonsens of yur oen imajinaeshun?" "Not beleev EXACTLY," fallterd Anne. "At leest, I don't beleev it in daeliet. But after dark, Marilla, it's diferent. That is when goests wauk." "Thair ar no such things as goests, Anne." "O, but thair ar, Marilla," cried Anne eegerly. "I noe peepl hoo hav seen them. And thae ar respectabl peepl. Charlie Sloane ses that his grandmuther saw his grandfaather drieving hoem th cows wun niet after he'd bin berryd for a yeer. U noe Charlie Sloane's grandmuther wuudn't tel a story for enything. She's a verry relijus wuuman. And Mrs. Thomas's faather was persood hoem wun niet bi a lam of fier with its hed cut off hanging bi a strip of skin. He sed he nue it was th spirit of his bruther and that it was a worning he wuud die within nien daes. He didn't, but he died too yeers after, so U see it was reealy troo. And Ruby Gillis ses--" "Anne Shirley," interupted Marilla fermly, "I never wont to heer U tauking in this fashun agen. I'v had mi douts about that imajinaeshun of yurs riet along, and if this is going to be th outcum of it, I woen't countenans eny such doings. U'l go riet oever to Barry's, and U'l go thru that sproos groev, just for a leson and a worning to U. And never let me heer a werd out of yur hed about haunted wuuds agen." Anne miet pleed and cri as she liekt--and did, for her terror was verry reeal. Her imajinaeshun had run awae with her and she held th sproos groev in mortal dred after nietfual. But Marilla was inexorabl. She marcht th shrinking ghostseer doun to th spring and orderd her to proseed straet-awae oever th brij and into th dusky retreets of waeling laedys and hedles specters beyond. "O, Marilla, how can U be so crooel?" sobd Anne. "Whut wuud U feel liek if a whiet thing did snach me up and carry me off?" "I'l risk it," sed Marilla unfeelingly. "U noe I allwaes meen whut I sae. I'l cuer U of imajining goests into plaeses. March, now." Anne marcht. That is, she stumbld oever th brij and went shudering up th horribl dim path beyond. Anne never forgot that wauk. Biterly did she repent th liesens she had given to her imajinaeshun. Th goblins of her fansy lerkt in evry shado about her, reeching out thair coeld, fleshless hands to grasp th terrified small gerl hoo had calld them into being. A whiet strip of berch bark bloeing up frum th holo oever th broun flor of th groev maed her hart stand stil. Th long-drawn wael of too oeld bows rubing agenst eech uther braut out th perspiraeshun in beeds on her forhed. Th swoop of bats in th darknes oever her was as th wings of unerthly creechers. When she reecht Mr. William Bell's feeld she fled across it as if persood bi an army of whiet things, and arievd at th Barry kichen dor so out of breth that she cuud hardly gasp out her reqest for th aepron patern. Diana was awae so that she had no excues to lingger. Th dredful retern jerny had to be faest. Anne went bak oever it with shut ies, prefering to taek th risk of dashing her braens out amung th bows to that of seeing a whiet thing. When she fienaly stumbld oever th log brij she droo wun long shivering breth of releef. "Wel, so nuthing caut U?" sed Marilla unsympathetically. "O, Mar--Marilla," chaterd Anne, "I'l b-b-be contt-tented with c-c-comonplaes plaeses after this." CHAPTER XXI A Nue Deparcher in Flaevorings "Deer me, thair is nuthing but meetings and partings in this werld, as Mrs. Lynde ses," remarkt Anne plaintively, puuting her slaet and buuks doun on th kichen taebl on th last dae of June and wieping her red ies with a verry damp hankerchif. "Wasn't it forchunet, Marilla, that I tuuk an extra hankerchif to scool todae? I had a presentiment that it wuud be needed." "I never thaut U wer so fond of Mr. Phillips that U'd reqier too hankerchifs to dri yur teers just becauz he was going awae," sed Marilla. "I don't think I was crieing becauz I was reealy so verry fond of him," reflected Anne. "I just cried becauz all th uthers did. It was Ruby Gillis started it. Ruby Gillis has allwaes declaird she haeted Mr. Phillips, but just as soon as he got up to maek his fairwel speech she berst into teers. Then all th gerls began to cri, wun after th uther. I tried to hoeld out, Marilla. I tried to remember th tiem Mr. Phillips maed me sit with Gil--with a, boi; and th tiem he speld mi naem without an e on th blakbord; and how he sed I was th werst duns he ever saw at jeometry and laft at mi speling; and all th tiems he had bin so horrid and sarcastic; but sumhow I cuudn't, Marilla, and I just had to cri too. Jane Andrews has bin tauking for a munth about how glad she'd be when Mr. Phillips went awae and she declaird she'd never shed a teer. Wel, she was wers than eny of us and had to borro a hankerchif frum her bruther--of cors th bois didn't cri--becauz she hadn't braut wun of her oen, not expecting to need it. O, Marilla, it was hartrending. Mr. Phillips maed such a buetyful fairwel speech begining, `Th tiem has cum for us to part.' It was verry afecting. And he had teers in his ies too, Marilla. O, I felt dredfuly sorry and remorsful for all th tiems I'd taukt in scool and drawn pikchers of him on mi slaet and maed fun of him and Prissy. I can tel U I wisht I'd bin a model puepil liek Minnie Andrews. She hadn't enything on her conshens. Th gerls cried all th wae hoem frum scool. Carrie Sloane kept saeing evry fue minits, `Th tiem has cum for us to part,' and that wuud start us off agen whenever we wer in eny daenjer of cheering up. I do feel dredfuly sad, Marilla. But wun can't feel qiet in th depths of despair with too months' vaecaeshun befor them, can thae, Marilla? And besieds, we met th nue minister and his wief cuming frum th staeshun. For all I was feeling so bad about Mr. Phillips going awae I cuudn't help taeking a litl interest in a nue minister, cuud I? His wief is verry prity. Not exactly regally luvly, of cors--it wuudn't do, I supoez, for a minister to hav a regally luvly wief, becauz it miet set a bad exampl. Mrs. Lynde ses th minister's wief oever at Newbridge sets a verry bad exampl becauz she dreses so fashunably. Our nue minister's wief was drest in bloo muzlin with luvly puft sleevs and a hat trimd with roezes. Jane Andrews sed she thaut puft sleevs wer too werldly for a minister's wief, but I didn't maek eny such uncharritabl remark, Marilla, becauz I noe whut it is to long for puft sleevs. Besieds, she's oenly bin a minister's wief for a litl whiel, so wun shuud maek alowanses, shuudn't thae? Thae ar going to bord with Mrs. Lynde until th mans is redy." If Marilla, in going doun to Mrs. Lynde's that eevning, was akchuaeted bi eny moetiv saev her avowd wun of reterning th qilting fraems she had borroed th preseeding winter, it was an aemiabl weeknes shaird bi moest of th Avonlea peepl. Meny a thing Mrs. Lynde had lent, sumtiems never expecting to see it agen, caem hoem that niet in charj of th borrowers thairof. A nue minister, and moroever a minister with a wief, was a lawful object of cueriosity in a qieet litl cuntry setlment wherr sensaeshuns wer fue and far between. Oeld Mr. Bentley, th minister hoom Anne had found laking in imajinaeshun, had bin pastor of Avonlea for aeteen yeers. He was a widoeer when he caem, and a widoeer he remaend, despiet th fact that gosip reguelarly marryd him to this, that, or th uther wun, evry yeer of his soejern. In th preseeding February he had reziend his charj and departed amid th regrets of his peepl, moest of hoom had th afecshun born of long intercors for thair guud oeld minister in spiet of his shortcumings as an orator. Sinss then th Avonlea cherch had enjoid a varieety of relijus disipaeshun in lisening to th meny and vairius candidaets and "suplies" hoo caem Sunday after Sunday to preech on trieal. Thees stuud or fel bi th jujment of th faathers and muthers in Israel; but a serten small, red-haired gerl hoo sat meekly in th corner of th oeld Cuthbert pue allso had her opinyons about them and discust th saem in fuul with Matthew, Marilla allwaes decliening frum prinsipl to critisiez ministers in eny shaep or form. "I don't think Mr. Smith wuud hav dun, Matthew" was Anne's fienal suming up. "Mrs. Lynde ses his delivery was so pur, but I think his werst fallt was just liek Mr. Bentley's--he had no imajinaeshun. And Mr. Terry had too much; he let it run awae with him just as I did mien in th mater of th Haunted Wuud. Besieds, Mrs. Lynde ses his theolojy wasn't sound. Mr. Gresham was a verry guud man and a verry relijus man, but he toeld too meny funy storys and maed th peepl laf in cherch; he was undignified, and U must hav sum dignity about a minister, mustn't U, Matthew? I thaut Mr. Marshall was desiededly atractiv; but Mrs. Lynde ses he isn't marryd, or eeven engaejd, becauz she maed speshal inqierys about him, and she ses it wuud never do to hav a yung unmarryd minister in Avonlea, becauz he miet marry in th conggregaeshun and that wuud maek trubl. Mrs. Lynde is a verry farseeing wuuman, isn't she, Matthew? I'm verry glad thae'v calld Mr. Allan. I liekt him becauz his sermon was interesting and he praed as if he ment it and not just as if he did it becauz he was in th habit of it. Mrs. Lynde ses he isn't perfect, but she ses she supoezes we cuudn't expect a perfect minister for seven hundred and fifty dolars a yeer, and enyhow his theolojy is sound becauz she qeschund him theroely on all th points of doctrin. And she noes his wife's peepl and thae ar moest respectabl and th wimen ar all guud housekeepers. Mrs. Lynde ses that sound doctrin in th man and guud houskeeping in th wuuman maek an iedeel combinaeshun for a minister's family." Th nue minister and his wief wer a yung, plezant-faest cupl, stil on thair hunymoon, and fuul of all guud and buetyful enthooziazms for thair choezen liefwerk. Avonlea oepend its hart to them frum th start. Oeld and yung liekt th frank, cheerful yung man with his hi iedeeals, and th briet, jentl litl laedy hoo asoomd th mistres-ship of th mans. With Mrs. Allan Anne fel promptly and hoelhartedly in luv. She had discuverd anuther kindred spirit. "Mrs. Allan is perfectly luvly," she anounst wun Sunday afternoon. "She's taeken our clas and she's a splendid teecher. She sed riet awae she didn't think it was fair for th teecher to ask all th qeschuns, and U noe, Marilla, that is exactly whut I'v allwaes thaut. She sed we cuud ask her eny qeschun we liekt and I askt ever so meny. I'm guud at asking qeschuns, Marilla." "I beleev U" was Marilla's emfatic coment. "Noebody els askt eny exsept Ruby Gillis, and she askt if thair was to be a Sunday-scool picnik this sumer. I didn't think that was a verry proper qeschun to ask becauz it hadn't eny conecshun with th leson--th leson was about Daniel in th lions' den--but Mrs. Allan just smield and sed she thaut thair wuud be. Mrs. Allan has a luvly smiel; she has such EXQIZIT dimples in her cheeks. I wish I had dimples in mi cheeks, Marilla. I'm not haf so skiny as I was when I caem heer, but I hav no dimples yet. If I had perhaps I cuud inflooens peepl for guud. Mrs. Allan sed we aut allwaes to tri to inflooens uther peepl for guud. She taukt so nies about evrything. I never nue befor that relijon was such a cheerful thing. I allwaes thaut it was kiend of melancoly, but Mrs. Allan's isn't, and I'd liek to be a Christian if I cuud be wun liek her. I wuudn't wont to be wun liek Mr. Superintendent Bel." "It's verry nauty of U to speek so about Mr. Bel," sed Marilla seveerly. "Mr. Bel is a reeal guud man." "O, of cors he's guud," agreed Anne, "but he duzn't seem to get eny cumfort out of it. If I cuud be guud I'd dans and sing all dae becauz I was glad of it. I supoez Mrs. Allan is too oeld to dans and sing and of cors it wuudn't be dignified in a minister's wief. But I can just feel she's glad she's a Christian and that she'd be wun eeven if she cuud get to heven without it." "I supoez we must hav Mr. and Mrs. Allan up to tee sumdae soon," sed Marilla reflectively. "Thae'v bin moest evrywhair but heer. Let me see. Next Wednesday wuud be a guud tiem to hav them. But don't sae a werd to Matthew about it, for if he nue thae wer cuming he'd fiend sum excues to be awae that dae. He'd got so uezd to Mr. Bentley he didn't miend him, but he's going to fiend it hard to get aqaented with a nue minister, and a nue minister's wief wil frieten him to deth." "I'l be as seecret as th ded," ashurd Anne. "But o, Marilla, wil U let me maek a caek for th ocaezhun? I'd luv to do sumthing for Mrs. Allan, and U noe I can maek a prity guud caek bi this tiem." "U can maek a laeer caek," promist Marilla. Monday and Tuesday graet preparaeshuns went on at Green Gaebls. Having th minister and his wief to tee was a seerius and important undertaeking, and Marilla was determind not to be eclipst bi eny of th Avonlea housekeepers. Anne was wield with exsietment and deliet. She taukt it all oever with Diana Tuesday niet in th twieliet, as thae sat on th big red stoens bi th Dryad's Bubl and maed rainbows in th wauter with litl twigs dipt in fer ballsam. "Evrything is redy, Diana, exsept mi caek which I'm to maek in th morning, and th baeking-pouder biskits which Marilla wil maek just befor teetiem. I ashur U, Diana, that Marilla and I hav had a bizy too daes of it. It's such a responsibility having a minister's family to tee. I never went thru such an expeeryens befor. U shuud just see our pantry. It's a siet to behoeld. We'r going to hav jellied chiken and coeld tung. We'r to hav too kiends of jely, red and yelo, and whipt creem and lemon pi, and cherry pi, and three kiends of cuukys, and froot caek, and Marilla's faemus yelo plum prezervs that she keeps espeshaly for ministers, and pound caek and laeer caek, and biskits as aforsed; and nue bred and oeld boeth, in caes th minister is dispeptic and can't eet nue. Mrs. Lynde ses ministers ar dispeptic, but I don't think Mr. Allan has bin a minister long enuf for it to hav had a bad efect on him. I just gro coeld when I think of mi laeer caek. O, Diana, whut if it shuudn't be guud! I dreemd last niet that I was chaest all around bi a feerful goblin with a big laeer caek for a hed." "It'l be guud, all riet," ashurd Diana, hoo was a verry cumfortabl sort of frend. "I'm shur that pees of th wun U maed that we had for lunch in Idlewild too weeks ago was perfectly elegant." "Yes; but caeks hav such a terribl habit of terning out bad just when U espeshaly wont them to be guud," sied Anne, seting a particuelarly wel-balsamed twig afloet. "However, I supoez I shal just hav to trust to Providens and be cairful to puut in th flour. O, luuk, Diana, whut a luvly raenbo! Do U supoez th dryad wil cum out after we go awae and taek it for a scarf?" "U noe thair is no such thing as a dryad," sed Diana. Diana's muther had found out about th Haunted Wuud and had bin desiededly anggry oever it. As a rezult Diana had abstained frum eny ferther imitaetiv fliets of imajinaeshun and did not think it proodent to cultivaet a spirit of beleef eeven in harmles dryads. "But it's so eezy to imajin thair is," sed Anne. "Evry niet befor I go to bed, I luuk out of mi windo and wunder if th dryad is reealy siting heer, coeming her loks with th spring for a miror. Sumtiems I luuk for her fuutprints in th due in th morning. O, Diana, don't giv up yur faeth in th dryad!" Wednesday morning caem. Anne got up at sunriez becauz she was too exsieted to sleep. She had caut a seveer coeld in th hed bi reezon of her dabling in th spring on th preseeding eevning; but nuthing short of absoloot nuemoenia cuud hav qencht her interest in cuelinairy maters that morning. After brekfast she proseeded to maek her caek. When she fienaly shut th uven dor upon it she droo a long breth. "I'm shur I havn't forgoten enything this tiem, Marilla. But do U think it wil riez? Just supoez perhaps th baeking pouder isn't guud? I uezd it out of th nue can. And Mrs. Lynde ses U can never be shur of geting guud baeking pouder now-a-daes when evrything is so adulteraeted. Mrs. Lynde ses th Guvernment aut to taek th mater up, but she ses we'll never see th dae when a Tory Guvernment wil do it. Marilla, whut if that caek duzn't riez?" "We'll hav plenty without it" was Marilla's unimpassioned wae of luuking at th subject. Th caek did riez, however, and caem out of th uven as liet and fethery as goelden foem. Anne, flusht with deliet, clapt it together with laeers of ruby jely and, in imajinaeshun, saw Mrs. Allan eeting it and posibly asking for anuther pees! "U'l be uezing th best tee set, of cors, Marilla," she sed. "Can I fix th taebl with ferns and wield roezes?" "I think that's all nonsens," snift Marilla. "In mi opinyon it's th eetabls that mater and not flummery decoraeshuns." "Mrs. Barry had HER taebl decoraeted," sed Anne, hoo was not entierly giltles of th wizdom of th serpent, "and th minister paed her an elegant compliment. He sed it was a feest for th ie as wel as th palet." "Wel, do as U liek," sed Marilla, hoo was qiet determind not to be serpast bi Mrs. Barry or enybody els. "Oenly miend U leev enuf room for th dishes and th food." Anne laed herself out to decoraet in a maner and after a fashun that shuud leev Mrs. Barry's noewherr. Having abundans of roezes and ferns and a verry artistic taest of her oen, she maed that tee taebl such a thing of buety that when th minister and his wief sat doun to it thae exclaemd in corus oever it luvlynes. "It's Anne's doings," sed Marilla, grimly just; and Anne felt that Mrs. Allan's aprooving smiel was allmoest too much hapynes for this werld. Matthew was thair, having bin inveigled into th party oenly guudnes and Anne nue how. He had bin in such a staet of shyness and nervusnes that Marilla had given him up in despair, but Anne tuuk him in hand so sucsesfuly that he now sat at th taebl in his best cloeths and whiet colar and taukt to th minister not uninterestingly. He never sed a werd to Mrs. Allan, but that perhaps was not to be expected. All went merry as a marrej bel until Anne's laeer caek was past. Mrs. Allan, having allredy bin helpt to a bewildering varieety, decliend it. But Marilla, seeing th disapointment on Anne's faes, sed smielingly: "O, U must taek a pees of this, Mrs. Allan. Anne maed it on perpos for U." "In that caes I must sampl it," laft Mrs. Allan, helping herself to a plump tri-angl, as did allso th minister and Marilla. Mrs. Allan tuuk a mouthful of hers and a moest pecuelyar expreshun crosst her faes; not a werd did she sae, however, but stedily aet awae at it. Marilla saw th expreshun and haesend to taest th caek. "Anne Shirley!" she exclaemd, "whut on erth did U puut into that caek?" "Nuthing but whut th resipy sed, Marilla," cried Anne with a luuk of anggwish. "O, isn't it all riet?" "All riet! It's simply horribl. Mr. Allan, don't tri to eet it. Anne, taest it yurself. Whut flaevoring did U uez?" "Vanilla," sed Anne, her faes scarlet with mortificaeshun after taesting th caek. "Oenly vanilla. O, Marilla, it must hav bin th baeking pouder. I had mi suspishuns of that bak--" "Baeking pouder fidlstiks! Go and bring me th botl of vanilla U uezd." Anne fled to th pantry and reternd with a small botl parshaly fild with a broun liqid and laebeld yellowly, "Best Vanilla." Marilla tuuk it, uncorkt it, smeld it. "Mersy on us, Anne, U'v flaevord that caek with ANODIEN LINIMENT. I broek th liniment botl last week and pord whut was left into an oeld empty vanilla botl. I supoez it's partly mi fallt--I shuud hav wornd U--but for pity's saek whi cuudn't U hav smeld it?" Anne dizolvd into teers under this dubl disgraes. "I cuudn't--I had such a coeld!" and with this she fairly fled to th gaebl chaember, wherr she cast herself on th bed and wept as wun hoo refuezes to be cumforted. Prezently a liet step sounded on th stairs and sumbody enterd th room. "O, Marilla," sobd Anne, without luuking up, "I'm disgraest forever. I shal never be aebl to liv this doun. It wil get out--things allwaes do get out in Avonlea. Diana wil ask me how mi caek ternd out and I shal hav to tel her th trooth. I shal allwaes be pointed at as th gerl hoo flaevord a caek with anodien liniment. Gil--th bois in scool wil never get oever lafing at it. O, Marilla, if U hav a spark of Christian pity don't tel me that I must go doun and wosh th dishes after this. I'l wosh them when th minister and his wief ar gon, but I cannot ever luuk Mrs. Allan in th faes agen. Perhaps she'l think I tried to poizon her. Mrs. Lynde ses she noes an orfan gerl hoo tried to poizon her benefactor. But th liniment isn't poizonus. It's ment to be taeken internaly--alltho not in caeks. Woen't U tel Mrs. Allan so, Marilla?" "Supoez U jump up and tel her so yurself," sed a merry vois. Anne floo up, to fiend Mrs. Allan standing bi her bed, servaeing her with lafing ies. "Mi deer litl gerl, U musn't cri liek this," she sed, jenueinly disterbd bi Anne's trajic faes. "Whi, it's all just a funy mistaek that enybody miet maek." "O, no, it taeks me to maek such a mistaek," sed Anne forlornly. "And I wonted to hav that caek so nies for U, Mrs. Allan." "Yes, I noe, deer. And I ashur U I apreeshiaet yur kiendnes and thautfulnes just as much as if it had ternd out all riet. Now, U mustn't cri eny mor, but cum doun with me and sho me yur flower garden. Mis Cuthbert tels me U hav a litl plot all yur oen. I wont to see it, for I'm verry much interested in flowers." Anne permited herself to be led doun and cumforted, reflecting that it was reealy providenshal that Mrs. Allan was a kindred spirit. Nuthing mor was sed about th liniment caek, and when th gests went awae Anne found that she had enjoid th eevning mor than cuud hav bin expected, considering that terribl insident. Nevertheles, she sied deeply. "Marilla, isn't it nies to think that tomorro is a nue dae with no mistaeks in it yet?" "I'l warant U'l maek plenty in it," sed Marilla. "I never saw yur beet for maeking mistaeks, Anne." "Yes, and wel I noe it," admited Anne mornfuly. "But hav U ever noetist wun encurejing thing about me, Marilla? I never maek th saem mistaek twies." "I don't noe as that's much benefit when U'r allwaes maeking nue wuns." "O, don't U see, Marilla? Thair must be a limit to th mistaeks wun person can maek, and when I get to th end of them, then I'l be thru with them. That's a verry cumforting thaut." "Wel, U'd beter go and giv that caek to th pigs," sed Marilla. "It isn't fit for eny hueman to eet, not eeven Jerry Boute." CHAPTER XXII Anne is Invieted Out to Tee "And whut ar yur ies poping out of yur hed about. Now?" askt Marilla, when Anne had just cum in frum a run to th poest offis. "Hav U discuverd anuther kindred spirit?" Exsietment hung around Anne liek a garment, shoen in her ies, kindld in evry feecher. She had cum dansing up th laen, liek a wind-bloen spriet, thru th melo sunshien and laezy shadoes of th August eevning. "No, Marilla, but o, whut do U think? I am invieted to tee at th mans tomorro afternoon! Mrs. Allan left th leter for me at th poest offis. Just luuk at it, Marilla. `Mis Anne Shirley, Green Gaebls.' That is th ferst tiem I was ever calld `Mis.' Such a thril as it gaev me! I shal cherrish it forever amung mi choisest trezhers." "Mrs. Allan toeld me she ment to hav all th members of her Sunday-scool clas to tee in tern," sed Marilla, regarding th wunderful event verry cooly. "U needn't get in such a feever oever it. Do lern to taek things caamly, chield." For Anne to taek things caamly wuud hav bin to chaenj her naecher. All "spirit and fier and due," as she was, th plezhers and paens of lief caem to her with trebled intensity. Marilla felt this and was vaegly trubld oever it, reealiezing that th ups and douns of existens wuud probably bair hardly on this impulsiv soel and not sufishently understanding that th eeqaly graet capasity for deliet miet mor than compensaet. Thairfor Marilla conseevd it to be her duety to dril Anne into a tranqil ueniformity of dispozishun as imposibl and aelian to her as to a dansing sunbeem in wun of th bruuk shallows. She did not maek much hedwae, as she sorrowfully admited to herself. Th dounfall of sum deer hoep or plan plunjd Anne into "deeps of aflicshun." Th fuulfilment thairof exallted her to dizy relms of deliet. Marilla had allmoest begun to despair of ever fashuning this waif of th werld into her model litl gerl of demuer maners and prim deportment. Neether wuud she hav beleevd that she reealy liekt Anne much beter as she was. Anne went to bed that niet speechles with mizery becauz Matthew had sed th wind was round northeest and he feerd it wuud be a raeny dae tomorro. Th rusl of th poplar leevs about th hous weryd her, it sounded so liek pattering raendrops, and th fuul, faraway ror of th gulf, to which she lisend delightedly at uther tiems, luving its straenj, sonorus, haunting rithm, now seemd liek a profesy of storm and dizaster to a small maeden hoo particuelarly wonted a fien dae. Anne thaut that th morning wuud never cum. But all things hav an end, eeven niets befor th dae on which U ar invieted to taek tee at th mans. Th morning, in spiet of Matthew's predicshuns, was fien and Anne's spirits sord to thair hieest. "O, Marilla, thair is sumthing in me todae that maeks me just luv evrybody I see," she exclaemd as she wosht th brekfast dishes. "U don't noe how guud I feel! Wuudn't it be nies if it cuud last? I beleev I cuud be a model chield if I wer just invieted out to tee evry dae. But o, Marilla, it's a solem ocaezhun too. I feel so ankshus. Whut if I shuudn't behaev properly? U noe I never had tee at a mans befor, and I'm not shur that I noe all th rools of etiket, alltho I'v bin studying th rools given in th Etiket Department of th Family Herrald ever sinss I caem heer. I'm so afraed I'l do sumthing sily or forget to do sumthing I shuud do. Wuud it be guud maners to taek a second helping of enything if U wonted to VERRY much?" "Th trubl with U, Anne, is that U'r thinking too much about yurself. U shuud just think of Mrs. Allan and whut wuud be niesest and moest agreeabl to her," sed Marilla, hiting for wuns in her lief on a verry sound and pithy pees of advies. Anne instantly reealiezd this. "U ar riet, Marilla. I'l tri not to think about mieself at all." Anne evidently got thru her vizit without eny seerius breech of "etiket," for she caem hoem thru th twieliet, under a graet, hi-sprung skie gloried oever with traels of safron and roezy cloud, in a beatified staet of miend and toeld Marilla all about it hapily, siting on th big red-sandstoen slab at th kichen dor with her tierd curly hed in Marilla's gingam lap. A cool wind was bloeing doun oever th long harvest feelds frum th rims of firry western hils and whisling thru th poplars. Wun cleer star hung oever th orchard and th fireflies wer fliting oever in Lover's Laen, in and out amung th ferns and rusling bows. Anne wocht them as she taukt and sumhow felt that wind and stars and fireflies wer all tanggld up together into sumthing unuterably sweet and enchanting. "O, Marilla, I'v had a moest FASINAETING tiem. I feel that I hav not livd in vaen and I shal allwaes feel liek that eeven if I shuud never be invieted to tee at a mans agen. When I got thair Mrs. Allan met me at th dor. She was drest in th sweetest dres of pael-pink organdy, with duzens of frils and elbo sleevs, and she luukt just liek a serraf. I reealy think I'd liek to be a minister's wief when I gro up, Marilla. A minister mightn't miend mi red hair becauz he wuudn't be thinking of such werldly things. But then of cors wun wuud hav to be nacheraly guud and I'l never be that, so I supoez thair's no uez in thinking about it. Sum peepl ar nacheraly guud, U noe, and uthers ar not. I'm wun of th uthers. Mrs. Lynde ses I'm fuul of orijinal sin. No mater how hard I tri to be guud I can never maek such a sucses of it as thoes hoo ar nacheraly guud. It's a guud deel liek jeometry, I expect. But don't U think th trieing so hard aut to count for sumthing? Mrs. Allan is wun of th nacheraly guud peepl. I luv her pashunetly. U noe thair ar sum peepl, liek Matthew and Mrs. Allan that U can luv riet off without eny trubl. And thair ar uthers, liek Mrs. Lynde, that U hav to tri verry hard to luv. U noe U AUT to luv them becauz thae noe so much and ar such activ werkers in th cherch, but U hav to keep remiending yurself of it all th tiem or els U forget. Thair was anuther litl gerl at th mans to tee, frum th Whiet Sands Sunday scool. Her naem was Laurette Bradley, and she was a verry nies litl gerl. Not exactly a kindred spirit, U noe, but stil verry nies. We had an elegant tee, and I think I kept all th rools of etiket prity wel. After tee Mrs. Allan plaed and sang and she got Lauretta and me to sing too. Mrs. Allan ses I hav a guud vois and she ses I must sing in th Sunday-scool qier after this. U can't think how I was thrild at th meer thaut. I'v longd so to sing in th Sunday-scool qier, as Diana duz, but I feerd it was an onor I cuud never aspier to. Lauretta had to go hoem erly becauz thair is a big consert in th Whiet Sands Hoetel toniet and her sister is to resiet at it. Lauretta ses that th Americans at th hoetel giv a consert evry fortniet in aed of th Charlottetown hospital, and thae ask lots of th Whiet Sands peepl to resiet. Lauretta sed she expected to be askt herself sumdae. I just gaezd at her in au. After she had gon Mrs. Allan and I had a hart-to-hart tauk. I toeld her evrything--about Mrs. Thomas and th twins and Katie Maurice and Violetta and cuming to Green Gaebls and mi trubls oever jeometry. And wuud U beleev it, Marilla? Mrs. Allan toeld me she was a duns at jeometry too. U don't noe how that encurejd me. Mrs. Lynde caem to th mans just befor I left, and whut do U think, Marilla? Th trustees hav hierd a nue teecher and it's a laedy. Her naem is Mis Muriel Stacy. Isn't that a roemantic naem? Mrs. Lynde ses thae'v never had a feemael teecher in Avonlea befor and she thinks it is a daenjerus inovaeshun. But I think it wil be splendid to hav a laedy teecher, and I reealy don't see how I'm going to liv thru th too weeks befor scool begins. I'm so impaeshent to see her." CHAPTER XXIII Anne Cums to Greef in an Afair of Onor Anne had to liv thru mor than too weeks, as it hapend. Allmoest a munth having elapst sinss th liniment caek episoed, it was hi tiem for her to get into fresh trubl of sum sort, litl mistaeks, such as absentmiendedly emptying a pan of skim milk into a basket of yarn balls in th pantry insted of into th pigs' buket, and wauking cleen oever th ej of th log brij into th bruuk whiel rapt in imajinativ revery, not reealy being werth counting. A week after th tee at th mans Diana Barry gaev a party. "Small and select," Anne ashurd Marilla. "Just th gerls in our clas." Thae had a verry guud tiem and nuthing untord hapend until after tee, when thae found themselvs in th Barry garden, a litl tierd of all thair gaems and riep for eny entiesing form of mischif which miet prezent itself. This prezently tuuk th form of "dairing." Dairing was th fashunabl amuezment amung th Avonlea small fri just then. It had begun amung th bois, but soon spred to th gerls, and all th sily things that wer dun in Avonlea that sumer becauz th doers thairof wer "daird" to do them wuud fil a buuk bi themselvs. Ferst of all Carrie Sloane daird Ruby Gillis to cliem to a serten point in th huej oeld wilo tree befor th frunt dor; which Ruby Gillis, allbeeit in mortal dred of th fat green caterpilars with which sed tree was infested and with th feer of her muther befor her ies if she shuud tair her nue muzlin dres, nimbly did, to th discumficher of th aforsed Carrie Sloane. Then Josie Pye daird Jane Andrews to hop on her left leg around th garden without stoping wuns or puuting her riet fuut to th ground; which Jane Andrews gaemly tried to do, but gaev out at th therd corner and had to confes herself defeeted. Josie's trieumf being rather mor pronounst than guud taest permited, Anne Shirley daird her to wauk along th top of th bord fens which bounded th garden to th eest. Now, to "wauk" bord fenses reqiers mor skil and stedynes of hed and heel than wun miet supoez hoo has never tried it. But Josie Pye, if defishent in sum qolitys that maek for popuelarrity, had at leest a nacheral and inborn gift, duely cultivaeted, for wauking bord fenses. Josie waukt th Barry fens with an airy unconsern which seemd to impli that a litl thing liek that wasn't werth a "dair." Reluctant admeraeshun greeted her exploit, for moest of th uther gerls cuud apreeshiaet it, having suferd meny things themselvs in thair eforts to wauk fenses. Josie desended frum her perch, flusht with victory, and darted a defieant glans at Anne. Anne tosst her red braeds. "I don't think it's such a verry wunderful thing to wauk a litl, lo, bord fens," she sed. "I nue a gerl in Marysville hoo cuud wauk th rijpoel of a roof." "I don't beleev it," sed Josie flatly. "I don't beleev enybody cuud wauk a rijpoel. U cuudn't, enyhow." "Cuudn't I?" cried Anne rashly. "Then I dair U to do it," sed Josie defieantly. "I dair U to cliem up thair and wauk th rijpoel of Mr. Barry's kichen roof." Anne ternd pael, but thair was cleerly oenly wun thing to be dun. She waukt tord th hous, wherr a lader was leening agenst th kichen roof. All th fifth-clas gerls sed, "O!" partly in exsietment, partly in dismae. "Don't U do it, Anne," entreeted Diana. "U'l fall off and be kild. Never miend Josie Pye. It isn't fair to dair enybody to do enything so daenjerus." "I must do it. Mi onor is at staek," sed Anne solemly. "I shal wauk that rijpoel, Diana, or perrish in th atempt. If I am kild U ar to hav mi perl beed ring." Anne cliemd th lader amid brethles sielens, gaend th rijpoel, balanst herself uprightly on that precairius fuuting, and started to wauk along it, dizily conshus that she was uncumfortably hi up in th werld and that wauking ridgepoles was not a thing in which yur imajinaeshun helpt U out much. Nevertheles, she manejd to taek several steps befor th catastrofy caem. Then she swaed, lost her balans, stumbld, stagerd, and fel, slieding doun oever th sun-baekt roof and crashing off it thru th tanggl of Virginia creeper beneeth-- all befor th dismaed sercl belo cuud giv a siemultaenius, terrified shreek. If Anne had tumbld off th roof on th sied up which she had asended Diana wuud probably hav fallen err to th perl beed ring then and thair. Forchunetly she fel on th uther sied, wherr th roof extended doun oever th porch so neerly to th ground that a fall thairfrum was a much les seerius thing. Nevertheles, when Diana and th uther gerls had rusht franticaly around th hous--exsept Ruby Gillis, hoo remaend as if rooted to th ground and went into histerrics--thae found Anne lieing all whiet and limp amung th rek and rooin of th Virginia creeper. "Anne, ar U kild?" shreekt Diana, throeing herself on her nees besied her frend. "O, Anne, deer Anne, speek just wun werd to me and tel me if U'r kild." To th imens releef of all th gerls, and espeshaly of Josie Pye, hoo, in spiet of lak of imajinaeshun, had bin seezd with horribl vizhuns of a fuecher branded as th gerl hoo was th cauz of Anne Shirley's erly and trajic deth, Anne sat dizily up and anserd unsertanly: "No, Diana, I am not kild, but I think I am renderd unconshus." "Wherr?" sobd Carrie Sloane. "O, wherr, Anne?" Befor Anne cuud anser Mrs. Barry apeerd on th seen. At siet of her Anne tried to scrambl to her feet, but sank bak agen with a sharp litl cri of paen. "Whut's th mater? Wherr hav U hert yurself?" demanded Mrs. Barry. "Mi ankl," gaspt Anne. "O, Diana, pleez fiend yur faather and ask him to taek me hoem. I noe I can never wauk thair. And I'm shur I cuudn't hop so far on wun fuut when Jane cuudn't eeven hop around th garden." Marilla was out in th orchard piking a panful of sumer apls when she saw Mr. Barry cuming oever th log brij and up th sloep, with Mrs. Barry besied him and a hoel proseshun of litl gerls traeling after him. In his arms he carryd Anne, hoos hed lae limply agenst his shoelder. At that moement Marilla had a revelaeshun. In th suden stab of feer that peerst her verry hart she reealiezd whut Anne had cum to meen to her. She wuud hav admited that she liekt Anne--nae, that she was verry fond of Anne. But now she nue as she heryd wieldly doun th sloep that Anne was deerer to her than enything els on erth. "Mr. Barry, whut has hapend to her?" she gaspt, mor whiet and shaeken than th self-contaend, sensibl Marilla had bin for meny yeers. Anne herself anserd, lifting her hed. "Don't be verry frietend, Marilla. I was wauking th rijpoel and I fel off. I expect I hav spraend mi ankl. But, Marilla, I miet hav broeken mi nek. Let us luuk on th briet sied of things." "I miet hav noen U'd go and do sumthing of th sort when I let U go to that party," sed Marilla, sharp and shrooish in her verry releef. "Bring her in heer, Mr. Barry, and lae her on th soefa. Mersy me, th chield has gon and faented!" It was qiet troo. Oevercum bi th paen of her injery, Anne had wun mor of her wishes granted to her. She had faented ded awae. Matthew, haestily sumond frum th harvest feeld, was straetwae dispacht for th doctor, hoo in due tiem caem, to discuver that th injery was mor seerius than thae had supoezd. Anne's ankl was broeken. That niet, when Marilla went up to th eest gaebl, wherr a whiet-faest gerl was lieing, a plaentiv vois greeted her frum th bed. "Arn't U verry sorry for me, Marilla?" "It was yur oen fallt," sed Marilla, twiching doun th bliend and lieting a lamp. "And that is just whi U shuud be sorry for me," sed Anne, "becauz th thaut that it is all mi oen fallt is whut maeks it so hard. If I cuud blaem it on enybody I wuud feel so much beter. But whut wuud U hav dun, Marilla, if U had bin daird to wauk a rijpoel?" "I'd hav staed on guud ferm ground and let them dair awae. Such abserdity!" sed Marilla. Anne sied. "But U hav such strength of miend, Marilla. I havn't. I just felt that I cuudn't bair Josie Pye's scorn. She wuud hav croed oever me all mi lief. And I think I hav bin punisht so much that U needn't be verry cross with me, Marilla. It's not a bit nies to faent, after all. And th doctor hert me dredfuly when he was seting mi ankl. I woen't be aebl to go around for six or seven weeks and I'l mis th nue laedy teecher. She woen't be nue eny mor bi th tiem I'm aebl to go to scool. And Gil-- evrybody wil get ahed of me in clas. O, I am an aflicted mortal. But I'l tri to bair it all braevly if oenly U woen't be cross with me, Marilla." "Thair, thair, I'm not cross," sed Marilla. "U'r an unluky chield, thair's no dout about that; but as U sae, U'l hav th sufering of it. Heer now, tri and eet sum super." "Isn't it forchunet I'v got such an imajinaeshun?" sed Anne. "It wil help me thru splendidly, I expect. Whut do peepl hoo havn't eny imajinaeshun do when thae braek thair boens, do U supoez, Marilla?" Anne had guud reezon to bles her imajinaeshun meny a tiem and offt during th tecdius seven weeks that foloed. But she was not soely dependent on it. She had meny vizitors and not a dae past without wun or mor of th scoolgerls droping in to bring her flowers and buuks and tel her all th hapenings in th jooveniel werld of Avonlea. "Evrybody has bin so guud and kiend, Marilla," sied Anne hapily, on th dae when she cuud ferst limp across th flor. "It isn't verry plezant to be laed up; but thair is a briet sied to it, Marilla. U fiend out how meny frends U hav. Whi, eeven Superintendent Bel caem to see me, and he's reealy a verry fien man. Not a kindred spirit, of cors; but stil I liek him and I'm aufuly sorry I ever critisiezd his prairs. I beleev now he reealy duz meen them, oenly he has got into th habit of saeing them as if he didn't. He cuud get oever that if he'd taek a litl trubl. I gaev him a guud braud hint. I toeld him how hard I tried to maek mi oen litl prievet prairs interesting. He toeld me all about th tiem he broek his ankl when he was a boi. It duz seem so straenj to think of Superintendent Bel ever being a boi. Eeven mi imajinaeshun has its limits, for I can't imajin THAT. When I tri to imajin him as a boi I see him with grae whiskers and spectacls, just as he luuks in Sunday scool, oenly small. Now, it's so eezy to imajin Mrs. Allan as a litl gerl. Mrs. Allan has bin to see me forteen tiems. Isn't that sumthing to be proud of, Marilla? When a minister's wief has so meny claems on her tiem! She is such a cheerful person to hav vizit U, too. She never tels U it's yur oen fallt and she hoeps U'l be a beter gerl on acount of it. Mrs. Lynde allwaes toeld me that when she caem to see me; and she sed it in a kiend of wae that maed me feel she miet hoep I'd be a beter gerl but didn't reealy beleev I wuud. Eeven Josie Pye caem to see me. I reseevd her as polietly as I cuud, becauz I think she was sorry she daird me to wauk a rijpoel. If I had bin kild she wuud had to carry a dark berden of remors all her lief. Diana has bin a faethful frend. She's bin oever evry dae to cheer mi loenly pilo. But o, I shal be so glad when I can go to scool for I'v herd such exsieting things about th nue teecher. Th gerls all think she is perfectly sweet. Diana ses she has th luvlyest fair curly hair and such fasinaeting ies. She dreses buetyfuly, and her sleev pufs ar biger than enybody else's in Avonlea. Evry uther Friday afternoon she has recitations and evrybody has to sae a pees or taek part in a diealog. O, it's just glorius to think of it. Josie Pye ses she haets it but that is just becauz Josie has so litl imajinaeshun. Diana and Ruby Gillis and Jane Andrews ar prepairing a diealog, calld `A Morning Vizit,' for next Friday. And th Friday afternoons thae don't hav recitations Mis Stacy taeks them all to th wuuds for a `field' dae and thae study ferns and flowers and berds. And thae hav fizical culcher exersiezes evry morning and eevning. Mrs. Lynde ses she never herd of such goings on and it all cums of having a laedy teecher. But I think it must be splendid and I beleev I shal fiend that Mis Stacy is a kindred spirit." "Thair's wun thing plaen to be seen, Anne," sed Marilla, "and that is that yur fall off th Barry roof hasn't injerd yur tung at all." CHAPTER XXIV Mis Stacy and Her Puepils Get Up a Consert It was October agen when Anne was redy to go bak to scool--a glorius October, all red and goeld, with melo mornings when th valys wer fild with deliket mists as if th spirit of autum had pord them in for th sun to draen--amithist, perl, silver, roez, and smoek-bloo. Th dews wer so hevy that th feelds glisend liek clauth of silver and thair wer such heeps of rusling leevs in th holoes of meny-stemd wuuds to run crisply thru. Th Berch Path was a canopy of yelo and th ferns wer seer and broun all along it. Thair was a tang in th verry air that inspierd th harts of small maedens triping, unliek snaels, swiftly and wilingly to scool; and it WAS joly to be bak agen at th litl broun desk besied Diana, with Ruby Gillis noding across th iel and Carrie Sloane sending up noets and Julia Bel pasing a "choo" of gum doun frum th bak seet. Anne droo a long breth of hapynes as she sharpend her pensil and araenjd her pikcher cards in her desk. Lief was sertenly verry interesting. In th nue teecher she found anuther troo and helpful frend. Mis Stacy was a briet, simpathetic yung wuuman with th hapy gift of wining and hoelding th afecshuns of her puepils and bringing out th best that was in them mentaly and moraly. Anne expanded liek a flower under this hoelsum inflooens and carryd hoem to th admiering Matthew and th critical Marilla gloeing acounts of scoolwerk and aems. "I luv Mis Stacy with mi hoel hart, Marilla. She is so laedyliek and she has such a sweet vois. When she pronounses mi naem I feel INSTINKTIVLY that she's speling it with an E. We had recitations this afternoon. I just wish U cuud hav bin thair to heer me resiet `Mary, Qeen of Scots.' I just puut mi hoel soel into it. Ruby Gillis toeld me cuming hoem that th wae I sed th lien, `Now for mi father's arm,' she sed, `mi woman's hart fairwel,' just maed her blud run coeld." "Wel now, U miet resiet it for me sum of thees daes, out in th barn," sugjested Matthew. "Of cors I wil," sed Anne meditatively, "but I woen't be aebl to do it so wel, I noe. It woen't be so exsieting as it is when U hav a hoel schoolful befor U hanging brethlesly on yur werds. I noe I woen't be aebl to maek yur blud run coeld." "Mrs. Lynde ses it maed HER blud run coeld to see th bois clieming to th verry tops of thoes big trees on Bell's hil after crows' nests last Friday," sed Marilla. "I wunder at Mis Stacy for encurejing it." "But we wonted a crow's nest for naecher study," explaend Anne. "That was on our feeld afternoon. Feeld afternoons ar splendid, Marilla. And Mis Stacy explaens evrything so buetyfuly. We hav to riet compozishuns on our feeld afternoons and I riet th best wuns." "It's verry vaen of U to sae so then. U'd beter let yur teecher sae it." "But she DID sae it, Marilla. And indeed I'm not vaen about it. How can I be, when I'm such a duns at jeometry? Alltho I'm reealy begining to see thru it a litl, too. Mis Stacy maeks it so cleer. Stil, I'l never be guud at it and I ashur U it is a humbling reflecshun. But I luv rieting compozishuns. Moestly Mis Stacy lets us chooz our oen subjects; but next week we ar to riet a compozishun on sum remarkabl person. It's hard to chooz amung so meny remarkabl peepl hoo hav livd. Mustn't it be splendid to be remarkabl and hav compozishuns riten about U after U'r ded? O, I wuud deerly luv to be remarkabl. I think when I gro up I'l be a traend ners and go with th Red Crosses to th feeld of batl as a mesenjer of mersy. That is, if I don't go out as a forin mishunairy. That wuud be verry roemantic, but wun wuud hav to be verry guud to be a mishunairy, and that wuud be a stumbling blok. We hav fizical culcher exersiezes evry dae, too. Thae maek U graesful and promoet dijeschun." "Promoet fidlstiks!" sed Marilla, hoo onestly thaut it was all nonsens. But all th feeld afternoons and resitaeshun Fridays and fizical culcher contortions paeld befor a project which Mis Stacy braut forward in November. This was that th scolars of Avonlea scool shuud get up a consert and hoeld it in th hall on Christmas Niet, for th laudabl perpos of helping to pae for a scoolhous flag. Th puepils wun and all taeking graeshusly to this plan, th preparaeshuns for a proegram wer begun at wuns. And of all th exsieted performers-elect nun was so exsieted as Anne Shirley, hoo throo herself into th undertaeking hart and soel, hamperd as she was bi Marilla's disaprooval. Marilla thaut it all rank foolishnes. "It's just filing yur heds up with nonsens and taeking tiem that aut to be puut on yur lesons," she grumbld. "I don't aproov of children's geting up conserts and raesing about to practises. It maeks them vaen and forward and fond of gading." "But think of th werthy object," pleeded Anne. "A flag wil cultivaet a spirit of paetriotizm, Marilla." "Fuj! Thair's preshus litl paetriotizm in th thauts of eny of U. All U wont is a guud tiem." "Wel, when U can combien paetriotizm and fun, isn't it all riet? Of cors it's reeal nies to be geting up a consert. We'r going to hav six coruses and Diana is to sing a soelo. I'm in too diealogs--`Th Sosieety for th Supreshun of Gossip' and `Th Fairy Qeen.' Th bois ar going to hav a diealog too. And I'm to hav too recitations, Marilla. I just trembl when I think of it, but it's a nies thrilly kiend of trembl. And we'r to hav a tablo at th last--`Faeth, Hoep and Charrity.' Diana and Ruby and I ar to be in it, all draept in whiet with floeing hair. I'm to be Hoep, with mi hands claspt--so--and mi ies uplifted. I'm going to practis mi recitations in th garret. Don't be alarmd if U heer me groening. I hav to groen heartrendingly in wun of them, and it's reealy hard to get up a guud artistic groen, Marilla. Josie Pye is sulky becauz she didn't get th part she wonted in th diealog. She wonted to be th fairy qeen. That wuud hav bin ridicuelus, for hoo ever herd of a fairy qeen as fat as Josie? Fairy qeens must be slender. Jane Andrews is to be th qeen and I am to be wun of her maeds of onor. Josie ses she thinks a red-haired fairy is just as ridicuelus as a fat wun, but I do not let mieself miend whut Josie ses. I'm to hav a reeth of whiet roezes on mi hair and Ruby Gillis is going to lend me her slipers becauz I havn't eny of mi oen. It's nesesairy for fairys to hav slipers, U noe. U cuudn't imajin a fairy wairing boots, cuud U? Espeshaly with coper toes? We ar going to decoraet th hall with creeping sproos and fer motoes with pink tishoo-paeper roezes in them. And we ar all to march in too bi too after th audyens is seeted, whiel Emma Whiet plaes a march on th organ. O, Marilla, I noe U ar not so enthooziastic about it as I am, but don't U hoep yur litl Anne wil distinggwish herself?" "All I hoep is that U'l behaev yurself. I'l be hartily glad when all this fus is oever and U'l be aebl to setl doun. U ar simply guud for nuthing just now with yur hed stuft fuul of diealogs and groans and tableaus. As for yur tung, it's a marvel it's not cleen worn out." Anne sied and betook herself to th bak yard, oever which a yung nue moon was shiening thru th leafless poplar bows frum an apl-green western skie, and wherr Matthew was spliting wuud. Anne percht herself on a blok and taukt th consert oever with him, shur of an apreeshiaetiv and simpathetic lisener in this instans at leest. "Wel now, I rekon it's going to be a prity guud consert. And I expect U'l do yur part fien," he sed, smieling doun into her eeger, vivaeshus litl faes. Anne smield bak at him. Thoes too wer th best of frends and Matthew thankt his stars meny a tiem and offt that he had nuthing to do with bringing her up. That was Marilla's excloosiv duety; if it had bin his he wuud hav bin weryd oever freeqent conflicts between inclinaeshun and sed duety. As it was, he was free to, "spoil Anne"--Marilla's fraezing--as much as he liekt. But it was not such a bad araenjment after all; a litl "apreeshiaeshun" sumtiems duz qiet as much guud as all th conshyenshus "bringing up" in th werld. CHAPTER XXV Matthew Insists on Puft Sleevs Matthew was having a bad ten minits of it. He had cum into th kichen, in th twieliet of a coeld, grae December eevning, and had sat doun in th woodbox corner to taek off his hevy boots, unconshus of th fact that Anne and a bevy of her scoolmaets wer having a practis of "Th Fairy Qeen" in th siting room. Prezently thae caem trooping thru th hall and out into th kichen, lafing and chatering gaely. Thae did not see Matthew, hoo shrank bashfully bak into th shadoes beyond th woodbox with a boot in wun hand and a bootjak in th uther, and he wocht them shiely for th aforsed ten minits as thae puut on caps and jakets and taukt about th diealog and th consert. Anne stuud amung them, briet ied and animaeted as thae; but Matthew sudenly becaem conshus that thair was sumthing about her diferent frum her maets. And whut weryd Matthew was that th diferens imprest him as being sumthing that shuud not exist. Anne had a brieter faes, and biger, starrier ies, and mor deliket feechers than th uther; eeven shi, unobservant Matthew had lernd to taek noet of thees things; but th diferens that disterbd him did not consist in eny of thees respects. Then in whut did it consist? Matthew was haunted bi this qeschun long after th gerls had gon, arm in arm, doun th long, hard-froezen laen and Anne had betaken herself to her buuks. He cuud not refer it to Marilla, hoo, he felt, wuud be qiet shur to snif scornfuly and remark that th oenly diferens she saw between Anne and th uther gerls was that thae sumtiems kept thair tungs qieet whiel Anne never did. This, Matthew felt, wuud be no graet help. He had reecors to his piep that eevning to help him study it out, much to Marilla's disgust. After too ours of smoeking and hard reflecshun Matthew arievd at a solooshun of his problem. Anne was not drest liek th uther gerls! Th mor Matthew thaut about th mater th mor he was convinst that Anne never had bin drest liek th uther gerls--never sinss she had cum to Green Gaebls. Marilla kept her cloethd in plaen, dark dreses, all maed after th saem unvairying patern. If Matthew nue thair was such a thing as fashun in dres it was as much as he did; but he was qiet shur that Anne's sleevs did not luuk at all liek th sleevs th uther gerls wor. He recalld th cluster of litl gerls he had seen around her that eevning--all gae in waists of red and bloo and pink and whiet--and he wunderd whi Marilla allwaes kept her so plaenly and soeberly gound. Of cors, it must be all riet. Marilla nue best and Marilla was bringing her up. Probably sum wiez, inscrootabl moetiv was to be servd thairbi. But shurly it wuud do no harm to let th chield hav wun prity dres--sumthing liek Diana Barry allwaes wor. Matthew desieded that he wuud giv her wun; that shurly cuud not be objected to as an unwaranted puuting in of his or. Christmas was oenly a fortniet off. A nies nue dres wuud be th verry thing for a prezent. Matthew, with a si of satisfacshun, puut awae his piep and went to bed, whiel Marilla oepend all th dors and aird th hous. Th verry next eevning Matthew betook himself to Carmody to bi th dres, determind to get th werst oever and hav dun with it. It wuud be, he felt ashurd, no triefling ordeel. Thair wer sum things Matthew cuud bi and proov himself no meen bargainer; but he nue he wuud be at th mersy of shopkeepers when it caem to bieing a girl's dres. After much cojitaeshun Matthew rezolvd to go to Samuel Lawson's stor insted of William Blair's. To be shur, th Cuthberts allwaes had gon to William Blair's; it was allmoest as much a mater of conshens with them as to atend th Presbyterian cherch and voet Conservativ. But William Blair's too dauters freeqently waeted on customers thair and Matthew held them in absoloot dred. He cuud contriev to deel with them when he nue exactly whut he wonted and cuud point it out; but in such a mater as this, reqiering explanaeshun and consultaeshun, Matthew felt that he must be shur of a man behiend th counter. So he wuud go to Lawson's, wherr Samuel or his sun wuud waet on him. Alas! Matthew did not noe that Samuel, in th reesent expanshun of his biznes, had set up a laedy clerk allso; she was a nees of his wife's and a verry dashing yung person indeed, with a huej, drooping pompador, big, roeling broun ies, and a moest extensiv and bewildering smiel. She was drest with exseeding smartness and wor several banggl bracelets that gliterd and ratld and tinkld with evry moovment of her hands. Matthew was cuverd with confuezhun at fiending her thair at all; and thoes banggls compleetly rekt his wits at wun fel swoop. "Whut can I do for U this eevning, Mr. Cuthbert?" Mis Lucilla Harris inqierd, briskly and ingratiatingly, taping th counter with boeth hands. "Hav U eny--eny--eny--wel now, sae eny garden rakes?" stamerd Matthew. Mis Harris luukt sumwhut serpriezd, as wel she miet, to heer a man inqiering for garden rakes in th midl of December. "I beleev we hav wun or too left oever," she sed, "but thae'r upstairs in th lumber room. I'l go and see." During her absens Matthew colected his scaterd senses for anuther efort. When Mis Harris reternd with th raek and cheerfuly inqierd: "Enything els toniet, Mr. Cuthbert?" Matthew tuuk his curej in boeth hands and replied: "Wel now, sinss U sugjest it, I miet as wel--taek--that is--luuk at--bi sum--sum haeseed." Mis Harris had herd Matthew Cuthbert calld od. She now conclooded that he was entierly craezy. "We oenly keep haeseed in th spring," she explaend lofftily. "We'v nun on hand just now." "O, sertenly--sertenly--just as U sae," stamerd unhapy Matthew, seezing th raek and maeking for th dor. At th threshhoeld he recolected that he had not paed for it and he ternd mizerably bak. Whiel Mis Harris was counting out his chaenj he ralyd his powers for a fienal desperet atempt. "Wel now--if it isn't too much trubl--I miet as wel--that is--I'd liek to luuk at--at--sum shuugar." "Whiet or broun?" qeeryd Mis Harris paeshently. "O--wel now--broun," sed Matthew feebly. "Thair's a barrel of it oever thair," sed Mis Harris, shaeking her banggls at it. "It's th oenly kiend we hav." "I'l--I'l taek twenty pounds of it," sed Matthew, with beeds of perspiraeshun standing on his forhed. Matthew had driven hafwae hoem befor he was his oen man agen. It had bin a groosum expeeryens, but it servd him riet, he thaut, for comiting th herresy of going to a straenj stor. When he reecht hoem he hid th raek in th tool hous, but th shuugar he carryd in to Marilla. "Broun shuugar!" exclaemd Marilla. "Whutever pozest U to get so much? U noe I never uez it exsept for th hierd man's porrij or blak froot caek. Jerry's gon and I'v maed mi caek long ago. It's not guud shuugar, eether--it's cors and dark--William Blair duzn't uezhualy keep shuugar liek that." "I--I thaut it miet cum in handy sumtiem," sed Matthew, maeking guud his escaep. When Matthew caem to think th mater oever he desieded that a wuuman was reqierd to coep with th sichuaeshun. Marilla was out of th qeschun. Matthew felt shur she wuud thro coeld wauter on his project at wuns. Remaend oenly Mrs. Lynde; for of no uther wuuman in Avonlea wuud Matthew hav daird to ask advies. To Mrs. Lynde he went acordingly, and that guud laedy promptly tuuk th mater out of th harrast man's hands. "Pik out a dres for U to giv Anne? To be shur I wil. I'm going to Carmody tomorro and I'l atend to it. Hav U sumthing particuelar in miend? No? Wel, I'l just go bi mi oen jujment then. I beleev a nies rich broun wuud just soot Anne, and William Blair has sum nue gloria in that's reeal prity. Perhaps U'd liek me to maek it up for her, too, seeing that if Marilla was to maek it Anne wuud probably get wind of it befor th tiem and spoil th serpriez? Wel, I'l do it. No, it isn't a miet of trubl. I liek soeing. I'l maek it to fit mi nees, Jeny Gillis, for she and Anne ar as liek as too pees as far as figuer goes." "Wel now, I'm much obliejd," sed Matthew, "and--and--I dunno--but I'd liek--I think thae maek th sleevs diferent now-a-daes to whut thae uezd to be. If it wuudn't be asking too much I--I'd liek them maed in th nue wae." "Pufs? Of cors. U needn't wery a spek mor about it, Matthew. I'l maek it up in th verry laetest fashun," sed Mrs. Lynde. To herself she aded when Matthew had gon: "It'l be a reeal satisfacshun to see that pur chield wairing sumthing deesent for wuns. Th wae Marilla dreses her is pozitivly ridicuelus, that's whut, and I'v aekt to tel her so plaenly a duzen tiems. I'v held mi tung tho, for I can see Marilla duzn't wont advies and she thinks she noes mor about bringing children up than I do for all she's an oeld maed. But that's allwaes th wae. Foeks that has braut up children noe that thair's no hard and fast method in th werld that'l soot evry chield. But them as never hav think it's all as plaen and eezy as Rool of Three--just set yur three terms doun so fashun, and th sum'll werk out corect. But flesh and blud don't cum under th hed of arithmetic and that's wherr Marilla Cuthbert maeks her mistaek. I supoez she's trieing to cultivaet a spirit of huemility in Anne bi dresing her as she duz; but it's mor liekly to cultivaet envy and discontent. I'm shur th chield must feel th diferens between her cloeths and th uther girls'. But to think of Matthew taeking noetis of it! That man is waeking up after being asleep for oever sixty yeers." Marilla nue all th foloeing fortniet that Matthew had sumthing on his miend, but whut it was she cuud not ges, until Christmas Eev, when Mrs. Lynde braut up th nue dres. Marilla behaevd prity wel on th hoel, alltho it is verry liekly she distrusted Mrs. Lynde's diplomatic explanaeshun that she had maed th dres becauz Matthew was afraed Anne wuud fiend out about it too soon if Marilla maed it. "So this is whut Matthew has bin luuking so misteerius oever and grining about to himself for too weeks, is it?" she sed a litl stifly but tolerantly. "I nue he was up to sum foolishnes. Wel, I must sae I don't think Anne needed eny mor dreses. I maed her three guud, worm, servisabl wuns this fall, and enything mor is sheer extravagans. Thair's enuf mateerial in thoes sleevs aloen to maek a waest, I declair thair is. U'l just pamper Anne's vanity, Matthew, and she's as vaen as a peecok now. Wel, I hoep she'l be satisfied at last, for I noe she's bin hankering after thoes sily sleevs ever sinss thae caem in, alltho she never sed a werd after th ferst. Th pufs hav bin geting biger and mor ridicuelus riet along; thae'r as big as baloons now. Next yeer enybody hoo wairs them wil hav to go thru a dor siedwaes." Christmas morning broek on a buetyful whiet werld. It had bin a verry mield December and peepl had luukt forward to a green Christmas; but just enuf sno fel sofftly in th niet to transfiguer Avonlea. Anne peeped out frum her frosted gaebl windo with delieted ies. Th firs in th Haunted Wuud wer all fethery and wunderful; th berches and wield cherry trees wer outliend in perl; th plowd feelds wer streches of snoey dimples; and thair was a crisp tang in th air that was glorius. Anne ran dounstairs singing until her vois reechoed thru Green Gaebls. "Merry Christmas, Marilla! Merry Christmas, Matthew! Isn't it a luvly Christmas? I'm so glad it's whiet. Eny uther kiend of Christmas duzn't seem reeal, duz it? I don't liek green Christmases. Thae'r not green-- thae'r just nasty faeded brouns and graes. Whut maeks peepl call them green? Whi--whi--Matthew, is that for me? O, Matthew!" Matthew had sheepishly unfoelded th dres frum its paeper swathings and held it out with a deprecatory glans at Marilla, hoo faend to be contempchuosly filing th teepot, but nevertheles wocht th seen out of th corner of her ie with a rather interested air. Anne tuuk th dres and luukt at it in reverent sielens. O, how prity it was--a luvly sofft broun gloria with all th gloss of silk; a skert with daenty frils and shirrings; a waest elaboretly pintucked in th moest fashunabl wae, with a litl rufl of filmy laes at th nek. But th sleevs--thae wer th crouning glory! Long elbo cufs, and abuv them too buetyful pufs divieded bi roes of shering and boes of broun-silk ribon. "That's a Christmas prezent for U, Anne," sed Matthew shiely. "Whi--whi--Anne, don't U liek it? Wel now--wel now." For Anne's ies had sudenly fild with teers. "Liek it! O, Matthew!" Anne laed th dres oever a chair and claspt her hands. "Matthew, it's perfectly exqizit. O, I can never thank U enuf. Luuk at thoes sleevs! O, it seems to me this must be a hapy dreem." "Wel, wel, let us hav brekfast," interupted Marilla. "I must sae, Anne, I don't think U needed th dres; but sinss Matthew has got it for U, see that U taek guud cair of it. Thair's a hair ribon Mrs. Lynde left for U. It's broun, to mach th dres. Cum now, sit in." "I don't see how I'm going to eet brekfast," sed Anne rapturously. "Brekfast seems so comonplaes at such an exsieting moement. I'd rather feest mi ies on that dres. I'm so glad that puft sleevs ar stil fashunabl. It did seem to me that I'd never get oever it if thae went out befor I had a dres with them. I'd never hav felt qiet satisfied, U see. It was luvly of Mrs. Lynde to giv me th ribon too. I feel that I aut to be a verry guud gerl indeed. It's at tiems liek this I'm sorry I'm not a model litl gerl; and I allwaes rezolv that I wil be in fuecher. But sumhow it's hard to carry out yur rezolooshuns when irrezistibl temptaeshuns cum. Stil, I reealy wil maek an extra efort after this." When th comonplaes brekfast was oever Diana apeerd, crossing th whiet log brij in th holo, a gae litl figuer in her crimzon ulster. Anne floo doun th sloep to meet her. "Merry Christmas, Diana! And o, it's a wunderful Christmas. I'v sumthing splendid to sho U. Matthew has given me th luvlyest dres, with SUCH sleevs. I cuudn't eeven imajin eny nieser." "I'v got sumthing mor for U," sed Diana brethlesly. "Heer-- this box. Ant Josephine sent us out a big box with ever so meny things in it--and this is for U. I'd hav braut it oever last niet, but it didn't cum until after dark, and I never feel verry cumfortabl cuming thru th Haunted Wuud in th dark now." Anne oepend th box and peeped in. Ferst a card with "For th Anne-gerl and Merry Christmas," riten on it; and then, a pair of th daintiest litl kid slipers, with beeded toes and satin boes and glisening bukls. "O," sed Anne, "Diana, this is too much. I must be dreeming." "I call it providenshal," sed Diana. "U woen't hav to borro Ruby's slipers now, and that's a blesing, for thae'r too siezes too big for U, and it wuud be auful to heer a fairy shufling. Josie Pye wuud be delieted. Miend U, Rob Wright went hoem with Gertie Pye frum th practis niet befor last. Did U ever heer enything eeqal to that?" All th Avonlea scolars wer in a feever of exsietment that dae, for th hall had to be decoraeted and a last grand rehersal held. Th consert caem off in th eevning and was a pronounst sucses. Th litl hall was crouded; all th performers did exselently wel, but Anne was th briet particuelar star of th ocaezhun, as eeven envy, in th shaep of Josie Pye, daird not deni. "O, hasn't it bin a brilyant eevning?" sied Anne, when it was all oever and she and Diana wer wauking hoem together under a dark, starry skie. "Evrything went off verry wel," sed Diana practicaly. "I ges we must hav maed as much as ten dolars. Miend U, Mr. Allan is going to send an acount of it to th Charlottetown paepers." "O, Diana, wil we reealy see our naems in print? It maeks me thril to think of it. Yur soelo was perfectly elegant, Diana. I felt prouder than U did when it was encored. I just sed to mieself, `It is mi deer buuzom frend hoo is so onord.'" "Wel, yur recitations just braut doun th hous, Anne. That sad wun was simply splendid." "O, I was so nervus, Diana. When Mr. Allan calld out mi naem I reealy cannot tel how I ever got up on that platform. I felt as if a milyon ies wer luuking at me and thru me, and for wun dredful moement I was shur I cuudn't begin at all. Then I thaut of mi luvly puft sleevs and tuuk curej. I nue that I must liv up to thoes sleevs, Diana. So I started in, and mi vois seemd to be cuming frum ever so far awae. I just felt liek a parrot. It's providenshal that I practist thoes recitations so offen up in th garret, or I'd never hav bin aebl to get thru. Did I groen all riet?" "Yes, indeed, U groend luvly," ashurd Diana. "I saw oeld Mrs. Sloane wieping awae teers when I sat doun. It was splendid to think I had tucht somebody's hart. It's so roemantic to taek part in a consert, isn't it? O, it's bin a verry memorabl ocaezhun indeed." "Wasn't th boys' diealog fien?" sed Diana. "Gilbert Blythe was just splendid. Anne, I do think it's auful meen th wae U treet Gil. Waet til I tel U. When U ran off th platform after th fairy diealog wun of yur roezes fel out of yur hair. I saw Gil pik it up and puut it in his brest poket. Thair now. U'r so roemantic that I'm shur U aut to be pleezd at that." "It's nuthing to me whut that person duz," sed Anne lofftily. "I simply never waest a thaut on him, Diana." That niet Marilla and Matthew, hoo had bin out to a consert for th ferst tiem in twenty yeers, sat for a whiel bi th kichen fier after Anne had gon to bed. "Wel now, I ges our Anne did as wel as eny of them," sed Matthew proudly. "Yes, she did," admited Marilla. "She's a briet chield, Matthew. And she luukt reeal nies too. I'v bin kiend of opoezd to this consert skeem, but I supoez thair's no reeal harm in it after all. Enyhow, I was proud of Anne toniet, alltho I'm not going to tel her so." "Wel now, I was proud of her and I did tel her so 'fore she went upstairs," sed Matthew. "We must see whut we can do for her sum of thees daes, Marilla. I ges she'l need sumthing mor than Avonlea scool bi and bi." "Thair's tiem enuf to think of that," sed Marilla. "She's oenly therteen in March. Tho toniet it struk me she was groeing qiet a big gerl. Mrs. Lynde maed that dres a miet too long, and it maeks Anne luuk so tall. She's qik to lern and I ges th best thing we can do for her wil be to send her to Queen's after a spel. But nuthing need be sed about that for a yeer or too yet." "Wel now, it'l do no harm to be thinking it oever off and on," sed Matthew. "Things liek that ar all th beter for lots of thinking oever." CHAPTER XXVI Th Story Club Is Formd Joonyor Avonlea found it hard to setl doun to humdrum existens agen. To Anne in particuelar things seemd feerfuly flat, stael, and unprofitabl after th goblet of exsietment she had bin siping for weeks. Cuud she go bak to th former qieet plezhers of thoes faraway daes befor th consert? At ferst, as she toeld Diana, she did not reealy think she cuud. "I'm pozitivly serten, Diana, that lief can never be qiet th saem agen as it was in thoes oelden daes," she sed mornfuly, as if refering to a peeriod of at leest fifty yeers bak. "Perhaps after a whiel I'l get uezd to it, but I'm afraed conserts spoil peepl for evrydae lief. I supoez that is whi Marilla disaproovs of them. Marilla is such a sensibl wuuman. It must be a graet deel beter to be sensibl; but stil, I don't beleev I'd reealy wont to be a sensibl person, becauz thae ar so unroemantic. Mrs. Lynde ses thair is no daenjer of mi ever being wun, but U can never tel. I feel just now that I mae gro up to be sensibl yet. But perhaps that is oenly becauz I'm tierd. I simply cuudn't sleep last niet for ever so long. I just lae awaek and imajind th consert oever and oever agen. That's wun splendid thing about such afairs--it's so luvly to luuk bak to them." Evenchualy, however, Avonlea scool slipt bak into its oeld groov and tuuk up its oeld interests. To be shur, th consert left traeses. Ruby Gillis and Emma Whiet, hoo had qorreld oever a point of presedens in thair platform seets, no longger sat at th saem desk, and a promising frendship of three yeers was broeken up. Josie Pye and Julia Bel did not "speek" for three munths, becauz Josie Pye had toeld Bessie Wright that Julia Bell's bow when she got up to resiet maed her think of a chiken jerking its hed, and Bessie toeld Julia. Nun of th Sloanes wuud hav eny deelings with th Bels, becauz th Bels had declaird that th Sloanes had too much to do in th proegram, and th Sloanes had retorted that th Bels wer not caepabl of doing th litl thae had to do properly. Fienaly, Charlie Sloane faut Moody Spurgeon Macpherson, becauz Moody Spurgeon had sed that Anne Shirley puut on airs about her recitations, and Moody Spurgeon was "likt"; conseqently Moody Spurgeon's sister, Ella Mae, wuud not "speek" to Anne Shirley all th rest of th winter. With th exsepshun of thees triefling fricshuns, werk in Mis Stacy's litl kingdom went on with reguelarrity and smoothnes. Th winter weeks slipt bi. It was an unuezhualy mield winter, with so litl sno that Anne and Diana cuud go to scool neerly evry dae bi wae of th Berch Path. On Anne's berthdae thae wer triping lietly doun it, keeping ies and eers alert amid all thair chater, for Mis Stacy had toeld them that thae must soon riet a compozishun on "A Winter's Wauk in th Wuuds," and it behooved them to be obzervant. "Just think, Diana, I'm therteen yeers oeld todae," remarkt Anne in an aud vois. "I can scairsly reealiez that I'm in mi teens. When I woek this morning it seemd to me that evrything must be diferent. U'v bin therteen for a munth, so I supoez it duzn't seem such a novelty to U as it duz to me. It maeks lief seem so much mor interesting. In too mor yeers I'l be reealy groen up. It's a graet cumfort to think that I'l be aebl to uez big werds then without being laft at." "Ruby Gillis ses she meens to hav a bo as soon as she's fifteen," sed Diana. "Ruby Gillis thinks of nuthing but beaus," sed Anne disdainfully. "She's akchualy delieted when enywun riets her naem up in a taek-noetis for all she pretends to be so mad. But I'm afraed that is an uncharritabl speech. Mrs. Allan ses we shuud never maek uncharritabl speeches; but thae do slip out so offen befor U think, don't thae? I simply can't tauk about Josie Pye without maeking an uncharritabl speech, so I never menshun her at all. U mae hav noetist that. I'm trieing to be as much liek Mrs. Allan as I posibly can, for I think she's perfect. Mr. Allan thinks so too. Mrs. Lynde ses he just worships th ground she treds on and she duzn't reealy think it riet for a minister to set his afecshuns so much on a mortal being. But then, Diana, eeven ministers ar hueman and hav thair beseting sins just liek evrybody els. I had such an interesting tauk with Mrs. Allan about beseting sins last Sunday afternoon. Thair ar just a fue things it's proper to tauk about on Sundays and that is wun of them. Mi beseting sin is imajining too much and forgeting mi duetys. I'm strieving verry hard to oevercum it and now that I'm reealy therteen perhaps I'l get on beter." "In foer mor yeers we'll be aebl to puut our hair up," sed Diana. "Alice Bel is oenly sixteen and she is wairing hers up, but I think that's ridicuelus. I shal waet until I'm seventeen." "If I had Alice Bell's cruuked noez," sed Anne desiededly, "I wuudn't--but thair! I woen't sae whut I was going to becauz it was extreemly uncharritabl. Besieds, I was compairing it with mi oen noez and that's vanity. I'm afraed I think too much about mi noez ever sinss I herd that compliment about it long ago. It reealy is a graet cumfort to me. O, Diana, luuk, thair's a rabit. That's sumthing to remember for our wuuds compozishun. I reealy think th wuuds ar just as luvly in winter as in sumer. Thae'r so whiet and stil, as if thae wer asleep and dreeming prity dreems." "I woen't miend rieting that compozishun when its tiem cums," sied Diana. "I can manej to riet about th wuuds, but th wun we'r to hand in Monday is terribl. Th iedeea of Mis Stacy teling us to riet a story out of our oen heds!" "Whi, it's as eezy as wink," sed Anne. "It's eezy for U becauz U hav an imajinaeshun," retorted Diana, "but whut wuud U do if U had bin born without wun? I supoez U hav yur compozishun all dun?" Anne noded, trieing hard not to luuk virtuously complaesent and faeling mizerably. "I roet it last Monday eevning. It's calld `Th Jelus Rieval; or In Deth Not Divieded.' I reed it to Marilla and she sed it was stuf and nonsens. Then I reed it to Matthew and he sed it was fien. That is th kiend of critic I liek. It's a sad, sweet story. I just cried liek a chield whiel I was rieting it. It's about too buetyful maedens calld Cordelia Montmorency and Geraldine Seymour hoo livd in th saem vilej and wer devoetedly atacht to eech uther. Cordelia was a reegal brunette with a coronet of midniet hair and duskly flashing ies. Geraldine was a queenly blond with hair liek spun goeld and velvety perpl ies." "I never saw enybody with perpl ies," sed Diana dubiously. "Neether did I. I just imajind them. I wonted sumthing out of th comon. Geraldine had an alabaster brow too. I'v found out whut an alabaster brow is. That is wun of th advantejes of being therteen. U noe so much mor than U did when U wer oenly twelv." "Wel, whut becaem of Cordelia and Geraldine?" askt Diana, hoo was begining to feel rather interested in thair faet. "Thae groo in buety sied bi sied until thae wer sixteen. Then Bertram Devere caem to thair naetiv vilej and fel in luv with th fair Geraldine. He saevd her lief when her hors ran awae with her in a carrej, and she faented in his arms and he carryd her hoem three miels; becauz, U understand, th carrej was all smasht up. I found it rather hard to imajin th propoezal becauz I had no expeeryens to go bi. I askt Ruby Gillis if she nue enything about how men propoezd becauz I thaut she'd liekly be an authority on th subject, having so meny sisters marryd. Ruby toeld me she was hid in th hall pantry when Malcolm Andres propoezd to her sister Susan. She sed Malcolm toeld Susan that his dad had given him th farm in his oen naem and then sed, `Whut do U sae, darling pet, if we get hicht this fall?' And Susan sed, `Yes--no--I don't noe--let me see'--and thair thae wer, engaejd as qik as that. But I didn't think that sort of a propoezal was a verry roemantic wun, so in th end I had to imajin it out as wel as I cuud. I maed it verry flowery and poeetical and Bertram went on his nees, alltho Ruby Gillis ses it isn't dun now-a-daes. Geraldine acsepted him in a speech a paej long. I can tel U I tuuk a lot of trubl with that speech. I rewrote it fiev tiems and I luuk upon it as mi masterpees. Bertram gaev her a diemond ring and a ruby neklas and toeld her thae wuud go to Europe for a weding tur, for he was imensly welthy. But then, alas, shadoes began to darken oever thair path. Cordelia was seecretly in luv with Bertram herself and when Geraldine toeld her about th engaejment she was simply fuerius, espeshaly when she saw th neklas and th diemond ring. All her afecshun for Geraldine ternd to biter haet and she vowd that she shuud never marry Bertram. But she pretended to be Geraldine's frend th saem as ever. Wun eevning thae wer standing on th brij oever a rushing terbuelent streem and Cordelia, thinking thae wer aloen, puusht Geraldine oever th brink with a wield, moking, `Haa, haa, haa.' But Bertram saw it all and he at wuns plunjd into th curent, exclaeming, `I wil saev thee, mi peerles Geraldine.' But alas, he had forgoten he cuudn't swim, and thae wer boeth dround, claspt in eech other's arms. Thair bodys wer wosht ashor soon afterwards. Thae wer berryd in th wun graev and thair fueneral was moest impoezing, Diana. It's so much mor roemantic to end a story up with a fueneral than a weding. As for Cordelia, she went insaen with remors and was shut up in a loonatic asielum. I thaut that was a poeetical retribueshun for her criem." "How perfectly luvly!" sied Diana, hoo belongd to Matthew's scool of critics. "I don't see how U can maek up such thriling things out of yur oen hed, Anne. I wish mi imajinaeshun was as guud as yurs." "It wuud be if U'd oenly cultivaet it," sed Anne cheeringly. "I'v just thaut of a plan, Diana. Let U and me hav a story club all our oen and riet storys for practis. I'l help U along until U can do them bi yurself. U aut to cultivaet yur imajinaeshun, U noe. Mis Stacy ses so. Oenly we must taek th riet wae. I toeld her about th Haunted Wuud, but she sed we went th rong wae about it in that." This was how th story club caem into existens. It was limited to Diana and Anne at ferst, but soon it was extended to inclood Jane Andrews and Ruby Gillis and wun or too uthers hoo felt that thair imajinaeshuns needed cultivaeting. No bois wer alowd in it--alltho Ruby Gillis opined that thair admishun wuud maek it mor exsieting--and eech member had to produes wun story a week. "It's extreemly interesting," Anne toeld Marilla. "Eech gerl has to reed her story out loud and then we tauk it oever. We ar going to keep them all sacredly and hav them to reed to our desendants. We eech riet under a nom-de-ploom. Mien is Rosamond Montmorency. All th gerls do prity wel. Ruby Gillis is rather sentimental. She puuts too much lovemaking into her storys and U noe too much is wers than too litl. Jane never puuts eny becauz she ses it maeks her feel so sily when she had to reed it out loud. Jane's storys ar extreemly sensibl. Then Diana puuts too meny merders into hers. She ses moest of th tiem she duzn't noe whut to do with th peepl so she kils them off to get rid of them. I moestly allwaes hav to tel them whut to riet about, but that isn't hard for I'v milyons of iedeeas." "I think this story-rieting biznes is th foolishest yet," scoft Marilla. "U'l get a pak of nonsens into yur heds and waest tiem that shuud be puut on yur lesons. Reeding storys is bad enuf but rieting them is wers." "But we'r so cairful to puut a moral into them all, Marilla," explaend Anne. "I insist upon that. All th guud peepl ar reworded and all th bad wuns ar sootably punisht. I'm shur that must hav a hoelsum efect. Th moral is th graet thing. Mr. Allan ses so. I reed wun of mi storys to him and Mrs. Allan and thae boeth agreed that th moral was exselent. Oenly thae laft in th rong plaeses. I liek it beter when peepl cri. Jane and Ruby allmoest allwaes cri when I cum to th pathetic parts. Diana roet her Ant Josephine about our club and her Ant Josephine roet bak that we wer to send her sum of our storys. So we copyd out foer of our verry best and sent them. Mis Josephine Barry roet bak that she had never reed enything so amuezing in her lief. That kiend of puzld us becauz th storys wer all verry pathetic and allmoest evrybody died. But I'm glad Mis Barry liekt them. It shoes our club is doing sum guud in th werld. Mrs. Allan ses that aut to be our object in evrything. I do reealy tri to maek it mi object but I forget so offen when I'm having fun. I hoep I shal be a litl liek Mrs. Allan when I gro up. Do U think thair is eny prospect of it, Marilla?" "I shuudn't sae thair was a graet deel" was Marilla's encurejing anser. "I'm shur Mrs. Allan was never such a sily, forgetful litl gerl as U ar." "No; but she wasn't allwaes so guud as she is now eether," sed Anne seeriusly. "She toeld me so herself--that is, she sed she was a dredful mischif when she was a gerl and was allwaes geting into scraeps. I felt so encurejd when I herd that. Is it verry wiked of me, Marilla, to feel encurejd when I heer that uther peepl hav bin bad and mischivus? Mrs. Lynde ses it is. Mrs. Lynde ses she allwaes feels shokt when she heers of enywun ever having bin nauty, no mater how small thae wer. Mrs. Lynde ses she wuns herd a minister confes that when he was a boi he stoel a strawberry tart out of his aunt's pantry and she never had eny respect for that minister agen. Now, I wuudn't hav felt that wae. I'd hav thaut that it was reeal noebl of him to confes it, and I'd hav thaut whut an encurejing thing it wuud be for small bois now-a-daes hoo do nauty things and ar sorry for them to noe that perhaps thae mae gro up to be ministers in spiet of it. That's how I'd feel, Marilla." "Th wae I feel at prezent, Anne," sed Marilla, "is that it's hi tiem U had thoes dishes wosht. U'v taeken haf an our longger than U shuud with all yur chatering. Lern to werk ferst and tauk afterwards." CHAPTER XXVII Vanity and Vexaeshun of Spirit Marilla, wauking hoem wun laet April eevning frum an Aed meeting, reealiezd that th winter was oever and gon with th thril of deliet that spring never faels to bring to th oeldest and sadest as wel as to th yunggest and merriest. Marilla was not given to subjectiv analisis of her thauts and feelings. She probably imajind that she was thinking about th Aeds and thair mishunairy box and th nue carpet for th vestry room, but under thees reflecshuns was a harmoenius conshusnes of red feelds smoeking into pael-purply mists in th decliening sun, of long, sharp-pointed fer shadoes falling oever th medo beyond th bruuk, of stil, crimzon-buded maepls around a mirrorlike wuud pool, of a waekening in th werld and a ster of hiden pulses under th grae sod. Th spring was abraud in th land and Marilla's soeber, midl-ajed step was lieter and swifter becauz of its deep, priemal gladnes. Her ies dwelt afecshunetly on Green Gaebls, peering thru its netwerk of trees and reflecting th sunliet bak frum its windoes in several litl coruscations of glory. Marilla, as she pikt her steps along th damp laen, thaut that it was reealy a satisfacshun to noe that she was going hoem to a briskly snaping wuud fier and a taebl niesly spred for tee, insted of to th coeld cumfort of oeld Aed meeting eevnings befor Anne had cum to Green Gaebls. Conseqently, when Marilla enterd her kichen and found th fier blak out, with no sien of Anne enywhair, she felt justly disapointed and iritaeted. She had toeld Anne to be shur and hav tee redy at fiev o'clok, but now she must hery to taek off her second-best dres and prepair th meel herself agenst Matthew's retern frum plowing. "I'l setl Mis Anne when she cums hoem," sed Marilla grimly, as she shaevd up kindlings with a carving nief and with mor vim than was strictly nesesairy. Matthew had cum in and was waeting paeshently for his tee in his corner. "She's gading off sumwherr with Diana, rieting storys or practising diealogs or sum such tomfoolery, and never thinking wuns about th tiem or her duetys. She's just got to be puuld up short and suden on this sort of thing. I don't cair if Mrs. Allan duz sae she's th brietest and sweetest chield she ever nue. She mae be briet and sweet enuf, but her hed is fuul of nonsens and thair's never eny noeing whut shaep it'l braek out in next. Just as soon as she groes out of wun freek she taeks up with anuther. But thair! Heer I am saeing th verry thing I was so riled with Rachel Lynde for saeing at th Aed todae. I was reeal glad when Mrs. Allan spoek up for Anne, for if she hadn't I noe I'd hav sed sumthing too sharp to Rachel befor evrybody. Anne's got plenty of fallts, guudnes noes, and far be it frum me to deni it. But I'm bringing her up and not Rachel Lynde, hoo'd pik fallts in th Aenjel Gabriel himself if he livd in Avonlea. Just th saem, Anne has no biznes to leev th hous liek this when I toeld her she was to stae hoem this afternoon and luuk after things. I must sae, with all her fallts, I never found her disoebeedyent or untrustworthy befor and I'm reeal sorry to fiend her so now." "Wel now, I dunno," sed Matthew, hoo, being paeshent and wiez and, abuv all, hunggry, had deemd it best to let Marilla tauk her rath out unhindered, having lernd bi expeeryens that she got thru with whutever werk was on hand much qiker if not delaed bi untiemly arguement. "Perhaps U'r jujing her too haesty, Marilla. Don't call her untrustworthy until U'r shur she has disoebaed U. Mebbe it can all be explaend--Anne's a graet hand at explaening." "She's not heer when I toeld her to stae," retorted Marilla. "I rekon she'l fiend it hard to explaen THAT to mi satisfacshun. Of cors I nue U'd taek her part, Matthew. But I'm bringing her up, not U." It was dark when super was redy, and stil no sien of Anne, cuming herydly oever th log brij or up Lover's Laen, brethles and repentant with a sens of neglected duetys. Marilla wosht and puut awae th dishes grimly. Then, wonting a candl to liet her wae doun th selar, she went up to th eest gaebl for th wun that jeneraly stuud on Anne's taebl. Lieting it, she ternd around to see Anne herself lieing on th bed, faes dounward amung th piloes. "Mersy on us," sed astonisht Marilla, "hav U bin asleep, Anne?" "No," was th mufld repli. "Ar U sik then?" demanded Marilla ankshusly, going oever to th bed. Anne cowerd deeper into her piloes as if dezierus of hieding herself forever frum mortal ies. "No. But pleez, Marilla, go awae and don't luuk at me. I'm in th depths of despair and I don't cair hoo gets hed in clas or riets th best compozishun or sings in th Sunday-scool qier eny mor. Litl things liek that ar of no importans now becauz I don't supoez I'l ever be aebl to go enywhair agen. Mi career is cloezd. Pleez, Marilla, go awae and don't luuk at me." "Did enywun ever heer th liek?" th mistified Marilla wonted to noe. "Anne Shirley, whutever is th mater with U? Whut hav U dun? Get riet up this minit and tel me. This minit, I sae. Thair now, whut is it?" Anne had slid to th flor in despairing oebeedyens. "Luuk at mi hair, Marilla," she whisperd. Acordingly, Marilla lifted her candl and luukt scrutinizingly at Anne's hair, floeing in hevy mases doun her bak. It sertenly had a verry straenj apeerans. "Anne Shirley, whut hav U dun to yur hair? Whi, it's GREEN!" Green it miet be calld, if it wer eny erthly culor--a qeer, dul, bronzy green, with streeks heer and thair of th orijinal red to hieten th gastly efect. Never in all her lief had Marilla seen enything so groetesk as Anne's hair at that moement. "Yes, it's green," moend Anne. "I thaut nuthing cuud be as bad as red hair. But now I noe it's ten tiems wers to hav green hair. O, Marilla, U litl noe how uterly reched I am." "I litl noe how U got into this fix, but I meen to fiend out," sed Marilla. "Cum riet doun to th kichen--it's too coeld up heer--and tel me just whut U'v dun. I'v bin expecting sumthing qeer for sum tiem. U havn't got into eny scraep for oever too munths, and I was shur anuther wun was due. Now, then, whut did U do to yur hair?" "I died it." "Died it! Died yur hair! Anne Shirley, didn't U noe it was a wiked thing to do?" "Yes, I nue it was a litl wiked," admited Anne. "But I thaut it was werth whiel to be a litl wiked to get rid of red hair. I counted th cost, Marilla. Besieds, I ment to be extra guud in uther waes to maek up for it." "Wel," sed Marilla sarcasticaly, "if I'd desieded it was werth whiel to di mi hair I'd hav died it a deesent culor at leest. I wuudn't hav died it green." "But I didn't meen to di it green, Marilla," proetested Anne dejectedly. "If I was wiked I ment to be wiked to sum perpos. He sed it wuud tern mi hair a buetyful raeven blak--he pozitivly ashurd me that it wuud. How cuud I dout his werd, Marilla? I noe whut it feels liek to hav yur werd douted. And Mrs. Allan ses we shuud never suspect enywun of not teling us th trooth unles we hav proof that thae'r not. I hav proof now--green hair is proof enuf for enybody. But I hadn't then and I beleevd evry werd he sed IMPLISITLY." "Hoo sed? Hoo ar U tauking about?" "Th pedler that was heer this afternoon. I baut th di frum him." "Anne Shirley, how offen hav I toeld U never to let wun of thoes Italians in th hous! I don't beleev in encurejing them to cum around at all." "O, I didn't let him in th hous. I rememberd whut U toeld me, and I went out, cairfuly shut th dor, and luukt at his things on th step. Besieds, he wasn't an Italian--he was a German Jew. He had a big box fuul of verry interesting things and he toeld me he was werking hard to maek enuf muny to bring his wief and children out frum Germany. He spoek so feelingly about them that it tucht mi hart. I wonted to bi sumthing frum him to help him in such a werthy object. Then all at wuns I saw th botl of hair di. Th pedler sed it was waranted to di eny hair a buetyful raeven blak and wuudn't wosh off. In a trice I saw mieself with buetyful raeven-blak hair and th temptaeshun was irrezistibl. But th pries of th botl was seventy-fiev sents and I had oenly fifty sents left out of mi chiken muny. I think th pedler had a verry kiend hart, for he sed that, seeing it was me, he'd sel it for fifty sents and that was just giving it awae. So I baut it, and as soon as he had gon I caem up heer and aplied it with an oeld hairbrush as th direcshuns sed. I uezd up th hoel botl, and o, Marilla, when I saw th dredful culor it ternd mi hair I repented of being wiked, I can tel U. And I'v bin repenting ever sinss." "Wel, I hoep U'l repent to guud perpos," sed Marilla seveerly, "and that U'v got yur ies oepend to wherr yur vanity has led U, Anne. Guudnes noes whut's to be dun. I supoez th ferst thing is to giv yur hair a guud woshing and see if that wil do eny guud." Acordingly, Anne wosht her hair, scrubing it vigorusly with soep and wauter, but for all th diferens it maed she miet as wel hav bin scouring its orijinal red. Th pedler had sertenly spoeken th trooth when he declaird that th di wuudn't wosh off, however his verasity miet be impeached in uther respects. "O, Marilla, whut shal I do?" qeschund Anne in teers. "I can never liv this doun. Peepl hav prity wel forgoten mi uther mistaeks--th liniment caek and seting Diana drunk and flieing into a temper with Mrs. Lynde. But thae'l never forget this. Thae wil think I am not respectabl. O, Marilla, `whut a tanggld web we weev when ferst we practis to deseev.' That is poeetry, but it is troo. And o, how Josie Pye wil laf! Marilla, I CANNOT faes Josie Pye. I am th unhapyest gerl in Prins Edward Ieland." Anne's unhapynes continued for a week. During that tiem she went noewherr and shampooed her hair evry dae. Diana aloen of outsieders nue th faetal seecret, but she promist solemly never to tel, and it mae be staeted heer and now that she kept her werd. At th end of th week Marilla sed desiededly: "It's no uez, Anne. That is fast di if ever thair was eny. Yur hair must be cut off; thair is no uther wae. U can't go out with it luuking liek that." Anne's lips qiverd, but she reealiezd th biter trooth of Marilla's remarks. With a dizmal si she went for th sizors. "Pleez cut it off at wuns, Marilla, and hav it oever. O, I feel that mi hart is broeken. This is such an unroemantic aflicshun. Th gerls in buuks looz thair hair in fevers or sel it to get muny for sum guud deed, and I'm shur I wuudn't miend loozing mi hair in sum such fashun haf so much. But thair is nuthing cumforting in having yur hair cut off becauz U'v died it a dredful culor, is thair? I'm going to weep all th tiem U'r cuting it off, if it woen't interfeer. It seems such a trajic thing." Anne wept then, but laeter on, when she went upstairs and luukt in th glas, she was caam with despair. Marilla had dun her werk theroely and it had bin nesesairy to shinggl th hair as cloesly as posibl. Th rezult was not becuming, to staet th caes as mieldly as mae be. Anne promptly ternd her glas to th wall. "I'l never, never luuk at mieself agen until mi hair groes," she exclaemd pashunetly. Then she sudenly righted th glas. "Yes, I wil, too. I'd do penans for being wiked that wae. I'l luuk at mieself evry tiem I cum to mi room and see how ugly I am. And I woen't tri to imajin it awae, eether. I never thaut I was vaen about mi hair, of all things, but now I noe I was, in spiet of its being red, becauz it was so long and thik and curly. I expect sumthing wil hapen to mi noez next." Anne's clipt hed maed a sensaeshun in scool on th foloeing Monday, but to her releef noebody gest th reeal reezon for it, not eeven Josie Pye, hoo, however, did not fael to inform Anne that she luukt liek a perfect scaircro. "I didn't sae enything when Josie sed that to me," Anne confieded that eevning to Marilla, hoo was lieing on th soefa after wun of her hedaeks, "becauz I thaut it was part of mi punishment and I aut to bair it paeshently. It's hard to be toeld U luuk liek a scaircro and I wonted to sae sumthing bak. But I didn't. I just swept her wun scornful luuk and then I forgaev her. It maeks U feel verry verchuos when U forgiv peepl, duzn't it? I meen to devoet all mi enerjys to being guud after this and I shal never tri to be buetyful agen. Of cors it's beter to be guud. I noe it is, but it's sumtiems so hard to beleev a thing eeven when U noe it. I do reealy wont to be guud, Marilla, liek U and Mrs. Allan and Mis Stacy, and gro up to be a credit to U. Diana ses when mi hair begins to gro to ti a blak velvet ribon around mi hed with a bow at wun sied. She ses she thinks it wil be verry becuming. I wil call it a snood--that sounds so roemantic. But am I tauking too much, Marilla? Duz it hert yur hed?" "Mi hed is beter now. It was terribl bad this afternoon, tho. Thees hedaeks of mien ar geting wers and wers. I'l hav to see a doctor about them. As for yur chater, I don't noe that I miend it--I'v got so uezd to it." Which was Marilla's wae of saeing that she liekt to heer it. CHAPTER XXVIII An Unforchunet Lily Maed OF cors U must be Elaine, Anne," sed Diana. "I cuud never hav th curej to floet doun thair." "Nor I," sed Ruby Gillis, with a shiver. "I don't miend floeting doun when thair's too or three of us in th flat and we can sit up. It's fun then. But to lie doun and pretend I was ded--I just cuudn't. I'd die reealy of friet." "Of cors it wuud be roemantic," conseeded Jane Andrews, "but I noe I cuudn't keep stil. I'd be poping up evry minit or so to see wherr I was and if I wasn't drifting too far out. And U noe, Anne, that wuud spoil th efect." "But it's so ridicuelus to hav a redheded Elaine," mornd Anne. "I'm not afraed to floet doun and I'd luv to be Elaine. But it's ridicuelus just th saem. Ruby aut to be Elaine becauz she is so fair and has such luvly long goelden hair-- Elaine had `all her briet hair streeming doun,' U noe. And Elaine was th lily maed. Now, a red-haired person cannot be a lily maed." "Yur complexshun is just as fair as Ruby's," sed Diana ernestly, "and yur hair is ever so much darker than it uezd to be befor U cut it." "O, do U reealy think so?" exclaemd Anne, flushing sensitivly with deliet. "I'v sumtiems thaut it was mieself--but I never daird to ask enywun for feer she wuud tel me it wasn't. Do U think it cuud be calld auburn now, Diana?" "Yes, and I think it is reeal prity," sed Diana, luuking admieringly at th short, silky curls that clusterd oever Anne's hed and wer held in plaes bi a verry jaunty blak velvet ribon and bo. Thae wer standing on th bank of th pond, belo Orchard Sloep, wherr a litl hedland frinjd with berches ran out frum th bank; at its tip was a small wuuden platform bilt out into th wauter for th conveenyuns of fishermen and duk hunters. Ruby and Jane wer spending th midsumer afternoon with Diana, and Anne had cum oever to plae with them. Anne and Diana had spent moest of thair plaetiem that sumer on and about th pond. Idlewild was a thing of th past, Mr. Bel having roothlesly cut doun th litl sercl of trees in his bak pascher in th spring. Anne had sat amung th stumps and wept, not without an ie to th roemans of it; but she was speedily consoeld, for, after all, as she and Diana sed, big gerls of therteen, going on forteen, wer too oeld for such chieldish amuezments as plaehouzes, and thair wer mor fasinaeting sports to be found about th pond. It was splendid to fish for trout oever th brij and th too gerls lernd to ro themselvs about in th litl flat-bottomed dory Mr. Barry kept for duk shooting. It was Anne's iedeea that thae dramatiez Elaine. Thae had studyd Tennyson's poeem in scool th preseeding winter, th Superintendent of Ejucaeshun having prescriebd it in th English cors for th Prins Edward Ieland scools. Thae had analiezd and parsed it and torn it to peeses in jeneral until it was a wunder thair was eny meening at all left in it for them, but at leest th fair lily maed and Lancelot and Guinevere and King Arthur had becum verry reeal peepl to them, and Anne was devourd bi seecret regret that she had not bin born in Camelot. Thoes daes, she sed, wer so much mor roemantic than th prezent. Anne's plan was haeld with enthooziazm. Th gerls had discuverd that if th flat wer puusht off frum th landing plaes it wuud drift doun with th curent under th brij and fienaly strand itself on anuther hedland loeer doun which ran out at a curv in th pond. Thae had offen gon doun liek this and nuthing cuud be mor conveenyunt for plaeing Elaine. "Wel, I'l be Elaine," sed Anne, yeelding reluctantly, for, alltho she wuud hav bin delieted to plae th prinsipal carracter, yet her artistic sens demanded fitnes for it and this, she felt, her limitaeshuns maed imposibl. "Ruby, U must be King Arthur and Jane wil be Guinevere and Diana must be Lancelot. But ferst U must be th bruthers and th faather. We can't hav th oeld dum servitor becauz thair isn't room for too in th flat when wun is lieing doun. We must pall th barj all its length in blakest samit. That oeld blak shall of yur mother's wil be just th thing, Diana." Th blak shall having bin proecuerd, Anne spred it oever th flat and then lae doun on th botom, with cloezd ies and hands foelded oever her brest. "O, she duz luuk reealy ded," whisperd Ruby Gillis nervusly, woching th stil, whiet litl faes under th flickering shadoes of th berches. "It maeks me feel frietend, gerls. Do U supoez it's reealy riet to act liek this? Mrs. Lynde ses that all plae-acting is abominably wiked." "Ruby, U shuudn't tauk about Mrs. Lynde," sed Anne seveerly. "It spoils th efect becauz this is hundreds of yeers befor Mrs. Lynde was born. Jane, U araenj this. It's sily for Elaine to be tauking when she's ded." Jane roez to th ocaezhun. Clauth of goeld for cuverlet thair was nun, but an oeld peano scarf of yelo Japanese craep was an exselent substituet. A whiet lily was not obtaenabl just then, but th efect of a tall bloo ieris plaest in wun of Anne's foelded hands was all that cuud be dezierd. "Now, she's all redy," sed Jane. "We must kis her qieet brous and, Diana, U sae, `Sister, fairwel forever,' and Ruby, U sae, `Fairwel, sweet sister,' boeth of U as sorrowfully as U posibly can. Anne, for guudnes saek smiel a litl. U noe Elaine `lae as tho she smield.' That's beter. Now puush th flat off." Th flat was acordingly puusht off, scraeping rufly oever an oeld embeded staek in th proses. Diana and Jane and Ruby oenly waeted long enuf to see it caut in th curent and heded for th brij befor scampering up thru th wuuds, across th roed, and doun to th loeer hedland wherr, as Lancelot and Guinevere and th King, thae wer to be in redynes to reseev th lily maed. For a fue minits Anne, drifting sloely doun, enjoid th roemans of her sichuaeshun to th fuul. Then sumthing hapend not at all roemantic. Th flat began to leek. In a verry fue moements it was nesesairy for Elaine to scrambl to her feet, pik up her clauth of goeld cuverlet and pall of blakest samit and gaez blankly at a big crak in th botom of her barj thru which th wauter was literaly poring. That sharp staek at th landing had torn off th strip of bating naeld on th flat. Anne did not noe this, but it did not taek her long to reealiez that she was in a daenjerus pliet. At this raet th flat wuud fil and sink long befor it cuud drift to th loeer hedland. Wherr wer th ors? Left behiend at th landing! Anne gaev wun gasping litl screem which noebody ever herd; she was whiet to th lips, but she did not looz her self-pozeshun. Thair was wun chans--just wun. "I was horribly frietend," she toeld Mrs. Allan th next dae, "and it seemd liek yeers whiel th flat was drifting doun to th brij and th wauter riezing in it evry moement. I praed, Mrs. Allan, moest ernestly, but I didn't shut mi ies to prae, for I nue th oenly wae God cuud saev me was to let th flat floet cloes enuf to wun of th brij piels for me to cliem up on it. U noe th piels ar just oeld tree trunks and thair ar lots of nots and oeld branch stubs on them. It was proper to prae, but I had to do mi part bi woching out and riet wel I nue it. I just sed, `Deer God, pleez taek th flat cloes to a piel and I'l do th rest,' oever and oever agen. Under such sercumstanses U don't think much about maeking a flowery prair. But mien was anserd, for th flat bumpt riet into a piel for a minit and I flung th scarf and th shall oever mi shoelder and scrambld up on a big providenshal stub. And thair I was, Mrs. Allan, clinging to that slipery oeld piel with no wae of geting up or doun. It was a verry unroemantic pozishun, but I didn't think about that at th tiem. U don't think much about roemans when U hav just escaept frum a wautery graev. I sed a graetful prair at wuns and then I gaev all mi atenshun to hoelding on tiet, for I nue I shuud probably hav to depend on hueman aed to get bak to dri land." Th flat drifted under th brij and then promptly sank in midstreem. Ruby, Jane, and Diana, allredy awaeting it on th loeer hedland, saw it disapeer befor thair verry ies and had not a dout but that Anne had gon doun with it. For a moement thae stuud stil, whiet as sheets, froezen with horror at th trajedy; then, shreeking at th tops of thair voises, thae started on a frantic run up thru th wuuds, never pauzing as thae crosst th maen roed to glans th wae of th brij. Anne, clinging desperetly to her precairius fuut-hoeld, saw thair flieing forms and herd thair shrieks. Help wuud soon cum, but meenwhiel her pozishun was a verry uncumfortabl wun. Th minits past bi, eech seeming an our to th unforchunet lily maed. Whi didn't sumbody cum? Wherr had th gerls gon? Supoez thae had faented, wun and all! Supoez noebody ever caem! Supoez she groo so tierd and cramped that she cuud hoeld on no longger! Anne luukt at th wiked green depths belo her, wavering with long, oily shadoes, and shiverd. Her imajinaeshun began to sugjest all maner of groosum posibilitys to her. Then, just as she thaut she reealy cuud not endur th aek in her arms and rists anuther moement, Gilbert Blythe caem rowing under th brij in Harmon Andrews's dory! Gilbert glanst up and, much to his amaezment, beheld a litl whiet scornful faes luuking doun upon him with big, frietend but allso scornful grae ies. "Anne Shirley! How on erth did U get thair?" he exclaemd. Without waeting for an anser he puuld cloes to th piel and extended his hand. Thair was no help for it; Anne, clinging to Gilbert Blythe's hand, scrambld doun into th dory, wherr she sat, drabbled and fuerius, in th stern with her arms fuul of driping shall and wet craep. It was sertenly extreemly dificult to be dignified under th sercumstanses! "Whut has hapend, Anne?" askt Gilbert, taeking up his ors. "We wer plaeing Elaine" explaend Anne frigidly, without eeven luuking at her rescuer, "and I had to drift doun to Camelot in th barj--I meen th flat. Th flat began to leek and I cliemd out on th piel. Th gerls went for help. Wil U be kiend enuf to ro me to th landing?" Gilbert obliejingly roed to th landing and Anne, disdaening asistans, sprang nimbly on shor. "I'm verry much obliejd to U," she sed hautily as she ternd awae. But Gilbert had allso sprung frum th boet and now laed a detaining hand on her arm. "Anne," he sed herydly, "luuk heer. Can't we be guud frends? I'm aufuly sorry I maed fun of yur hair that tiem. I didn't meen to vex U and I oenly ment it for a joek. Besieds, it's so long ago. I think yur hair is aufuly prity now--onest I do. Let's be frends." For a moement Anne hezitaeted. She had an od, nuely awaekend conshusnes under all her outraejd dignity that th haf-shi, haf-eeger expreshun in Gilbert's haezel ies was sumthing that was verry guud to see. Her hart gaev a qik, qeer litl beet. But th biternes of her oeld greevans promptly stifend up her wavering determinaeshun. That seen of too yeers befor flasht bak into her recolecshun as vividly as if it had taeken plaes yesterdae. Gilbert had calld her "carrots" and had braut about her disgraes befor th hoel scool. Her rezentment, which to uther and oelder peepl miet be as lafabl as its cauz, was in no whit allayed and soffend bi tiem seemingly. She haeted Gilbert Blythe! She wuud never forgiv him! "No," she sed coeldly, "I shal never be frends with U, Gilbert Blythe; and I don't wont to be!" "All riet!" Gilbert sprang into his skif with an anggry culor in his cheeks. "I'l never ask U to be frends agen, Anne Shirley. And I don't cair eether!" He puuld awae with swift defieant stroeks, and Anne went up th steep, ferny litl path under th maepls. She held her hed verry hi, but she was conshus of an od feeling of regret. She allmoest wisht she had anserd Gilbert diferently. Of cors, he had insulted her terribly, but stil--! Alltogether, Anne rather thaut it wuud be a releef to sit doun and hav a guud cri. She was reealy qiet unstrung, for th reacshun frum her friet and cramped clinging was maeking itself felt. Hafwae up th path she met Jane and Diana rushing bak to th pond in a staet narroely remoovd frum pozitiv frenzy. Thae had found noebody at Orchard Sloep, boeth Mr. and Mrs. Barry being awae. Heer Ruby Gillis had sucumd to histerrics, and was left to recuver frum them as best she miet, whiel Jane and Diana floo thru th Haunted Wuud and across th bruuk to Green Gaebls. Thair thae had found noebody eether, for Marilla had gon to Carmody and Matthew was maeking hae in th bak feeld. "O, Anne," gaspt Diana, fairly falling on th former's nek and weeping with releef and deliet, "o, Anne--we thaut--U wer--dround--and we felt liek merderers--becauz we had maed--U be--Elaine. And Ruby is in histerrics--o, Anne, how did U escaep?" "I cliemd up on wun of th piels," explaend Anne weerily, "and Gilbert Blythe caem along in Mr. Andrews's dory and braut me to land." "O, Anne, how splendid of him! Whi, it's so roemantic!" sed Jane, fiending breth enuf for uterans at last. "Of cors U'l speek to him after this." "Of cors I woen't," flasht Anne, with a moementairy retern of her oeld spirit. "And I don't wont ever to heer th werd `romantic' agen, Jane Andrews. I'm aufuly sorry U wer so frietend, gerls. It is all mi fallt. I feel shur I was born under an unluky star. Evrything I do gets me or mi deerest frends into a scraep. We'v gon and lost yur father's flat, Diana, and I hav a presentiment that we'll not be alowd to ro on th pond eny mor." Anne's presentiment proovd mor trustwerthy than presentiments ar apt to do. Graet was th consternaeshun in th Barry and Cuthbert hous-hoelds when th events of th afternoon becaem noen. "Wil U ever hav eny sens, Anne?" groend Marilla. "O, yes, I think I wil, Marilla," reternd Anne optimisticaly. A guud cri, induljd in th graetful solitued of th eest gaebl, had soothd her nervs and restord her to her wonted cheerfulnes. "I think mi prospects of becuming sensibl ar brieter now than ever" "I don't see how," sed Marilla. "Wel," explaend Anne, "I'v lernd a nue and valueabl leson todae. Ever sinss I caem to Green Gaebls I'v bin maeking mistaeks, and eech mistaek has helpt to cuer me of sum graet shortcuming. Th afair of th amithist brooch cuerd me of medling with things that didn't belong to me. Th Haunted Wuud mistaek cuerd me of leting mi imajinaeshun run awae with me. Th liniment caek mistaek cuerd me of cairlesnes in cuuking. Dyeing mi hair cuerd me of vanity. I never think about mi hair and noez now--at leest, verry seldom. And today's mistaek is going to cuer me of being too roemantic. I hav cum to th concloozhun that it is no uez trieing to be roemantic in Avonlea. It was probably eezy enuf in towerd Camelot hundreds of yeers ago, but roemans is not apreeshiaeted now. I feel qiet shur that U wil soon see a graet improovment in me in this respect, Marilla." "I'm shur I hoep so," sed Marilla skepticaly. But Matthew, hoo had bin siting muetly in his corner, laed a hand on Anne's shoelder when Marilla had gon out. "Don't giv up all yur roemans, Anne," he whisperd shiely, "a litl of it is a guud thing--not too much, of cors--but keep a litl of it, Anne, keep a litl of it." CHAPTER XXIX An Epok in Anne's Lief Anne was bringing th cows hoem frum th bak pascher bi wae of Lover's Laen. It was a September eevning and all th gaps and clearings in th wuuds wer brimd up with ruby sunset liet. Heer and thair th laen was splasht with it, but for th moest part it was allredy qiet shadoey beneeth th maepls, and th spaeses under th firs wer fild with a cleer vieolet dusk liek airy wien. Th winds wer out in thair tops, and thair is no sweeter muezic on erth than that which th wind maeks in th fer trees at eevning. Th cows swung plasidly doun th laen, and Anne foloed them dreemily, repeeting aloud th batl canto frum MARMION--which had allso bin part of thair English cors th preseeding winter and which Mis Stacy had maed them lern off bi hart--and exulting in its rushing liens and th clash of spears in its imejery. When she caem to th liens Th stuborn spearsmen stil maed guud Thair dark impenetrabl wuud, she stopt in extasy to shut her ies that she miet th beter fansy herself wun of that heroeic ring. When she oepend them agen it was to behoeld Diana cuming thru th gaet that led into th Barry feeld and luuking so important that Anne instantly divined thair was nues to be toeld. But betrae too eeger cueriosity she wuud not. "Isn't this eevning just liek a perpl dreem, Diana? It maeks me so glad to be aliev. In th mornings I allwaes think th mornings ar best; but when eevning cums I think it's lovelier stil." "It's a verry fien eevning," sed Diana, "but o, I hav such nues, Anne. Ges. U can hav three geses." "Charlotte Gillis is going to be marryd in th cherch after all and Mrs. Allan wonts us to decoraet it," cried Anne. "No. Charlotte's bo woen't agree to that, becauz noebody ever has bin marryd in th cherch yet, and he thinks it wuud seem too much liek a fueneral. It's too meen, becauz it wuud be such fun. Ges agen." "Jane's muther is going to let her hav a berthdae party?" Diana shuuk her hed, her blak ies dansing with merriment. "I can't think whut it can be," sed Anne in despair, "unles it's that Moody Spurgeon Macpherson saw U hoem frum prair meeting last niet. Did he?" "I shuud think not," exclaemd Diana indignantly. "I wuudn't be liekly to boest of it if he did, th horrid creecher! I nue U cuudn't ges it. Muther had a leter frum Ant Josephine todae, and Ant Josephine wonts U and me to go to toun next Tuesday and stop with her for th Exibishun. Thair!" "O, Diana," whisperd Anne, fiending it nesesairy to leen up agenst a maepl tree for suport, "do U reealy meen it? But I'm afraed Marilla woen't let me go. She wil sae that she can't encurej gading about. That was whut she sed last week when Jane invieted me to go with them in thair dubl-seeted bugy to th American consert at th Whiet Sands Hoetel. I wonted to go, but Marilla sed I'd be beter at hoem lerning mi lesons and so wuud Jane. I was biterly disapointed, Diana. I felt so hartbroeken that I wuudn't sae mi prairs when I went to bed. But I repented of that and got up in th midl of th niet and sed them." "I'l tel U," sed Diana, "we'll get Muther to ask Marilla. She'l be mor liekly to let U go then; and if she duz we'll hav th tiem of our lievs, Anne. I'v never bin to an Exibishun, and it's so agravaeting to heer th uther gerls tauking about thair trips. Jane and Ruby hav bin twies, and thae'r going this yeer agen." "I'm not going to think about it at all until I noe whether I can go or not," sed Anne rezolootly. "If I did and then was disapointed, it wuud be mor than I cuud bair. But in caes I do go I'm verry glad mi nue coet wil be redy bi that tiem. Marilla didn't think I needed a nue coet. She sed mi oeld wun wuud do verry wel for anuther winter and that I aut to be satisfied with having a nue dres. Th dres is verry prity, Diana--naevy bloo and maed so fashunably. Marilla allwaes maeks mi dreses fashunably now, becauz she ses she duzn't intend to hav Matthew going to Mrs. Lynde to maek them. I'm so glad. It is ever so much eezyer to be guud if yur cloeths ar fashunabl. At leest, it is eezyer for me. I supoez it duzn't maek such a diferens to nacheraly guud peepl. But Matthew sed I must hav a nue coet, so Marilla baut a luvly pees of bloo braudclauth, and it's being maed bi a reeal dresmaeker oever at Carmody. It's to be dun Saturday niet, and I'm trieing not to imajin mieself wauking up th cherch iel on Sunday in mi nue soot and cap, becauz I'm afraed it isn't riet to imajin such things. But it just slips into mi miend in spiet of me. Mi cap is so prity. Matthew baut it for me th dae we wer oever at Carmody. It is wun of thoes litl bloo velvet wuns that ar all th raej, with goeld cord and tasels. Yur nue hat is elegant, Diana, and so becuming. When I saw U cum into cherch last Sunday mi hart sweld with pried to think U wer mi deerest frend. Do U supoez it's rong for us to think so much about our cloeths? Marilla ses it is verry sinful. But it is such an interesting subject, isn't it?" Marilla agreed to let Anne go to toun, and it was araenjd that Mr. Barry shuud taek th gerls in on th foloeing Tuesday. As Charlottetown was therty miels awae and Mr. Barry wisht to go and retern th saem dae, it was nesesairy to maek a verry erly start. But Anne counted it all joi, and was up befor sunriez on Tuesday morning. A glans frum her windo ashurd her that th dae wuud be fien, for th eestern skie behiend th firs of th Haunted Wuud was all silvery and cloudles. Thru th gap in th trees a liet was shiening in th western gaebl of Orchard Sloep, a toeken that Diana was allso up. Anne was drest bi th tiem Matthew had th fier on and had th brekfast redy when Marilla caem doun, but for her oen part was much too exsieted to eet. After brekfast th jaunty nue cap and jaket wer dond, and Anne haesend oever th bruuk and up thru th firs to Orchard Sloep. Mr. Barry and Diana wer waeting for her, and thae wer soon on th roed. It was a long driev, but Anne and Diana enjoid evry minit of it. It was delietful to ratl along oever th moist roeds in th erly red sunliet that was creeping across th shorn harvest feelds. Th air was fresh and crisp, and litl smoek-bloo mists curld thru th valys and floeted off frum th hils. Sumtiems th roed went thru wuuds wherr maepls wer begining to hang out scarlet baners; sumtiems it crosst rivers on brijes that maed Anne's flesh crinj with th oeld, haf-delietful feer; sumtiems it wound along a harbor shor and past bi a litl cluster of wether-grae fishing huts; agen it mounted to hils whens a far sweep of curving upland or misty-bloo skie cuud be seen; but wherrever it went thair was much of interest to discus. It was allmoest noon when thae reecht toun and found thair wae to "Beechwood." It was qiet a fien oeld manshun, set bak frum th street in a secloozhun of green elms and branching beeches. Mis Barry met them at th dor with a twinkl in her sharp blak ies. "So U'v cum to see me at last, U Anne-gerl," she sed. "Mersy, chield, how U hav groen! U'r taller than I am, I declair. And U'r ever so much beter luuking than U uezd to be, too. But I dair sae U noe that without being toeld." "Indeed I didn't," sed Anne raediantly. "I noe I'm not so frekld as I uezd to be, so I'v much to be thankful for, but I reealy hadn't daird to hoep thair was eny uther improovment. I'm so glad U think thair is, Mis Barry." Mis Barry's hous was fernisht with "graet magnifisens," as Anne toeld Marilla afterward. Th too litl cuntry gerls wer rather abashed bi th splendor of th parlor wherr Mis Barry left them when she went to see about diner. "Isn't it just liek a palis?" whisperd Diana. "I never was in Ant Josephine's hous befor, and I'd no iedeea it was so grand. I just wish Julia Bel cuud see this--she puuts on such airs about her mother's parlor." "Velvet carpet," sied Anne luxuriously, "and silk curtens! I'v dreemd of such things, Diana. But do U noe I don't beleev I feel verry cumfortabl with them after all. Thair ar so meny things in this room and all so splendid that thair is no scoep for imajinaeshun. That is wun consolaeshun when U ar pur--thair ar so meny mor things U can imajin about." Thair soejern in toun was sumthing that Anne and Diana daeted frum for yeers. Frum ferst to last it was crouded with deliets. On Wednesday Mis Barry tuuk them to th Exibishun grounds and kept them thair all dae. "It was splendid," Anne relaeted to Marilla laeter on. "I never imajind enything so interesting. I don't reealy noe which department was th moest interesting. I think I liekt th horses and th flowers and th fansywerk best. Josie Pye tuuk ferst priez for nited laes. I was reeal glad she did. And I was glad that I felt glad, for it shoes I'm improoving, don't U think, Marilla, when I can rejois in Josie's sucses? Mr. Harmon Andrews tuuk second priez for Gravenstein apls and Mr. Bel tuuk ferst priez for a pig. Diana sed she thaut it was ridicuelus for a Sunday-scool superintendent to taek a priez in pigs, but I don't see whi. Do U? She sed she wuud allwaes think of it after this when he was praeing so solemly. Clara Louise Macpherson tuuk a priez for paenting, and Mrs. Lynde got ferst priez for hoemmaed buter and cheez. So Avonlea was prity wel reprezented, wasn't it? Mrs. Lynde was thair that dae, and I never nue how much I reealy liekt her until I saw her familyar faes amung all thoes straenjers. Thair wer thouzands of peepl thair, Marilla. It maed me feel dredfuly insignificant. And Mis Barry tuuk us up to th grandstand to see th hors raeses. Mrs. Lynde wuudn't go; she sed hors raesing was an abominaeshun and, she being a cherch member, thaut it her bounden duety to set a guud exampl bi staeing awae. But thair wer so meny thair I don't beleev Mrs. Lynde's absens wuud ever be noetist. I don't think, tho, that I aut to go verry offen to hors raeses, becauz thae AR aufuly fasinaeting. Diana got so exsieted that she offerd to bet me ten sents that th red hors wuud win. I didn't beleev he wuud, but I refuezd to bet, becauz I wonted to tel Mrs. Allan all about evrything, and I felt shur it wuudn't do to tel her that. It's allwaes rong to do enything U can't tel th minister's wief. It's as guud as an extra conshens to hav a minister's wief for yur frend. And I was verry glad I didn't bet, becauz th red hors DID win, and I wuud hav lost ten sents. So U see that verchoo was its oen reword. We saw a man go up in a baloon. I'd luv to go up in a baloon, Marilla; it wuud be simply thriling; and we saw a man seling forchuns. U paed him ten sents and a litl berd pikt out yur forchun for U. Mis Barry gaev Diana and me ten sents eech to hav our forchuns toeld. Mien was that I wuud marry a dark-complected man hoo was verry welthy, and I wuud go across wauter to liv. I luukt cairfuly at all th dark men I saw after that, but I didn't cair much for eny of them, and enyhow I supoez it's too erly to be luuking out for him yet. O, it was a never-to-be-forgoten dae, Marilla. I was so tierd I cuudn't sleep at niet. Mis Barry puut us in th spair room, acording to promis. It was an elegant room, Marilla, but sumhow sleeping in a spair room isn't whut I uezd to think it was. That's th werst of groeing up, and I'm begining to reealiez it. Th things U wonted so much when U wer a chield don't seem haf so wunderful to U when U get them." Thursday th gerls had a driev in th park, and in th eevning Mis Barry tuuk them to a consert in th Academy of Muezic, wherr a noeted prima donna was to sing. To Anne th eevning was a glitering vizhun of deliet. "O, Marilla, it was beyond descripshun. I was so exsieted I cuudn't eeven tauk, so U mae noe whut it was liek. I just sat in enrapcherd sielens. Madame Selitsky was perfectly buetyful, and wor whiet satin and diemonds. But when she began to sing I never thaut about enything els. O, I can't tel U how I felt. But it seemd to me that it cuud never be hard to be guud eny mor. I felt liek I do when I luuk up to th stars. Teers caem into mi ies, but, o, thae wer such hapy teers. I was so sorry when it was all oever, and I toeld Mis Barry I didn't see how I was ever to retern to comon lief agen. She sed she thaut if we went oever to th resterant across th street and had an ies creem it miet help me. That sounded so proezaeic; but to mi serpriez I found it troo. Th ies creem was delishus, Marilla, and it was so luvly and disipaeted to be siting thair eeting it at eleven o'clok at niet. Diana sed she beleevd she was born for sity lief. Mis Barry askt me whut mi opinyon was, but I sed I wuud hav to think it oever verry seeriusly befor I cuud tel her whut I reealy thaut. So I thaut it oever after I went to bed. That is th to think things out. And I caem to th concloozhun, Marilla, that I wasn't born for sity lief and that I was glad of it. It's nies to be eeting ies creem at brilyant resterants at eleven o'clok at niet wuns in a whiel; but as a reguelar thing I'd rather be in th eest gaebl at eleven, sound asleep, but kiend of noeing eeven in mi sleep that th stars wer shiening outsied and that th wind was bloeing in th firs across th bruuk. I toeld Mis Barry so at brekfast th next morning and she laft. Mis Barry jeneraly laft at enything I sed, eeven when I sed th moest solem things. I don't think I liekt it, Marilla, becauz I wasn't trieing to be funy. But she is a moest hospitabl laedy and treeted us royally." Friday braut going-hoem tiem, and Mr. Barry droev in for th gerls. "Wel, I hoep U'v enjoid yurselvs," sed Mis Barry, as she baed them guud-bi. "Indeed we hav," sed Diana. "And U, Anne-gerl?" "I'v enjoid evry minit of th tiem," sed Anne, throeing her arms impulsivly about th oeld woman's nek and kising her rinkld cheek. Diana wuud never hav daird to do such a thing and felt rather agast at Anne's freedom. But Mis Barry was pleezd, and she stuud on her veranda and wocht th bugy out of siet. Then she went bak into her big hous with a si. It seemd verry loenly, laking thoes fresh yung lievs. Mis Barry was a rather selfish oeld laedy, if th trooth must be toeld, and had never caird much for enybody but herself. She valued peepl oenly as thae wer of servis to her or amuezd her. Anne had amuezd her, and conseqently stuud hi in th oeld lady's guud graeses. But Mis Barry found herself thinking les about Anne's qaent speeches than of her fresh enthooziazms, her transpairent emoeshuns, her litl wining waes, and th sweetnes of her ies and lips. "I thaut Marilla Cuthbert was an oeld fool when I herd she'd adopted a gerl out of an orfan asielum," she sed to herself, "but I ges she didn't maek much of a mistaek after all. If I'd a chield liek Anne in th hous all th tiem I'd be a beter and hapyer wuuman." Anne and Diana found th driev hoem as plezant as th driev in--pleasanter, indeed, sinss thair was th delietful conshusnes of hoem waeting at th end of it. It was sunset when thae past thru Whiet Sands and ternd into th shor roed. Beyond, th Avonlea hils caem out darkly agenst th safron skie. Behiend them th moon was riezing out of th see that groo all raediant and transfigured in her liet. Evry litl coev along th curving roed was a marvel of dansing ripls. Th waevs broek with a sofft swish on th roks belo them, and th tang of th see was in th strong, fresh air. "O, but it's guud to be aliev and to be going hoem," breethd Anne. When she crosst th log brij oever th bruuk th kichen liet of Green Gaebls winkt her a frendly welcum bak, and thru th oepen dor shoen th harth fier, sending out its worm red glo athwort th chily autum niet. Anne ran bliethly up th hil and into th kichen, wherr a hot super was waeting on th taebl. "So U'v got bak?" sed Marilla, foelding up her niting. "Yes, and o, it's so guud to be bak," sed Anne joiusly. "I cuud kis evrything, eeven to th clok. Marilla, a broild chiken! U don't meen to sae U cuukt that for me!" "Yes, I did," sed Marilla. "I thaut U'd be hunggry after such a driev and need sumthing reeal apetiezing. Hery and taek off yur things, and we'll hav super as soon as Matthew cums in. I'm glad U'v got bak, I must sae. It's bin feerful loensum heer without U, and I never puut in foer longger daes." After super Anne sat befor th fier between Matthew and Marilla, and gaev them a fuul acount of her vizit. "I'v had a splendid tiem," she conclooded hapily, "and I feel that it marks an epok in mi lief. But th best of it all was th cuming hoem." CHAPTER XXX Th Qeens Clas Is Organiezd Marilla laed her niting on her lap and leend bak in her chair. Her ies wer tierd, and she thaut vaegly that she must see about having her glases chaenjd th next tiem she went to toun, for her ies had groen tierd verry offen of laet. It was neerly dark, for th fuul November twieliet had fallen around Green Gaebls, and th oenly liet in th kichen caem frum th dansing red flaems in th stoev. Anne was curld up Turk-fashun on th hearthrug, gaezing into that joius glo wherr th sunshien of a hundred sumers was being distild frum th maepl cordwood. She had bin reeding, but her buuk had slipt to th flor, and now she was dreeming, with a smiel on her parted lips. Glitering casls in Spain wer shaeping themselvs out of th mists and rainbows of her lievly fansy; advenchers wunderful and enthralling wer hapening to her in cloudland--advenchers that allwaes ternd out trieumfantly and never involvd her in scraeps liek thoes of akchual lief. Marilla luukt at her with a tendernes that wuud never hav bin suferd to reveel itself in eny cleerer liet than that sofft minggling of fireshine and shado. Th leson of a luv that shuud displae itself eezily in spoeken werd and oepen luuk was wun Marilla cuud never lern. But she had lernd to luv this slim, grae-ied gerl with an afecshun all th deeper and strongger frum its verry undemonstrativeness. Her luv maed her afraed of being unduely induljent, indeed. She had an uneezy feeling that it was rather sinful to set one's hart so intensly on eny hueman creecher as she had set hers on Anne, and perhaps she performd a sort of unconshus penans for this bi being stricter and mor critical than if th gerl had bin les deer to her. Sertenly Anne herself had no iedeea how Marilla luvd her. She sumtiems thaut wistfuly that Marilla was verry hard to pleez and distinktly laking in simpathy and understanding. But she allwaes chekt th thaut reproachfully, remembering whut she oed to Marilla. "Anne," sed Marilla abruptly, "Mis Stacy was heer this afternoon when U wer out with Diana." Anne caem bak frum her uther werld with a start and a si. "Was she? O, I'm so sorry I wasn't in. Whi didn't U call me, Marilla? Diana and I wer oenly oever in th Haunted Wuud. It's luvly in th wuuds now. All th litl wuud things--th ferns and th satin leevs and th crackerberries--hav gon to sleep, just as if sumbody had tukt them awae until spring under a blanket of leevs. I think it was a litl grae fairy with a raenbo scarf that caem tiptoeing along th last moonliet niet and did it. Diana wuudn't sae much about that, tho. Diana has never forgoten th scoelding her muther gaev her about imajining goests into th Haunted Wuud. It had a verry bad efect on Diana's imajinaeshun. It blieted it. Mrs. Lynde ses Mertl Bel is a blieted being. I askt Ruby Gillis whi Mertl was blieted, and Ruby sed she gest it was becauz her yung man had gon bak on her. Ruby Gillis thinks of nuthing but yung men, and th oelder she gets th wers she is. Yung men ar all verry wel in thair plaes, but it duzn't do to drag them into evrything, duz it? Diana and I ar thinking seeriusly of promising eech uther that we wil never marry but be nies oeld maeds and liv together forever. Diana hasn't qiet maed up her miend tho, becauz she thinks perhaps it wuud be noebler to marry sum wield, dashing, wiked yung man and reform him. Diana and I tauk a graet deel about seerius subjects now, U noe. We feel that we ar so much oelder than we uezd to be that it isn't becuming to tauk of chieldish maters. It's such a solem thing to be allmoest forteen, Marilla. Mis Stacy tuuk all us gerls hoo ar in our teens doun to th bruuk last Wednesday, and taukt to us about it. She sed we cuudn't be too cairful whut habits we formd and whut iedeeals we aqierd in our teens, becauz bi th tiem we wer twenty our carracters wuud be developt and th foundaeshun laed for our hoel fuecher lief. And she sed if th foundaeshun was shaeky we cuud never bild enything reealy werth whiel on it. Diana and I taukt th mater oever cuming hoem frum scool. We felt extreemly solem, Marilla. And we desieded that we wuud tri to be verry cairful indeed and form respectabl habits and lern all we cuud and be as sensibl as posibl, so that bi th tiem we wer twenty our carracters wuud be properly developt. It's perfectly apalling to think of being twenty, Marilla. It sounds so feerfuly oeld and groen up. But whi was Mis Stacy heer this afternoon?" "That is whut I wont to tel U, Anne, if U'l ever giv me a chans to get a werd in ejwiez. She was tauking about U." "About me?" Anne luukt rather scaird. Then she flusht and exclaemd: "O, I noe whut she was saeing. I ment to tel U, Marilla, onestly I did, but I forgot. Mis Stacy caut me reeding Ben Hur in scool yesterdae afternoon when I shuud hav bin studying mi Canadian history. Jane Andrews lent it to me. I was reeding it at diner our, and I had just got to th charriot raes when scool went in. I was simply wield to noe how it ternd out-- alltho I felt shur Ben Hur must win, becauz it wuudn't be poeetical justis if he didn't--so I spred th history oepen on mi desk lid and then tukt Ben Hur between th desk and mi nee. I just luukt as if I wer studying Canadian history, U noe, whiel all th whiel I was reveling in Ben Hur. I was so interested in it that I never noetist Mis Stacy cuming doun th iel until all at wuns I just luukt up and thair she was luuking doun at me, so reproechful-liek. I can't tel U how ashaemd I felt, Marilla, espeshaly when I herd Josie Pye gigling. Mis Stacy tuuk Ben Hur awae, but she never sed a werd then. She kept me in at reses and taukt to me. She sed I had dun verry rong in too respects. Ferst, I was waesting th tiem I aut to hav puut on mi studys; and secondly, I was deseeving mi teecher in trieing to maek it apeer I was reeding a history when it was a storybuuk insted. I had never reealiezd until that moement, Marilla, that whut I was doing was deseetful. I was shokt. I cried biterly, and askt Mis Stacy to forgiv me and I'd never do such a thing agen; and I offerd to do penans bi never so much as luuking at Ben Hur for a hoel week, not eeven to see how th charriot raes ternd out. But Mis Stacy sed she wuudn't reqier that, and she forgaev me freely. So I think it wasn't verry kiend of her to cum up heer to U about it after all." "Mis Stacy never menshund such a thing to me, Anne, and its oenly yur gilty conshens that's th mater with U. U hav no biznes to be taeking storybuuks to scool. U reed too meny novels enyhow. When I was a gerl I wasn't so much as alowd to luuk at a novel." "O, how can U call Ben Hur a novel when it's reealy such a relijus buuk?" proetested Anne. "Of cors it's a litl too exsieting to be proper reeding for Sunday, and I oenly reed it on weekdays. And I never reed ENY buuk now unles eether Mis Stacy or Mrs. Allan thinks it is a proper buuk for a gerl therteen and three-qorters to reed. Mis Stacy maed me promis that. She found me reeding a buuk wun dae calld, Th Lurid Mistery of th Haunted Hall. It was wun Ruby Gillis had lent me, and, o, Marilla, it was so fasinaeting and creepy. It just curdled th blud in mi vaens. But Mis Stacy sed it was a verry sily, unhoelsum buuk, and she askt me not to reed eny mor of it or eny liek it. I didn't miend promising not to reed eny mor liek it, but it was AGONIEZING to giv bak that buuk without noeing how it ternd out. But mi luv for Mis Stacy stuud th test and I did. It's reealy wunderful, Marilla, whut U can do when U'r trooly ankshus to pleez a serten person." "Wel, I ges I'l liet th lamp and get to werk," sed Marilla. "I see plaenly that U don't wont to heer whut Mis Stacy had to sae. U'r mor interested in th sound of yur oen tung than in enything els." "O, indeed, Marilla, I do wont to heer it," cried Anne contritely. "I woen't sae anuther werd--not wun. I noe I tauk too much, but I am reealy trieing to oevercum it, and alltho I sae far too much, yet if U oenly nue how meny things I wont to sae and don't, U'd giv me sum credit for it. Pleez tel me, Marilla." "Wel, Mis Stacy wonts to organiez a clas amung her advanst stoodents hoo meen to study for th entrans examinaeshun into Queen's. She intends to giv them extra lesons for an our after scool. And she caem to ask Matthew and me if we wuud liek to hav U join it. Whut do U think about it yurself, Anne? Wuud U liek to go to Queen's and pas for a teecher?" "O, Marilla!" Anne straetend to her nees and claspt her hands. "It's bin th dreem of mi lief--that is, for th last six munths, ever sinss Ruby and Jane began to tauk of studying for th Entrans. But I didn't sae enything about it, becauz I supoezd it wuud be perfectly uesles. I'd luv to be a teecher. But woen't it be dredfuly expensiv? Mr. Andrews ses it cost him wun hundred and fifty dolars to puut Prissy thru, and Prissy wasn't a duns in jeometry." "I ges U needn't wery about that part of it. When Matthew and I tuuk U to bring up we rezolvd we wuud do th best we cuud for U and giv U a guud ejucaeshun. I beleev in a gerl being fited to ern her oen living whether she ever has to or not. U'l allwaes hav a hoem at Green Gaebls as long as Matthew and I ar heer, but noebody noes whut is going to hapen in this unsertan werld, and it's just as wel to be prepaird. So U can join th Queen's clas if U liek, Anne." "O, Marilla, thank U." Anne flung her arms about Marilla's waest and luukt up ernestly into her faes. "I'm extreemly graetful to U and Matthew. And I'l study as hard as I can and do mi verry best to be a credit to U. I worn U not to expect much in jeometry, but I think I can hoeld mi oen in enything els if I werk hard." "I dair sae U'l get along wel enuf. Mis Stacy ses U ar briet and dilijent." Not for werlds wuud Marilla hav toeld Anne just whut Mis Stacy had sed about her; that wuud hav bin to pamper vanity. "U needn't rush to eny extreem of kiling yurself oever yur buuks. Thair is no hery. U woen't be redy to tri th Entrans for a yeer and a haf yet. But it's wel to begin in tiem and be theroely grounded, Mis Stacy ses." "I shal taek mor interest than ever in mi studys now," sed Anne blisfuly, "becauz I hav a perpos in lief. Mr. Allan ses evrybody shuud hav a perpos in lief and persoo it faethfuly. Oenly he ses we must ferst maek shur that it is a werthy perpos. I wuud call it a werthy perpos to wont to be a teecher liek Mis Stacy, wuudn't U, Marilla? I think it's a verry noebl profeshun." Th Queen's clas was organiezd in due tiem. Gilbert Blythe, Anne Shirley, Ruby Gillis, Jane Andrews, Josie Pye, Charlie Sloane, and Moody Spurgeon Macpherson joind it. Diana Barry did not, as her pairents did not intend to send her to Queen's. This seemd nuthing short of a calamity to Anne. Never, sinss th niet on which Minnie Mae had had th croup, had she and Diana bin separaeted in enything. On th eevning when th Queen's clas ferst remaend in scool for th extra lesons and Anne saw Diana go sloely out with th uthers, to wauk hoem aloen thru th Berch Path and Vieolet Vael, it was all th former cuud do to keep her seet and refraen frum rushing impulsivly after her chum. A lump caem into her throet, and she haestily retierd behiend th paejes of her uplifted Latin gramar to hied th teers in her ies. Not for werlds wuud Anne hav had Gilbert Blythe or Josie Pye see thoes teers. "But, o, Marilla, I reealy felt that I had taested th biternes of deth, as Mr. Allan sed in his sermon last Sunday, when I saw Diana go out aloen," she sed mornfuly that niet. "I thaut how splendid it wuud hav bin if Diana had oenly bin going to study for th Entrans, too. But we can't hav things perfect in this imperfect werld, as Mrs. Lynde ses. Mrs. Lynde isn't exactly a cumforting person sumtiems, but thair's no dout she ses a graet meny verry troo things. And I think th Queen's clas is going to be extreemly interesting. Jane and Ruby ar just going to study to be teechers. That is th hiet of thair ambishun. Ruby ses she wil oenly teech for too yeers after she gets thru, and then she intends to be marryd. Jane ses she wil devoet her hoel lief to teeching, and never, never marry, becauz U ar paed a salary for teeching, but a huzband woen't pae U enything, and growls if U ask for a shair in th eg and buter muny. I expect Jane speeks frum mornful expeeryens, for Mrs. Lynde ses that her faather is a perfect oeld crank, and meaner than second skimmings. Josie Pye ses she is just going to colej for education's saek, becauz she woen't hav to ern her oen living; she ses of cors it is diferent with orfans hoo ar living on charrity--THAE hav to husl. Moody Spurgeon is going to be a minister. Mrs. Lynde ses he cuudn't be enything els with a naem liek that to liv up to. I hoep it isn't wiked of me, Marilla, but reealy th thaut of Moody Spurgeon being a minister maeks me laf. He's such a funy-luuking boi with that big fat faes, and his litl bloo ies, and his eers stiking out liek flaps. But perhaps he wil be mor intelekchual luuking when he groes up. Charlie Sloane ses he's going to go into politics and be a member of Parlament, but Mrs. Lynde ses he'l never sucseed at that, becauz th Sloanes ar all onest peepl, and it's oenly rascals that get on in politics now-a-daes." "Whut is Gilbert Blythe going to be?" qeeryd Marilla, seeing that Anne was oepening her Caesar. "I don't hapen to noe whut Gilbert Blythe's ambishun in lief is-- if he has eny," sed Anne scornfuly. Thair was oepen rievalry between Gilbert and Anne now. Preeviusly th rievalry had bin rather onesided, but thair was no longger eny dout that Gilbert was as determind to be ferst in clas as Anne was. He was a foeman werthy of her steel. Th uther members of th clas tasitly aknolejd thair supeeriority, and never dreemd of trieing to compeet with them. Sinss th dae bi th pond when she had refuezd to lisen to his plee for forgivnes, Gilbert, saev for th aforsed determind rievalry, had evinst no recognishun whutever of th existens of Anne Shirley. He taukt and jested with th uther gerls, exchaenjd buuks and puzls with them, discust lesons and plans, sumtiems waukt hoem with wun or th uther of them frum prair meeting or Debaeting Club. But Anne Shirley he simply ignord, and Anne found out that it is not plezant to be ignord. It was in vaen that she toeld herself with a toss of her hed that she did not cair. Deep doun in her waeward, feminin litl hart she nue that she did cair, and that if she had that chans of th Laek of Shiening Wauters agen she wuud anser verry diferently. All at wuns, as it seemd, and to her seecret dismae, she found that th oeld rezentment she had cherrisht agenst him was gon--gon just when she moest needed its sustaening power. It was in vaen that she recalld evry insident and emoeshun of that memorabl ocaezhun and tried to feel th oeld satisfieing angger. That dae bi th pond had witnest its last spazmodic fliker. Anne reealiezd that she had forgiven and forgoten without noeing it. But it was too laet. And at leest neether Gilbert nor enybody els, not eeven Diana, shuud ever suspect how sorry she was and how much she wisht she hadn't bin so proud and horrid! She determind to "shroud her feelings in deepest oblivion," and it mae be staeted heer and now that she did it, so sucsesfuly that Gilbert, hoo posibly was not qiet so indiferent as he seemd, cuud not consoel himself with eny beleef that Anne felt his retaliatory scorn. Th oenly pur cumfort he had was that she snubd Charlie Sloane, unmercifully, continuealy, and undeservedly. Utherwiez th winter past awae in a round of plezant duetys and studys. For Anne th daes slipt bi liek goelden beeds on th neklas of th yeer. She was hapy, eeger, interested; thair wer lesons to be lernd and onor to be wun; delietful buuks to reed; nue peeses to be practist for th Sunday-scool qier; plezant Saturday afternoons at th mans with Mrs. Allan; and then, allmoest befor Anne reealiezd it, spring had cum agen to Green Gaebls and all th werld was abloom wuns mor. Studys palled just a wee bit then; th Queen's clas, left behiend in scool whiel th uthers scaterd to green laens and leefy wuud cuts and medo biewaes, luukt wistfuly out of th windoes and discuverd that Latin verbs and French exersiezes had sumhow lost th tang and zest thae had pozest in th crisp winter munths. Eeven Anne and Gilbert lagd and groo indiferent. Teecher and taut wer aliek glad when th term was ended and th glad vaecaeshun daes strecht roezily befor them. "But U'v dun guud werk this past yeer," Mis Stacy toeld them on th last eevning, "and U dezerv a guud, joly vaecaeshun. Hav th best tiem U can in th out-of-dor werld and lae in a guud stok of helth and vietality and ambishun to carry U thru next yeer. It wil be th tug of wor, U noe--th last yeer befor th Entrans." "Ar U going to be bak next yeer, Mis Stacy?" askt Josie Pye. Josie Pye never scrupled to ask qeschuns; in this instans th rest of th clas felt graetful to her; nun of them wuud hav daird to ask it of Mis Stacy, but all wonted to, for thair had bin alarming roomors runing at larj thru th scool for sum tiem that Mis Stacy was not cuming bak th next yeer--that she had bin offerd a pozishun in th graed scool of her oen hoem district and ment to acsept. Th Queen's clas lisend in brethles suspens for her anser. "Yes, I think I wil," sed Mis Stacy. "I thaut of taeking anuther scool, but I hav desieded to cum bak to Avonlea. To tel th trooth, I'v groen so interested in mi puepils heer that I found I cuudn't leev them. So I'l stae and see U thru." "Hoo-raa!" sed Moody Spurgeon. Moody Spurgeon had never bin so carryd awae bi his feelings befor, and he blusht uncumfortably evry tiem he thaut about it for a week. "O, I'm so glad," sed Anne, with shiening ies. "Deer Stacy, it wuud be perfectly dredful if U didn't cum bak. I don't beleev I cuud hav th hart to go on with mi studys at all if anuther teecher caem heer." When Anne got hoem that niet she stakt all her textbuuks awae in an oeld trunk in th atic, lokt it, and throo th kee into th blanket box. "I'm not eeven going to luuk at a schoolbook in vaecaeshun," she toeld Marilla. "I'v studyd as hard all th term as I posibly cuud and I'v pord oever that jeometry until I noe evry propozishun in th ferst buuk off bi hart, eeven when th leters AR chaenjd. I just feel tierd of evrything sensibl and I'm going to let mi imajinaeshun run rieot for th sumer. O, U needn't be alarmd, Marilla. I'l oenly let it run rieot within reezonabl limits. But I wont to hav a reeal guud joly tiem this sumer, for maebe it's th last sumer I'l be a litl gerl. Mrs. Lynde ses that if I keep streching out next yeer as I'v dun this I'l hav to puut on longger skerts. She ses I'm all runing to legs and ies. And when I puut on longger skerts I shal feel that I hav to liv up to them and be verry dignified. It woen't eeven do to beleev in fairys then, I'm afraed; so I'm going to beleev in them with all mi hoel hart this sumer. I think we'r going to hav a verry gae vaecaeshun. Ruby Gillis is going to hav a berthdae party soon and thair's th Sunday scool picnik and th mishunairy consert next munth. And Mrs. Barry ses that sum eevning he'l taek Diana and me oever to th Whiet Sands Hoetel and hav diner thair. Thae hav diner thair in th eevning, U noe. Jane Andrews was oever wuns last sumer and she ses it was a dazling siet to see th electric liets and th flowers and all th laedy gests in such buetyful dreses. Jane ses it was her ferst glimps into hi lief and she'l never forget it to her dieing dae." Mrs. Lynde caem up th next afternoon to fiend out whi Marilla had not bin at th Aed meeting on Thursday. When Marilla was not at Aed meeting peepl nue thair was sumthing rong at Green Gaebls. "Matthew had a bad spel with his hart Thursday," Marilla explaend, "and I didn't feel liek leeving him. O, yes, he's all riet agen now, but he taeks them spels offener than he uezd to and I'm ankshus about him. Th doctor ses he must be cairful to avoid exsietment. That's eezy enuf, for Matthew duzn't go about luuking for exsietment bi eny meens and never did, but he's not to do eny verry hevy werk eether and U miet as wel tel Matthew not to breeth as not to werk. Cum and lae off yur things, Rachel. U'l stae to tee?" "Wel, seeing U'r so presing, perhaps I miet as wel, stae" sed Mrs. Rachel, hoo had not th slietest intenshun of doing enything els. Mrs. Rachel and Marilla sat cumfortably in th parlor whiel Anne got th tee and maed hot biskits that wer liet and whiet enuf to defi eeven Mrs. Rachel's critisizm. "I must sae Anne has ternd out a reeal smart gerl," admited Mrs. Rachel, as Marilla acumpanyd her to th end of th laen at sunset. "She must be a graet help to U." "She is," sed Marilla, "and she's reeal stedy and relieabl now. I uezd to be afraed she'd never get oever her featherbrained waes, but she has and I wuudn't be afraed to trust her in enything now." "I never wuud hav thaut she'd hav ternd out so wel that ferst dae I was heer three yeers ago," sed Mrs. Rachel. "Lawful hart, shal I ever forget that tantrum of hers! When I went hoem that niet I ses to Thomas, ses I, `Mark mi werds, Thomas, Marilla Cuthbert'll liv to roo th step she's tuuk.' But I was mistaeken and I'm reeal glad of it. I ain't wun of thoes kiend of peepl, Marilla, as can never be braut to oen up that thae'v maed a mistaek. No, that never was mi wae, thank guudnes. I did maek a mistaek in jujing Anne, but it wern't no wunder, for an odder, unexpecteder wich of a chield thair never was in this werld, that's whut. Thair was no ciphering her out bi th rools that werkt with uther children. It's nuthing short of wunderful how she's improovd thees three yeers, but espeshaly in luuks. She's a reeal prity gerl got to be, tho I can't sae I'm oeverly parshal to that pael, big-ied stiel mieself. I liek mor snap and culor, liek Diana Barry has or Ruby Gillis. Ruby Gillis's luuks ar reeal shoey. But sumhow--I don't noe how it is but when Anne and them ar together, tho she ain't haf as hansum, she maeks them luuk kiend of comon and oeverdun-- sumthing liek them whiet June lilys she calls narsisus alongsied of th big, red peeonys, that's whut." CHAPTER XXXI Wherr th Bruuk and River Meet Anne had her "guud" sumer and enjoid it hoelhartedly. She and Diana fairly livd outdors, reveling in all th deliets that Lover's Laen and th Dryad's Bubl and Willowmere and Victoria Ieland aforded. Marilla offerd no objecshuns to Anne's gypsyings. Th Spencervale doctor hoo had cum th niet Minnie Mae had th croup met Anne at th hous of a paeshent wun afternoon erly in vaecaeshun, luukt her oever sharply, scrood up his mouth, shuuk his hed, and sent a mesej to Marilla Cuthbert bi anuther person. It was: "Keep that redheded gerl of yurs in th oepen air all sumer and don't let her reed buuks until she gets mor spring into her step." This mesej frietend Marilla wholesomely. She reed Anne's deth warant bi consumpshun in it unles it was scroopuelusly oebaed. As a rezult, Anne had th goelden sumer of her lief as far as freedom and frolic went. She waukt, roed, berried, and dreemd to her heart's content; and when September caem she was briet-ied and alert, with a step that wuud hav satisfied th Spencervale doctor and a hart fuul of ambishun and zest wuns mor. "I feel just liek studying with miet and maen," she declaird as she braut her buuks doun frum th atic. "O, U guud oeld frends, I'm glad to see yur onest faeses wuns mor--yes, eeven U, jeometry. I'v had a perfectly buetyful sumer, Marilla, and now I'm rejoising as a strong man to run a raes, as Mr. Allan sed last Sunday. Duzn't Mr. Allan preech magnifisent sermons? Mrs. Lynde ses he is improoving evry dae and th ferst thing we noe sum sity cherch wil gobl him up and then we'll be left and hav to tern to and braek in anuther green preecher. But I don't see th uez of meeting trubl hafwae, do U, Marilla? I think it wuud be beter just to enjoi Mr. Allan whiel we hav him. If I wer a man I think I'd be a minister. Thae can hav such an inflooens for guud, if thair theolojy is sound; and it must be thriling to preech splendid sermons and ster yur hearers' harts. Whi can't wimen be ministers, Marilla? I askt Mrs. Lynde that and she was shokt and sed it wuud be a scandalus thing. She sed thair miet be feemael ministers in th Staets and she beleevd thair was, but thank guudnes we hadn't got to that staej in Canada yet and she hoept we never wuud. But I don't see whi. I think wimen wuud maek splendid ministers. When thair is a soeshal to be got up or a cherch tee or enything els to raez muny th wimen hav to tern to and do th werk. I'm shur Mrs. Lynde can prae evry bit as wel as Superintendent Bel and I'v no dout she cuud preech too with a litl practis." "Yes, I beleev she cuud," sed Marilla driely. "She duz plenty of unofishal preeching as it is. Noebody has much of a chans to go rong in Avonlea with Rachel to oversee them." "Marilla," sed Anne in a berst of confidens, "I wont to tel U sumthing and ask U whut U think about it. It has weryd me terribly--on Sunday afternoons, that is, when I think speshaly about such maters. I do reealy wont to be guud; and when I'm with U or Mrs. Allan or Mis Stacy I wont it mor than ever and I wont to do just whut wuud pleez U and whut U wuud aproov of. But moestly when I'm with Mrs. Lynde I feel desperetly wiked and as if I wonted to go and do th verry thing she tels me I oughtn't to do. I feel irrezistibly tempted to do it. Now, whut do U think is th reezon I feel liek that? Do U think it's becauz I'm reealy bad and unrejeneret?" Marilla luukt doobius for a moement. Then she laft. "If U ar I ges I am too, Anne, for Rachel offen has that verry efect on me. I sumtiems think she'd hav mor of an inflooens for guud, as U sae yurself, if she didn't keep naging peepl to do riet. Thair shuud hav bin a speshal comandment agenst naging. But thair, I shuudn't tauk so. Rachel is a guud Christian wuuman and she meens wel. Thair isn't a kiender soel in Avonlea and she never sherks her shair of werk." "I'm verry glad U feel th saem," sed Anne desiededly. "It's so encurejing. I shan't wery so much oever that after this. But I dair sae thair'l be uther things to wery me. Thae keep cuming up nue all th tiem--things to perplex U, U noe. U setl wun qeschun and thair's anuther riet after. Thair ar so meny things to be thaut oever and desieded when U'r begining to gro up. It keeps me bizy all th tiem thinking them oever and desieding whut is riet. It's a seerius thing to gro up, isn't it, Marilla? But when I hav such guud frends as U and Matthew and Mrs. Allan and Mis Stacy I aut to gro up sucsesfuly, and I'm shur it wil be mi oen fallt if I don't. I feel it's a graet responsibility becauz I hav oenly th wun chans. If I don't gro up riet I can't go bak and begin oever agen. I'v groen too inches this sumer, Marilla. Mr. Gillis mezherd me at Ruby's party. I'm so glad U maed mi nue dreses longger. That dark-green wun is so prity and it was sweet of U to puut on th flounce. Of cors I noe it wasn't reealy nesesairy, but flounces ar so stielish this fall and Josie Pye has flounces on all her dreses. I noe I'l be aebl to study beter becauz of mien. I shal hav such a cumfortabl feeling deep doun in mi miend about that flounce." "It's werth sumthing to hav that," admited Marilla. Mis Stacy caem bak to Avonlea scool and found all her puepils eeger for werk wuns mor. Espeshaly did th Queen's clas gerd up thair loins for th frae, for at th end of th cuming yeer, dimly shadoeing thair pathwae allredy, loomd up that faetful thing noen as "th Entrans," at th thaut of which wun and all felt thair harts sink into thair verry shoos. Supoez thae did not pas! That thaut was doomd to haunt Anne thru th waeking ours of that winter, Sunday afternoons incloosiv, to th allmoest entier excloozhun of moral and theolojical problems. When Anne had bad dreems she found herself stairing mizerably at pas lists of th Entrans exams, wherr Gilbert Blythe's naem was blazoned at th top and in which hers did not apeer at all. But it was a joly, bizy, hapy swift-flieing winter. Scoolwerk was as interesting, clas rievalry as absorbing, as of yor. Nue werlds of thaut, feeling, and ambishun, fresh, fasinaeting feelds of unexplord nolej seemd to be oepening out befor Anne's eeger ies. "Hils peeped o'er hil and Alps on Alps aroez." Much of all this was due to Mis Stacy's tactful, cairful, broadminded giedans. She led her clas to think and explor and discuver for themselvs and encurejd straying frum th oeld beeten paths to a degree that qiet shokt Mrs. Lynde and th scool trustees, hoo vued all inovaeshuns on establisht methods rather dubiously. Apart frum her studys Anne expanded soeshaly, for Marilla, miendful of th Spencervale doctor's dictum, no longger veetoed ocaezhunal outings. Th Debaeting Club flerisht and gaev several conserts; thair wer wun or too partys allmoest verjing on groen-up afairs; thair wer slae drievs and skaeting froliks galor. Betweentiems Anne groo, shooting up so rapidly that Marilla was astonisht wun dae, when thae wer standing sied bi sied, to fiend th gerl was taller than herself. "Whi, Anne, how U'v groen!" she sed, allmoest unbelievingly. A si foloed on th werds. Marilla felt a qeer regret oever Anne's inches. Th chield she had lernd to luv had vanisht sumhow and heer was this tall, seerius-ied gerl of fifteen, with th thautful brous and th proudly poizd litl hed, in her plaes. Marilla luvd th gerl as much as she had luvd th chield, but she was conshus of a qeer sorroeful sens of loss. And that niet, when Anne had gon to prair meeting with Diana, Marilla sat aloen in th wintry twieliet and induljd in th weeknes of a cri. Matthew, cuming in with a lantern, caut her at it and gaezd at her in such consternaeshun that Marilla had to laf thru her teers. "I was thinking about Anne," she explaend. "She's got to be such a big gerl--and she'l probably be awae frum us next winter. I'l mis her terribl." "She'l be aebl to cum hoem offen," cumforted Matthew, to hoom Anne was as yet and allwaes wuud be th litl, eeger gerl he had braut hoem frum Briet River on that June eevning foer yeers befor. "Th branch raelroed wil be bilt to Carmody bi that tiem." "It woen't be th saem thing as having her heer all th tiem," sied Marilla gloomily, determind to enjoi her lugzhury of greef uncumforted. "But thair--men can't understand thees things!" Thair wer uther chaenjes in Anne no les reeal than th fizical chaenj. For wun thing, she becaem much qieeter. Perhaps she thaut all th mor and dreemd as much as ever, but she sertenly taukt les. Marilla noetist and comented on this allso. "U don't chater haf as much as U uezd to, Anne, nor uez haf as meny big werds. Whut has cum oever U?" Anne culord and laft a litl, as she dropt her buuk and luukt dreemily out of th windo, wherr big fat red buds wer bersting out on th creeper in respons to th lur of th spring sunshien. "I don't noe--I don't wont to tauk as much," she sed, denting her chin thautfuly with her forfingger. "It's nieser to think deer, prity thauts and keep them in one's hart, liek trezhers. I don't liek to hav them laft at or wunderd oever. And sumhow I don't wont to uez big werds eny mor. It's allmoest a pity, isn't it, now that I'm reealy groeing big enuf to sae them if I did wont to. It's fun to be allmoest groen up in sum waes, but it's not th kiend of fun I expected, Marilla. Thair's so much to lern and do and think that thair isn't tiem for big werds. Besieds, Mis Stacy ses th short wuns ar much strongger and beter. She maeks us riet all our esaes as simply as posibl. It was hard at ferst. I was so uezd to crouding in all th fien big werds I cuud think of--and I thaut of eny number of them. But I'v got uezd to it now and I see it's so much beter." "Whut has becum of yur story club? I havn't herd U speek of it for a long tiem." "Th story club isn't in existens eny longger. We hadn't tiem for it--and enyhow I think we had got tierd of it. It was sily to be rieting about luv and merder and elopements and misterys. Mis Stacy sumtiems has us riet a story for traening in compozishun, but she woen't let us riet enything but whut miet hapen in Avonlea in our oen lievs, and she criticizes it verry sharply and maeks us critisiez our oen too. I never thaut mi compozishuns had so meny fallts until I began to luuk for them mieself. I felt so ashaemd I wonted to giv up alltogether, but Mis Stacy sed I cuud lern to riet wel if I oenly traend mieself to be mi oen severest critic. And so I am trieing to." "U'v oenly too mor munths befor th Entrans," sed Marilla. "Do U think U'l be aebl to get thru?" Anne shiverd. "I don't noe. Sumtiems I think I'l be all riet--and then I get horribly afraed. We'v studyd hard and Mis Stacy has drild us theroely, but we mayn't get thru for all that. We'v eech got a stumbling blok. Mien is jeometry of cors, and Jane's is Latin, and Ruby and Charlie's is aljebra, and Josie's is arithmetic. Moody Spurgeon ses he feels it in his boens that he is going to fael in English history. Mis Stacy is going to giv us examinaeshuns in June just as hard as we'll hav at th Entrans and mark us just as strictly, so we'll hav sum iedeea. I wish it was all oever, Marilla. It haunts me. Sumtiems I waek up in th niet and wunder whut I'l do if I don't pas." "Whi, go to scool next yeer and tri agen," sed Marilla unconsernedly. "O, I don't beleev I'd hav th hart for it. It wuud be such a disgraes to fael, espeshaly if Gil--if th uthers past. And I get so nervus in an examinaeshun that I'm liekly to maek a mes of it. I wish I had nervs liek Jane Andrews. Nuthing ratls her." Anne sied and, draging her ies frum th witcheries of th spring werld, th bekoning dae of breez and bloo, and th green things upspringing in th garden, berryd herself rezolootly in her buuk. Thair wuud be uther springs, but if she did not sucseed in pasing th Entrans, Anne felt convinst that she wuud never recuver sufishently to enjoi them. CHAPTER XXXII Th Pas List Is Out With th end of June caem th cloez of th term and th cloez of Mis Stacy's rool in Avonlea scool. Anne and Diana waukt hoem that eevning feeling verry soeber indeed. Red ies and damp hankerchifs bor convinsing testimoeny to th fact that Mis Stacy's fairwel werds must hav bin qiet as tuching as Mr. Phillips's had bin under similar sercumstanses three yeers befor. Diana luukt bak at th scoolhous frum th fuut of th sproos hil and sied deeply. "It duz seem as if it was th end of evrything, duzn't it?" she sed dizmaly. "U oughtn't to feel haf as badly as I do," sed Anne, hunting vaenly for a dri spot on her hankerchif. "U'l be bak agen next winter, but I supoez I'v left th deer oeld scool forever-- if I hav guud luk, that is." "It woen't be a bit th saem. Mis Stacy woen't be thair, nor U nor Jane nor Ruby probably. I shal hav to sit all aloen, for I cuudn't bair to hav anuther deskmate after U. O, we hav had joly tiems, havn't we, Anne? It's dredful to think thae'r all oever." Too big teers roeld doun bi Diana's noez. "If U wuud stop crieing I cuud," sed Anne imploringly. "Just as soon as I puut awae mi hanky I see U briming up and that starts me off agen. As Mrs. Lynde ses, `If U can't be cheerful, be as cheerful as U can.' After all, I dair sae I'l be bak next yeer. This is wun of th tiems I NOE I'm not going to pas. Thae'r geting alarmingly freeqent." "Whi, U caem out splendidly in th exams Mis Stacy gaev." "Yes, but thoes exams didn't maek me nervus. When I think of th reeal thing U can't imajin whut a horrid coeld flutery feeling cums round mi hart. And then mi number is therteen and Josie Pye ses it's so unluky. I am NOT sooperstishus and I noe it can maek no diferens. But stil I wish it wasn't therteen." "I do wish I was going in with U," sed Diana. "Wuudn't we hav a perfectly elegant tiem? But I supoez U'l hav to cram in th eevnings." "No; Mis Stacy has maed us promis not to oepen a buuk at all. She ses it wuud oenly tier and confuez us and we ar to go out wauking and not think about th exams at all and go to bed erly. It's guud advies, but I expect it wil be hard to folo; guud advies is apt to be, I think. Prissy Andrews toeld me that she sat up haf th niet evry niet of her Entrans week and cramd for deer lief; and I had determind to sit up AT LEEST as long as she did. It was so kiend of yur Ant Josephine to ask me to stae at Beechwood whiel I'm in toun." "U'l riet to me whiel U'r in, woen't U?" "I'l riet Tuesday niet and tel U how th ferst dae goes," promist Anne. "I'l be haunting th poest offis Wednesday," vowd Diana. Anne went to toun th foloeing Monday and on Wednesday Diana haunted th poest offis, as agreed, and got her leter. "Deerest Diana" [roet Anne], "Heer it is Tuesday niet and I'm rieting this in th liebrairy at Beechwood. Last niet I was horribly loensum all aloen in mi room and wisht so much U wer with me. I cuudn't "cram" becauz I'd promist Mis Stacy not to, but it was as hard to keep frum oepening mi history as it uezd to be to keep frum reeding a story befor mi lesons wer lernd. "This morning Mis Stacy caem for me and we went to th Academy, calling for Jane and Ruby and Josie on our wae. Ruby askt me to feel her hands and thae wer as coeld as ies. Josie sed I luukt as if I hadn't slept a wink and she didn't beleev I was strong enuf to stand th griend of th teacher's cors eeven if I did get thru. Thair ar tiems and seezons eeven yet when I don't feel that I'v maed eny graet hedwae in lerning to liek Josie Pye! "When we reecht th Academy thair wer scors of stoodents thair frum all oever th Ieland. Th ferst person we saw was Moody Spurgeon siting on th steps and mutering awae to himself. Jane askt him whut on erth he was doing and he sed he was repeeting th multiplicaeshun taebl oever and oever to stedy his nervs and for pity's saek not to interupt him, becauz if he stopt for a moement he got frietend and forgot evrything he ever nue, but th multiplicaeshun taebl kept all his facts fermly in thair proper plaes! "When we wer asiend to our rooms Mis Stacy had to leev us. Jane and I sat together and Jane was so compoezd that I envyd her. No need of th multiplicaeshun taebl for guud, stedy, sensibl Jane! I wunderd if I luukt as I felt and if thae cuud heer mi hart thumping cleer across th room. Then a man caem in and began distribueting th English examinaeshun sheets. Mi hands groo coeld then and mi hed fairly wherld around as I pikt it up. Just wun auful moement--Diana, I felt exactly as I did foer yeers ago when I askt Marilla if I miet stae at Green Gaebls--and then evrything cleerd up in mi miend and mi hart began beeting agen--I forgot to sae that it had stopt alltogether!--for I nue I cuud do sumthing with THAT paeper enyhow. "At noon we went hoem for diner and then bak agen for history in th afternoon. Th history was a prity hard paeper and I got dredfuly mixt up in th daets. Stil, I think I did fairly wel todae. But o, Diana, tomorro th jeometry exam cums off and when I think of it it taeks evry bit of determinaeshun I pozes to keep frum oepening mi Euclid. If I thaut th multiplicaeshun taebl wuud help me eny I wuud resiet it frum now til tomorro morning. "I went doun to see th uther gerls this eevning. On mi wae I met Moody Spurgeon waandering distractedly around. He sed he nue he had faeld in history and he was born to be a disapointment to his pairents and he was going hoem on th morning traen; and it wuud be eezyer to be a carpenter than a minister, enyhow. I cheerd him up and perswaeded him to stae to th end becauz it wuud be unfair to Mis Stacy if he didn't. Sumtiems I hav wisht I was born a boi, but when I see Moody Spurgeon I'm allwaes glad I'm a gerl and not his sister. "Ruby was in histerrics when I reecht thair bordinghous; she had just discuverd a feerful mistaek she had maed in her English paeper. When she recuverd we went uptoun and had an ies creem. How we wisht U had bin with us. "O, Diana, if oenly th jeometry examinaeshun wer oever! But thair, as Mrs. Lynde wuud sae, th sun wil go on riezing and seting whether I fael in jeometry or not. That is troo but not espeshaly cumforting. I think I'd rather it didn't go on if I faeld! Yurs devoetedly, Anne" Th jeometry examinaeshun and all th uthers wer oever in due tiem and Anne arievd hoem on Friday eevning, rather tierd but with an air of chastened trieumf about her. Diana was oever at Green Gaebls when she arievd and thae met as if thae had bin parted for yeers. "U oeld darling, it's perfectly splendid to see U bak agen. It seems liek an aej sinss U went to toun and o, Anne, how did U get along?" "Prity wel, I think, in evrything but th jeometry. I don't noe whether I past in it or not and I hav a creepy, crawly presentiment that I didn't. O, how guud it is to be bak! Green Gaebls is th deerest, luvlyest spot in th werld." "How did th uthers do?" "Th gerls sae thae noe thae didn't pas, but I think thae did prity wel. Josie ses th jeometry was so eezy a chield of ten cuud do it! Moody Spurgeon stil thinks he faeld in history and Charlie ses he faeld in aljebra. But we don't reealy noe enything about it and woen't until th pas list is out. That woen't be for a fortniet. Fansy living a fortniet in such suspens! I wish I cuud go to sleep and never waek up until it is oever." Diana nue it wuud be uesles to ask how Gilbert Blythe had fared, so she meerly sed: "O, U'l pas all riet. Don't wery." "I'd rather not pas at all than not cum out prity wel up on th list," flasht Anne, bi which she ment--and Diana nue she ment--that sucses wuud be incompleet and biter if she did not cum out ahed of Gilbert Blythe. With this end in vue Anne had straend evry nerv during th examinaeshuns. So had Gilbert. Thae had met and past eech uther on th street a duzen tiems without eny sien of recognishun and evry tiem Anne had held her hed a litl hieer and wisht a litl mor ernestly that she had maed frends with Gilbert when he askt her, and vowd a litl mor determindly to serpas him in th examinaeshun. She nue that all Avonlea joonyor was wundering which wuud cum out ferst; she eeven nue that Jimy Glover and Ned Wright had a bet on th qeschun and that Josie Pye had sed thair was no dout in th werld that Gilbert wuud be ferst; and she felt that her huemiliaeshun wuud be unbairabl if she faeld. But she had anuther and noebler moetiv for wishing to do wel. She wonted to "pas hi" for th saek of Matthew and Marilla-- espeshaly Matthew. Matthew had declaird to her his convicshun that she "wuud beet th hoel Ieland." That, Anne felt, was sumthing it wuud be foolish to hoep for eeven in th wieldest dreems. But she did hoep fervently that she wuud be amung th ferst ten at leest, so that she miet see Matthew's kiendly broun ies gleem with pried in her acheevment. That, she felt, wuud be a sweet reword indeed for all her hard werk and paeshent grubing amung unimajinaetiv eqaezhuns and conjugations. At th end of th fortniet Anne tuuk to "haunting" th poest offis allso, in th distracted cumpany of Jane, Ruby, and Josie, oepening th Charlottetown dailies with shaeking hands and coeld, sinkaway feelings as bad as eny expeeryenst during th Entrans week. Charlie and Gilbert wer not abuv doing this too, but Moody Spurgeon staed rezolootly awae. "I havn't got th grit to go thair and luuk at a paeper in coeld blud," he toeld Anne. "I'm just going to waet until sumbody cums and tels me sudenly whether I'v past or not." When three weeks had gon bi without th pas list apeering Anne began to feel that she reealy cuudn't stand th straen much longger. Her apetiet faeld and her interest in Avonlea doings langgwisht. Mrs. Lynde wonted to noe whut els U cuud expect with a Tory superintendent of ejucaeshun at th hed of afairs, and Matthew, noeting Anne's paelnes and indiferens and th laging steps that bor her hoem frum th poest offis evry afternoon, began seeriusly to wunder if he hadn't beter voet Grit at th next elecshun. But wun eevning th nues caem. Anne was siting at her oepen windo, for th tiem forgetful of th woes of examinaeshuns and th cairs of th werld, as she drank in th buety of th sumer dusk, sweet-sented with flower breths frum th garden belo and sibilant and rusling frum th ster of poplars. Th eestern skie abuv th firs was flusht faently pink frum th reflecshun of th west, and Anne was wundering dreemily if th spirit of culor luukt liek that, when she saw Diana cum flieing doun thru th firs, oever th log brij, and up th sloep, with a flutering nuespaeper in her hand. Anne sprang to her feet, noeing at wuns whut that paeper contaend. Th pas list was out! Her hed wherld and her hart beet until it hert her. She cuud not moov a step. It seemd an our to her befor Diana caem rushing along th hall and berst into th room without eeven noking, so graet was her exsietment. "Anne, U'v past," she cried, "past th VERRY FERST--U and Gilbert boeth--U'r ties--but yur naem is ferst. O, I'm so proud!" Diana flung th paeper on th taebl and herself on Anne's bed, uterly brethles and incaepabl of ferther speech. Anne lieted th lamp, oversetting th mach saef and uezing up haf a duzen maches befor her shaeking hands cuud acomplish th task. Then she snacht up th paeper. Yes, she had past--thair was her naem at th verry top of a list of too hundred! That moement was werth living for. "U did just splendidly, Anne," puft Diana, recuvering sufishently to sit up and speek, for Anne, starry ied and rapt, had not uterd a werd. "Faather braut th paeper hoem frum Briet River not ten minits ago--it caem out on th afternoon traen, U noe, and woen't be heer til tomorro bi mael--and when I saw th pas list I just rusht oever liek a wield thing. U'v all past, evry wun of U, Moody Spurgeon and all, alltho he's condishund in history. Jane and Ruby did prity wel--thae'r hafwae up--and so did Charlie. Josie just scraept thru with three marks to spair, but U'l see she'l puut on as meny airs as if she'd led. Woen't Mis Stacy be delieted? O, Anne, whut duz it feel liek to see yur naem at th hed of a pas list liek that? If it wer me I noe I'd go craezy with joi. I am prity neer craezy as it is, but U'r as caam and cool as a spring eevning." "I'm just dazld insied," sed Anne. "I wont to sae a hundred things, and I can't fiend werds to sae them in. I never dreemd of this--yes, I did too, just wuns! I let mieself think WUNS, `Whut if I shuud cum out ferst?' quakingly, U noe, for it seemd so vaen and prezumpchuos to think I cuud leed th Ieland. Excues me a minit, Diana. I must run riet out to th feeld to tel Matthew. Then we'll go up th roed and tel th guud nues to th uthers." Thae heryd to th hayfield belo th barn wherr Matthew was coiling hae, and, as luk wuud hav it, Mrs. Lynde was tauking to Marilla at th laen fens. "O, Matthew," exclaemd Anne, "I'v past and I'm ferst--or wun of th ferst! I'm not vaen, but I'm thankful." "Wel now, I allwaes sed it," sed Matthew, gaezing at th pas list delightedly. "I nue U cuud beet them all eezy." "U'v dun prity wel, I must sae, Anne," sed Marilla, trieing to hied her extreem pried in Anne frum Mrs. Rachel's critical ie. But that guud soel sed hartily: "I just ges she has dun wel, and far be it frum me to be bakward in saeing it. U'r a credit to yur frends, Anne, that's whut, and we'r all proud of U." That niet Anne, hoo had wound up th delietful eevning with a seerius litl tauk with Mrs. Allan at th mans, nelt sweetly bi her oepen windo in a graet sheen of moonshien and mermerd a prair of gratitued and aspiraeshun that caem straet frum her hart. Thair was in it thankfulnes for th past and reverent petishun for th fuecher; and when she slept on her whiet pilo her dreems wer as fair and briet and buetyful as maidenhood miet dezier. CHAPTER XXXIII Th Hoetel Consert Puut on yur whiet organdy, bi all meens, Anne," adviezd Diana desiededly. Thae wer together in th eest gaebl chaember; outsied it was oenly twieliet--a luvly yeloeish-green twieliet with a cleer-bloo cloudles skie. A big round moon, sloely deepening frum her palid luster into bernisht silver, hung oever th Haunted Wuud; th air was fuul of sweet sumer sounds--sleepy berds twitering, freekish breezes, faraway voises and lafter. But in Anne's room th bliend was drawn and th lamp lieted, for an important toilet was being maed. Th eest gaebl was a verry diferent plaes frum whut it had bin on that niet foer yeers befor, when Anne had felt its bareness penetraet to th marro of her spirit with its inhospitabl chil. Chaenjes had crept in, Marilla conniving at them rezienedly, until it was as sweet and daenty a nest as a yung gerl cuud dezier. Th velvet carpet with th pink roezes and th pink silk curtens of Anne's erly vizhuns had sertenly never mateerialiezd; but her dreems had kept paes with her groeth, and it is not probabl she lamented them. Th flor was cuverd with a prity mating, and th curtens that soffend th hi windo and fluterd in th vaegrant breezes wer of pael-green art muzlin. Th walls, hung not with goeld and silver broecaed tapestry, but with a daenty apl-blosom paeper, wer adornd with a fue guud pikchers given Anne bi Mrs. Allan. Mis Stacy's foetograf ocuepied th plaes of onor, and Anne maed a sentimental point of keeping fresh flowers on th braket under it. Toniet a spiek of whiet lilys faently perfuemd th room liek th dreem of a fraegrans. Thair was no "mahogany fernicher," but thair was a whiet-paented buukcaes fild with buuks, a cushioned wiker roker, a toilet taebl befrilled with whiet muzlin, a qaent, gilt-fraemd miror with chuby pink Cupids and perpl graeps paented oever its archt top, that uezd to hang in th spair room, and a lo whiet bed. Anne was dresing for a consert at th Whiet Sands Hoetel. Th gests had got it up in aed of th Charlottetown hospital, and had hunted out all th avaelabl amachur talent in th serounding districts to help it along. Bertha Sampson and Perl Clae of th Whiet Sands Baptist qier had bin askt to sing a dueet; Milton Clark of Newbridge was to giv a vieolin soelo; Winnie Adella Blair of Carmody was to sing a Scotch balad; and Laura Spencer of Spencervale and Anne Shirley of Avonlea wer to resiet. As Anne wuud hav sed at wun tiem, it was "an epok in her lief," and she was delishusly athrill with th exsietment of it. Matthew was in th seventh heven of gratified pried oever th onor conferd on his Anne and Marilla was not far behiend, alltho she wuud hav died rather than admit it, and sed she didn't think it was verry proper for a lot of yung foeks to be gading oever to th hoetel without eny responsibl person with them. Anne and Diana wer to driev oever with Jane Andrews and her bruther Billy in thair dubl-seeted bugy; and several uther Avonlea gerls and bois wer going too. Thair was a party of vizitors expected out frum toun, and after th consert a super was to be given to th performers. "Do U reealy think th organdy wil be best?" qeeryd Anne ankshusly. "I don't think it's as prity as mi bloo-flowerd muzlin--and it sertenly isn't so fashunabl." "But it soots U ever so much beter," sed Diana. "It's so sofft and frily and clinging. Th muzlin is stif, and maeks U luuk too drest up. But th organdy seems as if it groo on U." Anne sied and yeelded. Diana was begining to hav a repuetaeshun for noetabl taest in dresing, and her advies on such subjects was much saut after. She was luuking verry prity herself on this particuelar niet in a dres of th luvly wield-roez pink, frum which Anne was forever debard; but she was not to taek eny part in th consert, so her apeerans was of mienor importans. All her paens wer bestoed upon Anne, hoo, she vowd, must, for th credit of Avonlea, be drest and coemd and adornd to th Queen's taest. "Puul out that fril a litl mor--so; heer, let me ti yur sash; now for yur slipers. I'm going to braed yur hair in too thik braeds, and ti them hafwae up with big whiet boes--no, don't puul out a singgl curl oever yur forhed--just hav th sofft part. Thair is no wae U do yur hair soots U so wel, Anne, and Mrs. Allan ses U luuk liek a Madonna when U part it so. I shal fasen this litl whiet hous roez just behiend yur eer. Thair was just wun on mi buush, and I saevd it for U." "Shal I puut mi perl beeds on?" askt Anne. "Matthew braut me a string frum toun last week, and I noe he'd liek to see them on me." Diana perst up her lips, puut her blak hed on wun sied criticaly, and fienaly pronounst in faevor of th beeds, which wer thairupon tied around Anne's slim milk-whiet throet. "Thair's sumthing so stielish about U, Anne," sed Diana, with unenvious admeraeshun. "U hoeld yur hed with such an air. I supoez it's yur figuer. I am just a dumpling. I'v allwaes bin afraed of it, and now I noe it is so. Wel, I supoez I shal just hav to rezien mieself to it." "But U hav such dimples," sed Anne, smieling afecshunetly into th prity, vivaeshus faes so neer her oen. "Luvly dimples, liek litl dents in creem. I hav given up all hoep of dimples. Mi dimpl-dreem wil never cum troo; but so meny of mi dreems hav that I mustn't complaen. Am I all redy now?" "All redy," ashurd Diana, as Marilla apeerd in th dorwae, a gaunt figuer with graeer hair than of yor and no fueer anggls, but with a much soffter faes. "Cum riet in and luuk at our elocutionist, Marilla. Duzn't she luuk luvly?" Marilla emited a sound between a snif and a grunt. "She luuks neet and proper. I liek that wae of fixing her hair. But I expect she'l rooin that dres drieving oever thair in th dust and due with it, and it luuks moest too thin for thees damp niets. Organdy's th moest unserviceable stuf in th werld enyhow, and I toeld Matthew so when he got it. But thair is no uez in saeing enything to Matthew now-a-daes. Tiem was when he wuud taek mi advies, but now he just bies things for Anne regardles, and th clerks at Carmody noe thae can paam enything off on him. Just let them tel him a thing is prity and fashunabl, and Matthew plunks his muny doun for it. Miend U keep yur skert cleer of th wheel, Anne, and puut yur worm jaket on." Then Marilla staukt dounstairs, thinking proudly how sweet Anne luukt, with that "Wun moonbeem frum th forhed to th croun" and regreting that she cuud not go to th consert herself to heer her gerl resiet. "I wunder if it IS too damp for mi dres," sed Anne ankshusly. "Not a bit of it," sed Diana, puuling up th windo bliend. "It's a perfect niet, and thair woen't be eny due. Luuk at th moonliet." "I'm so glad mi windo luuks eest into th sunrising," sed Anne, going oever to Diana. "It's so splendid to see th morning cuming up oever thoes long hils and gloeing thru thoes sharp fer tops. It's nue evry morning, and I feel as if I wosht mi verry soel in that bath of erlyest sunshien. O, Diana, I luv this litl room so deerly. I don't noe how I'l get along without it when I go to toun next munth." "Don't speek of yur going awae toniet," begd Diana. "I don't wont to think of it, it maeks me so mizerabl, and I do wont to hav a guud tiem this eevning. Whut ar U going to resiet, Anne? And ar U nervus?" "Not a bit. I'v resieted so offen in public I don't miend at all now. I'v desieded to giv `Th Maiden's Vow.' It's so pathetic. Laura Spencer is going to giv a comic resitaeshun, but I'd rather maek peepl cri than laf." "Whut wil U resiet if thae aancor U?" "Thae woen't dreem of encoring me," scoft Anne, hoo was not without her oen seecret hoeps that thae wuud, and allredy visioned herself teling Matthew all about it at th next morning's brekfast taebl. "Thair ar Billy and Jane now-- I heer th wheels. Cum on." Billy Andrews insisted that Anne shuud ried on th frunt seet with him, so she unwilingly cliemd up. She wuud hav much preferd to sit bak with th gerls, wherr she cuud hav laft and chaterd to her heart's content. Thair was not much of eether lafter or chater in Billy. He was a big, fat, stolid yooth of twenty, with a round, expreshunles faes, and a paenful lak of conversaeshunal gifts. But he admierd Anne imensly, and was puft up with pried oever th prospect of drieving to Whiet Sands with that slim, upriet figuer besied him. Anne, bi dint of tauking oever her shoelder to th gerls and ocaezhunaly pasing a sop of sivility to Billy--hoo grind and chukld and never cuud think of eny repli until it was too laet--contrievd to enjoi th driev in spiet of all. It was a niet for enjoiment. Th roed was fuul of bugys, all bound for th hoetel, and lafter, silver cleer, ekoed and reechoed along it. When thae reecht th hoetel it was a blaez of liet frum top to botom. Thae wer met bi th laedys of th consert comity, wun of hoom tuuk Anne off to th performers' dresing room which was fild with th members of a Charlottetown Simfony Club, amung hoom Anne felt sudenly shi and frietend and countrified. Her dres, which, in th eest gaebl, had seemd so daenty and prity, now seemd simpl and plaen--too simpl and plaen, she thaut, amung all th silks and laeses that glisend and rusld around her. Whut wer her perl beeds compaird to th diemonds of th big, hansum laedy neer her? And how pur her wun wee whiet roez must luuk besied all th hot-hous flowers th uthers wor! Anne laed her hat and jaket awae, and shrank mizerably into a corner. She wisht herself bak in th whiet room at Green Gaebls. It was stil wers on th platform of th big consert hall of th hoetel, wherr she prezently found herself. Th electric liets dazld her ies, th perfuem and hum bewilderd her. She wisht she wer siting doun in th audyens with Diana and Jane, hoo seemd to be having a splendid tiem awae at th bak. She was wejd in between a stout laedy in pink silk and a tall, scornful-luuking gerl in a whiet-laes dres. Th stout laedy ocaezhunaly ternd her hed sqairly around and servaed Anne thru her ieglases until Anne, acuetly sensitiv of being so scrootiniezd, felt that she must screem aloud; and th whiet-laes gerl kept tauking audibly to her next naebor about th "cuntry bumpkins" and "rustic bels" in th audyens, languidly antisipaeting "such fun" frum th displaes of loecal talent on th proegram. Anne beleevd that she wuud haet that whiet-laes gerl to th end of lief. Unforchunetly for Anne, a profeshunal elocutionist was staeing at th hoetel and had consented to resiet. She was a lieth, dark-ied wuuman in a wunderful goun of shimering grae stuf liek woeven moonbeems, with jems on her nek and in her dark hair. She had a marvelusly flexibl vois and wunderful power of expreshun; th audyens went wield oever her selecshun. Anne, forgeting all about herself and her trubls for th tiem, lisend with rapt and shiening ies; but when th resitaeshun ended she sudenly puut her hands oever her faes. She cuud never get up and resiet after that--never. Had she ever thaut she cuud resiet? O, if she wer oenly bak at Green Gaebls! At this unpropitious moement her naem was calld. Sumhow Anne--hoo did not noetis th rather gilty litl start of serpriez th whiet-laes gerl gaev, and wuud not hav understuud th sutl compliment implied thairin if she had--got on her feet, and moovd dizily out to th frunt. She was so pael that Diana and Jane, doun in th audyens, claspt eech other's hands in nervus simpathy. Anne was th victim of an oeverwhelming atak of staej friet. Offen as she had resieted in public, she had never befor faest such an audyens as this, and th siet of it parraliezd her enerjys compleetly. Evrything was so straenj, so brilyant, so bewildering--th roes of laedys in eevning dres, th critical faeses, th hoel atmosfeer of welth and culcher about her. Verry diferent this frum th plaen benches at th Debaeting Club, fild with th hoemly, simpathetic faeses of frends and naebors. Thees peepl, she thaut, wuud be mersyles critics. Perhaps, liek th whiet-laes gerl, thae antisipaeted amuezment frum her "rustic" eforts. She felt hoeplesly, helplesly ashaemd and mizerabl. Her nees trembld, her hart fluterd, a horribl faentnes caem oever her; not a werd cuud she uter, and th next moement she wuud hav fled frum th platform despiet th huemiliaeshun which, she felt, must ever after be her porshun if she did so. But sudenly, as her dielaeted, frietend ies gaezd out oever th audyens, she saw Gilbert Blythe awae at th bak of th room, bending forward with a smiel on his faes--a smiel which seemd to Anne at wuns trieumfant and taunting. In reality it was nuthing of th kiend. Gilbert was meerly smieling with apreeshiaeshun of th hoel afair in jeneral and of th efect produest bi Anne's slender whiet form and spirichual faes agenst a bakground of paams in particuelar. Josie Pye, hoom he had driven oever, sat besied him, and her faes sertenly was boeth trieumfant and taunting. But Anne did not see Josie, and wuud not hav caird if she had. She droo a long breth and flung her hed up proudly, curej and determinaeshun tinggling oever her liek an electric shok. She WUUD NOT fael befor Gilbert Blythe--he shuud never be aebl to laf at her, never, never! Her friet and nervusnes vanisht; and she began her resitaeshun, her cleer, sweet vois reeching to th farthest corner of th room without a tremor or a braek. Self-pozeshun was fuuly restord to her, and in th reacshun frum that horribl moement of powerlessness she resieted as she had never dun befor. When she finisht thair wer bersts of onest aplauz. Anne, steping bak to her seet, blushing with shyness and deliet, found her hand vigorusly claspt and shaeken bi th stout laedy in pink silk. "Mi deer, U did splendidly," she puft. "I'v bin crieing liek a baeby, akchualy I hav. Thair, thae'r encoring U-- thae'r bound to hav U bak!" "O, I can't go," sed Anne confuezedly. "But yet--I must, or Matthew wil be disapointed. He sed thae wuud aancor me." "Then don't disapoint Matthew," sed th pink laedy, lafing. Smieling, blushing, limpid ied, Anne tript bak and gaev a qaent, funy litl selecshun that captivaeted her audyens stil ferther. Th rest of th eevning was qiet a litl trieumf for her. When th consert was oever, th stout, pink laedy--hoo was th wief of an American milyonair--tuuk her under her wing, and introduest her to evrybody; and evrybody was verry nies to her. Th profeshunal elocutionist, Mrs. Evans, caem and chated with her, teling her that she had a charming vois and "interpreted" her selecshuns buetyfuly. Eeven th whiet-laes gerl paed her a langgwid litl compliment. Thae had super in th big, buetyfuly decoraeted diening room; Diana and Jane wer invieted to partaek of this, allso, sinss thae had cum with Anne, but Billy was noewherr to be found, having decamped in mortal feer of sum such invitaeshun. He was in waeting for them, with th teem, however, when it was all oever, and th three gerls caem merrily out into th caam, whiet moonshien raedians. Anne breethd deeply, and luukt into th cleer skie beyond th dark bows of th firs. O, it was guud to be out agen in th puerity and sielens of th niet! How graet and stil and wunderful evrything was, with th mermer of th see sounding thru it and th darkling clifs beyond liek grim jieants garding enchanted coests. "Hasn't it bin a perfectly splendid tiem?" sied Jane, as thae droev awae. "I just wish I was a rich American and cuud spend mi sumer at a hoetel and wair jooels and lo-necked dreses and hav ies creem and chiken salad evry blesed dae. I'm shur it wuud be ever so much mor fun than teeching scool. Anne, yur resitaeshun was simply graet, alltho I thaut at ferst U wer never going to begin. I think it was beter than Mrs. Evans's." "O, no, don't sae things liek that, Jane," sed Anne qikly, "becauz it sounds sily. It cuudn't be beter than Mrs. Evans's, U noe, for she is a profeshunal, and I'm oenly a scoolgerl, with a litl nak of resieting. I'm qiet satisfied if th peepl just liekt mien prity wel." "I'v a compliment for U, Anne," sed Diana. "At leest I think it must be a compliment becauz of th toen he sed it in. Part of it was enyhow. Thair was an American siting behiend Jane and me--such a roemantic-luuking man, with coel-blak hair and ies. Josie Pye ses he is a distinggwisht artist, and that her mother's cuzin in Boston is marryd to a man that uezd to go to scool with him. Wel, we herd him sae--didn't we, Jane?--`Hoo is that gerl on th platform with th splendid Titian hair? She has a faes I shuud liek to paent.' Thair now, Anne. But whut duz Titian hair meen?" "Being interpreted it meens plaen red, I ges," laft Anne. "Titian was a verry faemus artist hoo liekt to paent red-haired wimen." "DID U see all th diemonds thoes laedys wor?" sied Jane. "Thae wer simply dazling. Wuudn't U just luv to be rich, gerls?" "We AR rich," sed Anne staunchly. "Whi, we hav sixteen yeers to our credit, and we'r hapy as qeens, and we'v all got imajinaeshuns, mor or les. Luuk at that see, gerls--all silver and shado and vizhun of things not seen. We cuudn't enjoi its luvlynes eny mor if we had milyons of dolars and roeps of diemonds. U wuudn't chaenj into eny of thoes wimen if U cuud. Wuud U wont to be that whiet-laes gerl and wair a sour luuk all yur lief, as if U'd bin born terning up yur noez at th werld? Or th pink laedy, kiend and nies as she is, so stout and short that U'd reealy no figuer at all? Or eeven Mrs. Evans, with that sad, sad luuk in her ies? She must hav bin dredfuly unhapy sumtiem to hav such a luuk. U NOE U wuudn't, Jane Andrews!" "I DON'T noe--exactly," sed Jane unconvinced. "I think diemonds wuud cumfort a person for a guud deel." "Wel, I don't wont to be enywun but mieself, eeven if I go uncumforted bi diemonds all mi lief," declaird Anne. "I'm qiet content to be Anne of Green Gaebls, with mi string of perl beeds. I noe Matthew gaev me as much luv with them as ever went with Madame th Pink Lady's jooels." CHAPTER XXXIV A Queen's Gerl Th next three weeks wer bizy wuns at Green Gaebls, for Anne was geting redy to go to Queen's, and thair was much soeing to be dun, and meny things to be taukt oever and araenjd. Anne's outfit was ampl and prity, for Matthew saw to that, and Marilla for wuns maed no objecshuns whutever to enything he perchast or sugjested. Mor-- wun eevning she went up to th eest gaebl with her arms fuul of a deliket pael green mateerial. "Anne, heer's sumthing for a nies liet dres for U. I don't supoez U reealy need it; U'v plenty of prity waists; but I thaut maebe U'd liek sumthing reeal dresy to wair if U wer askt out enywhair of an eevning in toun, to a party or enything liek that. I heer that Jane and Ruby and Josie hav got `eevning dreses,' as thae call them, and I don't meen U shal be behiend them. I got Mrs. Allan to help me pik it in toun last week, and we'll get Emily Gillis to maek it for U. Emily has got taest, and her fits arn't to be equaled." "O, Marilla, it's just luvly," sed Anne. "Thank U so much. I don't beleev U aut to be so kiend to me--it's maeking it harder evry dae for me to go awae." Th green dres was maed up with as meny tuks and frils and shirrings as Emily's taest permited. Anne puut it on wun eevning for Matthew's and Marilla's benefit, and resieted "Th Maiden's Vow" for them in th kichen. As Marilla wocht th briet, animaeted faes and graesful moeshuns her thauts went bak to th eevning Anne had arievd at Green Gaebls, and memory recalld a vivid pikcher of th od, frietend chield in her preposterus yeloeish-broun wincey dres, th hartbraek luuking out of her teerful ies. Sumthing in th memory braut teers to Marilla's oen ies. "I declair, mi resitaeshun has maed U cri, Marilla," sed Anne gaely stooping oever Marilla's chair to drop a buterfli kis on that lady's cheek. "Now, I call that a pozitiv trieumf." "No, I wasn't crieing oever yur pees," sed Marilla, hoo wuud hav scornd to be betraed into such weeknes bi eny poeetry stuf. "I just cuudn't help thinking of th litl gerl U uezd to be, Anne. And I was wishing U cuud hav staed a litl gerl, eeven with all yur qeer waes. U'v groen up now and U'r going awae; and U luuk so tall and stielish and so--so--diferent alltogether in that dres--as if U didn't belong in Avonlea at all-- and I just got loensum thinking it all oever." "Marilla!" Anne sat doun on Marilla's gingam lap, tuuk Marilla's liend faes between her hands, and luukt graevly and tenderly into Marilla's ies. "I'm not a bit chaenjd-- not reealy. I'm oenly just proond doun and brancht out. Th reeal ME--bak heer--is just th saem. It woen't maek a bit of diferens wherr I go or how much I chaenj outwardly; at hart I shal allwaes be yur litl Anne, hoo wil luv U and Matthew and deer Green Gaebls mor and beter evry dae of her lief." Anne laed her fresh yung cheek agenst Marilla's faeded wun, and reecht out a hand to pat Matthew's shoelder. Marilla wuud hav given much just then to hav pozest Anne's power of puuting her feelings into werds; but naecher and habit had wild it utherwiez, and she cuud oenly puut her arms cloes about her gerl and hoeld her tenderly to her hart, wishing that she need never let her go. Matthew, with a suspishus moischer in his ies, got up and went out-of-dors. Under th stars of th bloo sumer niet he waukt agitatedly across th yard to th gaet under th poplars. "Wel now, I ges she ain't bin much spoild," he muterd, proudly. "I ges mi puuting in mi or ocaezhunal never did much harm after all. She's smart and prity, and luving, too, which is beter than all th rest. She's bin a blesing to us, and thair never was a lukyer mistaek than whut Mrs. Spencer maed--if it WAS luk. I don't beleev it was eny such thing. It was Providens, becauz th Allmiety saw we needed her, I rekon." Th dae fienaly caem when Anne must go to toun. She and Matthew droev in wun fien September morning, after a teerful parting with Diana and an untearful practical wun-- on Marilla's sied at leest--with Marilla. But when Anne had gon Diana dried her teers and went to a beech picnik at Whiet Sands with sum of her Carmody cuzins, wherr she contrievd to enjoi herself tolerably wel; whiel Marilla plunjd feersly into unnesesairy werk and kept at it all dae long with th biterest kiend of hartaek--th aek that berns and gnaws and cannot wosh itself awae in redy teers. But that niet, when Marilla went to bed, acuetly and mizerably conshus that th litl gaebl room at th end of th hall was untenanted bi eny vivid yung lief and unstirred bi eny sofft breething, she berryd her faes in her pilo, and wept for her gerl in a pashun of sobs that apalld her when she groo caam enuf to reflect how verry wiked it must be to taek on so about a sinful felo creecher. Anne and th rest of th Avonlea scolars reecht toun just in tiem to hery off to th Academy. That ferst dae past plezantly enuf in a wherl of exsietment, meeting all th nue stoodents, lerning to noe th profesors bi siet and being asorted and organiezd into clases. Anne intended taeking up th Second Yeer werk being adviezd to do so bi Mis Stacy; Gilbert Blythe elected to do th saem. This ment geting a Ferst Clas teacher's liesens in wun yeer insted of too, if thae wer sucsesful; but it allso ment much mor and harder werk. Jane, Ruby, Josie, Charlie, and Moody Spurgeon, not being trubld with th sterings of ambishun, wer content to taek up th Second Clas werk. Anne was conshus of a pang of loenlynes when she found herself in a room with fifty uther stoodents, not wun of hoom she nue, exsept th tall, broun-haired boi across th room; and noeing him in th fashun she did, did not help her much, as she reflected pessimistically. Yet she was undenieably glad that thae wer in th saem clas; th oeld rievalry cuud stil be carryd on, and Anne wuud hardly hav noen whut to do if it had bin laking. "I wuudn't feel cumfortabl without it," she thaut. "Gilbert luuks aufuly determind. I supoez he's maeking up his miend, heer and now, to win th medal. Whut a splendid chin he has! I never noetist it befor. I do wish Jane and Ruby had gon in for Ferst Clas, too. I supoez I woen't feel so much liek a cat in a straenj garret when I get aqaented, tho. I wunder which of th gerls heer ar going to be mi frends. It's reealy an interesting specuelaeshun. Of cors I promist Diana that no Queen's gerl, no mater how much I liekt her, shuud ever be as deer to me as she is; but I'v lots of second-best afecshuns to bestoe. I liek th luuk of that gerl with th broun ies and th crimzon waest. She luuks vivid and red-roezy; thair's that pael, fair wun gaezing out of th windo. She has luvly hair, and luuks as if she nue a thing or too about dreems. I'd liek to noe them boeth--noe them wel--wel enuf to wauk with mi arm about thair waists, and call them niknaems. But just now I don't noe them and thae don't noe me, and probably don't wont to noe me particuelarly. O, it's loensum!" It was lonesomer stil when Anne found herself aloen in her hall bedroom that niet at twieliet. She was not to bord with th uther gerls, hoo all had relativs in toun to taek pity on them. Mis Josephine Barry wuud hav liekt to bord her, but Beechwood was so far frum th Academy that it was out of th qeschun; so mis Barry hunted up a bording-hous, ashuring Matthew and Marilla that it was th verry plaes for Anne. "Th laedy hoo keeps it is a reduest jentlwuuman," explaend Mis Barry. "Her huzband was a British offiser, and she is verry cairful whut sort of boarders she taeks. Anne wil not meet with eny objecshunabl persons under her roof. Th taebl is guud, and th hous is neer th Academy, in a qieet naeborhuud." All this miet be qiet troo, and indeed, proovd to be so, but it did not mateerialy help Anne in th ferst agony of hoemsiknes that seezd upon her. She luukt dizmaly about her narro litl room, with its dul-paeperd, pictureless walls, its small ieern bedsted and empty buuk- caes; and a horribl choek caem into her throet as she thaut of her oen whiet room at Green Gaebls, wherr she wuud hav th plezant conshusnes of a graet green stil outdors, of sweet pees groeing in th garden, and moonliet falling on th orchard, of th bruuk belo th sloep and th sproos bows tossing in th niet wind beyond it, of a vast starry skie, and th liet frum Diana's windo shiening out thru th gap in th trees. Heer thair was nuthing of this; Anne nue that outsied of her windo was a hard street, with a netwerk of telefoen wiers shuting out th skie, th tramp of aelian feet, and a thouzand liets gleeming on straenjer faeses. She nue that she was going to cri, and faut agenst it. "I WOEN'T cri. It's sily--and weak--thair's th therd teer splashing doun bi mi noez. Thair ar mor cuming! I must think of sumthing funy to stop them. But thair's nuthing funy exsept whut is conected with Avonlea, and that oenly maeks things wers--foer--fiev--I'm going hoem next Friday, but that seems a hundred yeers awae. O, Matthew is neerly hoem bi now--and Marilla is at th gaet, luuking doun th laen for him--six--seven--aet-- o, thair's no uez in counting them! Thae'r cuming in a flud prezently. I can't cheer up--I don't WONT to cheer up. It's nieser to be mizerabl!" Th flud of teers wuud hav cum, no dout, had not Josie Pye apeerd at that moement. In th joi of seeing a familyar faes Anne forgot that thair had never bin much luv lost between her and Josie. As a part of Avonlea lief eeven a Pye was welcum. "I'm so glad U caem up," Anne sed sinseerly. "U'v bin crieing," remarkt Josie, with agravaeting pity. "I supoez U'r hoemsik--sum peepl hav so litl self-controel in that respect. I'v no intenshun of being hoemsik, I can tel U. Town's too joly after that poky oeld Avonlea. I wunder how I ever existed thair so long. U shuudn't cri, Anne; it isn't becuming, for yur noez and ies get red, and then U seem ALL red. I'd a perfectly scrumpshus tiem in th Academy todae. Our French profesor is simply a duk. His mustash wuud giv U kerwollowps of th hart. Hav U enything eetabl around, Anne? I'm literaly starving. Aa, I gest liekly Marilla'd loed U up with caek. That's whi I calld round. Utherwiez I'd hav gon to th park to heer th band plae with Frank Stockley. He bords saem plaes as I do, and he's a sport. He noetist U in clas todae, and askt me hoo th red-heded gerl was. I toeld him U wer an orfan that th Cuthberts had adopted, and noebody nue verry much about whut U'd bin befor that." Anne was wundering if, after all, solitued and teers wer not mor satisfactory than Josie Pye's companyonship when Jane and Ruby apeerd, eech with an inch of Queen's culor ribon--perpl and scarlet--pind proudly to her coet. As Josie was not "speeking" to Jane just then she had to subsied into comparrativ harmlessness. "Wel," sed Jane with a si, "I feel as if I'd livd meny moons sinss th morning. I aut to be hoem studying mi Virgil--that horrid oeld profesor gaev us twenty liens to start in on tomorro. But I simply cuudn't setl doun to study toniet. Anne, methinks I see th traeses of teers. If U'v bin crieing DO oen up. It wil restor mi self-respect, for I was sheding teers freely befor Ruby caem along. I don't miend being a goos so much if sumbody els is goosey, too. Caek? U'l giv me a teeny pees, woen't U? Thank U. It has th reeal Avonlea flaevor." Ruby, perseeving th Queen's calendar lieing on th taebl, wonted to noe if Anne ment to tri for th goeld medal. Anne blusht and admited she was thinking of it. "O, that remiends me," sed Josie, "Queen's is to get wun of th Avery scolarships after all. Th werd caem todae. Frank Stockley toeld me--his unkl is wun of th bord of guvernors, U noe. It wil be anounst in th Academy tomorro." An Avery scolarship! Anne felt her hart beet mor qikly, and th horiezons of her ambishun shifted and braudend as if bi majic. Befor Josie had toeld th nues Anne's hieest pinacl of aspiraeshun had bin a teacher's provinshal liesens, Ferst Clas, at th end of th yeer, and perhaps th medal! But now in wun moement Anne saw herself wining th Avery scolarship, taeking an Arts cors at Redmond Colej, and grajuaeting in a goun and mortar bord, befor th eko of Josie's werds had died awae. For th Avery scolarship was in English, and Anne felt that heer her fuut was on naetiv heeth.??? A welthy manuefakcherer of Nue Brunswick had died and left part of his forchun to endow a larj number of scolarships to be distribueted amung th vairius hi scools and academys of th Marritiem Provinses, acording to thair respectiv standings. Thair had bin much dout whether wun wuud be aloted to Queen's, but th mater was setld at last, and at th end of th yeer th grajuit hoo maed th hieest mark in English and English Literachur wuud win th scolarship-- too hundred and fifty dolars a yeer for foer yeers at Redmond Colej. No wunder that Anne went to bed that niet with tinggling cheeks! "I'l win that scolarship if hard werk can do it," she rezolvd. "Wuudn't Matthew be proud if I got to be a B.A.? O, it's delietful to hav ambishuns. I'm so glad I hav such a lot. And thair never seems to be eny end to them-- that's th best of it. Just as soon as U ataen to wun ambishun U see anuther wun glitering hieer up stil. It duz maek lief so interesting." CHAPTER XXXV Th Winter at Queen's Anne's hoemsiknes wor off, graetly helpt in th wairing bi her weekend vizits hoem. As long as th oepen wether lasted th Avonlea stoodents went out to Carmody on th nue branch raelwae evry Friday niet. Diana and several uther Avonlea yung foeks wer jeneraly on hand to meet them and thae all waukt oever to Avonlea in a merry party. Anne thaut thoes Friday eevning gypsyings oever th autumnal hils in th crisp goelden air, with th homelights of Avonlea twinkling beyond, wer th best and deerest ours in th hoel week. Gilbert Blythe neerly allwaes waukt with Ruby Gillis and carryd her sachel for her. Ruby was a verry hansum yung laedy, now thinking herself qiet as groen up as she reealy was; she wor her skerts as long as her muther wuud let her and did her hair up in toun, tho she had to taek it doun when she went hoem. She had larj, briet-bloo ies, a brilyant complexshun, and a plump shoey figuer. She laft a graet deel, was cheerful and guud-temperd, and enjoid th plezant things of lief frankly. "But I shuudn't think she was th sort of gerl Gilbert wuud liek," whisperd Jane to Anne. Anne did not think so eether, but she wuud not hav sed so for th Avery scolarship. She cuud not help thinking, too, that it wuud be verry plezant to hav such a frend as Gilbert to jest and chater with and exchaenj iedeeas about buuks and studys and ambishuns. Gilbert had ambishuns, she nue, and Ruby Gillis did not seem th sort of person with hoom such cuud be profitably discust. Thair was no sily sentiment in Anne's iedeeas conserning Gilbert. Bois wer to her, when she thaut about them at all, meerly posibl guud comrads. If she and Gilbert had bin frends she wuud not hav caird how meny uther frends he had nor with hoom he waukt. She had a jeenius for frendship; gerl frends she had in plenty; but she had a vaeg conshusnes that mascuelin frendship miet allso be a guud thing to round out one's consepshuns of companyonship and fernish brauder standpoints of jujment and comparrison. Not that Anne cuud hav puut her feelings on th mater into just such cleer definishun. But she thaut that if Gilbert had ever waukt hoem with her frum th traen, oever th crisp feelds and along th ferny biewaes, thae miet hav had meny and merry and interesting conversaeshuns about th nue werld that was oepening around them and thair hoeps and ambishuns thairin. Gilbert was a clever yung felo, with his oen thauts about things and a determinaeshun to get th best out of lief and puut th best into it. Ruby Gillis toeld Jane Andrews that she didn't understand haf th things Gilbert Blythe sed; he taukt just liek Anne Shirley did when she had a thautful fit on and for her part she didn't think it eny fun to be bothering about buuks and that sort of thing when U didn't hav to. Frank Stockley had lots mor dash and go, but then he wasn't haf as guud-luuking as Gilbert and she reealy cuudn't desied which she liekt best! In th Academy Anne grajualy droo a litl sercl of frends about her, thautful, imajinativ, ambishus stoodents liek herself. With th "roez-red" gerl, Stella Maynard, and th "dreem gerl," Priscilla Grant, she soon becaem intimet, fiending th later pael spirichual-luuking maeden to be fuul to th brim of mischif and pranks and fun, whiel th vivid, blak-ied Stella had a heartful of wistful dreems and fansys, as airial and raenbo-liek as Anne's oen. After th Christmas holidaes th Avonlea stoodents gaev up going hoem on Fridays and setld doun to hard werk. Bi this tiem all th Queen's scolars had gravitaeted into thair oen plaeses in th ranks and th vairius clases had asoomd distinkt and setld shaedings of indivijuality. Serten facts had becum jeneraly acsepted. It was admited that th medal contestants had practicaly narroed doun to three--Gilbert Blythe, Anne Shirley, and Lewis Wilson; th Avery scolarship was mor doutful, eny wun of a serten six being a posibl winer. Th bronz medal for mathematics was considerd as guud as wun bi a fat, funy litl up-cuntry boi with a bumpy forhed and a pacht coet. Ruby Gillis was th hansumest gerl of th yeer at th Academy; in th Second Yeer clases Stella Maynard carryd off th paam for buety, with small but critical minority in faevor of Anne Shirley. Ethel Marr was admited bi all competent jujes to hav th moest stielish moeds of hair-dresing, and Jane Andrews--plaen, ploding, conshyenshus Jane--carryd off th onors in th domestic sieens cors. Eeven Josie Pye ataend a serten pre-eminens as th sharpest- tungd yung laedy in atendans at Queen's. So it mae be fairly staeted that Mis Stacy's oeld pupil's held thair oen in th wieder areena of th academical cors. Anne werkt hard and stedily. Her rievalry with Gilbert was as intens as it had ever bin in Avonlea scool, alltho it was not noen in th clas at larj, but sumhow th biternes had gon out of it. Anne no longger wisht to win for th saek of defeeting Gilbert; rather, for th proud conshusnes of a wel-wun victory oever a werthy foeman. It wuud be werth whiel to win, but she no longger thaut lief wuud be insupportable if she did not. In spiet of lesons th stoodents found oportuenitys for plezant tiems. Anne spent meny of her spair ours at Beechwood and jeneraly aet her Sunday diners thair and went to cherch with Mis Barry. Th later was, as she admited, groeing oeld, but her blak ies wer not dim nor th vigor of her tung in th leest abaeted. But she never sharpend th later on Anne, hoo continued to be a priem faevorit with th critical oeld laedy. "That Anne-gerl improovs all th tiem," she sed. "I get tierd of uther gerls--thair is such a provoeking and eternal saemnes about them. Anne has as meny shaeds as a raenbo and evry shaed is th prityest whiel it lasts. I don't noe that she is as amuezing as she was when she was a chield, but she maeks me luv her and I liek peepl hoo maek me luv them. It saevs me so much trubl in maeking mieself luv them." Then, allmoest befor enybody reealiezd it, spring had cum; out in Avonlea th Mayflowers wer peeping pinkly out on th sere barrens wherr sno-reeths linggerd; and th "mist of green" was on th wuuds and in th valys. But in Charlottetown harrast Queen's stoodents thaut and taukt oenly of examinaeshuns. "It duzn't seem posibl that th term is neerly oever," sed Anne. "Whi, last fall it seemd so long to luuk forward to--a hoel winter of studys and clases. And heer we ar, with th exams looming up next week. Gerls, sumtiems I feel as if thoes exams ment evrything, but when I luuk at th big buds sweling on thoes chesnut trees and th misty bloo air at th end of th streets thae don't seem haf so important." Jane and Ruby and Josie, hoo had dropt in, did not taek this vue of it. To them th cuming examinaeshuns wer constantly verry important indeed--far mor important than chesnut buds or Maytime haezes. It was all verry wel for Anne, hoo was shur of pasing at leest, to hav her moements of belitling them, but when yur hoel fuecher depended on them--as th gerls trooly thaut theirs did-- U cuud not regard them filosoficaly. "I'v lost seven pounds in th last too weeks," sied Jane. "It's no uez to sae don't wery. I WIL wery. Werying helps U sum--it seems as if U wer doing sumthing when U'r werying. It wuud be dredful if I faeld to get mi liesens after going to Queen's all winter and spending so much muny." "_I_ don't cair," sed Josie Pye. "If I don't pas this yeer I'm cuming bak next. Mi faather can aford to send me. Anne, Frank Stockley ses that Profesor Tremaine sed Gilbert Blythe was shur to get th medal and that Emily Clae wuud liekly win th Avery scolarship." "That mae maek me feel badly tomorro, Josie," laft Anne, "but just now I onestly feel that as long as I noe th vieolets ar cuming out all perpl doun in th holo belo Green Gaebls and that litl ferns ar poeking thair heds up in Lovers' Laen, it's not a graet deel of diferens whether I win th Avery or not. I'v dun mi best and I begin to understand whut is ment bi th `joi of th strief.' Next to trieing and wining, th best thing is trieing and faeling. Gerls, don't tauk about exams! Luuk at that arch of pael green skie oever thoes houses and pikcher to yurself whut it must luuk liek oever th purply-dark beech-wuuds bak of Avonlea." "Whut ar U going to wair for comensment, Jane?" askt Ruby practicaly. Jane and Josie boeth anserd at wuns and th chater drifted into a sied edy of fashuns. But Anne, with her elboes on th windo sil, her sofft cheek laed agenst her claspt hands, and her ies fild with vizhuns, luukt out unheedingly across sity roof and spier to that glorius doem of sunset skie and woev her dreems of a posibl fuecher frum th goelden tishoo of youth's oen optimizm. All th Beyond was hers with its posibilitys lerking roezily in th oncuming yeers--eech yeer a roez of promis to be woeven into an imortal chaplet. CHAPTER XXXVI Th Glory and th Dreem On th morning when th fienal rezults of all th examina- tions wer to be poested on th buuletin bord at Queen's, Anne and Jane waukt doun th street together. Jane was smieling and hapy; examinaeshuns wer oever and she was cumfortably shur she had maed a pas at leest; ferther consideraeshuns trubld Jane not at all; she had no soring ambishuns and conseqently was not afected with th unrest atendant thairon. For we pae a pries for evrything we get or taek in this werld; and alltho ambishuns ar wel werth having, thae ar not to be cheeply wun, but exact thair dues of werk and self-denieal, angzieity and discurejment. Anne was pael and qieet; in ten mor minits she wuud noe hoo had wun th medal and hoo th Avery. Beyond thoes ten minits thair did not seem, just then, to be enything werth being calld Tiem. "Of cors U'l win wun of them enyhow," sed Jane, hoo cuudn't understand how th faculty cuud be so unfair as to order it utherwiez. "I hav not hoep of th Avery," sed Anne. "Evrybody ses Emily Clae wil win it. And I'm not going to march up to that buuletin bord and luuk at it befor evrybody. I havn't th moral curej. I'm going straet to th girls' dresing room. U must reed th anounsments and then cum and tel me, Jane. And I implor U in th naem of our oeld frendship to do it as qikly as posibl. If I hav faeld just sae so, without trieing to braek it jently; and whutever U do DON'T simpathiez with me. Promis me this, Jane." Jane promist solemly; but, as it hapend, thair was no nesesity for such a promis. When thae went up th entrans steps of Queen's thae found th hall fuul of bois hoo wer carrying Gilbert Blythe around on thair shoelders and yeling at th tops of thair voises, "Hoo-raa for Blythe, Medalist!" For a moement Anne felt wun sikening pang of defeet and disapointment. So she had faeld and Gilbert had wun! Wel, Matthew wuud be sorry--he had bin so shur she wuud win. And then! Sumbody calld out: "Three cheers for Mis Shirley, winer of th Avery!" "O, Anne," gaspt Jane, as thae fled to th girls' dresing room amid harty cheers. "O, Anne I'm so proud! Isn't it splendid?" And then th gerls wer around them and Anne was th senter of a lafing, congratulating groop. Her shoelders wer thumpt and her hands shaeken vigorusly. She was puusht and puuld and hugd and amung it all she manejd to whisper to Jane: "O, woen't Matthew and Marilla be pleezd! I must riet th nues hoem riet awae." Comensment was th next important hapening. Th exersiezes wer held in th big asembly hall of th Academy. Adreses wer given, esaes reed, songs sung, th public aword of diplomas, priezes and medals maed. Matthew and Marilla wer thair, with ies and eers for oenly wun stoodent on th platform--a tall gerl in pael green, with faently flusht cheeks and starry ies, hoo reed th best esae and was pointed out and whisperd about as th Avery winer. "Rekon U'r glad we kept her, Marilla?" whisperd Matthew, speeking for th ferst tiem sinss he had enterd th hall, when Anne had finisht her esae. "It's not th ferst tiem I'v bin glad," retorted Marilla. "U do liek to rub things in, Matthew Cuthbert." Mis Barry, hoo was siting behiend them, leend forward and poekt Marilla in th bak with her parrasol. "Arn't U proud of that Anne-gerl? I am," she sed. Anne went hoem to Avonlea with Matthew and Marilla that eevning. She had not bin hoem sinss April and she felt that she cuud not waet anuther dae. Th apl blosoms wer out and th werld was fresh and yung. Diana was at Green Gaebls to meet her. In her oen whiet room, wherr Marilla had set a flowering hous roez on th windo sil, Anne luukt about her and droo a long breth of hapynes. "O, Diana, it's so guud to be bak agen. It's so guud to see thoes pointed firs cuming out agenst th pink skie-- and that whiet orchard and th oeld Sno Qeen. Isn't th breth of th mint delishus? And that tee roez--whi, it's a song and a hoep and a prair all in wun. And it's GUUD to see U agen, Diana!" "I thaut U liek that Stella Maynard beter than me," sed Diana reproachfully. "Josie Pye toeld me U did. Josie sed U wer INFATUATED with her." Anne laft and pelted Diana with th faeded "June lilys" of her boekae. "Stella Maynard is th deerest gerl in th werld exsept wun and U ar that wun, Diana," she sed. "I luv U mor than ever--and I'v so meny things to tel U. But just now I feel as if it wer joi enuf to sit heer and luuk at U. I'm tierd, I think--tierd of being stoodius and ambishus. I meen to spend at leest too ours tomorro lieing out in th orchard gras, thinking of absolootly nuthing." "U'v dun splendidly, Anne. I supoez U woen't be teeching now that U'v wun th Avery?" "No. I'm going to Redmond in September. Duzn't it seem wunderful? I'l hav a brand nue stok of ambishun laed in bi that tiem after three glorius, goelden munths of vaecaeshun. Jane and Ruby ar going to teech. Isn't it splendid to think we all got thru eeven to Moody Spurgeon and Josie Pye?" "Th Newbridge trustees hav offerd Jane thair scool allredy," sed Diana. "Gilbert Blythe is going to teech, too. He has to. His faather can't aford to send him to colej next yeer, after all, so he meens to ern his oen wae thru. I expect he'l get th scool heer if Mis Ames desieds to leev." Anne felt a qeer litl sensaeshun of dismaed serpriez. She had not noen this; she had expected that Gilbert wuud be going to Redmond allso. Whut wuud she do without thair inspiering rievalry? Wuud not werk, eeven at a coeducational colej with a reeal degree in prospect, be rather flat without her frend th enemy? Th next morning at brekfast it sudenly struk Anne that Matthew was not luuking wel. Shurly he was much graeer than he had bin a yeer befor. "Marilla," she sed hezitaetingly when he had gon out, "is Matthew qiet wel?" "No, he isn't," sed Marilla in a trubld toen. "He's had sum reeal bad spels with his hart this spring and he woen't spair himself a miet. I'v bin reeal weryd about him, but he's sum beter this whiel bak and we'v got a guud hierd man, so I'm hoeping he'l kiend of rest and pik up. Maebe he wil now U'r hoem. U allwaes cheer him up." Anne leend across th taebl and tuuk Marilla's faes in her hands. "U ar not luuking as wel yurself as I'd liek to see U, Marilla. U luuk tierd. I'm afraed U'v bin werking too hard. U must taek a rest, now that I'm hoem. I'm just going to taek this wun dae off to vizit all th deer oeld spots and hunt up mi oeld dreems, and then it wil be yur tern to be laezy whiel I do th werk." Marilla smield afecshunetly at her gerl. "It's not th werk--it's mi hed. I'v got a paen so offen now--behiend mi ies. Doctor Spencer's bin fusing with glases, but thae don't do me eny guud. Thair is a distin- guished ocuelist cuming to th Ieland th last of June and th doctor ses I must see him. I ges I'l hav to. I can't reed or soe with eny cumfort now. Wel, Anne, U'v dun reeal wel at Queen's I must sae. To taek Ferst Clas Liesens in wun yeer and win th Avery scolarship--wel, wel, Mrs. Lynde ses pried goes befor a fall and she duzn't beleev in th hieer ejucaeshun of wimen at all; she ses it unfits them for woman's troo sfeer. I don't beleev a werd of it. Speeking of Rachel remiends me--did U heer enything about th Aby Bank laetly, Anne?" "I herd it was shaeky," anserd Anne. "Whi?" "That is whut Rachel sed. She was up heer wun dae last week and sed thair was sum tauk about it. Matthew felt reeal weryd. All we hav saevd is in that bank--evry peny. I wonted Matthew to puut it in th Saevings Bank in th ferst plaes, but oeld Mr. Aby was a graet frend of father's and he'd allwaes bankt with him. Matthew sed eny bank with him at th hed of it was guud enuf for enybody." "I think he has oenly bin its nominal hed for meny yeers," sed Anne. "He is a verry oeld man; his nefues ar reealy at th hed of th institueshun." "Wel, when Rachel toeld us that, I wonted Matthew to draw our muny riet out and he sed he'd think of it. But Mr. Russell toeld him yesterdae that th bank was all riet." Anne had her guud dae in th companyonship of th outdor werld. She never forgot that dae; it was so briet and goelden and fair, so free frum shado and so lavish of blosom. Anne spent sum of its rich ours in th orchard; she went to th Dryad's Bubl and Willowmere and Vieolet Vael; she calld at th mans and had a satisfieing tauk with Mrs. Allan; and fienaly in th eevning she went with Matthew for th cows, thru Lovers' Laen to th bak pascher. Th wuuds wer all gloried thru with sunset and th worm splendor of it streemd doun thru th hil gaps in th west. Matthew waukt sloely with bent hed; Anne, tall and erect, sooted her springing step to his. "U'v bin werking too hard todae, Matthew," she sed reproachfully. "Whi woen't U taek things eezyer?" "Wel now, I can't seem to," sed Matthew, as he oepend th yard gaet to let th cows thru. "It's oenly that I'm geting oeld, Anne, and keep forgeting it. Wel, wel, I'v allwaes werkt prity hard and I'd rather drop in harnes." "If I had bin th boi U sent for," sed Anne wistfuly, "I'd be aebl to help U so much now and spair U in a hundred waes. I cuud fiend it in mi hart to wish I had bin, just for that." "Wel now, I'd rather hav U than a duzen bois, Anne," sed Matthew pating her hand. "Just miend U that-- rather than a duzen bois. Wel now, I ges it wasn't a boi that tuuk th Avery scolarship, was it? It was a gerl--mi gerl--mi gerl that I'm proud of." He smield his shi smiel at her as he went into th yard. Anne tuuk th memory of it with her when she went to her room that niet and sat for a long whiel at her oepen windo, thinking of th past and dreeming of th fuecher. Outsied th Sno Qeen was mistily whiet in th moonshien; th frogs wer singing in th marsh beyond Orchard Sloep. Anne allwaes rememberd th silvery, peesful buety and fraegrant caam of that niet. It was th last niet befor sorro tucht her lief; and no lief is ever qiet th saem agen when wuns that coeld, sanctifying tuch has bin laed upon it. CHAPTER XXXVII Th Reaper Hoos Naem Is Deth "Matthew--Matthew--whut is th mater? Matthew, ar U sik?" It was Marilla hoo spoek, alarm in evry jerky werd. Anne caem thru th hall, her hands fuul of whiet narsisus,--it was long befor Anne cuud luv th siet or oedor of whiet narsisus agen,--in tiem to heer her and to see Matthew standing in th porch dorwae, a foelded paeper in his hand, and his faes straenjly drawn and grae. Anne dropt her flowers and sprang across th kichen to him at th saem moement as Marilla. Thae wer boeth too laet; befor thae cuud reech him Matthew had fallen across th threshhoeld. "He's faented," gaspt Marilla. "Anne, run for Martin-- qik, qik! He's at th barn." Martin, th hierd man, hoo had just driven hoem frum th poest offis, started at wuns for th doctor, calling at Orchard Sloep on his wae to send Mr. and Mrs. Barry oever. Mrs. Lynde, hoo was thair on an errand, caem too. Thae found Anne and Marilla distractedly trieing to restor Matthew to conshusnes. Mrs. Lynde puusht them jently asied, tried his puls, and then laed her eer oever his hart. She luukt at thair ankshus faeses sorrowfully and th teers caem into her ies. "O, Marilla," she sed graevly. "I don't think--we can do enything for him." "Mrs. Lynde, U don't think--U can't think Matthew is-- is--" Anne cuud not sae th dredful werd; she ternd sik and palid. "Chield, yes, I'm afraed of it. Luuk at his faes. When U'v seen that luuk as offen as I hav U'l noe whut it meens." Anne luukt at th stil faes and thair beheld th seel of th Graet Prezens. When th doctor caem he sed that deth had bin instantaenius and probably paenles, cauzd in all lieklyhuud bi sum suden shok. Th seecret of th shok was discuverd to be in th paeper Matthew had held and which Martin had braut frum th offis that morning. It contaend an acount of th faeluer of th Aby Bank. Th nues spred qikly thru Avonlea, and all dae frends and naebors thronged Green Gaebls and caem and went on errands of kiendnes for th ded and living. For th ferst tiem shi, qieet Matthew Cuthbert was a person of sentral importans; th whiet majesty of deth had fallen on him and set him apart as wun cround. When th caam niet caem sofftly doun oever Green Gaebls th oeld hous was husht and tranqil. In th parlor lae Matthew Cuthbert in his coffin, his long grae hair fraeming his plasid faes on which thair was a litl kiendly smiel as if he but slept, dreeming plezant dreems. Thair wer flowers about him--sweet oeld-fashund flowers which his muther had planted in th hoemsted garden in her briedal daes and for which Matthew had allwaes had a seecret, wordless luv. Anne had gatherd them and braut them to him, her anggwisht, tearless ies berning in her whiet faes. It was th last thing she cuud do for him. Th Barrys and Mrs. Lynde staed with them that niet. Diana, going to th eest gaebl, wherr Anne was standing at her windo, sed jently: "Anne deer, wuud U liek to hav me sleep with U toniet?" "Thank U, Diana." Anne luukt ernestly into her friend's faes. "I think U woen't misunderstand me when I sae I wont to be aloen. I'm not afraed. I havn't bin aloen wun minit sinss it hapend-- and I wont to be. I wont to be qiet sielent and qieet and tri to reealiez it. I can't reealiez it. Haf th tiem it seems to me that Matthew can't be ded; and th uther haf it seems as if he must hav bin ded for a long tiem and I'v had this horribl dul aek ever sinss." Diana did not qiet understand. Marilla's impashund greef, braeking all th bounds of nacheral rezerv and lieflong habit in its stormy rush, she cuud comprehend beter than Anne's tearless agony. But she went awae kiendly, leeving Anne aloen to keep her ferst vijil with sorro. Anne hoept that th teers wuud cum in solitued. It seemd to her a terribl thing that she cuud not shed a teer for Matthew, hoom she had luvd so much and hoo had bin so kiend to her, Matthew hoo had waukt with her last eevning at sunset and was now lieing in th dim room belo with that auful pees on his brow. But no teers caem at ferst, eeven when she nelt bi her windo in th darknes and praed, luuking up to th stars beyond th hils--no teers, oenly th saem horribl dul aek of mizery that kept on aeking until she fel asleep, worn out with th day's paen and exsietment. In th niet she awaekend, with th stilnes and th darknes about her, and th recolecshun of th dae caem oever her liek a waev of sorro. She cuud see Matthew's faes smieling at her as he had smield when thae parted at th gaet that last eevning--she cuud heer his vois saeing, "Mi gerl--mi gerl that I'm proud of." Then th teers caem and Anne wept her hart out. Marilla herd her and crept in to cumfort her. "Thair--thair--don't cri so, deery. It can't bring him bak. It--it--isn't riet to cri so. I nue that todae, but I cuudn't help it then. He'd allwaes bin such a guud, kiend bruther to me--but God noes best." "O, just let me cri, Marilla," sobd Anne. "Th teers don't hert me liek that aek did. Stae heer for a litl whiel with me and keep yur arm round me--so. I cuudn't hav Diana stae, she's guud and kiend and sweet--but it's not her sorro--she's outsied of it and she cuudn't cum cloes enuf to mi hart to help me. It's our sorro-- yurs and mien. O, Marilla, whut wil we do without him?" "We'v got eech uther, Anne. I don't noe whut I'd do if U wern't heer--if U'd never cum. O, Anne, I noe I'v bin kiend of strict and harsh with U maebe-- but U mustn't think I didn't luv U as wel as Matthew did, for all that. I wont to tel U now when I can. It's never bin eezy for me to sae things out of mi hart, but at tiems liek this it's eezyer. I luv U as deer as if U wer mi oen flesh and blud and U'v bin mi joi and cumfort ever sinss U caem to Green Gaebls." Too daes afterwards thae carryd Matthew Cuthbert oever his hoemsted threshhoeld and awae frum th feelds he had tild and th orchards he had luvd and th trees he had planted; and then Avonlea setld bak to its uezhual plasidity and eeven at Green Gaebls afairs slipt into thair oeld groov and werk was dun and duetys fuulfild with reguelarrity as befor, alltho allwaes with th aeking sens of "loss in all familyar things." Anne, nue to greef, thaut it allmoest sad that it cuud be so--that thae CUUD go on in th oeld wae without Matthew. She felt sumthing liek shaem and remors when she discuverd that th sunriezes behiend th firs and th pael pink buds oepening in th garden gaev her th oeld inrush of gladnes when she saw them--that Diana's vizits wer plezant to her and that Diana's merry werds and waes moovd her to lafter and smiels--that, in breef, th buetyful werld of blosom and luv and frendship had lost nun of its power to pleez her fansy and thril her hart, that lief stil calld to her with meny insistent voises. "It seems liek disloialty to Matthew, sumhow, to fiend plezher in thees things now that he has gon," she sed wistfuly to Mrs. Allan wun eevning when thae wer together in th mans garden. "I mis him so much--all th tiem-- and yet, Mrs. Allan, th werld and lief seem verry buetyful and interesting to me for all. Todae Diana sed sumthing funy and I found mieself lafing. I thaut when it hapend I cuud never laf agen. And it sumhow seems as if I oughtn't to." "When Matthew was heer he liekt to heer U laf and he liekt to noe that U found plezher in th plezant things around U," sed Mrs. Allan jently. "He is just awae now; and he lieks to noe it just th saem. I am shur we shuud not shut our harts agenst th heeling inflooenses that naecher offers us. But I can understand yur feeling. I think we all expeeryens th saem thing. We rezent th thaut that enything can pleez us when sumwun we luv is no longger heer to shair th plezher with us, and we allmoest feel as if we wer unfaethful to our sorro when we fiend our interest in lief reterning to us." "I was doun to th graev-yard to plant a roezbush on Matthew's graev this afternoon," sed Anne dreemily. "I tuuk a slip of th litl whiet Scotch roezbush his muther braut out frum Scotland long ago; Matthew allwaes liekt thoes roezes th best--thae wer so small and sweet on thair thorny stems. It maed me feel glad that I cuud plant it bi his graev--as if I wer doing sumthing that must pleez him in taeking it thair to be neer him. I hoep he has roezes liek them in heven. Perhaps th soels of all thoes litl whiet roezes that he has luvd so meny sumers wer all thair to meet him. I must go hoem now. Marilla is all aloen and she gets loenly at twieliet." "She wil be loenlyer stil, I feer, when U go awae agen to colej," sed Mrs. Allan. Anne did not repli; she sed guud niet and went sloely bak to green Gaebls. Marilla was siting on th frunt dor-steps and Anne sat doun besied her. Th dor was oepen behiend them, held bak bi a big pink conk shel with hints of see sunsets in its smooth iner convolutions. Anne gatherd sum spraes of pael-yelo hunysukl and puut them in her hair. She liekt th delishus hint of fraegrans, as sum airial benedicshun, abuv her evry tiem she moovd. "Doctor Spencer was heer whiel U wer awae," Marilla sed. "He ses that th speshalist wil be in toun tomorro and he insists that I must go in and hav mi ies examind. I supoez I'd beter go and hav it oever. I'l be mor than thankful if th man can giv me th riet kiend of glases to soot mi ies. U woen't miend staeing heer aloen whiel I'm awae, wil U? Martin wil hav to driev me in and thair's ieerning and baeking to do." "I shal be all riet. Diana wil cum oever for cumpany for me. I shal atend to th ieerning and baeking buetyfuly-- U needn't feer that I'l starch th hankerchifs or flaevor th caek with liniment." Marilla laft. "Whut a gerl U wer for maeking mistaeks in them daes, Anne. U wer allwaes geting into scraeps. I did uez to think U wer pozest. Do U miend th tiem U died yur hair?" "Yes, indeed. I shal never forget it," smield Anne, tuching th hevy braed of hair that was wound about her shaeply hed. "I laf a litl now sumtiems when I think whut a wery mi hair uezd to be to me--but I don't laf MUCH, becauz it was a verry reeal trubl then. I did sufer terribly oever mi hair and mi frekls. Mi frekls ar reealy gon; and peepl ar nies enuf to tel me mi hair is auburn now--all but Josie Pye. She informd me yesterdae that she reealy thaut it was reder than ever, or at leest mi blak dres maed it luuk reder, and she askt me if peepl hoo had red hair ever got uezd to having it. Marilla, I'v allmoest desieded to giv up trieing to liek Josie Pye. I'v maed whut I wuud wuns hav calld a heroeic efort to liek her, but Josie Pye woen't BE liekt." "Josie is a Pye," sed Marilla sharply, "so she can't help being disagreeabl. I supoez peepl of that kiend serv sum uesful perpos in sosieety, but I must sae I don't noe whut it is eny mor than I noe th uez of thistles. Is Josie going to teech?" "No, she is going bak to Queen's next yeer. So ar Moody Spurgeon and Charlie Sloane. Jane and Ruby ar going to teech and thae hav boeth got scools--Jane at Newbridge and Ruby at sum plaes up west." "Gilbert Blythe is going to teech too, isn't he?" "Yes"--breefly. "Whut a nies-luuking felo he is," sed Marilla absently. "I saw him in cherch last Sunday and he seemd so tall and manly. He luuks a lot liek his faather did at th saem aej. John Blythe was a nies boi. We uezd to be reeal guud frends, he and I. Peepl calld him mi bo." Anne luukt up with swift interest. "O, Marilla--and whut hapend?--whi didn't U--" "We had a qorrel. I wuudn't forgiv him when he askt me to. I ment to, after awhiel--but I was sulky and anggry and I wonted to punish him ferst. He never caem bak--th Blythes wer all miety independent. But I allwaes felt--rather sorry. I'v allwaes kiend of wisht I'd forgiven him when I had th chans." "So U'v had a bit of roemans in yur lief, too," sed Anne sofftly. "Yes, I supoez U miet call it that. U wuudn't think so to luuk at me, wuud U? But U never can tel about peepl frum thair outsides. Evrybody has forgot about me and John. I'd forgoten mieself. But it all caem bak to me when I saw Gilbert last Sunday." CHAPTER XXXVIII Th Bend in th roed Marilla went to toun th next dae and reternd in th eevning. Anne had gon oever to Orchard Sloep with Diana and caem bak to fiend Marilla in th kichen, siting bi th taebl with her hed leening on her hand. Sumthing in her dejected atitued struk a chil to Anne's hart. She had never seen Marilla sit limply inert liek that. "Ar U verry tierd, Marilla?" "Yes--no--I don't noe," sed Marilla weerily, luuking up. "I supoez I am tierd but I havn't thaut about it. It's not that." "Did U see th ocuelist? Whut did he sae?" askt Anne ankshusly. "Yes, I saw him. He examind mi ies. He ses that if I giv up all reeding and soeing entierly and eny kiend of werk that straens th ies, and if I'm cairful not to cri, and if I wair th glases he's given me he thinks mi ies mae not get eny wers and mi hedaeks wil be cuerd. But if I don't he ses I'l sertenly be stoen-bliend in six munths. Bliend! Anne, just think of it!" For a minit Anne, after her ferst qik exclamaeshun of dismae, was sielent. It seemd to her that she cuud NOT speek. Then she sed braevly, but with a cach in her vois: "Marilla, DON'T think of it. U noe he has given U hoep. If U ar cairful U woen't looz yur siet alltogether; and if his glases cuer yur hedaeks it wil be a graet thing." "I don't call it much hoep," sed Marilla biterly. "Whut am I to liv for if I can't reed or soe or do enything liek that? I miet as wel be bliend--or ded. And as for crieing, I can't help that when I get loensum. But thair, it's no guud tauking about it. If U'l get me a cup of tee I'l be thankful. I'm about dun out. Don't sae enything about this to eny wun for a spel yet, enywae. I can't bair that foeks shuud cum heer to qeschun and simpathiez and tauk about it." When Marilla had eeten her lunch Anne perswaeded her to go to bed. Then Anne went herself to th eest gaebl and sat doun bi her windo in th darknes aloen with her teers and her hevynes of hart. How sadly things had chaenjd sinss she had sat thair th niet after cuming hoem! Then she had bin fuul of hoep and joi and th fuecher had luukt roezy with promis. Anne felt as if she had livd yeers sinss then, but befor she went to bed thair was a smiel on her lips and pees in her hart. She had luukt her duety curaejusly in th faes and found it a frend--as duety ever is when we meet it frankly. Wun afternoon a fue daes laeter Marilla caem sloely in frum th frunt yard wherr she had bin tauking to a caller-- a man hoom Anne nue bi siet as Sadler frum Carmody. Anne wunderd whut he cuud hav bin saeing to bring that luuk to Marilla's faes. "Whut did Mr. Sadler wont, Marilla?" Marilla sat doun bi th windo and luukt at Anne. Thair wer teers in her ies in defieans of th oculist's proehibishun and her vois broek as she sed: "He herd that I was going to sel Green Gaebls and he wonts to bi it." "Bi it! Bi Green Gaebls?" Anne wunderd if she had herd aright. "O, Marilla, U don't meen to sel Green Gaebls!" "Anne, I don't noe whut els is to be dun. I'v thaut it all oever. If mi ies wer strong I cuud stae heer and maek out to luuk after things and manej, with a guud hierd man. But as it is I can't. I mae looz mi siet alltogether; and enywae I'l not be fit to run things. O, I never thaut I'd liv to see th dae when I'd hav to sel mi hoem. But things wuud oenly go behiend wers and wers all th tiem, til noebody wuud wont to bi it. Evry sent of our muny went in that bank; and thair's sum noets Matthew gaev last fall to pae. Mrs. Lynde adviezes me to sel th farm and bord sumwherr--with her I supoez. It woen't bring much--it's small and th bildings ar oeld. But it'l be enuf for me to liv on I rekon. I'm thankful U'r provieded for with that scolarship, Anne. I'm sorry U woen't hav a hoem to cum to in yur vaecaeshuns, that's all, but I supoez U'l manej sumhow." Marilla broek doun and wept biterly. "U mustn't sel Green Gaebls," sed Anne rezolootly. "O, Anne, I wish I didn't hav to. But U can see for yurself. I can't stae heer aloen. I'd go craezy with trubl and loenlynes. And mi siet wuud go--I noe it wuud." "U woen't hav to stae heer aloen, Marilla. I'l be with U. I'm not going to Redmond." "Not going to Redmond!" Marilla lifted her worn faes frum her hands and luukt at Anne. "Whi, whut do U meen?" "Just whut I sae. I'm not going to taek th scolarship. I desieded so th niet after U caem hoem frum toun. U shurly don't think I cuud leev U aloen in yur trubl, Marilla, after all U'v dun for me. I'v bin thinking and planing. Let me tel U mi plans. Mr. Barry wonts to rent th farm for next yeer. So U woen't hav eny bother oever that. And I'm going to teech. I'v aplied for th scool heer--but I don't expect to get it for I understand th trustees hav promist it to Gilbert Blythe. But I can hav th Carmody scool--Mr. Blair toeld me so last niet at th stor. Of cors that woen't be qiet as nies or conveenyunt as if I had th Avonlea scool. But I can bord hoem and driev mieself oever to Carmody and bak, in th worm wether at leest. And eeven in winter I can cum hoem Fridays. We'll keep a hors for that. O, I hav it all pland out, Marilla. And I'l reed to U and keep U cheerd up. U sha'n't be dul or loensum. And we'll be reeal coezy and hapy heer together, U and I." Marilla had lisend liek a wuuman in a dreem. "O, Anne, I cuud get on reeal wel if U wer heer, I noe. But I can't let U sacrifies yurself so for me. It wuud be terribl." "Nonsens!" Anne laft merrily. "Thair is no sacrifies. Nuthing cuud be wers than giving up Green Gaebls--nuthing cuud hert me mor. We must keep th deer oeld plaes. Mi miend is qiet maed up, Marilla. I'm NOT going to Redmond; and I AM going to stae heer and teech. Don't U wery about me a bit." "But yur ambishuns--and--" "I'm just as ambishus as ever. Oenly, I'v chaenjd th object of mi ambishuns. I'm going to be a guud teecher-- and I'm going to saev yur iesiet. Besieds, I meen to study at hoem heer and taek a litl colej cors all bi mieself. O, I'v duzens of plans, Marilla. I'v bin thinking them out for a week. I shal giv lief heer mi best, and I beleev it wil giv its best to me in retern. When I left Queen's mi fuecher seemd to strech out befor me liek a straet roed. I thaut I cuud see along it for meny a mielstoen. Now thair is a bend in it. I don't noe whut lies around th bend, but I'm going to beleev that th best duz. It has a fasinaeshun of its oen, that bend, Marilla. I wunder how th roed beyond it goes--whut thair is of green glory and sofft, chekerd liet and shadoes--whut nue landscaeps--whut nue buetys--whut curvs and hils and valys ferther on." "I don't feel as if I aut to let U giv it up," sed Marilla, refering to th scolarship. "But U can't prevent me. I'm sixteen and a haf, `obstinet as a muel,' as Mrs. Lynde wuns toeld me," laft Anne. "O, Marilla, don't U go pitying me. I don't liek to be pityd, and thair is no need for it. I'm hart glad oever th verry thaut of staeing at deer Green Gaebls. Noebody cuud luv it as U and I do--so we must keep it." "U blesed gerl!" sed Marilla, yeelding. "I feel as if U'd given me nue lief. I ges I aut to stik out and maek U go to colej--but I noe I can't, so I ain't going to tri. I'l maek it up to U tho, Anne." When it becaem noised abraud in Avonlea that Anne Shirley had given up th iedeea of going to colej and intended to stae hoem and teech thair was a guud deel of discushun oever it. Moest of th guud foeks, not noeing about Marilla's ies, thaut she was foolish. Mrs. Allan did not. She toeld Anne so in aprooving werds that braut teers of plezher to th girl's ies. Neether did guud Mrs. Lynde. She caem up wun eevning and found Anne and Marilla siting at th frunt dor in th worm, sented sumer dusk. Thae liekt to sit thair when th twieliet caem doun and th whiet mauths floo about in th garden and th oedor of mint fild th duey air. Mrs. Rachel depozited her substanshal person upon th stoen bench bi th dor, behiend which groo a ro of tall pink and yelo holyhoks, with a long breth of minggld weerynes and releef. "I declair I'm geting glad to sit doun. I'v bin on mi feet all dae, and too hundred pounds is a guud bit for too feet to carry round. It's a graet blesing not to be fat, Marilla. I hoep U apreeshiaet it. Wel, Anne, I heer U'v given up yur noeshun of going to colej. I was reeal glad to heer it. U'v got as much ejucaeshun now as a wuuman can be cumfortabl with. I don't beleev in gerls going to colej with th men and craming thair heds fuul of Latin and Greek and all that nonsens." "But I'm going to study Latin and Greek just th saem, Mrs. Lynde," sed Anne lafing. "I'm going to taek mi Arts cors riet heer at Green Gaebls, and study evrything that I wuud at colej." Mrs. Lynde lifted her hands in hoely horror. "Anne Shirley, U'l kil yurself." "Not a bit of it. I shal thriev on it. O, I'm not going to oeverdo things. As `Josiah Allen's wief,' ses, I shal be `mejum'. But I'l hav lots of spair tiem in th long winter eevnings, and I'v no voecaeshun for fansy werk. I'm going to teech oever at Carmody, U noe." "I don't noe it. I ges U'r going to teech riet heer in Avonlea. Th trustees hav desieded to giv U th scool." "Mrs. Lynde!" cried Anne, springing to her feet in her serpriez. "Whi, I thaut thae had promist it to Gilbert Blythe!" "So thae did. But as soon as Gilbert herd that U had aplied for it he went to them--thae had a biznes meeting at th scool last niet, U noe--and toeld them that he withdroo his aplicaeshun, and sugjested that thae acsept yurs. He sed he was going to teech at Whiet Sands. Of cors he nue how much U wonted to stae with Marilla, and I must sae I think it was reeal kiend and thautful in him, that's whut. Reeal self-sacrificing, too, for he'l hav his bord to pae at Whiet Sands, and evrybody noes he's got to ern his oen wae thru colej. So th trustees desieded to taek U. I was tikld to deth when Thomas caem hoem and toeld me." "I don't feel that I aut to taek it," mermerd Anne. "I meen--I don't think I aut to let Gilbert maek such a sacrifies for--for me." "I ges U can't prevent him now. He's siend paepers with th Whiet Sands trustees. So it wuudn't do him eny guud now if U wer to refuez. Of cors U'l taek th scool. U'l get along all riet, now that thair ar no Pyes going. Josie was th last of them, and a guud thing she was, that's whut. Thair's bin sum Pye or uther going to Avonlea scool for th last twenty yeers, and I ges thair mishun in lief was to keep scool teechers remiended that erth isn't thair hoem. Bles mi hart! Whut duz all that winking and blinking at th Barry gaebl meen?" "Diana is signaling for me to go oever," laft Anne. "U noe we keep up th oeld custom. Excues me whiel I run oever and see whut she wonts." Anne ran doun th cloever sloep liek a deer, and disapeerd in th firry shadoes of th Haunted Wuud. Mrs. Lynde luukt after her indulgently. "Thair's a guud deel of th chield about her yet in sum waes." "Thair's a guud deel mor of th wuuman about her in uthers," retorted Marilla, with a moementairy retern of her oeld crispnes. But crispnes was no longger Marilla's distinggwishing carracteristic. As Mrs. Lynde toeld her Thomas that niet. "Marilla Cuthbert has got MELO. That's whut." Anne went to th litl Avonlea graev-yard th next eevning to puut fresh flowers on Matthew's graev and wauter th Scotch roezbush. She linggerd thair until dusk, lieking th pees and caam of th litl plaes, with its poplars hoos rusl was liek lo, frendly speech, and its whispering grases groeing at wil amung th graevs. When she fienaly left it and waukt doun th long hil that sloped to th Laek of Shiening Wauters it was past sunset and all Avonlea lae befor her in a dreemliek afterlight-- "a haunt of aenshent pees." Thair was a freshnes in th air as of a wind that had bloen oever huny-sweet feelds of cloever. Hoem liets twinkled out heer and thair amung th hoemsted trees. Beyond lae th see, misty and perpl, with its haunting, unseesing mermer. Th west was a glory of sofft minggld hues, and th pond reflected them all in stil soffter shaedings. Th buety of it all thrild Anne's hart, and she graetfuly oepend th gaets of her soel to it. "Deer oeld werld," she mermerd, "U ar verry luvly, and I am glad to be aliev in U." Hafwae doun th hil a tall lad caem whisling out of a gaet befor th Blythe hoemsted. It was Gilbert, and th whisl died on his lips as he recogniezd Anne. He lifted his cap curtiusly, but he wuud hav past on in sielens, if Anne had not stopt and held out her hand. "Gilbert," she sed, with scarlet cheeks, "I wont to thank U for giving up th scool for me. It was verry guud of U--and I wont U to noe that I apreeshiaet it." Gilbert tuuk th offerd hand eegerly. "It wasn't particuelarly guud of me at all, Anne. I was pleezd to be aebl to do U sum small servis. Ar we going to be frends after this? Hav U reealy forgiven me mi oeld fallt?" Anne laft and tried unsucsesfuly to withdraw her hand. "I forgaev U that dae bi th pond landing, alltho I didn't noe it. Whut a stuborn litl goos I was. I'v bin--I mae as wel maek a compleet confeshun--I'v bin sorry ever sinss." "We ar going to be th best of frends," sed Gilbert, joobilantly. "We wer born to be guud frends, Anne. U'v thworted destiny enuf. I noe we can help eech uther in meny waes. U ar going to keep up yur studys, arn't U? So am I. Cum, I'm going to wauk hoem with U." Marilla luukt cueriusly at Anne when th later enterd th kichen. "Hoo was that caem up th laen with U, Anne?" "Gilbert Blythe," anserd Anne, vext to fiend herself blushing. "I met him on Barry's hil." "I didn't think U and Gilbert Blythe wer such guud frends that U'd stand for haf an our at th gaet tauking to him," sed Marilla with a dri smiel. "We havn't bin--we'v bin guud enemys. But we hav desieded that it wil be much mor sensibl to be guud frends in th fuecher. Wer we reealy thair haf an our? It seemd just a fue minits. But, U see, we hav fiev years' lost conversaeshuns to cach up with, Marilla." Anne sat long at her windo that niet companioned bi a glad content. Th wind purred sofftly in th cherry bows, and th mint breths caem up to her. Th stars twinkled oever th pointed firs in th holo and Diana's liet gleemd thru th oeld gap. Anne's horiezons had cloezd in sinss th niet she had sat thair after cuming hoem frum Queen's; but if th path set befor her feet was to be narro she nue that flowers of qieet hapynes wuud bloom along it. Th joi of sinseer werk and werthy aspiraeshun and conjeenial frendship wer to be hers; nuthing cuud rob her of her berthriet of fansy or her iedeel werld of dreems. And thair was allwaes th bend in th roed! "`God's in his heven, all's riet with th werld,'" whisperd Anne sofftly. *** End of th Project Gutenberg Edishun of Anne of Green Gaebls bi Lucy Maud Montgomery