Anne of Avonlea

ds of

nd received, being pleasant or otherwise, according to whether callers and called-upon were heartily in sympathy with Anne's

was strongly suspected that the Pye girls would have nothing to do with the affair if their offer of the house for the party was not accepted. It was a very pleasant little time, for the Pye girls w

oming to you, Anne. Really, y

rteen were becoming merely food for amusement now. Josie suspected that Anne was laughing at her behind those wicked eyes; but she contented hersel

geraniums in her golden hair; Gilbert Blythe and Charlie Sloane, both trying to keep as near the elusive Anne as possible; Carrie Sloane, looking pale and melancholy because, so it was reported, her father would not allow Oliver Kimball to come near the place; Moody Spur

ert's a fountain pen. She was so taken by surprise and pleased by the nice things said in the address, read in Moody Spurgeon's most solemn and ministerial tones, that the tears quite drowned the sparkle of her big gray eyes. She had worked hard and

uite so much as the one who tries to inflict it. Gilbert walked airily off with Ruby Gillis, and Anne could hear them laughing and talking gaily as they loitered along in the still, crisp autumn air. They were evidently having the best of good times, while she was horribly bored by Charlie Sloane, who talked unbrokenly on, and never, even by a

ut a certain little gush of joy, as from some secret, unknown spring, bubbled up in her heart the next evening, when she saw Gilbert striding down through the

tired, Ann

I'm disgruntled because six women have been here to say good-bye to me, and every one of the six managed to say somethi

s!" was Gilbert's

ngth would hold out till I got through; and at once I saw myself a hopeless victim of nervous prostration at the end of my third year; Mrs. Eben Wright said it must cost an awful lot to put in four years at Redmond; and I felt all over me that it was unpardonable of me to squander Marilla's money and my own on such a folly. Mrs. Jasper Bell said she hoped I wouldn't let college spoil me, as it did some people; and I felt in my bones that the end of my four

al had weight, even the disapproval of those for whose opinions she had scant respect.

cellent creatures though they are. To do anything THEY have never done is anathema maranatha. You are the first Avonlea

ay, but there are times when common sense has no power over me. Common nonsense takes possess

walk with me-a ramble back through the woods beyond the m

n't you know i

w there in spring. Come on. We'll pretend we are t

s very nice to Gilbert; and Gilbert, who was learning wisdom, took care to be nothing sav

some day," Mrs. Ly

uld, but it went against her grain to hear the matter

hildren yet," s

laughed goo

an, and he worships the ground she walks on, as any one can see. He's a fine fellow, and Anne can't do better. I hope she won't get any romantic nonsense into her head at Redmond. I do

little," said Mar

ilbert at his full value, that's what. Oh, I know girls! Charlie Sloane is wild about her, too, but I'd never advise her to

ing, but she understood. Every village has such a family; good, honest, respectable people they may

eyond, the harvest hills were basking in an amber sunset radiance, under a pale, aerial sky of rose and blue. The distant spruce groves were burnished br

I can never go up this path in the dusk without feeling a bit of the old fright and shiver? There was one especially horrifying phantom which we created-the ghost of the murdered child that crept up behind you and laid cold fingers on yours. I confess that, to this day, I cannot help fancying its litt

d with gossamers. Past a dour plantation of gnarled spruces and a maple-fr

s," he said wi

ay back here!" exclai

ere one day last spring and found it, all white with blossom. So I resolved I'd come again in the fall and see if it had been apple

d Anne dreamily. "And how it has grown and flourished and held

t will serve for a woodland throne. I'll climb for some apples

lesh, faintly veined with red; and, besides their own proper apple taste, th

ere going home. See, it was twilight three minutes ago and now it's moonlight. What a pity we c

y way of Lover's Lane. Do you feel as disg

a hungry soul. I feel that I shall love Red

those four

answered Anne lightly. "I've no idea what may be ar

ly dim in the pale radiance of the moonlight. They loitered th

en this evening how nice and simple

long. In her light dress, with her slender d

her care for me," he thought,