Rainbow Valley

of early strawberries, which Susan had coaxed into lusciousness in one of the sunny nooks of Ingleside. Susan had charged Rilla to give the basket to nobody

hat elaborate affair, wherein Susan's taste had had more to say than Anne's, and Rilla's small soul gloried in its splendours of silk and lace and flowers. She was very conscious of her hat, and I am afraid she strutted up the manse hill. The stru

your funeral," shrieked Mary. She went out of the kitchen, giving the door such a bang that even Aunt Martha heard it, and Mr. Meredith

and confronted the spick-an

" she demanded, tryi

'th for Mithter Mer

I'LL give it to

give it to anybody but Mithter Mer'

ed her

My dress is all rags and I don't care! I'd rather be ragged than a doll baby. Go

ragged skirt and vociferating "Look at me-look at me" until poor Rilla was dizzy

art of "making faces." She could give her countenance a most grotesque and unearthly

frightened but staunch. "

ners had presented him with them one day, perhaps in lieu of the subscription he was supposed to pay to the stipend and never did. Mr. Meredith had thanked him and then for

ted with a dried codfish was such an unheard-of thing that Rilla could not face it. With a shriek she dropped her basket and fled. The beautiful berries, which Susan had so tenderly selected for the minister, rolled in a rosy torrent over the dusty road and were

flourishing her codfish in the air. Through the Glen street they swept, while everybody ran to the windows and gates to see them. Mary felt she was making a tremendous sensation and enjoyed it. Rilla, blind with terror and spent of breath, felt t

and was running up as fast as she had run down. Miss Cornelia's lips tightened ominously, but she knew it was no use to think of chasing her. So she picked up poor, sobbin

on, heard Miss Cornelia's s

y!" she said, as she carried Rilla

nelia resolutely. "Something must be done. WHO is this creat

t the manse," answered Anne, who saw the comical side of the codfish cha

d when she goes to church she wears Faith Meredith's old clothes. There's some mystery here, and I'm going to investigate it, since it seems nobody else wi

called to see her, but I did

e. Her heart gave out at once. Warren heard them himself at the barn, and went straight to the bush to investigate, and there he found all the manse children sitting on a fallen tree and screaming 'murder' at the top

eturned, sniffed

tie to. I have been hearing of Amelia Warren's weak heart for forty years. She had it wh

thought her attack ve

children? Sometimes I can't sleep at nights for thinking about them, Anne dearie. I really do question if they get enough to eat, even, for their father is so lost in dreams that he doe

ections of some Rainbow Valley happenings that had come to her

rouble in the church those two tattling, deceitful youngsters of the last

riginal sin in them and that I will admit, but maybe it is just as well, for if they had not they might spoil f

ainbow Valley sometimes! Though I fancy my own small fry bear a valiant part in them. They had a sham battle there last night and had to 'r

frican fracas. But it's over, and not likely anything of the kind will ever happen again. I think the world is getting mo

e Kirks' last week, so

nd nobody else is hankering for the job of stepmothering those youngsters. Even the Hill girls balk at that. They haven't been found laying traps for Mr. Meredith. Elizabeth would make him a good wife if he only

efore now, Mrs. Dr. dear," said Susan darkly. "If I felt I had any right to express an opinion concerning such a solemn matter

Miss Cornelia, much as if Susan had s

byterian if she married Mr.

vidently with her it was, once

Emmeline Drew-though the Drews are all trying to make the match. They are lite

ery poor housekeeper. Did you ever hear the story of her dishcloth? She lost her dishcloth one day. But the next day she found it. Oh, yes, Mrs. Dr. dear, she found it, in the goose at the dinner-table, mixed up with the stuffing. Do you think a

Walter?" a

one as well in arithmetic this term as he should, so the teacher tells me. Too well I know the reason why. He has been

poet no

when a person has the strength. I had an uncle who began by being a poet

very highly of poets, Sus

ear?" asked Susan in

d Shakespeare? And th

s were different in those sacred days-although I never had a high opinion of King David, say what you will. I never knew any good to come of wri