第4章

Annerousedherselffromherreveriewithahappysigh。

"Iwasthinkingoutmystory，Diana。"

"Oh，haveyoureallybegunit？"criedDiana，allalightwitheagerinterestinamoment。

"Yes，Ihaveonlyafewpageswritten，butIhaveitallprettywellthoughtout。I’vehadsuchatimetogetasuitableplot。

NoneoftheplotsthatsuggestedthemselvessuitedagirlnamedAVERIL。"

"Couldn’tyouhavechangedhername？"

"No，thethingwasimpossible。Itriedto，butIcouldn’tdoit，anymorethanIcouldchangeyours。AVERILwassorealtomethatnomatterwhatothernameItriedtogiveherIjustthoughtofherasAVERILbehinditall。ButfinallyIgotaplotthatmatchedher。Thencametheexcitementofchoosingnamesforallmycharacters。Youhavenoideahowfascinatingthatis。

I’velainawakeforhoursthinkingoverthosenames。Thehero’snameisPERCEVALDALRYMPLE。"

"HaveyounamedALLthecharacters？"askedDianawistfully。"Ifyouhadn’tIwasgoingtoaskyoutoletmenameone——justsomeunimportantperson。I’dfeelasifIhadashareinthestorythen。"

"YoumaynamethelittlehiredboywholivedwiththeLESTERS，"

concededAnne。"Heisnotveryimportant，butheistheonlyoneleftunnamed。"

"CallhimRAYMONDFITZOSBORNE，"suggestedDiana，whohadastoreofsuchnameslaidawayinhermemory，relicsoftheold"StoryClub，"whichsheandAnneandJaneAndrewsandRubyGillishadhadintheirschooldays。

Anneshookherheaddoubtfully。

"I’mafraidthatistooaristocraticanameforachoreboy，Diana。Icouldn’timagineaFitzosbornefeedingpigsandpickingupchips，couldyou？"

Dianadidn’tseewhy，ifyouhadanimaginationatall，youcouldn’tstretchittothatextent；butprobablyAnneknewbest，andthechoreboywasfinallychristenedROBERTRAY，tobecalledBOBBYshouldoccasionrequire。

"Howmuchdoyousupposeyou’llgetforit？"askedDiana。

ButAnnehadnotthoughtaboutthisatall。Shewasinpursuitoffame，notfilthylucre，andherliterarydreamswereasyetuntaintedbymercenaryconsiderations。

"You’llletmereadit，won’tyou？"pleadedDiana。

"WhenitisfinishedI’llreadittoyouandMr。Harrison，andI

shallwantyoutocriticizeitSEVERELY。Nooneelseshallseeituntilitispublished。"

"Howareyougoingtoendit——happilyorunhappily？"

"I’mnotsure。I’dlikeittoendunhappily，becausethatwouldbesomuchmoreromantic。ButIunderstandeditorshaveaprejudiceagainstsadendings。IheardProfessorHamiltonsayoncethatnobodybutageniusshouldtrytowriteanunhappyending。

And，"concludedAnnemodestly，"I’manythingbutagenius。"

"OhIlikehappyendingsbest。You’dbetterlethimmarryher，"

saidDiana，who，especiallysinceherengagementtoFred，thoughtthiswashoweverystoryshouldend。

"Butyouliketocryoverstories？"

"Oh，yes，inthemiddleofthem。ButIlikeeverythingtocomerightatlast。"

"Imusthaveonepatheticsceneinit，"saidAnnethoughtfully。

"ImightletROBERTRAYbeinjuredinanaccidentandhaveadeathscene。"

"No，youmustn’tkillBOBBYoff，"declaredDiana，laughing。

"HebelongstomeandIwanthimtoliveandflourish。Killsomebodyelseifyouhaveto。"

ForthenextfortnightAnnewrithedorreveled，accordingtomood，inherliterarypursuits。Nowshewouldbejubilantoverabrilliantidea，nowdespairingbecausesomecontrarycharacterwouldNOTbehaveproperly。Dianacouldnotunderstandthis。

"MAKEthemdoasyouwantthemto，"shesaid。

"Ican’t，"mournedAnne。"Averilissuchanunmanageableheroine。

SheWILLdoandsaythingsInevermeantherto。ThenthatspoilseverythingthatwentbeforeandIhavetowriteitalloveragain。"

Finally，however，thestorywasfinished，andAnnereadittoDianaintheseclusionoftheporchgable。Shehadachievedher"patheticscene"withoutsacrificingROBERTRAY，andshekeptawatchfuleyeonDianaasshereadit。Dianarosetotheoccasionandcriedproperly；but，whentheendcame，shelookedalittledisappointed。

"WhydidyoukillMAURICELENNOX？"sheaskedreproachfully。

"Hewasthevillain，"protestedAnne。"Hehadtobepunished。"

"Ilikehimbestofthemall，"saidunreasonableDiana。

"Well，he’sdead，andhe’llhavetostaydead，"saidAnne，ratherresentfully。"IfIhadlethimlivehe’dhavegoneonpersecutingAVERILandPERCEVAL。"

"Yes——unlessyouhadreformedhim。"

"Thatwouldn’thavebeenromantic，and，besides，itwouldhavemadethestorytoolong。"

"Well，anyway，it’saperfectlyelegantstory，Anne，andwillmakeyoufamous，ofthatI’msure。Haveyougotatitleforit？"

"Oh，Idecidedonthetitlelongago。IcallitAVERIL’S

ATONEMENT。Doesn’tthatsoundniceandalliterative？Now，Diana，tellmecandidly，doyouseeanyfaultsinmystory？"

"Well，"hesitatedDiana，"thatpartwhereAVERILmakesthecakedoesn’tseemtomequiteromanticenoughtomatchtherest。It’sjustwhatanybodymightdo。Heroinesshouldn’tdocooking，_I_think。"

"Why，thatiswherethehumorcomesin，andit’soneofthebestpartsofthewholestory，"saidAnne。Anditmaybestatedthatinthisshewasquiteright。

Dianaprudentlyrefrainedfromanyfurthercriticism，butMr。Harrisonwasmuchhardertoplease。Firsthetoldhertherewasentirelytoomuchdescriptioninthestory。

"Cutoutallthoseflowerypassages，"hesaidunfeelingly。

AnnehadanuncomfortableconvictionthatMr。Harrisonwasright，andsheforcedherselftoexpungemostofherbeloveddescriptions，thoughittookthreere-writingsbeforethestorycouldbepruneddowntopleasethefastidiousMr。Harrison。

"I’veleftoutALLthedescriptionsbutthesunset，"shesaidatlast。

"IsimplyCOULDN’Tletitgo。Itwasthebestofthemall。"

"Ithasn’tanythingtodowiththestory，"saidMr。Harrison，"andyoushouldn’thavelaidthesceneamongrichcitypeople。

Whatdoyouknowofthem？Whydidn’tyoulayitrighthereinAvonlea——changingthename，ofcourse，orelseMrs。RachelLyndewouldprobablythinkshewastheheroine。"

"Oh，thatwouldneverhavedone，"protestedAnne。"Avonleaisthedearestplaceintheworld，butitisn’tquiteromanticenoughforthesceneofastory。"

"Idaresaythere’sbeenmanyaromanceinAvonlea——andmanyatragedy，too，"saidMr。Harrisondrily。"Butyourfolksain’tlikerealfolksanywhere。Theytalktoomuchandusetoohigh-flownlanguage。There’soneplacewherethatDALRYMPLEchaptalksevenonfortwopages，andneverletsthegirlgetawordinedgewise。Ifhe’ddonethatinreallifeshe’dhavepitchedhim。"

"Idon’tbelieveit，"saidAnneflatly。Inhersecretsoulshethoughtthatthebeautiful，poeticalthingssaidtoAVERILwouldwinanygirl’sheartcompletely。Besides，itwasgruesometohearofAVERIL，thestately，queen-likeAVERIL，"pitching"anyone。

AVERIL"declinedhersuitors。"

"Anyhow，"resumedthemercilessMr。Harrison，"Idon’tseewhyMAURICELENNOXdidn’tgether。Hewastwicethemantheotheris。

Hedidbadthings，buthedidthem。Percevalhadn’ttimeforanythingbutmooning。"

"Mooning。"Thatwasevenworsethan"pitching！"

"MAURICELENNOXwasthevillain，"saidAnneindignantly。

"Idon’tseewhyeveryonelikeshimbetterthanPERCEVAL。"

"Percevalistoogood。He’saggravating。Nexttimeyouwriteaboutaheroputalittlespiceofhumannatureinhim。"

"AVERILcouldn’thavemarriedMAURICE。Hewasbad。"

"She’dhavereformedhim。Youcanreformaman；youcan’treformajelly-fish，ofcourse。Yourstoryisn’tbad——it’skindofinteresting，I’lladmit。Butyou’retooyoungtowriteastorythatwouldbeworthwhile。Waittenyears。"

Annemadeuphermindthatthenexttimeshewroteastoryshewouldn’taskanybodytocriticizeit。Itwastoodiscouraging。

ShewouldnotreadthestorytoGilbert，althoughshetoldhimaboutit。

"Ifitisasuccessyou’llseeitwhenitispublished，Gilbert，butifitisafailurenobodyshalleverseeit。"

Marillaknewnothingabouttheventure。InimaginationAnnesawherselfreadingastoryoutofamagazinetoMarilla，entrappingherintopraiseofit——forinimaginationallthingsarepossible——andthentriumphantlyannouncingherselftheauthor。

OnedayAnnetooktothePostOfficealong，bulkyenvelope，addressed，withthedelightfulconfidenceofyouthandinexperience，totheverybiggestofthe"big"magazines。

DianawasasexcitedoveritasAnneherself。

"Howlongdoyousupposeitwillbebeforeyouhearfromit？"

sheasked。

"Itshouldn’tbelongerthanafortnight。Oh，howhappyandproudIshallbeifitisaccepted！"

"Ofcourseitwillbeaccepted，andtheywilllikelyaskyoutosendthemmore。YoumaybeasfamousasMrs。Morgansomeday，Anne，andthenhowproudI’llbeofknowingyou，"saidDiana，whopossessed，atleast，thestrikingmeritofanunselfishadmirationofthegiftsandgracesofherfriends。

Aweekofdelightfuldreamingfollowed，andthencameabitterawakening。

OneeveningDianafoundAnneintheporchgable，withsuspicious-lookingeyes。Onthetablelayalongenvelopeandacrumpledmanuscript。

"Anne，yourstoryhasn’tcomeback？"criedDianaincredulously。

"Yes，ithas，"saidAnneshortly。

"Well，thateditormustbecrazy。Whatreasondidhegive？"

"Noreasonatall。Thereisjustaprintedslipsayingthatitwasn’tfoundacceptable。"

"Ineverthoughtmuchofthatmagazine，anyway，"saidDianahotly。

"ThestoriesinitarenothalfasinterestingasthoseintheCanadianWoman，althoughitcostssomuchmore。Isupposetheeditorisprejudicedagainstanyonewhoisn’taYankee。

Don’tbediscouraged，Anne。RememberhowMrs。Morgan’sstoriescameback。SendyourstotheCanadianWoman。"

"IbelieveIwill，"saidAnne，pluckingupheart。"AndifitispublishedI’llsendthatAmericaneditoramarkedcopy。ButI’llcutthesunsetout。IbelieveMr。Harrisonwasright。"

Outcamethesunset；butinspiteofthisheroicmutilationtheeditoroftheCanadianWomansentAveril’sAtonementbacksopromptlythattheindignantDianadeclaredthatitcouldn’thavebeenreadatall，andvowedshewasgoingtostophersubscriptionimmediately。Annetookthissecondrejectionwiththecalmnessofdespair。ShelockedthestoryawayinthegarrettrunkwheretheoldStoryClubtalesreposed；butfirstsheyieldedtoDiana’sentreatiesandgaveheracopy。

"Thisistheendofmyliteraryambitions，"shesaidbitterly。

ShenevermentionedthemattertoMr。Harrison，butoneeveningheaskedherbluntlyifherstoryhadbeenaccepted。

"No，theeditorwouldn’ttakeit，"sheansweredbriefly。

Mr。Harrisonlookedsidewiseattheflushed，delicateprofile。

"Well，Isupposeyou’llkeeponwritingthem，"hesaidencouragingly。

"No，Ishallnevertrytowriteastoryagain，"declaredAnne，withthehopelessfinalityofnineteenwhenadoorisshutinitsface。

"Iwouldn’tgiveupaltogether，"saidMr。Harrisonreflectively。"I’dwriteastoryonceinawhile，butIwouldn’tpestereditorswithit。

I’dwriteofpeopleandplaceslikeIknew，andI’dmakemycharacterstalkeverydayEnglish；andI’dletthesunriseandsetintheusualquietwaywithoutmuchfussoverthefact。IfIhadtohavevillainsatall，I’dgivethemachance，Anne——I’dgivethemachance。

Therearesometerriblebadmenintheworld，Isuppose，butyou’dhavetogoalongpiecetofindthem——thoughMrs。Lyndebelieveswe’reallbad。Butmostofushavegotalittledecencysomewhereinus。

Keeponwriting，Anne。"

"No。Itwasveryfoolishofmetoattemptit。WhenI’mthroughRedmondI’llsticktoteaching。Icanteach。Ican’twritestories。"

"It’llbetimeforyoutobegettingahusbandwhenyou’rethroughRedmond，"saidMr。Harrison。"Idon’tbelieveinputtingmarryingofftoolong——likeIdid。"

Annegotupandmarchedhome。ThereweretimeswhenMr。Harrisonwasreallyintolerable。"Pitching，""mooning，"and"gettingahusband。"Ow！！

ChapterXIII

TheWayofTransgressorsDavyandDorawerereadyforSundaySchool。Theyweregoingalone，whichdidnotoftenhappen，forMrs。LyndealwaysattendedSundaySchool。

ButMrs。Lyndehadtwistedherankleandwaslame，soshewasstayinghomethismorning。Thetwinswerealsotorepresentthefamilyatchurch，forAnnehadgoneawaytheeveningbeforetospendSundaywithfriendsinCarmody，andMarillahadoneofherheadaches。

Davycamedownstairsslowly。Dorawaswaitinginthehallforhim，havingbeenmadereadybyMrs。Lynde。Davyhadattendedtohisownpreparations。

HehadacentinhispocketfortheSundaySchoolcollection，andafive-centpieceforthechurchcollection；hecarriedhisBibleinonehandandhisSundaySchoolquarterlyintheother；heknewhislessonandhisGoldenTextandhiscatechismquestionperfectly。Hadhenotstudiedthem——perforce——inMrs。Lynde’skitchen，alllastSundayafternoon？Davy，therefore，shouldhavebeeninaplacidframeofmind。Asamatteroffact，despitetextandcatechism，hewasinwardlyasaraveningwolf。

Mrs。LyndelimpedoutofherkitchenashejoinedDora。

"Areyouclean？"shedemandedseverely。

"Yes——allofmethatshows，"Davyansweredwithadefiantscowl。

Mrs。Rachelsighed。ShehadhersuspicionsaboutDavy’sneckandears。ButsheknewthatifsheattemptedtomakeapersonalexaminationDavywouldlikelytaketohisheelsandshecouldnotpursuehimtoday。

"Well，besureyoubehaveyourselves，"shewarnedthem。"Don’twalkinthedust。Don’tstopintheporchtotalktotheotherchildren。

Don’tsquirmorwriggleinyourplaces。Don’tforgettheGoldenText。

Don’tloseyourcollectionorforgettoputitin。Don’twhisperatprayertime，anddon’tforgettopayattentiontothesermon。"

Davydeignednoresponse。Hemarchedawaydownthelane，followedbythemeekDora。Buthissoulseethedwithin。

Davyhadsuffered，orthoughthehadsuffered，manythingsatthehandsandtongueofMrs。RachelLyndesinceshehadcometoGreenGables，forMrs。Lyndecouldnotlivewithanybody，whethertheywerenineorninety，withouttryingtobringthemupproperly。

AnditwasonlytheprecedingafternoonthatshehadinterferedtoinfluenceMarillaagainstallowingDavytogofishingwiththeTimothyCottons。Davywasstillboilingoverthis。

AssoonashewasoutofthelaneDavystoppedandtwistedhiscountenanceintosuchanunearthlyandterrificcontortionthatDora，althoughsheknewhisgiftsinthatrespect，washonestlyalarmedlestheshouldneverintheworldbeabletogetitstraightenedoutagain。

"Darnher，"explodedDavy。

"Oh，Davy，don’tswear，"gaspedDoraindismay。

"`Darn’isn’tswearing——notrealswearing。AndIdon’tcareifitis，"retortedDavyrecklessly。

"Well，ifyouMUSTsaydreadfulwordsdon’tsaythemonSunday，"pleadedDora。

Davywasasyetfarfromrepentance，butinhissecretsoulhefeltthat，perhaps，hehadgonealittletoofar。

"I’mgoingtoinventaswearwordofmyown，"hedeclared。

"Godwillpunishyouifyoudo，"saidDorasolemnly。

"ThenIthinkGodisameanoldscamp，"retortedDavy。"Doesn’tHeknowafellowmusthavesomewayof’spressinghisfeelings？"

"Davy！！！"saidDora。SheexpectedthatDavywouldbestruckdowndeadonthespot。Butnothinghappened。

"Anyway，Iain’tgoingtostandanymoreofMrs。Lynde’sbossing，"

splutteredDavy。"AnneandMarillamayhavetherighttobossme，butSHEhasn’t。I’mgoingtodoeverysinglethingshetoldmenottodo。

Youwatchme。"

Ingrim，deliberatesilence，whileDorawatchedhimwiththefascinationofhorror，Davysteppedoffthegreengrassoftheroadside，ankledeepintothefinedustwhichfourweeksofrainlessweatherhadmadeontheroad，andmarchedalonginit，shufflinghisfeetviciouslyuntilhewasenvelopedinahazycloud。

"That’sthebeginning，"heannouncedtriumphantly。"AndI’mgoingtostopintheporchandtalkaslongasthere’sanybodytheretotalkto。I’mgoingtosquirmandwriggleandwhisper，andI’mgoingtosayIdon’tknowtheGoldenText。AndI’mgoingtothrowawaybothofmycollectionsRIGHTNOW。"

AndDavyhurledcentandnickeloverMr。Barry’sfencewithfiercedelight。

"Satanmadeyoudothat，"saidDorareproachfully。

"Hedidn’t，"criedDavyindignantly。"Ijustthoughtitoutformyself。

AndI’vethoughtofsomethingelse。I’mnotgoingtoSundaySchoolorchurchatall。I’mgoinguptoplaywiththeCottons。Theytoldmeyesterdaytheyweren’tgoingtoSundaySchooltoday，’causetheirmotherwasawayandtherewasnobodytomakethem。Comealong，Dora，we’llhaveagreattime。"

"Idon’twanttogo，"protestedDora。

"You’vegotto，"saidDavy。"Ifyoudon’tcomeI’lltellMarillathatFrankBellkissedyouinschoollastMonday。"

"Icouldn’thelpit。Ididn’tknowhewasgoingto，"criedDora，blushingscarlet。

"Well，youdidn’tslaphimorseemabitcross，"retortedDavy。

"I’lltellherTHAT，too，ifyoudon’tcome。We’lltaketheshortcutupthisfield。"

"I’mafraidofthosecows，"protestedpoorDora，seeingaprospectofescape。

"Theveryideaofyourbeingscaredofthosecows，"scoffedDavy。

"Why，they’rebothyoungerthanyou。"

"They’rebigger，"saidDora。

"Theywon’thurtyou。Comealong，now。Thisisgreat。WhenI

growupIain’tgoingtobothergoingtochurchatall。I

believeIcangettoheavenbymyself。"

"You’llgototheotherplaceifyoubreaktheSabbathday，"

saidunhappyDora，followinghimsorelyagainstherwill。

ButDavywasnotscared——yet。Hellwasveryfaroff，andthedelightsofafishingexpeditionwiththeCottonswereverynear。

HewishedDorahadmorespunk。Shekeptlookingbackasifsheweregoingtocryeveryminute，andthatspoiledafellow’sfun。

Hanggirls，anyway。Davydidnotsay"darn"thistime，eveninthought。

Hewasnotsorry——yet——thathehadsaiditonce，butitmightbeaswellnottotempttheUnknownPowerstoofarononeday。

ThesmallCottonswereplayingintheirbackyard，andhailedDavy’sappearancewithwhoopsofdelight。Pete，Tommy，Adolphus，andMirabelCottonwereallalone。Theirmotherandoldersisterswereaway。DorawasthankfulMirabelwasthere，atleast。

Shehadbeenafraidshewouldbealoneinacrowdofboys。Mirabelwasalmostasbadasaboy——shewassonoisyandsunburnedandreckless。

Butatleastsheworedresses。

"We’vecometogofishing，"announcedDavy。

"Whoop，"yelledtheCottons。Theyrushedawaytodigwormsatonce，Mirabelleadingthevanwithatincan。Doracouldhavesatdownandcried。Oh，ifonlythathatefulFrankBellhadneverkissedher！

ThenshecouldhavedefiedDavy，andgonetoherbelovedSundaySchool。

Theydarednot，ofcourse，gofishingonthepond，wheretheywouldbeseenbypeoplegoingtochurch。TheyhadtoresorttothebrookinthewoodsbehindtheCottonhouse。Butitwasfulloftrout，andtheyhadaglorioustimethatmorning——atleasttheCottonscertainlyhad，andDavyseemedtohaveit。Notbeingentirelybereftofprudence，hehaddiscardedbootsandstockingsandborrowedTommyCotton’soveralls。Thusaccoutered，bogandmarshandundergrowthhadnoterrorsforhim。Dorawasfranklyandmanifestlymiserable。Shefollowedtheothersintheirperegrinationsfrompooltopool，claspingherBibleandquarterlytightlyandthinkingwithbitternessofsoulofherbelovedclasswheresheshouldbesittingthatverymoment，beforeateachersheadored。Instead，hereshewasroamingthewoodswiththosehalf-wildCottons，tryingtokeepherbootscleanandherprettywhitedressfreefromrentsandstains。MirabelhadofferedtheloanofanapronbutDorahadscornfullyrefused。

ThetroutbitastheyalwaysdoonSundays。Inanhourthetransgressorshadallthefishtheywanted，sotheyreturnedtothehouse，muchtoDora’srelief。Shesatprimlyonahencoopintheyardwhiletheothersplayedanuproariousgameoftag；andthentheyallclimbedtothetopofthepig-houseroofandcuttheirinitialsonthesaddleboard。Theflat-roofedhenhouseandapileofstrawbeneathgaveDavyanotherinspiration。Theyspentasplendidhalfhourclimbingontheroofanddivingoffintothestrawwithwhoopsandyells。

Butevenunlawfulpleasuresmustcometoanend。WhentherumbleofwheelsoverthepondbridgetoldthatpeopleweregoinghomefromchurchDavyknewtheymustgo。HediscardedTommy’soveralls，resumedhisownrightfulattire，andturnedawayfromhisstringoftroutwithasigh。Nousetothinkoftakingthemhome。

"Well，hadn’tweasplendidtime？"hedemandeddefiantly，astheywentdownthehillfield。

"Ihadn’t，"saidDoraflatly。"AndIdon’tbelieveyouhad——

really——either，"sheadded，withaflashofinsightthatwasnottobeexpectedofher。

"Ihadso，"criedDavy，butinthevoiceofonewhodothprotesttoomuch。

"Nowonderyouhadn’t——justsittingtherelikea——likeamule。"

"Iain’tgoingto，’sociatewiththeCottons，"saidDoraloftily。

"TheCottonsareallright，"retortedDavy。"Andtheyhavefarbettertimesthanwehave。Theydojustastheypleaseandsayjustwhattheylikebeforeeverybody。_I_’mgoingtodothat，too，afterthis。"

"Therearelotsofthingsyouwouldn’tdaresaybeforeeverybody，"

averredDora。

"No，thereisn’t。"

"Thereis，too。Wouldyou，"demandedDoragravely，"wouldyousay`tomcat’beforetheminister？"

Thiswasastaggerer。Davywasnotpreparedforsuchaconcreteexampleofthefreedomofspeech。ButonedidnothavetobeconsistentwithDora。

"Ofcoursenot，"headmittedsulkily。

"`Tomcat’isn’taholyword。Iwouldn’tmentionsuchananimalbeforeaministeratall。"

"Butifyouhadto？"persistedDora。

"I’dcallitaThomaspussy，"saidDavy。

"_I_think`gentlemancat’wouldbemorepolite，"reflectedDora。

"YOUthinking！"retortedDavywithwitheringscorn。

Davywasnotfeelingcomfortable，thoughhewouldhavediedbeforeheadmittedittoDora。Nowthattheexhilarationoftruantdelightshaddiedaway，hisconsciencewasbeginningtogivehimsalutarytwinges。Afterall，perhapsitwouldhavebeenbettertohavegonetoSundaySchoolandchurch。Mrs。Lyndemightbebossy；buttherewasalwaysaboxofcookiesinherkitchencupboardandshewasnotstingy。AtthisinconvenientmomentDavyrememberedthatwhenhehadtornhisnewschoolpantstheweekbefore，Mrs。LyndehadmendedthembeautifullyandneversaidawordtoMarillaaboutthem。

ButDavy’scupofiniquitywasnotyetfull。Hewastodiscoverthatonesindemandsanothertocoverit。TheyhaddinnerwithMrs。Lyndethatday，andthefirstthingsheaskedDavywas，"WereallyourclassinSundaySchooltoday？"

"Yes’m，"saidDavywithagulp。"Allwerethere——’ceptone。"

"DidyousayyourGoldenTextandcatechism？"

"Yes’m。"

"Didyouputyourcollectionin？"

"Yes’m。"

"WasMrs。MalcolmMacPhersoninchurch？"

"Idon’tknow。"This，atleast，wasthetruth，thoughtwretchedDavy。

"WastheLadies’Aidannouncedfornextweek？"

"Yes’m"——quakingly。

"Wasprayer-meeting？"

"I——Idon’tknow。"

"YOUshouldknow。Youshouldlistenmoreattentivelytotheannouncements。

WhatwasMr。Harvey’stext？"

Davytookafranticgulpofwaterandswalloweditandthelastprotestofconsciencetogether。HegliblyrecitedanoldGoldenTextlearnedseveralweeksago。FortunatelyMrs。Lyndenowstoppedquestioninghim；butDavydidnotenjoyhisdinner。

Hecouldonlyeatonehelpingofpudding。

"What’sthematterwithyou？"demandedjustlyastonishedMrs。Lynde。

"Areyousick？"

"No，"mutteredDavy。

"Youlookpale。You’dbetterkeepoutofthesunthisafternoon，"

admonishedMrs。Lynde。

"DoyouknowhowmanyliesyoutoldMrs。Lynde？"askedDorareproachfully，assoonastheywerealoneafterdinner。

Davy，goadedtodesperation，turnedfiercely。

"Idon’tknowandIdon’tcare，"hesaid。"Youjustshutup，DoraKeith。"

ThenpoorDavybetookhimselftoasecludedretreatbehindthewoodpiletothinkoverthewayoftransgressors。

GreenGableswaswrappedindarknessandsilencewhenAnnereachedhome。Shelostnotimegoingtobed，forshewasverytiredandsleepy。TherehadbeenseveralAvonleajollificationstheprecedingweek，involvingratherlatehours。Anne’sheadwashardlyonherpillowbeforeshewashalfasleep；butjustthenherdoorwassoftlyopenedandapleadingvoicesaid，"Anne。"

Annesatupdrowsily。

"Davy，isthatyou？Whatisthematter？"

Awhite-cladfigureflungitselfacrossthefloorandontothebed。

"Anne，"sobbedDavy，gettinghisarmsaboutherneck。"I’mawfulgladyou’rehome。Icouldn’tgotosleeptillI’dtoldsomebody。"

"Toldsomebodywhat？"

"Howmis’rubulIam。"

"Whyareyoumiserable，dear？"

"’CauseIwassobadtoday，Anne。Oh，Iwasawfulbad——

badder’nI’veeverbeenyet。"

"Whatdidyoudo？"

"Oh，I’mafraidtotellyou。You’llneverlikemeagain，Anne。

Icouldn’tsaymyprayerstonight。Icouldn’ttellGodwhatI’ddone。Iwas’shamedtohaveHimknow。"

"ButHeknewanyway，Davy。"

"That’swhatDorasaid。ButIthoughtp’rapsHemightn’thavenoticedjustatthetime。Anyway，I’drathertellyoufirst。"

"WHATisityoudid？"

Outitallcameinarush。

"IrunawayfromSundaySchool——andwentfishingwiththeCottons——andItoldeversomanywhopperstoMrs。Lynde——oh！

’mosthalfadozen——and——and——I——Isaidaswearword，Anne——aprettynearswearword，anyhow——andIcalledGodnames。"

Therewassilence。Davydidn’tknowwhattomakeofit。WasAnnesoshockedthatsheneverwouldspeaktohimagain？

"Anne，whatareyougoingtodotome？"hewhispered。

"Nothing，dear。You’vebeenpunishedalready，Ithink。"

"No，Ihaven’t。Nothing’sbeendonetome。"

"You’vebeenveryunhappyeversinceyoudidwrong，haven’tyou？"

"Youbet！"saidDavyemphatically。

"Thatwasyourconsciencepunishingyou，Davy。"

"What’smyconscience？Iwanttoknow。"

"It’ssomethinginyou，Davy，thatalwaystellsyouwhenyouaredoingwrongandmakesyouunhappyifyoupersistindoingit。

Haven’tyounoticedthat？"

"Yes，butIdidn’tknowwhatitwas。IwishIdidn’thaveit。

I’dhavelotsmorefun。Whereismyconscience，Anne？Iwanttoknow。

Isitinmystomach？"

"No，it’sinyoursoul，"answeredAnne，thankfulforthedarkness，sincegravitymustbepreservedinseriousmatters。

"Is’poseIcan’tgetclearofitthen，"saidDavywithasigh。

"AreyougoingtotellMarillaandMrs。Lyndeonme，Anne？"

"No，dear，I’mnotgoingtotellanyone。Youaresorryyouwerenaughty，aren’tyou？"

"Youbet！"

"Andyou’llneverbebadlikethatagain。"

"No，but——"addedDavycautiously，"Imightbebadsomeotherway。"

"Youwon’tsaynaughtywords，orrunawayonSundays，ortellfalsehoodstocoverupyoursins？"

"No。Itdoesn’tpay，"saidDavy。

"Well，Davy，justtellGodyouaresorryandaskHimtoforgiveyou。"

"HaveYOUforgivenme，Anne？"

"Yes，dear。"

"Then，"saidDavyjoyously，"Idon’tcaremuchwhetherGoddoesornot。"

"Davy！"

"Oh——I’llaskHim——I’llaskHim，"saidDavyquickly，scramblingoffthebed，convincedbyAnne’stonethathemusthavesaidsomethingdreadful。"Idon’tmindaskingHim，Anne——

Please，God，I’mawfulsorryIbehavedbadtodayandI’lltrytobegoodonSundaysalwaysandpleaseforgiveme——

Therenow，Anne。"

"Well，now，runofftobedlikeagoodboy。"

"Allright。Say，Idon’tfeelmis’rubulanymore。Ifeelfine。

Goodnight。"

"Goodnight。"

Anneslippeddownonherpillowswithasighofrelief。Oh——

howsleepy——shewas！Inanothersecond——

"Anne！"Davywasbackagainbyherbed。Annedraggedhereyesopen。

"Whatisitnow，dear？"sheasked，tryingtokeepanoteofimpatienceoutofhervoice。

"Anne，haveyouevernoticedhowMr。Harrisonspits？Doyous’pose，ifIpracticehard，Icanlearntospitjustlikehim？"

Annesatup。

"DavyKeith，"shesaid，"gostraighttoyourbedanddon’tletmecatchyououtofitagaintonight！Go，now！"

Davywent，andstoodnotupontheorderofhisgoing。

ChapterXIV

TheSummonsAnnewassittingwithRubyGillisintheGillis’gardenafterthedayhadcreptlingeringlythroughitandwasgone。Ithadbeenawarm，smokysummerafternoon。Theworldwasinasplendorofout-flowering。

Theidlevalleyswerefullofhazes。Thewoodwayswereprankedwithshadowsandthefieldswiththepurpleoftheasters。

AnnehadgivenupamoonlightdrivetotheWhiteSandsbeachthatshemightspendtheeveningwithRuby。Shehadsospentmanyeveningsthatsummer，althoughsheoftenwonderedwhatgooditdidanyone，andsometimeswenthomedecidingthatshecouldnotgoagain。

Rubygrewpalerasthesummerwaned；theWhiteSandsschoolwasgivenup——"herfatherthoughtitbetterthatsheshouldn’tteachtillNewYear’s"——andthefancyworkshelovedoftenerandoftenerfellfromhandsgrowntoowearyforit。Butshewasalwaysgay，alwayshopeful，alwayschatteringandwhisperingofherbeaux，andtheirrivalriesanddespairs。ItwasthisthatmadeAnne’svisitshardforher。Whathadoncebeensillyoramusingwasgruesome，now；itwasdeathpeeringthroughawilfulmaskoflife。YetRubyseemedtoclingtoher，andneverlethergountilshehadpromisedtocomeagainsoon。Mrs。LyndegrumbledaboutAnne’sfrequentvisits，anddeclaredshewouldcatchconsumption；evenMarillawasdubious。

"EverytimeyougotoseeRubyyoucomehomelookingtiredout，"

shesaid。

"It’ssoverysadanddreadful，"saidAnneinalowtone。"Rubydoesn’tseemtorealizeherconditionintheleast。AndyetI

somehowfeelsheneedshelp——cravesit——andIwanttogiveittoherandcan’t。AllthetimeI’mwithherIfeelasifIwerewatchingherstrugglewithaninvisiblefoe——tryingtopushitbackwithsuchfeebleresistanceasshehas。ThatiswhyIcomehometired。"

ButtonightAnnedidnotfeelthissokeenly。Rubywasstrangelyquiet。Shesaidnotawordaboutpartiesanddrivesanddressesand"fellows。"Shelayinthehammock，withheruntouchedworkbesideher，andawhiteshawlwrappedaboutherthinshoulders。

Herlongyellowbraidsofhair——howAnnehadenviedthosebeautifulbraidsinoldschooldays！——layoneithersideofher。

Shehadtakenthepinsout——theymadeherheadache，shesaid。

Thehecticflushwasgoneforthetime，leavingherpaleandchildlike。

Themoonroseinthesilverysky，empearlingthecloudsaroundher。Below，thepondshimmeredinitshazyradiance。

JustbeyondtheGillishomesteadwasthechurch，withtheoldgraveyardbesideit。Themoonlightshoneonthewhitestones，bringingthemoutinclear-cutreliefagainstthedarktreesbehind。

"Howstrangethegraveyardlooksbymoonlight！"saidRubysuddenly。

"Howghostly！"sheshuddered。"Anne，itwon’tbelongnowbeforeI’llbelyingoverthere。YouandDianaandalltherestwillbegoingabout，fulloflife——andI’llbethere——intheoldgraveyard——dead！"

ThesurpriseofitbewilderedAnne。Forafewmomentsshecouldnotspeak。

"Youknowit’sso，don’tyou？"saidRubyinsistently。

"Yes，Iknow，"answeredAnneinalowtone。"DearRuby，Iknow。"

"Everybodyknowsit，"saidRubybitterly。"Iknowit——I’veknownitallsummer，thoughIwouldn’tgivein。And，oh，Anne"——

shereachedoutandcaughtAnne’shandpleadingly，impulsively——"Idon’twanttodie。I’mAFRAIDtodie。"

"Whyshouldyoubeafraid，Ruby？"askedAnnequietly。

"Because——because——oh，I’mnotafraidbutthatI’llgotoheaven，Anne。I’machurchmember。But——it’llbeallsodifferent。Ithink——andthink——andIgetsofrightened——

and——and——homesick。Heavenmustbeverybeautiful，ofcourse，theBiblesaysso——but，Anne，ITWON’TBEWHATI’VEBEENUSEDTO。"

ThroughAnne’sminddriftedanintrusiverecollectionofafunnystoryshehadheardPhilippaGordontell——thestoryofsomeoldmanwhohadsaidverymuchthesamethingabouttheworldtocome。

Ithadsoundedfunnythen——sherememberedhowsheandPriscillahadlaughedoverit。Butitdidnotseemintheleasthumorousnow，comingfromRuby’spale，tremblinglips。

Itwassad，tragic——andtrue！HeavencouldnotbewhatRubyhadbeenusedto。Therehadbeennothinginhergay，frivolouslife，hershallowidealsandaspirations，tofitherforthatgreatchange，ormakethelifetocomeseemtoheranythingbutalienandunrealandundesirable。Annewonderedhelplesslywhatshecouldsaythatwouldhelpher。Couldshesayanything？"Ithink，Ruby，"

shebeganhesitatingly——foritwasdifficultforAnnetospeaktoanyoneofthedeepestthoughtsofherheart，orthenewideasthathadvaguelybeguntoshapethemselvesinhermind，concerningthegreatmysteriesoflifehereandhereafter，supersedingheroldchildishconceptions，anditwashardestofalltospeakofthemtosuchasRubyGillis——"Ithink，perhaps，wehaveverymistakenideasaboutheaven——whatitisandwhatitholdsforus。Idon’tthinkitcanbesoverydifferentfromlifehereasmostpeopleseemtothink。Ibelievewe’lljustgoonliving，agooddealaswelivehere——andbeOURSELVESjustthesame——onlyitwillbeeasiertobegoodandto——followthehighest。Allthehindrancesandperplexitieswillbetakenaway，andweshallseeclearly。Don’tbeafraid，Ruby。"

"Ican’thelpit，"saidRubypitifully。"Evenifwhatyousayaboutheavenistrue——andyoucan’tbesure——itmaybeonlythatimaginationofyours——itwon’tbeJUSTthesame。ItCAN’Tbe。

IwanttogoonlivingHERE。I’msoyoung，Anne。Ihaven’thadmylife。I’vefoughtsohardtolive——anditisn’tanyuse——Ihavetodie——andleaveEVERYTHINGIcarefor。"Annesatinapainthatwasalmostintolerable。Shecouldnottellcomfortingfalsehoods；andallthatRubysaidwassohorriblytrue。SheWASleavingeverythingshecaredfor。Shehadlaiduphertreasuresonearthonly；shehadlivedsolelyforthelittlethingsoflife——thethingsthatpass——forgettingthegreatthingsthatgoonwardintoeternity，bridgingthegulfbetweenthetwolivesandmakingofdeathamerepassingfromonedwellingtotheother——fromtwilighttouncloudedday。Godwouldtakecareofherthere——Annebelieved——shewouldlearn——butnowitwasnowonderhersoulclung，inblindhelplessness，totheonlythingssheknewandloved。

Rubyraisedherselfonherarmandliftedupherbright，beautifulblueeyestothemoonlitskies。

"Iwanttolive，"shesaid，inatremblingvoice。"Iwanttolivelikeothergirls。I——Iwanttobemarried，Anne——and——

and——havelittlechildren。YouknowIalwayslovedbabies，Anne。

Icouldn’tsaythistoanyonebutyou。Iknowyouunderstand。

AndthenpoorHerb——he——helovesmeandIlovehim，Anne。

Theothersmeantnothingtome，butHEdoes——andifIcouldliveIwouldbehiswifeandbesohappy。Oh，Anne，it’shard。"

Rubysankbackonherpillowsandsobbedconvulsively。Annepressedherhandinanagonyofsympathy——silentsympathy，whichperhapshelpedRubymorethanbroken，imperfectwordscouldhavedone；forpresentlyshegrewcalmerandhersobsceased。

"I’mgladI’vetoldyouthis，Anne，"shewhispered。"Ithashelpedmejusttosayitallout。I’vewantedtoallsummer——

everytimeyoucame。Iwantedtotalkitoverwithyou——butICOULDN’T。ItseemedasifitwouldmakedeathsoSUREifI

SAIDIwasgoingtodie，orifanyoneelsesaiditorhintedit。

Iwouldn’tsayit，oreventhinkit。Inthedaytime，whenpeoplewerearoundmeandeverythingwascheerful，itwasn’tsohardtokeepfromthinkingofit。Butinthenight，whenIcouldn’tsleep——itwassodreadful，Anne。Icouldn’tgetawayfromitthen。

Deathjustcameandstaredmeintheface，untilIgotsofrightenedIcouldhavescreamed。

"Butyouwon’tbefrightenedanymore，Ruby，willyou？You’llbebrave，andbelievethatallisgoingtobewellwithyou。"

"I’lltry。I’llthinkoverwhatyouhavesaid，andtrytobelieveit。

Andyou’llcomeupasoftenasyoucan，won’tyou，Anne？"

"Yes，dear。"

"It——itwon’tbeverylongnow，Anne。Ifeelsureofthat。

AndI’dratherhaveyouthananyoneelse。IalwayslikedyoubestofallthegirlsIwenttoschoolwith。Youwereneverjealous，ormean，likesomeofthemwere。PoorEmWhitewasuptoseemeyesterday。YourememberEmandIweresuchchumsforthreeyearswhenwewenttoschool？Andthenwequarrelledthetimeoftheschoolconcert。We’veneverspokentoeachothersince。Wasn’titsilly？AnythinglikethatseemssillyNOW。

ButEmandImadeuptheoldquarrelyesterday。Shesaidshe’dhavespokenyearsago，onlyshethoughtIwouldn’t。AndIneverspoketoherbecauseIwassureshewouldn’tspeaktome。Isn’titstrangehowpeoplemisunderstandeachother，Anne？"

"Mostofthetroubleinlifecomesfrommisunderstanding，Ithink，"

saidAnne。"Imustgonow，Ruby。It’sgettinglate——andyoushouldn’tbeoutinthedamp。"

"You’llcomeupsoonagain。"

"Yes，verysoon。Andifthere’sanythingIcandotohelpyouI’llbesoglad。"

"Iknow。YouHAVEhelpedmealready。Nothingseemsquitesodreadfulnow。Goodnight，Anne。"

"Goodnight，dear。"

Annewalkedhomeveryslowlyinthemoonlight。Theeveninghadchangedsomethingforher。Lifeheldadifferentmeaning，adeeperpurpose。Onthesurfaceitwouldgoonjustthesame；butthedeepshadbeenstirred。ItmustnotbewithheraswithpoorbutterflyRuby。Whenshecametotheendofonelifeitmustnotbetofacethenextwiththeshrinkingterrorofsomethingwhollydifferent——somethingforwhichaccustomedthoughtandidealandaspirationhadunfittedher。Thelittlethingsoflife，sweetandexcellentintheirplace，mustnotbethethingslivedfor；

thehighestmustbesoughtandfollowed；thelifeofheavenmustbebegunhereonearth。

Thatgoodnightinthegardenwasforalltime。AnneneversawRubyinlifeagain。ThenextnighttheA。V。I。S。gaveafarewellpartytoJaneAndrewsbeforeherdeparturefortheWest。And，whilelightfeetdancedandbrighteyeslaughedandmerrytongueschattered，therecameasummonstoasoulinAvonleathatmightnotbedisregardedorevaded。ThenextmorningthewordwentfromhousetohousethatRubyGilliswasdead。Shehaddiedinhersleep，painlesslyandcalmly，andonherfacewasasmile——

asif，afterall，deathhadcomeasakindlyfriendtoleadheroverthethreshold，insteadofthegrislyphantomshehaddreaded。

Mrs。RachelLyndesaidemphaticallyafterthefuneralthatRubyGilliswasthehandsomestcorpsesheeverlaideyeson。Herloveliness，asshelay，white-clad，amongthedelicateflowersthatAnnehadplacedabouther，wasrememberedandtalkedofforyearsinAvonlea。Rubyhadalwaysbeenbeautiful；butherbeautyhadbeenoftheearth，earthy；ithadhadacertaininsolentqualityinit，asifitflaunteditselfinthebeholder’seye；

spirithadnevershonethroughit，intellecthadneverrefinedit。

Butdeathhadtoucheditandconsecratedit，bringingoutdelicatemodelingsandpurityofoutlineneverseenbefore——doingwhatlifeandloveandgreatsorrowanddeepwomanhoodjoysmighthavedoneforRuby。Anne，lookingdownthroughamistoftears，atheroldplayfellow，thoughtshesawthefaceGodhadmeantRubytohave，andremembereditsoalways。

Mrs。GilliscalledAnneasideintoavacantroombeforethefuneralprocessionleftthehouse，andgaveherasmallpacket。

"Iwantyoutohavethis，"shesobbed。"Rubywouldhavelikedyoutohaveit。It’stheembroideredcenterpieceshewasworkingat。

Itisn’tquitefinished——theneedleisstickinginitjustwhereherpoorlittlefingersputitthelasttimeshelaiditdown，theafternoonbeforeshedied。"

"There’salwaysapieceofunfinishedworkleft，"saidMrs。Lynde，withtearsinhereyes。"ButIsupposethere’salwayssomeonetofinishit。"

"Howdifficultitistorealizethatonewehavealwaysknowncanreallybedead，"saidAnne，assheandDianawalkedhome。

"Rubyisthefirstofourschoolmatestogo。Onebyone，soonerorlater，alltherestofusmustfollow。"

"Yes，Isupposeso，"saidDianauncomfortably。Shedidnotwanttotalkofthat。Shewouldhavepreferredtohavediscussedthedetailsofthefuneral——thesplendidwhitevelvetcasketMr。GillishadinsistedonhavingforRuby——"theGillisesmustalwaysmakeasplurge，evenatfunerals，"quothMrs。RachelLynde——HerbSpencer’ssadface，theuncontrolled，hystericgriefofoneofRuby’ssisters——butAnnewouldnottalkofthesethings。

SheseemedwrappedinareverieinwhichDianafeltlonesomelythatshehadneitherlotnorpart。

"RubyGilliswasagreatgirltolaugh，"saidDavysuddenly。

"WillshelaughasmuchinheavenasshedidinAvonlea，Anne？

Iwanttoknow。"

"Yes，Ithinkshewill，"saidAnne。

"Oh，Anne，"protestedDiana，witharathershockedsmile。

"Well，whynot，Diana？"askedAnneseriously。"Doyouthinkwe’llneverlaughinheaven？"

"Oh——I——Idon’tknow"flounderedDiana。"Itdoesn’tseemjustright，somehow。Youknowit’sratherdreadfultolaughinchurch。"

"Butheavenwon’tbelikechurch——allthetime，"saidAnne。

"Ihopeitain’t，"saidDavyemphatically。"IfitisIdon’twanttogo。Churchisawfuldull。Anyway，Idon’tmeantogoforeversolong。Imeantolivetobeahundredyearsold，likeMr。ThomasBlewettofWhiteSands。Hesayshe’slivedsolong’causehealwayssmokedtobaccoanditkilledallthegerms。

CanIsmoketobaccoprettysoon，Anne？"

"No，Davy，Ihopeyou’llneverusetobacco，"saidAnneabsently。

"What’llyoufeellikeifthegermskillmethen？"demandedDavy。

ChapterXV

ADreamTurnedUpsideDown"JustonemoreweekandwegobacktoRedmond，"saidAnne。

Shewashappyatthethoughtofreturningtowork，classesandRedmondfriends。PleasingvisionswerealsobeingwovenaroundPatty’sPlace。Therewasawarmpleasantsenseofhomeinthethoughtofit，eventhoughshehadneverlivedthere。

Butthesummerhadbeenaveryhappyone，too——atimeofgladlivingwithsummersunsandskies，atimeofkeendelightinwholesomethings；

atimeofrenewinganddeepeningofoldfriendships；atimeinwhichshehadlearnedtolivemorenobly，toworkmorepatiently，toplaymoreheartily。

"Alllifelessonsarenotlearnedatcollege，"shethought。

"Lifeteachesthemeverywhere。"

Butalas，thefinalweekofthatpleasantvacationwasspoiledforAnne，byoneofthoseimpishhappeningswhicharelikeadreamturnedupsidedown。

"Beenwritinganymorestorieslately？"inquiredMr。HarrisongeniallyoneeveningwhenAnnewastakingteawithhimandMrs。Harrison。

"No，"answeredAnne，rathercrisply。

"Well，nooffensemeant。Mrs。HiramSloanetoldmetheotherdaythatabigenvelopeaddressedtotheRollingsReliableBakingPowderCompanyofMontrealhadbeendroppedintothepostofficeboxamonthago，andshesuspicionedthatsomebodywastryingfortheprizethey’dofferedforthebeststorythatintroducedthenameoftheirbakingpowder。Shesaiditwasn’taddressedinyourwriting，butIthoughtmaybeitwasyou。"

"Indeed，no！Isawtheprizeoffer，butI’dneverdreamofcompetingforit。Ithinkitwouldbeperfectlydisgracefultowriteastorytoadvertiseabakingpowder。ItwouldbealmostasbadasJudsonParker’spatentmedicinefence。"

SospakeAnneloftily，littledreamingofthevalleyofhumiliationawaitingher。ThatveryeveningDianapoppedintotheporchgable，bright-eyedandrosycheeked，carryingaletter。

"Oh，Anne，here’saletterforyou。Iwasattheoffice，soI

thoughtI’dbringitalong。Doopenitquick。IfitiswhatI

believeitisIshalljustbewildwithdelight。"Anne，puzzled，openedtheletterandglancedoverthetypewrittencontents。

MissAnneShirley，GreenGables，Avonlea，P。E。Island。

"DEARMADAM:Wehavemuchpleasureininformingyouthatyourcharmingstory`Averil’sAtonement’haswontheprizeoftwenty-fivedollarsofferedinourrecentcompetition。

Weenclosethecheckherewith。WearearrangingforthepublicationofthestoryinseveralprominentCanadiannewspapers，andwealsointendtohaveitprintedinpamphletformfordistributionamongourpatrons。

Thankingyoufortheinterestyouhaveshowninourenterprise，weremain，Yoursverytruly，THEROLLINGSRELIABLE

BAKINGPOWDERCo。"

"Idon’tunderstand，"saidAnne，blankly。

Dianaclappedherhands。

"Oh，IKNEWitwouldwintheprize——Iwassureofit。

_I_sentyourstoryintothecompetition，Anne。"

"Diana——Barry！"

"Yes，Idid，"saidDianagleefully，perchingherselfonthebed。

"WhenIsawtheofferIthoughtofyourstoryinaminute，andatfirstIthoughtI’daskyoutosenditin。ButthenIwasafraidyouwouldn’t——youhadsolittlefaithleftinit。SoIjustdecidedI’dsendthecopyyougaveme，andsaynothingaboutit。

Then，ifitdidn’twintheprize，you’dneverknowandyouwouldn’tfeelbadlyoverit，becausethestoriesthatfailedwerenottobereturned，andifitdidyou’dhavesuchadelightfulsurprise。"