could be carried through without her, although she was on the opposite
side of politics. So she went to town and took her husband--Thomas would
be useful in looking after the horse--and Marilla Cuthbert with her.
Marilla had a sneaking interest in politics herself, and as she thought
it might be her only chance to see a real live Premier, she promptly
took it, leaving Anne and Matthew to keep house until her return the
following day.
Hence, while Marilla and Mrs. Rachel were enjoying themselves hugely
at the mass meeting, Anne and Matthew had the cheerful kitchen at Green
Gables all to themselves. A bright fire was glowing in the old-fashioned
Waterloo stove and blue-white frost crystals were shining on the
windowpanes. Matthew nodded over a _Farmers Advocate_ on the sofa and
Anne at the table studied her lessons with grim determination, despite
sundry wistful glances at the clock shelf, where lay a new book that
Jane Andrews had lent her that day. Jane had assured her that it was
warranted to produce any number of thrills, or words to that effect, and
Anne s fingers tingled to reach out for it. But that would mean Gilbert
Blythe s triumph on the morrow. Anne turned her back on the clock shelf
and tried to imagine it wasn t there.
Matthew, did you ever study geometry when you went to school?
Well now, no, I didn t, said Matthew, coming out of his doze with a
start.
I wish you had, sighed Anne, because then you d be able to sympathize
with me. You can t sympathize properly if you ve never studied it. It is
casting a cloud over my whole life. I m such a dunce at it, Matthew.
Well now, I dunno, said Matthew soothingly. I guess you re all right
at anything. Mr. Phillips told me last week in Blair s store at Carmody
that you was the smartest scholar in school and was making rapid
progress. Rapid progress was his very words. There s them as runs down
Teddy Phillips and says he ain t much of a teacher, but I guess he s all
right.
Matthew would have thought anyone who praised Anne was all right.
I m sure I d get on better with geometry if only he wouldn t change
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