world, as she drank in the beauty of the summer dusk, sweet-scented with
flower breaths from the garden below and sibilant and rustling from the
stir of poplars. The eastern sky above the firs was flushed faintly pink
from the reflection of the west, and Anne was wondering dreamily if the
spirit of color looked like that, when she saw Diana come flying
down through the firs, over the log bridge, and up the slope, with a
fluttering newspaper in her hand.
Anne sprang to her feet, knowing at once what that paper contained. The
pass list was out! Her head whirled and her heart beat until it hurt
her. She could not move a step. It seemed an hour to her before Diana
came rushing along the hall and burst into the room without even
knocking, so great was her excitement.
Anne, you ve passed, she cried, passed the _very first_--you and
Gilbert both--you re ties--but your name is first. Oh, I m so proud!
Diana flung the paper on the table and herself on Anne s bed, utterly
breathless and incapable of further speech. Anne lighted the lamp,
oversetting the match safe and using up half a dozen matches before her
shaking hands could accomplish the task. Then she snatched up the paper.
Yes, she had passed--there was her name at the very top of a list of two
hundred! That moment was worth living for.
You did just splendidly, Anne, puffed Diana, recovering sufficiently
to sit up and speak, for Anne, starry eyed and rapt, had not uttered a
word. Father brought the paper home from Bright River not ten minutes
ago--it came out on the afternoon train, you know, and won t be here
till tomorrow by mail--and when I saw the pass list I just rushed over
like a wild thing. You ve all passed, every one of you, Moody Spurgeon
and all, although he s conditioned in history. Jane and Ruby did pretty
well--they re halfway up--and so did Charlie. Josie just scraped through
with three marks to spare, but you ll see she ll put on as many airs as
if she d led. Won t Miss Stacy be delighted? Oh, Anne, what does it feel
like to see your name at the head of a pass list like that? If it were
me I know I d go crazy with joy. I am pretty near crazy as it is, but
you re as calm and cool as a spring evening.
I m just dazzled inside, said Anne. I want to say a hundred things,
and I can t find words to say them in. I never dreamed of this--yes, I
231