here and look at you. I m tired, I think--tired of being studious and
ambitious. I mean to spend at least two hours tomorrow lying out in the
orchard grass, thinking of absolutely nothing.
You ve done splendidly, Anne. I suppose you won t be teaching now that
you ve won the Avery?
No. I m going to Redmond in September. Doesn t it seem wonderful? I ll
have a brand new stock of ambition laid in by that time after three
glorious, golden months of vacation. Jane and Ruby are going to teach.
Isn t it splendid to think we all got through even to Moody Spurgeon and
Josie Pye?
The Newbridge trustees have offered Jane their school already, said
Diana. Gilbert Blythe is going to teach, too. He has to. His father
can t afford to send him to college next year, after all, so he means
to earn his own way through. I expect he ll get the school here if Miss
Ames decides to leave.
Anne felt a queer little sensation of dismayed surprise. She had not
known this; she had expected that Gilbert would be going to Redmond
also. What would she do without their inspiring rivalry? Would not
work, even at a coeducational college with a real degree in prospect, be
rather flat without her friend the enemy?
The next morning at breakfast it suddenly struck Anne that Matthew was
not looking well. Surely he was much grayer than he had been a year
before.
Marilla, she said hesitatingly when he had gone out, is Matthew quite
well?
No, he isn t, said Marilla in a troubled tone. He s had some real
bad spells with his heart this spring and he won t spare himself a mite.
I ve been real worried about him, but he s some better this while back
and we ve got a good hired man, so I m hoping he ll kind of rest and
pick up. Maybe he will now you re home. You always cheer him up.
Anne leaned across the table and took Marilla s face in her hands.
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