so all my trouble was wasted.
Marilla had to laugh in spite of herself. But her conscience pricked
her.
Anne, you do beat all! But I was wrong--I see that now. I shouldn t
have doubted your word when I d never known you to tell a story.
Of course, it wasn t right for you to confess to a thing you hadn t
done--it was very wrong to do so. But I drove you to it. So if you ll
forgive me, Anne, I ll forgive you and we ll start square again. And now
get yourself ready for the picnic.
Anne flew up like a rocket.
Oh, Marilla, isn t it too late?
No, it s only two o clock. They won t be more than well gathered yet
and it ll be an hour before they have tea. Wash your face and comb your
hair and put on your gingham. I ll fill a basket for you. There s plenty
of stuff baked in the house. And I ll get Jerry to hitch up the sorrel
and drive you down to the picnic ground.
Oh, Marilla, exclaimed Anne, flying to the wash-stand. Five minutes
ago I was so miserable I was wishing I d never been born and now I
wouldn t change places with an angel!
That night a thoroughly happy, completely tired-out Anne returned to
Green Gables in a state of beatification impossible to describe.
Oh, Marilla, I ve had a perfectly scrumptious time. Scrumptious is a
new word I learned today. I heard Mary Alice Bell use it. Isn t it very
expressive? Everything was lovely. We had a splendid tea and then Mr.
Harmon Andrews took us all for a row on the Lake of Shining Waters--six
of us at a time. And Jane Andrews nearly fell overboard. She was leaning
out to pick water lilies and if Mr. Andrews hadn t caught her by her
sash just in the nick of time she d fallen in and prob ly been drowned.
I wish it had been me. It would have been such a romantic experience to
have been nearly drowned. It would be such a thrilling tale to tell. And
we had the ice cream. Words fail me to describe that ice cream. Marilla,
I assure you it was sublime.
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