out than not.
Gilbert Blythe? said Anne. Isn t his name that s written up on the
porch wall with Julia Bell s and a big Take Notice over them?
Yes, said Diana, tossing her head, but I m sure he doesn t like Julia
Bell so very much. I ve heard him say he studied the multiplication
table by her freckles.
Oh, don t speak about freckles to me, implored Anne. It isn t
delicate when I ve got so many. But I do think that writing take-notices
up on the wall about the boys and girls is the silliest ever. I should
just like to see anybody dare to write my name up with a boy s. Not, of
course, she hastened to add, that anybody would.
Anne sighed. She didn t want her name written up. But it was a little
humiliating to know that there was no danger of it.
Nonsense, said Diana, whose black eyes and glossy tresses had played
such havoc with the hearts of Avonlea schoolboys that her name figured
on the porch walls in half a dozen take-notices. It s only meant as
a joke. And don t you be too sure your name won t ever be written up.
Charlie Sloane is _dead gone_ on you. He told his mother--his _mother_,
mind you--that you were the smartest girl in school. That s better than
being good-looking.
No, it isn t, said Anne, feminine to the core. I d rather be pretty
than clever. And I hate Charlie Sloane, I can t bear a boy with goggle
eyes. If anyone wrote my name up with his I d _never_ get over it, Diana
Barry. But it _is_ nice to keep head of your class.
You ll have Gilbert in your class after this, said Diana, and he s
used to being head of his class, I can tell you. He s only in the fourth
book although he s nearly fourteen. Four years ago his father was sick
and had to go out to Alberta for his health and Gilbert went with him.
They were there three years and Gil didn t go to school hardly any
until they came back. You won t find it so easy to keep head after this,
Anne.
I m glad, said Anne quickly. I couldn t really feel proud of keeping
98