ANEVENINGATFOURWINDSPOINT
ItwaslateSeptemberwhenAnneandGilbertwereabletopayFourWindslighttheirpromisedvisit。Theyhadoftenplannedtogo，butsomethingalwaysoccurredtopreventthem。CaptainJimhad\"droppedin\"severaltimesatthelittlehouse。
\"Idon’tstandonceremony，MistressBlythe，\"hetoldAnne。\"It’sarealpleasuretometocomehere，andI’mnotgoingtodenymyselfjestbecauseyouhaven’tgotdowntoseeme。Thereoughtn’ttobenobargaininglikethatamongtheracethatknowsJoseph。
I’llcomewhenIcan，andyoucomewhenyoucan，andsolong’swehaveourpleasantlittlechatitdon’tmatteramitewhatroof’soverus。\"
CaptainJimtookagreatfancytoGogandMagog，whowerepresidingoverthedestiniesofthehearthinthelittlehousewithasmuchdignityandaplombastheyhaddoneatPatty’sPlace。
\"Aren’ttheythecutestlittlecusses？\"hewouldsaydelightedly；andhebadethemgreetingandfarewellasgravelyandinvariablyashedidhishostandhostess。
CaptainJimwasnotgoingtooffendhouseholddeitiesbyanylackofreverenceandceremony。
\"You’vemadethislittlehousejustaboutperfect，\"hetoldAnne。\"Itneverwassonicebefore。MistressSelwynhadyourtasteandshedidwonders；butfolksinthosedaysdidn’thavetheprettylittlecurtainsandpicturesandnicknacksyouhave。AsforElizabeth，shelivedinthepast。You’vekinderbroughtthefutureintoit，sotospeak。I’dberealhappyevenifwecouldn’ttalkatall，whenIcomehere——jesttositandlookatyouandyourpicturesandyourflowerswouldbeenoughofatreat。It’sbeautiful——beautiful。\"
CaptainJimwasapassionateworshipperofbeauty。
Everylovelythingheardorseengavehimadeep，subtle，innerjoythatirradiatedhislife。Hewasquitekeenlyawareofhisownlackofoutwardcomelinessandlamentedit。
\"FolkssayI’mgood，\"heremarkedwhimsicallyupononeoccasion，\"butIsometimeswishtheLordhadmademeonlyhalfasgoodandputtherestofitintolooks。
Butthere，IreckonHeknewwhatHewasabout，asagoodCaptainshould。Someofushavetobehomely，orthepurtyones——likeMistressBlythehere——wouldn’tshowupsowell。\"
OneeveningAnneandGilbertfinallywalkeddowntotheFourWindslight。Thedayhadbegunsombrelyingraycloudandmist，butithadendedinapompofscarletandgold。Overthewesternhillsbeyondtheharborwereamberdeepsandcrystallineshallows，withthefireofsunsetbelow。Thenorthwasamackerelskyoflittle，fierygoldenclouds。Theredlightflamedonthewhitesailsofavesselglidingdownthechannel，boundtoasouthernportinalandofpalms。Beyondher，itsmoteuponandincarnadinedtheshining，white，grasslessfacesofthesanddunes。Totheright，itfellontheoldhouseamongthewillowsupthebrook，andgaveitforafleetingspacecasementsmoresplendidthanthoseofanoldcathedral。Theyglowedoutofitsquietandgraynesslikethethrobbing，blood-redthoughtsofavividsoulimprisonedinadullhuskofenvironment。
\"Thatoldhouseupthebrookalwaysseemssolonely，\"
saidAnne。\"Ineverseevisitorsthere。Ofcourse，itslaneopensontheupperroad——butIdon’tthinkthere’smuchcomingandgoing。Itseemsoddwe’venevermettheMooresyet，whentheylivewithinfifteenminutes’walkofus。Imayhaveseentheminchurch，ofcourse，butifsoIdidn’tknowthem。I’msorrytheyaresounsociable，whentheyareouronlynearneighbors。\"
\"Evidentlytheydon’tbelongtotheracethatknowsJoseph，\"laughedGilbert。\"Haveyoueverfoundoutwhothatgirlwaswhomyouthoughtsobeautiful？\"
\"No。SomehowIhaveneverrememberedtoaskabouther。
ButI’veneverseenheranywhere，soIsupposeshemusthavebeenastranger。Oh，thesunhasjustvanished——andthere’sthelight。\"
Astheduskdeepened，thegreatbeaconcutswathesoflightthroughit，sweepinginacircleoverthefieldsandtheharbor，thesandbarandthegulf。
\"Ifeelasifitmightcatchmeandwhiskmeleaguesouttosea，\"saidAnne，asonedrenchedthemwithradiance；andshefeltratherrelievedwhentheygotsonearthePointthattheywereinsidetherangeofthosedazzling，recurrentflashes。
AstheyturnedintothelittlelanethatledacrossthefieldstothePointtheymetamancomingoutofit——amanofsuchextraordinaryappearancethatforamomenttheybothfranklystared。Hewasadecidedlyfine-lookingperson-tall，broad-shouldered，well-
featured，withaRomannoseandfrankgrayeyes；hewasdressedinaprosperousfarmer’sSundaybest；insofarhemighthavebeenanyinhabitantofFourWindsortheGlen。But，flowingoverhisbreastnearlytohisknees，wasariverofcrinklybrownbeard；andadownhisback，beneathhiscommonplacefelthat，wasacorrespondingcascadeofthick，wavy，brownhair。
\"Anne，\"murmuredGilbert，whentheywereoutofearshot，\"youdidn’tputwhatUncleDavecalls`alittleoftheScottAct’inthatlemonadeyougavemejustbeforewelefthome，didyou？\"
\"No，Ididn’t，\"saidAnne，stiflingherlaughter，lesttheretreatingenigmashouldhearhere。\"Whointheworldcanhebe？\"
\"Idon’tknow；butifCaptainJimkeepsapparitionslikethatdownatthisPointI’mgoingtocarrycoldironinmypocketwhenIcomehere。Hewasn’tasailor，oronemightpardonhiseccentricityofappearance；hemustbelongtotheover-harborclans。
UncleDavesaystheyhaveseveralfreaksoverthere。\"
\"UncleDaveisalittleprejudiced，Ithink。Youknowalltheover-harborpeoplewhocometotheGlenChurchseemverynice。Oh，Gilbert，isn’tthisbeautiful？\"
TheFourWindslightwasbuiltonaspurofredsand-stonecliffjuttingoutintothegulf。Ononeside，acrossthechannel，stretchedthesilverysandshoreofthebar；ontheother，extendedalong，curvingbeachofredcliffs，risingsteeplyfromthepebbledcoves。Itwasashorethatknewthemagicandmysteryofstormandstar。Thereisagreatsolitudeaboutsuchashore。Thewoodsareneversolitary——
theyarefullofwhispering，beckoning，friendlylife。
Buttheseaisamightysoul，forevermoaningofsomegreat，unshareablesorrow，whichshutsitupintoitselfforalleternity。Wecanneverpierceitsinfinitemystery——wemayonlywander，awedandspellbound，ontheouterfringeofit。Thewoodscalltouswithahundredvoices，buttheseahasoneonly——amightyvoicethatdrownsoursoulsinitsmajesticmusic。Thewoodsarehuman，buttheseaisofthecompanyofthearchangels。
AnneandGilbertfoundUncleJimsittingonabenchoutsidethelighthouse，puttingthefinishingtouchestoawonderful，full-rigged，toyschooner。Heroseandwelcomedthemtohisabodewiththegentle，unconsciouscourtesythatbecamehimsowell。
\"Thishasbeenapurtynicedayallthrough，MistressBlythe，andnow，rightatthelast，it’sbroughtitsbest。Wouldyouliketositdownhereoutsideabit，whilethelightlasts？I’vejustfinishedthisbitofaplaythingformylittlegrandnephew，Joe，upattheGlen。AfterIpromisedtomakeitforhimIwaskindersorry，forhismotherwasvexed。She’safraidhe’llbewantingtogotosealateronandshedoesn’twantthenotionencouragedinhim。ButwhatcouldIdo，MistressBlythe？I’dPROMISEDhim，andIthinkit’ssorterrealdastardlytobreakapromiseyoumaketoachild。Come，sitdown。Itwon’ttakelongtostayanhour。\"
Thewindwasoffshore，andonlybrokethesea’ssurfaceintolong，silveryripples，andsentsheenyshadowsflyingoutacrossit，fromeverypointandheadland，liketransparentwings。Theduskwashangingacurtainofvioletgloomoverthesanddunesandtheheadlandswheregullswerehuddling。Theskywasfaintlyfilmedoverwithscarfsofsilkenvapor。
Cloudfleetsrodeatanchoralongthehorizons。Aneveningstarwaswatchingoverthebar。
\"Isn’tthataviewworthlookingat？\"saidCaptainJim，withaloving，proprietarypride。\"Niceandfarfromthemarket-place，ain’tit？Nobuyingandsellingandgettinggain。Youdon’thavetopayanything——allthatseaandskyfree——`withoutmoneyandwithoutprice。’There’sgoingtobeamoonrisepurtysoon，too——I’mnevertiredoffindingoutwhatamoonrisecanbeoverthemrocksandseaandharbor。There’sasurpriseiniteverytime。\"
Theyhadtheirmoonrise，andwatcheditsmarvelandmagicinasilencethataskednothingoftheworldoreachother。Thentheywentupintothetower，andCaptainJimshowedandexplainedthemechanismofthegreatlight。Finallytheyfoundthemselvesinthediningroom，whereafireofdriftwoodwasweavingflamesofwavering，elusive，sea-bornhuesintheopenfireplace。
\"Iputthisfireplaceinmyself，\"remarkedCaptainJim。\"TheGovernmentdon’tgivelighthousekeeperssuchluxuries。Lookatthecolorsthatwoodmakes。Ifyou’dlikesomedriftwoodforyourfire，MistressBlythe，I’llbringyouupaloadsomeday。Sitdown。
I’mgoingtomakeyouacupoftea。\"
CaptainJimplacedachairforAnne，havingfirstremovedtherefromahuge，orange-coloredcatandanewspaper。
\"Getdown，Matey。Thesofaisyourplace。ImustputthispaperawaysafetillIcanfindtimetofinishthestoryinit。It’scalledAMadLove。’Tisn’tmyfavoritebrandoffiction，butI’mreadingitjesttoseehowlongshecanspinitout。It’satthesixty-secondchapternow，andtheweddingain’tanynearerthanwhenitbegun，far’sIcansee。WhenlittleJoecomesIhavetoreadhimpirateyarns。
Ain’titstrangehowinnocentlittlecreatureslikechildrenliketheblood-thirstieststories？\"
\"LikemyladDavyathome，\"saidAnne。\"Hewantstalesthatreekwithgore。\"
CaptainJim’steaprovedtobenectar。HewaspleasedasachildwithAnne’scompliments，butheaffectedafineindifference。
\"ThesecretisIdon’tskimpthecream，\"heremarkedairily。CaptainJimhadneverheardofOliverWendellHolmes，butheevidentlyagreedwiththatwriter’sdictumthat\"bigheartneverlikedlittlecreampot。\"
\"Wemetanodd-lookingpersonagecomingoutofyourlane，\"saidGilbertastheysipped。\"Whowashe？\"
CaptainJimgrinned。
\"That’sMarshallElliott——amightyfinemanwithjestonestreakoffoolishnessinhim。Is’poseyouwonderedwhathisobjectwasinturninghimselfintoasortofdimemuseumfreak。\"
\"IsheamodernNazariteoraHebrewprophetleftoverfromoldentimes？\"askedAnne。
\"Neitherofthem。It’spoliticsthat’satthebottomofhisfreak。AllthoseElliottsandCrawfordsandMacAllistersaredyed-in-the-woolpoliticians。They’rebornGritorTory，asthecasemaybe，andtheyliveGritorTory，andtheydieGritorTory；andwhatthey’regoingtodoinheaven，wherethere’sprobablynopolitics，ismorethanIcanfathom。ThisMarshallElliottwasbornaGrit。I’maGritmyselfinmoderation，butthere’snomoderationaboutMarshall。
Fifteenyearsagotherewasaspeciallybittergeneralelection。Marshallfoughtforhispartytoothandnail。HewasdeadsuretheLiberalswouldwin——sosurethathegotupatapublicmeetingandvowedthathewouldn’tshavehisfaceorcuthishairuntiltheGritswereinpower。Well，theydidn’tgoin——andthey’venevergotinyet——andyousawtheresulttodayforyourselves。Marshallstucktohisword。\"
\"Whatdoeshiswifethinkofit？\"askedAnne。
\"He’sabachelor。ButifhehadawifeIreckonshecouldn’tmakehimbreakthatvow。ThatfamilyofElliottshasalwaysbeenmorestubbornthannatteral。
Marshall’sbrotherAlexanderhadadoghesetgreatstoreby，andwhenitdiedthemanactillywantedtohaveitburiedinthegraveyard，`alongwiththeotherChristians，’hesaid。Course，hewasn’tallowedto；soheburieditjustoutsidethegraveyardfence，andneverdarkenedthechurchdooragain。ButSundayshe’ddrivehisfamilytochurchandsitbythatdog’sgraveandreadhisBibleallthetimeservicewasgoingon。
Theysaywhenhewasdyingheaskedhiswifetoburyhimbesidethedog；shewasameeklittlesoulbutshefiredupatTHAT。ShesaidSHEwasn’tgoingtobeburiedbesidenodog，andifhe’dratherhavehislastrestingplacebesidethedogthanbesideher，jesttosayso。AlexanderElliottwasastubbornmule，buthewasfondofhiswife，sohegiveinandsaid，`Well，durnit，burymewhereyouplease。ButwhenGabriel’strumpblowsIexpectmydogtorisewiththerestofus，forhehadasmuchsoulasanydurnedElliottorCrawfordorMacAllisterthateverstrutted。’ThemwasHISpartingwords。AsforMarshall，we’reallusedtohim，buthemuststrikestrangersasrightdownpeculiar-looking。I’veknownhimeversincehewasten——he’saboutfiftynow——andIlikehim。Himandmewasoutcod-fishingtoday。That’saboutallI’mgoodfornow——catchingtroutandcodoccasional。But’tweren’talwaysso——notbynomannerofmeans。Iusedtodootherthings，asyou’dadmitifyousawmylife-book。\"
Annewasjustgoingtoaskwhathislife-bookwaswhentheFirstMatecreatedadiversionbyspringinguponCaptainJim’sknee。Hewasagorgeousbeastie，withafaceasroundasafullmoon，vividgreeneyes，andimmense，white，doublepaws。CaptainJimstrokedhisvelvetbackgently。
\"IneverfanciedcatsmuchtillIfoundtheFirstMate，\"heremarked，totheaccompanimentoftheMate’stremendouspurrs。\"Isavedhislife，andwhenyou’vesavedacreature’slifeyou’reboundtoloveit。It’snextthingtogivinglife。There’ssometurriblethoughtlesspeopleintheworld，MistressBlythe。Someofthemcityfolkswhohavesummerhomesovertheharboraresothoughtlessthatthey’recruel。It’stheworstkindofcruelty——thethoughtlesskind。Youcan’tcopewithit。Theykeepcatsthereinthesummer，andfeedandpet’em，anddoll’emupwithribbonsandcollars。Andtheninthefalltheygooffandleave’emtostarveorfreeze。Itmakesmybloodboil，MistressBlythe。OnedaylastwinterIfoundapooroldmothercatdeadontheshore，lyingagainsttheskin-and-bonebodiesofherthreelittlekittens。
She’ddiedtryingtoshelter’em。Shehadherpoorstiffpawsaround’em。Master，Icried。ThenIswore。
ThenIcarriedthempoorlittlekittenshomeandfed’emupandfoundgoodhomesfor’em。IknewthewomanwholeftthecatandwhenshecomebackthissummerI
jestwentovertheharborandtoldhermyopinionofher。Itwasrankmeddling，butIdolovemeddlinginagoodcause。\"
\"Howdidshetakeit？\"askedGilbert。
\"Criedandsaidshe`didn’tthink。’Isaystoher，saysI，`Doyous’posethat’llbeheldforagoodexcuseinthedayofJedgment，whenyou’llhavetoaccountforthatpooroldmother’slife？TheLord’llaskyouwhatHegiveyouyourbrainsforifitwasn’ttothink，Ireckon。’Idon’tfancyshe’llleavecatstostarveanothertime。\"
\"WastheFirstMateoneoftheforsaken？\"askedAnne，makingadvancestohimwhichwererespondedtograciously，ifcondescendingly。
\"Yes。IfoundHIMonebittercolddayinwinter，caughtinthebranchesofatreebyhisdurn-foolribboncollar。Hewasalmoststarving。Ifyoucouldhaveseenhiseyes，MistressBlythe！Hewasnothingbutakitten，andhe’dgothislivingsomehowsincehe’dbeenleftuntilhegothungup。WhenIloosedhimhegavemyhandapitifulswipewithhislittleredtongue。Hewasn’ttheableseamanyouseenow。HewasmeekasMoses。Thatwasnineyearsago。Hislifehasbeenlonginthelandforacat。He’sagoodoldpal，theFirstMateis。\"
\"Ishouldhaveexpectedyoutohaveadog，\"saidGilbert。
CaptainJimshookhishead。
\"Ihadadogonce。IthoughtsomuchofhimthatwhenhediedIcouldn’tbearthethoughtofgettinganotherinhisplace。HewasaFRIEND——youunderstand，MistressBlythe？Matey’sonlyapal。I’mfondofMatey——allthefonderonaccountofthespiceofdevilmentthat’sinhim——likethereisinallcats。
ButILOVEDmydog。IalwayshadasneakingsympathyforAlexanderElliottaboutHISdog。Thereisn’tanydevilinagooddog。That’swhythey’remorelovablethancats，Ireckon。ButI’mdarnedifthey’reasinteresting。HereIam，talkingtoomuch。Whydon’tyoucheckme？WhenIdogetachancetotalktoanyoneIrunonturrible。Ifyou’vedoneyourteaI’veafewlittlethingsyoumightliketolookat——picked’emupinthequeercornersIusedtobepokingmynoseinto。\"
CaptainJim’s\"fewlittlethings\"turnedouttobeamostinterestingcollectionofcurios，hideous，quaintandbeautiful。Andalmosteveryonehadsomestrikingstoryattachedtoit。
Anneneverforgotthedelightwithwhichshelistenedtothoseoldtalesthatmoonliteveningbythatenchanteddriftwoodfire，whilethesilverseacalledtothemthroughtheopenwindowandsobbedagainsttherocksbelowthem。
CaptainJimneversaidaboastfulword，butitwasimpossibletohelpseeingwhataherothemanhadbeen——brave，true，resourceful，unselfish。Hesatthereinhislittleroomandmadethosethingsliveagainforhishearers。Byaliftoftheeyebrow，atwistofthelip，agesture，aword，hepaintedawholesceneorcharactersothattheysawitasitwas。
SomeofCaptainJim’sadventureshadsuchamarvellousedgethatAnneandGilbertsecretlywonderedifhewerenotdrawingaratherlongbowattheircredulousexpense。Butinthis，astheyfoundlater，theydidhiminjustice。Histaleswereallliterallytrue。
CaptainJimhadthegiftofthebornstoryteller，whereby\"unhappy，far-offthings\"canbebroughtvividlybeforethehearerinalltheirpristinepoignancy。
AnneandGilbertlaughedandshiveredoverhistales，andonceAnnefoundherselfcrying。CaptainJimsurveyedhertearswithpleasureshiningfromhisface。
\"Iliketoseefolkscrythatway，\"heremarked。
\"It’sacompliment。ButIcan’tdojusticetothethingsI’veseenorhelpedtodo。I’ve’emalljotteddowninmylife-book，butIhaven’tgottheknackofwritingthemoutproperly。IfIcouldhitonjesttherightwordsandstring’emtogetherproperonpaperI
couldmakeagreatbook。ItwouldbeatAMadLoveholler，andIbelieveJoe’dlikeitaswellasthepirateyarns。Yes，I’vehadsomeadventuresinmytime；and，doyouknow，MistressBlythe，Istilllustafter’em。Yes，oldanduselessasIbe，there’sanawfullongingsweepsovermeattimestosailout——out——outthere——foreverandever。\"
\"LikeUlysses，youwould`SailbeyondthesunsetandthebathsOfallthewesternstarsuntilyoudie，’\"
saidAnnedreamily。
\"Ulysses？I’vereadofhim。Yes，that’sjusthowI
feel——jesthowallusoldsailorsfeel，Ireckon。I’lldieonlandafterall，Is’pose。Well，whatistobewillbe。TherewasoldWilliamFordattheGlenwhoneverwentonthewaterinhislife，’causehewasafraidofbeingdrowned。Afortune-tellerhadpredictedhewouldbe。Andonedayhefaintedandfellwithhisfaceinthebarntroughandwasdrowned。Mustyougo？Well，comesoonandcomeoften。Thedoctoristodothetalkingnexttime。HeknowsaheapofthingsIwanttofindout。I’msorterlonesomeherebytimes。
It’sbeenworsesinceElizabethRusselldied。Herandmewassuchcronies。\"
CaptainJimspokewiththepathosoftheaged，whoseetheiroldfriendsslippingfromthemonebyone——friendswhoseplacecanneverbequitefilledbythoseofayoungergeneration，evenoftheracethatknowsJoseph。AnneandGilbertpromisedtocomesoonandoften。
\"He’sarareoldfellow，isn’the？\"saidGilbert，astheywalkedhome。
\"Somehow，Ican’treconcilehissimple，kindlypersonalitywiththewild，adventurouslifehehaslived，\"musedAnne。
\"Youwouldn’tfinditsohardifyouhadseenhimtheotherdaydownatthefishingvillage。OneofthemenofPeterGautier’sboatmadeanastyremarkaboutsomegirlalongtheshore。CaptainJimfairlyscorchedthewretchedfellowwiththelightningofhiseyes。Heseemedamantransformed。Hedidn’tsaymuch——butthewayhesaidit！You’dhavethoughtitwouldstripthefleshfromthefellow’sbones。IunderstandthatCaptainJimwillneverallowawordagainstanywomantobesaidinhispresence。\"
\"Iwonderwhyhenevermarried，\"saidAnne。\"Heshouldhavesonswiththeirshipsatseanow，andgrandchildrenclimbingoverhimtohearhisstories——he’sthatkindofaman。Instead，hehasnothingbutamagnificentcat。\"
ButAnnewasmistaken。CaptainJimhadmorethanthat。
Hehadamemory。
CHAPTER10
LESLIEMOORE
\"I’mgoingforawalktotheoutsideshoretonight，\"
AnnetoldGogandMagogoneOctoberevening。Therewasnooneelsetotell，forGilberthadgoneovertheharbor。AnnehadherlittledomaininthespecklessorderonewouldexpectofanyonebroughtupbyMarillaCuthbert，andfeltthatshecouldgadshorewardwithaclearconscience。Manyanddelightfulhadbeenhershorerambles，sometimeswithGilbert，sometimeswithCaptainJim，sometimesalonewithherownthoughtsandnew，poignantly-sweetdreamsthatwerebeginningtospanlifewiththeirrainbows。Shelovedthegentle，mistyharborshoreandthesilvery，wind-hauntedsandshore，butbestofallshelovedtherockshore，withitscliffsandcavesandpilesofsurf-wornboulders，anditscoveswherethepebblesglitteredunderthepools；anditwastothisshoreshehiedherselftonight。
Therehadbeenanautumnstormofwindandrain，lastingforthreedays。Thunderoushadbeenthecrashofbillowsontherocks，wildthewhitesprayandspumethatblewoverthebar，troubledandmistyandtempest-torntheerstwhilebluepeaceofFourWindsHarbor。Nowitwasover，andtheshorelayclean-washedafterthestorm；notawindstirred，buttherewasstillafinesurfon，dashingonsandandrockinasplendidwhiteturmoil——theonlyrestlessthinginthegreat，pervadingstillnessandpeace。
\"Oh，thisisamomentworthlivingthroughweeksofstormandstressfor，\"Anneexclaimed，delightedlysendingherfargazeacrossthetossingwatersfromthetopofthecliffwhereshestood。Presentlyshescrambleddownthesteeppathtothelittlecovebelow，wheresheseemedshutinwithrocksandseaandsky。
\"I’mgoingtodanceandsing，\"shesaid。\"There’snooneheretoseeme——theseagullswon’tcarrytalesofthematter。ImaybeascrazyasIlike。\"
Shecaughtupherskirtandpirouettedalongthehardstripofsandjustoutofreachofthewavesthatalmostlappedherfeetwiththeirspentfoam。Whirlingroundandround，laughinglikeachild，shereachedthelittleheadlandthatranouttotheeastofthecove；
thenshestoppedsuddenly，blushingcrimson；shewasnotalone；therehadbeenawitnesstoherdanceandlaughter。
Thegirlofthegoldenhairandsea-blueeyeswassittingonaboulderoftheheadland，half-hiddenbyajuttingrock。ShewaslookingstraightatAnnewithastrangeexpression——partwonder，partsympathy，part——coulditbe？——envy。Shewasbare-headed，andhersplendidhair，morethaneverlikeBrowning’s\"gorgeoussnake，\"wasboundaboutherheadwithacrimsonribbon。Sheworeadressofsomedarkmaterial，veryplainlymade；butswathedaboutherwaist，outliningitsfinecurves，wasavividgirdleofredsilk。Herhands，claspedoverherknee，werebrownandsomewhatwork-hardened；buttheskinofherthroatandcheekswasaswhiteascream。Aflyinggleamofsunsetbrokethroughalow-lyingwesterncloudandfellacrossherhair。Foramomentsheseemedthespiritoftheseapersonified——allitsmystery，allitspassion，allitselusivecharm。
\"You——youmustthinkmecrazy，\"stammeredAnne，tryingtorecoverherself-possession。Tobeseenbythisstatelygirlinsuchanabandonofchildishness——she，Mrs。Dr。Blythe，withallthedignityofthematrontokeepup——itwastoobad！
\"No，\"saidthegirl，\"Idon’t。\"
Shesaidnothingmore；hervoicewasexpressionless；
hermannerslightlyrepellent；buttherewassomethinginhereyes——eageryetshy，defiantyetpleading——whichturnedAnnefromherpurposeofwalkingaway。Instead，shesatdownontheboulderbesidethegirl。
\"Let’sintroduceourselves，\"shesaid，withthesmilethathadneveryetfailedtowinconfidenceandfriendliness。\"IamMrs。Blythe——andIliveinthatlittlewhitehouseuptheharborshore。\"
\"Yes，Iknow，\"saidthegirl。\"IamLeslieMoore——Mrs。DickMoore，\"sheaddedstiffly。
Annewassilentforamomentfromsheeramazement。Ithadnotoccurredtoherthatthisgirlwasmarried——thereseemednothingofthewifeabouther。
AndthatsheshouldbetheneighborwhomAnnehadpicturedasacommonplaceFourWindshousewife！Annecouldnotquicklyadjusthermentalfocustothisastonishingchange。
\"Then——thenyouliveinthatgrayhouseupthebrook，\"
shestammered。
\"Yes。Ishouldhavegoneovertocallonyoulongago，\"saidtheother。Shedidnotofferanyexplanationorexcusefornothavinggone。
\"IwishyouWOULDcome，\"saidAnne，recoveringherselfsomewhat。\"We’resuchnearneighborsweoughttobefriends。ThatisthesolefaultofFourWinds——therearen’tquiteenoughneighbors。Otherwiseitisperfection。\"
\"Youlikeit？\"
\"LIKEit！Iloveit。ItisthemostbeautifulplaceI
eversaw。\"
\"I’veneverseenmanyplaces，\"saidLeslieMoore，slowly，\"butI’vealwaysthoughtitwasverylovelyhere。I——Iloveit，too。\"
Shespoke，asshelooked，shyly，yeteagerly。Annehadanoddimpressionthatthisstrangegirl——theword\"girl\"wouldpersist——couldsayagooddealifshechose。
\"Ioftencometotheshore，\"sheadded。
\"SodoI，\"saidAnne。\"It’sawonderwehaven’tmetherebefore。\"
\"ProbablyyoucomeearlierintheeveningthanIdo。
Itisgenerallylate——almostdark——whenIcome。AndI
lovetocomejustafterastorm——likethis。Idon’tliketheseasowellwhenit’scalmandquiet。Ilikethestruggle——andthecrash——andthenoise。\"
\"Iloveitinallitsmoods，\"declaredAnne。\"TheseaatFourWindsistomewhatLover’sLanewasathome。
Tonightitseemedsofree——sountamed——somethingbrokelooseinme，too，outofsympathy。ThatwaswhyI
dancedalongtheshoreinthatwildway。Ididn’tsupposeanybodywaslooking，ofcourse。IfMissCorneliaBryanthadseenmeshewouldhaveforbodedagloomyprospectforpooryoungDr。Blythe。\"
\"YouknowMissCornelia？\"saidLeslie，laughing。Shehadanexquisitelaugh；itbubbledupsuddenlyandunexpectedlywithsomethingofthedeliciousqualityofababy’s。Annelaughed，too。
\"Oh，yes。Shehasbeendowntomyhouseofdreamsseveraltimes。\"
\"Yourhouseofdreams？\"
\"Oh，that’sadear，foolishlittlenameGilbertandI
haveforourhome。Wejustcallitthatbetweenourselves。ItslippedoutbeforeIthought。\"
\"SoMissRussell’slittlewhitehouseisYOURhouseofdreams，\"saidLesliewonderingly。\"_I_hadahouseofdreamsonce——butitwasapalace，\"sheadded，withalaugh，thesweetnessofwhichwasmarredbyalittlenoteofderision。
\"Oh，Ioncedreamedofapalace，too，\"saidAnne。\"I
supposeallgirlsdo。Andthenwesettledowncontentedlyineight-roomhousesthatseemtofulfillallthedesiresofourhearts——becauseourprinceisthere。YOUshouldhavehadyourpalacereally，though——youaresobeautiful。YouMUSTletmesayit——ithastobesaid——I’mnearlyburstingwithadmiration。YouaretheloveliestthingIeversaw，Mrs。Moore。\"
\"IfwearetobefriendsyoumustcallmeLeslie，\"
saidtheotherwithanoddpassion。
\"OfcourseIwill。AndMYfriendscallmeAnne。\"
\"IsupposeIambeautiful，\"Lesliewenton，lookingstormilyouttosea。\"Ihatemybeauty。IwishIhadalwaysbeenasbrownandplainasthebrownestandplainestgirlatthefishingvillageoverthere。
Well，whatdoyouthinkofMissCornelia？\"
Theabruptchangeofsubjectshutthedooronanyfurtherconfidences。
\"MissCorneliaisadarling，isn’tshe？\"saidAnne。
\"GilbertandIwereinvitedtoherhousetoastatetealastweek。You’veheardofgroaningtables。\"
\"Iseemtorecallseeingtheexpressioninthenewspaperreportsofweddings，\"saidLeslie，smiling。
\"Well，MissCornelia’sgroaned——atleast，itcreaked——positively。Youcouldn’thavebelievedshewouldhavecookedsomuchfortwoordinarypeople。Shehadeverykindofpieyoucouldname，Ithink——exceptlemonpie。ShesaidshehadtakentheprizeforlemonpiesattheCharlottetownExhibitiontenyearsagoandhadnevermadeanysinceforfearoflosingherreputationforthem。\"
\"Wereyouabletoeatenoughpietopleaseher？\"
\"_I_wasn’t。Gilbertwonherheartbyeating——Iwon’ttellyouhowmuch。Shesaidsheneverknewamanwhodidn’tlikepiebetterthanhisBible。Doyouknow，I
loveMissCornelia。\"
\"SodoI，\"saidLeslie。\"SheisthebestfriendI
haveintheworld。\"
Annewonderedsecretlywhy，ifthiswereso，MissCorneliahadnevermentionedMrs。DickMooretoher。
MissCorneliahadcertainlytalkedfreelyabouteveryotherindividualinornearFourWinds。
\"Isn’tthatbeautiful？\"saidLeslie，afterabriefsilence，pointingtotheexquisiteeffectofashaftoflightfallingthroughacleftintherockbehindthem，acrossadarkgreenpoolatitsbase。\"IfIhadcomehere——andseennothingbutjustthat——Iwouldgohomesatisfied。\"
\"Theeffectsoflightandshadowallalongtheseshoresarewonderful，\"agreedAnne。\"Mylittlesewingroomlooksoutontheharbor，andIsitatitswindowandfeastmyeyes。Thecolorsandshadowsareneverthesametwominutestogether。\"
\"Andyouareneverlonely？\"askedLeslieabruptly。
\"Never——whenyouarealone？\"
\"No。Idon’tthinkI’veeverbeenreallylonelyinmylife，\"answeredAnne。\"EvenwhenI’maloneIhaverealgoodcompany——dreamsandimaginationsandpretendings。ILIKEtobealonenowandthen，justtothinkoverthingsandTASTEthem。ButIlovefriendship——andnice，jollylittletimeswithpeople。
Oh，WON’Tyoucometoseeme——often？Pleasedo。I
believe，\"Anneadded，laughing，\"thatyou’dlikemeifyouknewme。\"
\"IwonderifYOUwouldlikeME，\"saidLeslieseriously。Shewasnotfishingforacompliment。Shelookedoutacrossthewavesthatwerebeginningtobegarlandedwithblossomsofmoonlitfoam，andhereyesfilledwithshadows。
\"I’msureIwould，\"saidAnne。\"Andpleasedon’tthinkI’mutterlyirresponsiblebecauseyousawmedancingontheshoreatsunset。NodoubtIshallbedignifiedafteratime。Yousee，Ihaven’tbeenmarriedverylong。Ifeellikeagirl，andsometimeslikeachild，yet。\"
\"Ihavebeenmarriedtwelveyears，\"saidLeslie。
Herewasanotherunbelievablething。
\"Why，youcan’tbeasoldasIam！\"exclaimedAnne。
\"Youmusthavebeenachildwhenyouweremarried。\"
\"Iwassixteen，\"saidLeslie，rising，andpickingupthecapandjacketlyingbesideher。\"Iamtwenty-eightnow。Well，Imustgoback。\"
\"SomustI。Gilbertwillprobablybehome。ButI’msogladwebothcametotheshoretonightandmeteachother。\"
Lesliesaidnothing，andAnnewasalittlechilled。
Shehadofferedfriendshipfranklybutithadnotbeenacceptedverygraciously，ifithadnotbeenabsolutelyrepelled。Insilencetheyclimbedthecliffsandwalkedacrossapasture-fieldofwhichthefeathery，bleached，wildgrasseswerelikeacarpetofcreamyvelvetinthemoonlight。WhentheyreachedtheshorelaneLeslieturned。
\"Igothisway，Mrs。Blythe。Youwillcomeoverandseemesometime，won’tyou？\"
Annefeltasiftheinvitationhadbeenthrownather。
ShegottheimpressionthatLeslieMooregaveitreluctantly。
\"Iwillcomeifyoureallywantmeto，\"shesaidalittlecoldly。
\"Oh，Ido——Ido，\"exclaimedLeslie，withaneagernesswhichseemedtoburstforthandbeatdownsomerestraintthathadbeenimposedonit。
\"ThenI’llcome。Good-night——Leslie。\"
\"Good-night，Mrs。Blythe。\"
AnnewalkedhomeinabrownstudyandpouredouthertaletoGilbert。
\"SoMrs。DickMooreisn’toneoftheracethatknowsJoseph？\"saidGilbertteasingly。
\"No——o——o，notexactly。Andyet——IthinksheWASoneofthemonce，buthasgoneorgotintoexile，\"saidAnnemusingly。\"Sheiscertainlyverydifferentfromtheotherwomenabouthere。Youcan’ttalkabouteggsandbuttertoHER。TothinkI’vebeenimaginingherasecondMrs。RachelLynde！HaveyoueverseenDickMoore，Gilbert？\"
\"No。I’veseenseveralmenworkingaboutthefieldsofthefarm，butIdon’tknowwhichwasMoore。\"
\"Shenevermentionedhim。IKNOWsheisn’thappy。\"
\"FromwhatyoutellmeIsupposeshewasmarriedbeforeshewasoldenoughtoknowherownmindorheart，andfoundouttoolatethatshehadmadeamistake。It’sacommontragedyenough，Anne。
Afinewomanwouldhavemadethebestofit。Mrs。
Moorehasevidentlyletitmakeherbitterandresentful。\"
\"Don’tletusjudgehertillweknow，\"pleadedAnne。
\"Idon’tbelievehercaseissoordinary。Youwillunderstandherfascinationwhenyoumeether，Gilbert。
Itisathingquiteapartfromherbeauty。Ifeelthatshepossessesarichnature，intowhichafriendmightenterasintoakingdom；butforsomereasonshebarseveryoneoutandshutsallherpossibilitiesupinherself，sothattheycannotdevelopandblossom。
There，I’vebeenstrugglingtodefinehertomyselfeversinceIlefther，andthatisthenearestIcangettoit。I’mgoingtoaskMissCorneliaabouther。\"
CHAPTER11
THESTORYOFLESLIEMOORE
\"Yes，theeighthbabyarrivedafortnightago，\"saidMissCornelia，fromarockerbeforethefireofthelittlehouseonechillyOctoberafternoon。\"It’sagirl。Fredwasrantingmad——saidhewantedaboy——whenthetruthishedidn’twantitatall。Ifithadbeenaboyhe’dhaverantedbecauseitwasn’tagirl。Theyhadfourgirlsandthreeboysbefore，soI
can’tseethatitmademuchdifferencewhatthisonewas，butofcoursehe’dhavetobecantankerous，justlikeaman。Thebabyisrealpretty，dressedupinitsnicelittleclothes。Ithasblackeyesandthedearest，tinyhands。\"
\"Imustgoandseeit。Ijustlovebabies，\"saidAnne，smilingtoherselfoverathoughttoodearandsacredtobeputintowords。
\"Idon’tsaybutwhatthey’renice，\"admittedMissCornelia。\"Butsomefolksseemtohavemorethantheyreallyneed，believeME。MypoorcousinFloraupattheGlenhadeleven，andsuchaslaveassheis！Herhusbandsuicidedthreeyearsago。Justlikeaman！\"
\"Whatmadehimdothat？\"askedAnne，rathershocked。
\"Couldn’tgethiswayoversomething，sohejumpedintothewell。Agoodriddance！Hewasaborntyrant。
Butofcourseitspoiledthewell。Floracouldneverabidethethoughtofusingitagain，poorthing！Soshehadanotherdugandafrightfulexpenseitwas，andthewaterashardasnails。IfheHADtodrownhimselftherewasplentyofwaterintheharbor，wasn’tthere？
I’venopatiencewithamanlikethat。We’veonlyhadtwosuicidesinFourWindsinmyrecollection。TheotherwasFrankWest——LeslieMoore’sfather。Bytheway，hasLeslieeverbeenovertocallonyouyet？\"
\"No，butImetherontheshoreafewnightsagoandwescrapedanacquaintance，\"saidAnne，prickingupherears。
MissCornelianodded。
\"I’mglad，dearie。Iwashopingyou’dforegatherwithher。Whatdoyouthinkofher？\"
\"Ithoughtherverybeautiful。\"
\"Oh，ofcourse。TherewasneveranybodyaboutFourWindscouldtouchherforlooks。Didyoueverseeherhair？Itreachestoherfeetwhensheletsitdown。
ButImeanthowdidyoulikeher？\"
\"IthinkIcouldlikeherverymuchifshe’dletme，\"
saidAnneslowly。
\"Butshewouldn’tletyou——shepushedyouoffandkeptyouatarm’slength。PoorLeslie！Youwouldn’tbemuchsurprisedifyouknewwhatherlifehasbeen。
It’sbeenatragedy——atragedy！\"repeatedMissCorneliaemphatically。
\"Iwishyouwouldtellmeallabouther——thatis，ifyoucandosowithoutbetrayinganyconfidence。\"
\"Lord，dearie，everybodyinFourWindsknowspoorLeslie’sstory。It’snosecret——theOUTSIDE，thatis。
NobodyknowstheINSIDEbutLeslieherself，andshedoesn’ttakefolksintoherconfidence。I’maboutthebestfriendshehasonearth，Ireckon，andshe’sneverutteredawordofcomplainttome。HaveyoueverseenDickMoore？\"
\"No。\"
\"Well，Imayaswellbeginatthebeginningandtellyoueverythingstraightthrough，soyou’llunderstandit。AsIsaid，Leslie’sfatherwasFrankWest。Hewascleverandshiftless——justlikeaman。Oh，hehadheapsofbrains——andmuchgoodtheydidhim！Hestartedtogotocollege，andhewentfortwoyears，andthenhishealthbrokedown。TheWestswereallinclinedtobeconsumptive。SoFrankcamehomeandstartedfarming。HemarriedRoseElliottfromoverharbor。RosewasreckonedthebeautyofFourWinds——Leslietakesherlooksfromhermother，butshehastentimesthespiritandgothatRosehad，andafarbetterfigure。Nowyouknow，Anne，Ialwaystakethegroundthatuswomenoughttostandbyeachother。
We’vegotenoughtoendureatthehandsofthemen，theLordknows，soIholdwehadn’toughttoclapper-clawoneanother，anditisn’toftenyou’llfindmerunningdownanotherwoman。ButIneverhadmuchuseforRoseElliott。Shewasspoiledtobeginwith，believeME，andshewasnothingbutalazy，selfish，whiningcreature。Frankwasnohandtowork，sotheywerepoorasJob’sturkey。Poor！Theylivedonpotatoesandpoint，believeME。Theyhadtwochildren——LeslieandKenneth。Lesliehadhermother’slooksandherfather’sbrains，andsomethingshedidn’tgetfromeitherofthem。ShetookafterherGrandmotherWest——asplendidoldlady。Shewasthebrightest，friendliest，merriestthingwhenshewasachild，Anne。Everybodylikedher。Shewasherfather’sfavoriteandshewasawfulfondofhim。Theywere`chums，’assheusedtosay。Shecouldn’tseeanyofhisfaults——andheWASatakingsortofmaninsomeways。
\"Well，whenLesliewastwelveyearsold，thefirstdreadfulthinghappened。SheworshippedlittleKenneth——hewasfouryearsyoungerthanher，andheWAS
adearlittlechap。Andhewaskilledoneday——felloffabigloadofhayjustasitwasgoingintothebarn，andthewheelwentrightoverhislittlebodyandcrushedthelifeoutofit。Andmindyou，Anne，Lesliesawit。Shewaslookingdownfromtheloft。Shegaveonescreech——thehiredmansaidheneverheardsuchasoundinallhislife——hesaiditwouldringinhisearstillGabriel’strumpdroveitout。Butsheneverscreechedorcriedagainaboutit。Shejumpedfromtheloftontotheloadandfromtheloadtothefloor，andcaughtupthelittlebleeding，warm，deadbody，Anne——theyhadtotearitfromherbeforeshewouldletitgo。Theysentforme——Ican’ttalkofit。\"
MissCorneliawipedthetearsfromherkindlybrowneyesandsewedinbittersilenceforafewminutes。
\"Well，\"sheresumed，\"itwasallover——theyburiedlittleKennethinthatgraveyardovertheharbor，andafterawhileLesliewentbacktoherschoolandherstudies。ShenevermentionedKenneth’sname——I’veneverhearditcrossherlipsfromthatdaytothis。I
reckonthatoldhurtstillachesandburnsattimes；
butshewasonlyachildandtimeisrealkindtochildren，Anne，dearie。Afterawhileshebegantolaughagain——shehadtheprettiestlaugh。Youdon’toftenhearitnow。\"
\"Ihearditoncetheothernight，\"saidAnne。\"ItIS
abeautifullaugh。\"
\"FrankWestbegantogodownafterKenneth’sdeath。Hewasn’tstronganditwasashocktohim，becausehewasrealfondofthechild，though，asI’vesaid，Lesliewashisfavorite。Hegotmopyandmelancholy，andcouldn’torwouldn’twork。Andoneday，whenLesliewasfourteenyearsofage，hehangedhimself——andintheparlor，too，mindyou，Anne，rightinthemiddleoftheparlorfromthelamphookintheceiling。Wasn’tthatlikeaman？Itwastheanniversaryofhisweddingday，too。Nice，tastytimetopickforit，wasn’tit？And，ofcourse，thatpoorLesliehadtobetheonetofindhim。Shewentintotheparlorthatmorning，singing，withsomefreshflowersforthevases，andthereshesawherfatherhangingfromtheceiling，hisfaceasblackasacoal。Itwassomethingawful，believeME！\"
\"Oh，howhorrible！\"saidAnne，shuddering。\"Thepoor，poorchild！\"
\"Lesliedidn’tcryatherfather’sfuneralanymorethenshehadcriedatKenneth’s。Rosewhoopedandhowledfortwo，however，andLesliehadallshecoulddotryingtocalmandcomforthermother。IwasdisgustedwithRoseandsowaseveryoneelse，butLeslienevergotoutofpatience。Shelovedhermother。Leslieisclannish——herowncouldneverdowronginhereyes。Well，theyburiedFrankWestbesideKenneth，andRoseputupagreatbigmonumenttohim。
Itwasbiggerthanhischaracter，believeME！Anyhow，itwasbiggerthanRosecouldafford，forthefarmwasmortgagedformorethanitsvalue。ButnotlongafterLeslie’soldgrandmotherWestdiedandsheleftLesliealittlemoney——enoughtogiveherayearatQueen’sAcademy。Lesliehadmadeuphermindtopassforateacherifshecould，andthenearnenoughtoputherselfthroughRedmondCollege。Thathadbeenherfather’spetscheme——hewantedhertohavewhathehadlost。Lesliewasfullofambitionandherheadwaschockfullofbrains。ShewenttoQueen’s，andshetooktwoyears’workinoneyearandgotherFirst；
andwhenshecamehomeshegottheGlenschool。Shewassohappyandhopefulandfulloflifeandeagerness。WhenIthinkofwhatshewasthenandwhatsheisnow，Isay——dratthemen！\"
MissCorneliasnippedherthreadoffasviciouslyasif，Nero-like，shewasseveringtheneckofmankindbythestroke。
\"DickMoorecameintoherlifethatsummer。Hisfather，AbnerMoore，keptstoreattheGlen，butDickhadasea-goingstreakinhimfromhismother；heusedtosailinsummerandclerkinhisfather’sstoreinwinter。Hewasabig，handsomefellow，withalittleuglysoul。Hewasalwayswantingsomethingtillhegotit，andthenhestoppedwantingit——justlikeaman。
Oh，hedidn’tgrowlattheweatherwhenitwasfine，andhewasmostlyrealpleasantandagreeablewheneverythingwentright。Buthedrankagooddeal，andthereweresomenastystoriestoldofhimandagirldownatthefishingvillage。Hewasn’tfitforLeslietowipeherfeeton，that’sthelongandshortofit。
AndhewasaMethodist！Buthewascleanmadabouther——becauseofhergoodlooksinthefirstplace，andbecauseshewouldn’thaveanythingtosaytohiminthesecond。Hevowedhe’dhaveher——andhegother！\"
\"Howdidhebringitabout？\"
\"Oh，itwasaniniquitousthing！I’llneverforgiveRoseWest。Yousee，dearie，AbnerMooreheldthemortgageontheWestfarm，andtheinterestwasoverduesomeyears，andDickjustwentandtoldMrs。WestthatifLesliewouldn’tmarryhimhe’dgethisfathertoforeclosethemortgage。Rosecarriedonterrible——faintedandwept，andpleadedwithLeslienottoletherbeturnedoutofherhome。Shesaiditwouldbreakherhearttoleavethehomeshe’dcometoasabride。Iwouldn’thaveblamedherforfeelingdreadfulbadoverit——butyouwouldn’thavethoughtshe’dbesoselfishastosacrificeherownfleshandbloodbecauseofit，wouldyou？Well，shewas。
AndLesliegavein——shelovedhermothersomuchshewouldhavedoneanythingtosaveherpain。ShemarriedDickMoore。Noneofusknewwhyatthetime。Itwasn’ttilllongafterwardthatIfoundouthowhermotherhadworriedherintoit。Iwassuretherewassomethingwrong，though，becauseIknewhowshehadsnubbedhimtimeandagain，anditwasn’tlikeLeslietoturnface——aboutlikethat。Besides，IknewthatDickMoorewasn’tthekindofmanLesliecouldeverfancy，inspiteofhisgoodlooksanddashingways。Ofcourse，therewasnowedding，butRoseaskedmetogoandseethemmarried。Iwent，butIwassorryIdid。
I’dseenLeslie’sfaceatherbrother’sfuneralandatherfather’sfuneral——andnowitseemedtomeIwasseeingitatherownfuneral。ButRosewassmilingasabasketofchips，believeME！
\"LeslieandDicksettleddownontheWestplace——Rosecouldn’tbeartopartwithherdeardaughter！——andlivedthereforthewinter。InthespringRosetookpneumoniaanddied——ayeartoolate！Lesliewasheart-brokenenoughoverit。Isn’titterriblethewaysomeunworthyfolksareloved，whileothersthatdeserveitfarmore，you’dthink，nevergetmuchaffection？AsforDick，he’dhadenoughofquietmarriedlife——justlikeaman。Hewasforupandoff。
HewentovertoNovaScotiatovisithisrelations——hisfatherhadcomefromNovaScotia——andhewrotebacktoLesliethathiscousin，GeorgeMoore，wasgoingonavoyagetoHavanaandhewasgoingtoo。ThenameofthevesselwastheFourSistersandtheyweretobegoneaboutnineweeks。
\"ItmusthavebeenarelieftoLeslie。Butsheneversaidanything。Fromthedayofhermarriageshewasjustwhatsheisnow——coldandproud，andkeepingeveryonebutmeatadistance。Iwon’tBEkeptatadistance，believeME！I’vejuststucktoLeslieascloseasIknewhowinspiteofeverything。\"
\"Shetoldmeyouwerethebestfriendshehad，\"saidAnne。
\"Didshe？\"exclaimedMissCorneliadelightedly。
\"Well，I’mrealthankfultohearit。SometimesI’vewonderedifshereallydidwantmearoundatall——sheneverletmethinkso。Youmusthavethawedheroutmorethanyouthink，orshewouldn’thavesaidthatmuchitselftoyou。Oh，thatpoor，heart-brokengirl！
IneverseeDickMoorebutIwanttorunaknifecleanthroughhim。\"
MissCorneliawipedhereyesagainandhavingrelievedherfeelingsbyherblood-thirstywish，tookuphertale。
\"Well，Lesliewasleftovertherealone。Dickhadputinthecropbeforehewent，andoldAbnerlookedafterit。ThesummerwentbyandtheFourSistersdidn’tcomeback。TheNovaScotiaMooresinvestigated，andfoundshehadgottoHavanaanddischargedhercargoandtookonanotherandleftforhome；andthatwasalltheyeverfoundoutabouther。BydegreespeoplebegantotalkofDickMooreasonethatwasdead。Almosteveryonebelievedthathewas，thoughnoonefeltcertain，formenhaveturneduphereattheharborafterthey’dbeengoneforyears。Leslieneverthoughthewasdead——andshewasright。Athousandpitiestoo！
ThenextsummerCaptainJimwasinHavana——thatwasbeforehegaveupthesea，ofcourse。Hethoughthe’dpokeroundabit——CaptainJimwasalwaysmeddlesome，justlikeaman——andhewenttoinquiringroundamongthesailors’boardinghousesandplaceslikethat，toseeifhecouldfindoutanythingaboutthecrewoftheFourSisters。He’dbetterhaveletsleepingdogslie，inmyopinion！Well，hewenttooneout-of-the-wayplace，andtherehefoundamanheknewatfirstsightitwasDickMoore，thoughhehadabigbeard。CaptainJimgotitshavedoffandthentherewasnodoubt——DickMooreitwas——hisbodyatleast。Hismindwasn’tthere——asforhissoul，inmyopinionheneverhadone！\"
\"Whathadhappenedtohim？\"
\"Nobodyknowstherightsofit。Allthefolkswhokepttheboardinghousecouldtellwasthataboutayearbeforetheyhadfoundhimlyingontheirdoorsteponemorninginanawfulcondition——hisheadbatteredtoajellyalmost。Theysupposedhe’dgothurtinsomedrunkenrow，andlikelythat’sthetruthofit。Theytookhimin，neverthinkinghecouldlive。Buthedid——andhewasjustlikeachildwhenhegotwell。
Hehadn’tmemoryorintellectorreason。Theytriedtofindoutwhohewasbuttheynevercould。Hecouldn’teventellthemhisname——hecouldonlysayafewsimplewords。Hehadaletteronhimbeginning`DearDick’
andsigned`Leslie，’buttherewasnoaddressonitandtheenvelopewasgone。Theylethimstayon——helearnedtodoafewoddjobsabouttheplace——andthereCaptainJimfoundhim。Hebroughthimhome——I’vealwayssaiditwasabadday’swork，thoughIs’posetherewasnothingelsehecoulddo。HethoughtmaybewhenDickgothomeandsawhisoldsurroundingsandfamiliarfaceshismemorywouldwakeup。Butithadn’tanyeffect。Therehe’sbeenatthehouseupthebrookeversince。He’sjustlikeachild，nomorenorless。
Takesfractiousspellsoccasionally，butmostlyhe’sjustvacantandgoodhumoredandharmless。He’sapttorunawayifheisn’twatched。That’stheburdenLesliehashadtocarryforelevenyears——andallalone。OldAbnerMoorediedsoonafterDickwasbroughthomeanditwasfoundhewasalmostbankrupt。
WhenthingsweresettleduptherewasnothingforLeslieandDickbuttheoldWestfarm。LeslierentedittoJohnWard，andtherentisallshehastoliveon。Sometimesinsummershetakesaboardertohelpout。Butmostvisitorsprefertheothersideoftheharborwherethehotelsandsummercottagesare。
Leslie’shouseistoofarfromthebathingshore。
She’stakencareofDickandshe’sneverbeenawayfromhimforelevenyears——she’stiedtothatimbecileforlife。Andafterallthedreamsandhopessheoncehad！
Youcanimaginewhatithasbeenlikeforher，Anne，dearie——withherbeautyandspiritandprideandcleverness。It’sjustbeenalivingdeath。\"
\"Poor，poorgirl！\"saidAnneagain。Herownhappinessseemedtoreproachher。Whatrighthadshetobesohappywhenanotherhumansoulmustbesomiserable？
\"WillyoutellmejustwhatLesliesaidandhowsheactedthenightyoumetherontheshore？\"askedMissCornelia。
Shelistenedintentlyandnoddedhersatisfaction。
\"YOUthoughtshewasstiffandcold，Anne，dearie，butIcantellyoushethawedoutwonderfulforher。Shemusthavetakentoyourealstrong。I’msoglad。Youmaybeabletohelpheragooddeal。IwasthankfulwhenIheardthatayoungcouplewascomingtothishouse，forIhopeditwouldmeansomefriendsforLeslie；especiallyifyoubelongedtotheracethatknowsJoseph。YouWILLbeherfriend，won’tyou，Anne，dearie？\"
\"IndeedIwill，ifshe’llletme，\"saidAnne，withallherownsweet，impulsiveearnestness。
\"No，youmustbeherfriend，whethershe’llletyouornot，\"saidMissCorneliaresolutely。\"Don’tyoumindifshe’sstiffbytimes——don’tnoticeit。Rememberwhatherlifehasbeen——andis——andmustalwaysbe，I
suppose，forcreatureslikeDickMooreliveforever，I
understand。Youshouldseehowfathe’sgotsincehecamehome。Heusedtobeleanenough。JustMAKEherbefriends——youcandoit——you’reoneofthosewhohavetheknack。Onlyyoumustn’tbesensitive。Anddon’tmindifshedoesn’tseemtowantyoutogoovertheremuch。Sheknowsthatsomewomendon’tliketobewhereDickis——theycomplainhegivesthemthecreeps。Justgethertocomeoverhereasoftenasshecan。Shecan’tgetawaysoverymuch——shecan’tleaveDicklong，fortheLordknowswhathe’ddo——burnthehousedownmostlikely。Atnights，afterhe’sinbedandasleep，isabouttheonlytimeshe’sfree。Healwaysgoestobedearlyandsleepslikethedeadtillnextmorning。
Thatishowyoucametomeetherattheshorelikely。
Shewandersthereconsiderable。\"
\"IwilldoeverythingIcanforher，\"saidAnne。HerinterestinLeslieMoore，whichhadbeenvivideversinceshehadseenherdrivinghergeesedownthehill，wasintensifiedathousandfoldbyMissCornelia’snarration。Thegirl’sbeautyandsorrowandlonelinessdrewherwithanirresistiblefascination。Shehadneverknownanyonelikeher；herfriendshadhithertobeenwholesome，normal，merrygirlslikeherself，withonlytheaveragetrialsofhumancareandbereavementtoshadowtheirgirlishdreams。LeslieMoorestoodapart，atragic，appealingfigureofthwartedwomanhood。Anneresolvedthatshewouldwinentranceintothekingdomofthatlonelysoulandfindtherethecomradeshipitcouldsorichlygive，wereitnotforthecruelfettersthathelditinaprisonnotofitsownmaking。
\"Andmindyouthis，Anne，dearie，\"saidMissCornelia，whohadnotyetwhollyrelievedhermind，\"Youmustn’tthinkLeslieisaninfidelbecauseshehardlyevergoestochurch——oreventhatshe’saMethodist。Shecan’ttakeDicktochurch，ofcourse——notthatheevertroubledchurchmuchinhisbestdays。Butyoujustrememberthatshe’sarealstrongPresbyterianatheart，Anne，dearie。\"
