re a little
girl--MOTHER me a bit--and let me tell you while my stubborn tongue is
loosed a little just what you and your comradeship have meant to me
since that night I met you on the rock shore."

CHAPTER 34

THE SHIP O'DREAMS COMES TO HARBOR

One morning, when a windy golden sunrise was billowing over the gulf in
waves of light, a certain weary stork flew over the bar of Four Winds
Harbor on his way from the Land of Evening Stars. Under his wing was
tucked a sleepy, starry-eyed, little creature. The stork was tired,
and he looked wistfully about him. He knew he was somewhere near his
destination, but he could not yet see it. The big, white light-house
on the red sandstone cliff had its good points; but no stork possessed
of any gumption would leave a new, velvet baby there. An old gray
house, surrounded by willows, in a blossomy brook valley, looked more
promising, but did not seem quite the thing either. The staring green
abode further on was manifestly out of the question. Then the stork
brightened up. He had caught sight of the very place--a little white
house nestled against a big, whispering firwood, with a spiral of blue
smoke winding up from its kitchen chimney--a house which just looked as
if it were meant for babies. The stork gave a sigh of satisfaction,
and softly alighted on the ridge-pole.

Half an hour later Gilbert ran down the hall and tapped on the
spare-room door. A drowsy voice answered him and in a moment Marilla's
pale, scared face peeped out from behind the door.

"Marilla, Anne has sent me to tell you that a certain young gentleman
has arrived here. He hasn't brought much luggage with him, but he
evidently means to stay."

"For pity's sake!" said Marilla blankly. "You don't mean to tell me,
Gilbert, that it's all over. Why wasn't I called?"

"Anne wouldn't let us disturb you when there was no need. Nobody was
called until about two hours ago. There was no 'passage perilous' this
time."

"And--and--Gilbert--will this baby live?"

"He certainly will. He weighs ten pounds and--why, listen to him.
Nothing wrong with his lungs, is there? The nurse says his hair will
be red. Anne is furious with her, and I'm tickled to death."

That was a wonderful day in the little house of dreams.

"The best dream of all has come true," said Anne, pale and rapturous.
"Oh, Marilla, I hardly dare believe it, after that horrible day last
summer. I have had a heartache ever since th