seem
so glad and so sad at the same time. Oh, but it's good to be home again!
Redmond was splendid and Bolingbroke delightful--but Green Gables is
HOME."

"Gilbert isn't coming home this summer, I hear," said Marilla.

"No." Something in Anne's tone made Marilla glance at her sharply, but
Anne was apparently absorbed in arranging her violets in a bowl. "See,
aren't they sweet?" she went on hurriedly. "The year is a book, isn't
it, Marilla? Spring's pages are written in Mayflowers and violets,
summer's in roses, autumn's in red maple leaves, and winter in holly and
evergreen."

"Did Gilbert do well in his examinations?" persisted Marilla.

"Excellently well. He led his class. But where are the twins and Mrs.
Lynde?"

"Rachel and Dora are over at Mr. Harrison's. Davy is down at Boulters'.
I think I hear him coming now."

Davy burst in, saw Anne, stopped, and then hurled himself upon her with
a joyful yell.

"Oh, Anne, ain't I glad to see you! Say, Anne, I've grown two inches
since last fall. Mrs. Lynde measured me with her tape today, and say,
Anne, see my front tooth. It's gone. Mrs. Lynde tied one end of a string
to it and the other end to the door, and then shut the door. I sold it
to Milty for two cents. Milty's collecting teeth."

"What in the world does he want teeth for?" asked Marilla.

"To make a necklace for playing Indian Chief," explained Davy, climbing
upon Anne's lap. "He's got fifteen already, and everybody's else's
promised, so there's no use in the rest of us starting to collect, too.
I tell you the Boulters are great business people."

"Were you a good boy at Mrs. Boulter's?" asked Marilla severely.

"Yes; but say, Marilla, I'm tired of being good."

"You'd get tired of being bad much sooner, Davy-boy," said Anne.

"Well, it'd be fun while it lasted, wouldn't it?" persisted Davy. "I
could be sorry for it afterwards, couldn't I?"

"Being sorry wouldn't do away with the consequences of being bad, Davy.
Don't you remember the Sunday last summer when you ran away from Sunday
School? You told me then that being bad wasn't worth while. What were
you and Milty doing today?"

"Oh, we fished and chased the cat, and hunted for eggs, and yelled at
the echo. There's a great echo in the bush behind the Boulter barn. Say,
what is echo, Anne; I want to know."

"Echo is a beautiful nymph, Davy, living far away in the woods, and
laughing at the world from among the hills."

"What does she look like?