her share of vanity, thought her face would do very well, but worried
over her figure, and wished her mother could be prevailed upon to let
her wear longer dresses. She, who had been so plump and roly-poly in the
old Rainbow Valley days, was incredibly slim now, in the arms-and-legs
period. Jem and Shirley harrowed her soul by calling her "Spider." Yet
she somehow escaped awkwardness. There was something in her movements
that made you think she never walked but always danced. She had been
much petted and was a wee bit spoiled, but still the general opinion was
that Rilla Blythe was a very sweet girl, even if she were not so clever
as Nan and Di.

Miss Oliver, who was going home that night for vacation, had boarded for
a year at Ingleside. The Blythes had taken her to please Rilla who was
fathoms deep in love with her teacher and was even willing to share her
room, since no other was available. Gertrude Oliver was twenty-eight and
life had been a struggle for her. She was a striking-looking girl, with
rather sad, almond-shaped brown eyes, a clever, rather mocking mouth,
and enormous masses of black hair twisted about her head. She was not
pretty but there was a certain charm of interest and mystery in her
face, and Rilla found her fascinating. Even her occasional moods of
gloom and cynicism had allurement for Rilla. These moods came only when
Miss Oliver was tired. At all other times she was a stimulating
companion, and the gay set at Ingleside never remembered that she was so
much older than themselves. Walter and Rilla were her favourites and she
was the confidante of the secret wishes and aspirations of both. She
knew that Rilla longed to be "out"--to go to parties as Nan and Di did,
and to have dainty evening dresses and--yes, there is no mincing
matters--beaux! In the plural, at that! As for Walter, Miss Oliver knew
that he had written a sequence of sonnets "to Rosamond"--i.e., Faith
Meredith--and that he aimed at a Professorship of English literature in