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"Yes, it's beautiful," said Gilbert, looking steadily down into Anne's uplifted face, "but wouldn't it have been more beautiful still, Anne, if there had been NO separation orif they had coh life, with no ed to each other?"

For a moment Anne's heart fluttered queerly and for the first tiaze and a rosy flush stained the paleness of her face It was as if a veil that had hung before her inner consciousness had been lifted, giving to her view a revelation of unsuspected feelings and realities Perhaps, after all, romance did not coht riding down; perhaps it crept to one's side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in see athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music, perhapsperhapslove unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping froain; but the Anne alked up the dark lane was not quite the sa before The page of girlhood had been turned, as by an unseen finger, and the page of womanhood was before her with all its charladness

Gilbert wisely said nothing more; but in his silence he read the history of the next four years in the light of Anne's remembered blush Four years of earnest, happy workand then the guerdon of a useful knowledge gained and a sweet heart won

Behind the the shadows It was lonely but not forsaken It had not yet done with dreahter and the joy of life; there were to be future summers for the little stone house; meanwhile, it could wait And over the river in purple durance the echoes bided their time