25 Anne Of The Island - Read By Stephanie Poppins

New adventures lie ahead as Anne Shirley packs her bags, waves goodbye to childhood, and heads for Redmond College. With her old friend Prissy Grant waiting in the bustling city of Kingsport and her frivolous new friend Philippa Gordon at her side, Anne tucks her memories of rural Avonlea away. She discovers life on her terms, filled with surprises.

Handsome Gilbert Blythe is waiting in the wings, too. And Anne must decide whether or not she's ready for love.

In this episode, the Handsome Prince arrives.

Transcript

Anne of the Island by L.

M.

Montgomery Read by Stephanie Poppins Chapter 25 Enter Prince Charming I'm contrasting the claims of indoors and out.

Sir Dan,

Looking from the window of Patty's Place to the distant pines of the park.

I've an afternoon to spend in suite,

Doing nothing,

Aunt Jimsy.

Shall I spend it here,

When there's a cosy fire,

A plate of delicious russets,

Three purring and harmonious cats and two impeccable china dogs with green noses?

Or shall I go to the park,

Where there's the lure of grey woods and of grey water lapping on the harbour rocks?

If I was as young as you,

I'd decide in favour of the park,

Said Aunt Jamesina,

Tickling Joseph's yellow ear with a knitting needle.

I thought that you claimed to be as young as any of us,

Auntie,

Teased Anne.

Yes,

In my soul,

But I'll admit my legs aren't as young as yours.

You go and get some fresh air,

Anne.

You look pale lately.

I think I'll go to the park,

Said Anne restlessly.

I don't feel like tame domestic joys today.

I want to feel alone and free and wild.

The park will be empty for everyone,

Albeit the football match.

Why didn't you go to it?

Nobody asked me,

Sir,

She said.

At least nobody but that horrid little Dan Ranger.

I wouldn't go anywhere with him,

But rather than hurt his poor little tender feelings,

I said I wasn't going to the game at all.

I don't mind.

I'm not in the mood for football today,

Somehow.

You go and get some fresh air,

Repeated Aunt Jamesina,

But take your umbrella,

For I believe it's going to rain.

I have rheumatism in my leg.

Only old people should have rheumatism,

Auntie.

Anybody is liable to rheumatism in her legs,

Anne.

It's only old people who should have rheumatism in their souls,

Though.

Thank goodness I never have.

When you get rheumatism in your soul,

You might as well go and pick out your coffin.

It was November,

The month of crimson sunsets,

Parting birds,

Deep sad hymns of the sea,

Passionate wind songs in the pines.

Anne roamed through the pineland alleys in the park,

And as she said,

Let that great sweeping wind blow the fogs out of her soul.

Anne was not one to be troubled with soul fog,

But somehow since her return to Redmond for this third year,

Life had not mirrored her spirit back to her with its old,

Perfect,

Sparkling clearness.

Outwardly,

Existence at Patty's place was the same pleasant round of work and study and recreation it had always been.

On Friday evenings,

The big fire-lighted living room was crowded by callers and echoed to endless jest and laughter,

While Aunt Jamesina smiled beamingly on them all.

The Jonas of Phil's letter came often,

Running up from St.

Columbia on the early train and departing on the late.

He was a generous favourite at Patty's place,

Though Aunt Jamesina shook her head and opined that divinity students were not what they used to be.

"'He's very,

Very nice,

My dear,

' she told Phil,

"'but ministers ought to be graver and more dignified.

' "'Can't a man laugh and laugh and be a Christian still?

' demanded Phil.

"'Men,

Yes,

But I'm speaking of ministers,

My dear,

' said Aunt Jamesina rebukingly.

"'And you shouldn't flirt so with Mr.

Blake,

You really shouldn't.

' "'I'm not flirting with him,

' protested Phil.

"'Nobody believed her except Anne.

"'The others thought she was amusing herself as usual "'and told her roundly she was behaving very badly.

' "'Mr.

Blake isn't of the Alec and Alonzo type,

Phil,

' said Stella severely.

"'He takes things seriously.

You may break his heart.

' "'Do you really think I could?

' asked Phil.

"'I'd love to think so.

' "'Philip Gordon,

I never thought you were utterly unfeeling.

"'The idea of you saying you'd love to break a man's heart!

' "'I didn't say so,

Honey.

Quote to me correctly.

"'I said I'd like to think I could break it.

"'I would like to know I had the power to do it.

' "'I don't understand you,

Phil.

"'You're leading that man on deliberately and you know you don't mean anything by it.

' "'I mean to make him ask me to marry him if I can,

' said Phil.

"'Calmly.

' "'I give you up,

' said Stella hopelessly.

' "'Gilbert came occasionally on Friday evenings.

"'He seemed always in good spirits "'and held his own in the jests and repartee that flew about.

"'He neither sought nor avoided Anne.

"'When circumstances brought them in contact "'he talked to her pleasantly and courteously "'as to any new he made acquaintance.

"'The old camaraderie was gone.

"'Anne felt it keenly but she told herself "'she was very glad and thankful Gilbert had got so completely over her.

"'She really had been afraid that April evening in the orchard "'she'd hurt him terribly and the wound would be long in healing.

"'Now she saw she need not have worried.

"'Men have died and the worms have eaten them but not for love.

"'Gilbert evidently was in no danger of immediate dissolution.

"'He was enjoying life and he was full of ambition and zest.

"'For him there was to be no wasting in despair "'because a woman was fair and cold.

"'Anne,

As she listened to the ceaseless bandage "'that went on between him and Phil,

"'wondered if she'd only imagined that look in his eyes "'when she told him she could never care for him.

"'There were not lacking those "'who would have gladly stepped into Gilbert's vacant place.

"'But Anne snubbed them without fear and without reproach.

"'If the real Prince Charming was never to come "'she would have none of a substitute.

"'So she sternly told herself that grey day in the windy park.

"'Suddenly the rain of Aunt Jamesina's prophecy "'came with a swish and a rush.

"'Anne put up her umbrella and hurried down the slope.

"'As she turned out on the harbour road "'a savage gust of wind tore along it.

"'Instantly her umbrella turned wrong side out.

"'She clutched at it in despair.

"'And then there came a voice close to her.

"'Pardon me,

May I offer you the shelter of my umbrella?

' "'Anne looked up.

"'Tall and handsome and distinguished looking,

"'dark,

Melancholy,

Inscrutable eyes,

"'melting,

Musical,

Sympathetic voice.

"'Yes,

The very hero of her dreams stood before her in the flesh.

"'He could not have more closely resembled her ideal "'if he'd been made to ward her.

"'Thank you,

' she said confusedly.

"'We'd better hurry over to that little pavilion on the point,

' he suggested.

"'We can wait there until the shower's over.

"'It's not likely to rain so heavily very long.

' "'The words were very commonplace,

"'but,

Oh,

The tone and the smile which accompanied them.

"'Anne felt her heart beating strangely.

"'Together they scurried to the pavilion "'and sat breathlessly down under its friendly roof.

"'Anne laughingly held up her false umbrella.

"'It's when my umbrella turns inside out "'I'm convinced of the total depravity of inanimate things,

' she said gaily.

"'The raindrop sparkled on her shining hair.

"'Its lucent rings curled around her neck and forehead.

"'Her cheeks were flushed,

Her eyes big and starry.

"'Her companion looked down at her admiringly.

"'She felt herself blushing under his gaze.

"'Who could he be?

"'Why,

There was a bit of the Redmond white and scarlet "'pinned to his coat lapel.

"'Yet she thought she knew,

By sight at least,

"'all the Redmond students except the freshmen.

"'And this courtly youth surely was no freshman.

"'We're schoolmates,

I see,

' he said,

Smiling at Anne's colours.

"'That ought to be sufficient introduction.

"'My name's Royal Gardner.

"'And you're the Miss Shirley who read the tennis and paper "'at the Philomathic the other evening,

Aren't you?

' "'Yes,

But I can't place you at all,

' said Anne frankly.

"'Please,

Where do you belong?

' "'I feel as if I didn't belong anywhere yet.

"'I put in my freshman and sophomore years at Redmond two years ago,

"'but I've been in Europe ever since.

"'Now I've come back to finish my arts course.

' "'This is my junior year too,

' said Anne.

"'So we're classmates as well as college mates.

"'I'm reconciled to the loss of the years that the locust has eaten,

' "'said her companion,

With a world of meaning in those wonderful eyes of his.

' "'The rain came steadily down for the best part of an hour,

"'but the time seemed really very short.

"'When the clouds parted and a burst of pale November sunshine "'fell afloat the harbour and the pines,

"'Anne and her companion walked home together.

"'By the time they reached the gate of Patty's place,

"'he had asked permission to call and had received it.

"'Anne went in with cheeks of flame and her heart beating to her fingertips.

"'Rusty,

Who climbed into her lap and tried to kiss her,

"'found a very absent welcome.

"'Anne,

With her soul full of romantic frills,

"'had no attention to spare just then for a crop-eared pussycat.

' "'That night a parcel was left at Patty's place for Miss Shirley.

"'It was a box containing a dozen magnificent roses.

"'Phil pounced impertinently on the card that fell from it,

"'read the name and the poetical quotation written on the back.

"'Royal Gardner!

' she exclaimed.

"'Why,

Anne,

I didn't know you were acquainted with Roy Gardner.

' "'I met him in the park this afternoon in the rain,

' "'explained Anne hurriedly.

"'My umbrella turned inside out and he came to my rescue.

"'Oh,

Phil peered curiously.

"'And is that exceedingly commonplace incident "'any reason why he should send us long-stemmed roses by the dozen "'with a very sentimental rhyme?

"'Or why we should blush divinest rosy red when we look at his card?

"'Anne,

I face betrayeth thee.

' "'Don't talk nonsense,

Phil.

Do you know Mr Gardner?

' "'I've met his two sisters and I know of him.

"'So does everybody worthwhile in Kingsport.

"'The Gardners were among the richest,

Bluest blue-noses.

"'Roy is adorably handsome and clever.

"'Two years ago his mother's health failed "'and he had to leave college and go abroad with her.

"'His father is dead.

"'He must have been greatly disappointed to have to give up his class,

"'but they say he was perfectly sweet about it.

"'Fee,

Fie,

Foe,

Far man,

I smell romance.

"'Almost do I envy you,

But not quite.

"'After all,

Roy Gardner isn't Jonas.

' "'You goose!

' said Anne loftily.

"'But she lay long awake that night.

"'Nor did she wish for sleep.

"'Her waking fancies were more alluring "'than any vision of dreamland.

"'Had the real prince come at last?

' "'Recalling those glorious dark eyes "'which had gazed so deeply into her own,

"'Anne was very strongly inclined to think he had.

'

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