The Party

Anne had only one ugly dress from the orphanage. So Marilla made her three new dresses. She bought a little hat for Anne, too. But Anne didn’t like the new clothes.

«Why don’t you like them, Anne?» asked Marilla.

«They’re-they’re not-pretty,» answered Anne.

«But they’re very good dresses,» said Marilla.

Marilla went to church every Sunday. She wanted to take Anne with her. But the next Sunday, Marilla was sick.

«Can you go to church without me?» she asked Anne.

«Yes, of course, Marilla,» answered Anne.

She put on one of her new dresses and her hat, and started walking down the road to church. «I don’t like this hat,» she thought. «It isn’t very pretty.»

Then she had an idea. There were a lot of beautiful yellow flowers by the road. Anne put some flowers on her hat.

When she arrived at church, the other children looked at her. «That girl’s crazy!» they said.

After church, Anne ran back to Green Gables.

«Did you enjoy it, Anne?» asked Marilla.

«Not very much,» said Anne. «The minister talked for a long time, but he wasn’t very interesting. But there’s going to be a party next week for the children of Avonlea. That’s exciting. Please, Marilla, can I go too?»

«Yes, of course,» answered Marilla.

«Oh, thank you, Marilla!» said Anne. She put her arms around Marilla.

Marilla felt happy. «I’m starting to love this child,» she thought.

***

Marilla had a beautiful old brooch. The day before the party, she couldn’t find it. «It was on top of the desk in my room,» she thought. «But now it isn’t there. Where is it?»

«Did you take my brooch out of my room?» she asked Anne.

«No, Marilla,» said Anne. «I went into your room last week. I saw the brooch on top of the desk and put it on my dress. But then I put it back on the desk. I didn’t take it out of your room.»

Marilla looked for the brooch again, but she couldn’t find it.

«Anne,» she said, «I’ll ask you again. Did you take the brooch from my room and lose it?»

«No, I didn’t, Marilla,» said Anne quietly.

«Go to your room and stay there,» said Marilla.

Anne went to her room. Later, Marilla went to see her.

«Marilla, the party is tomorrow,» Anne said. «Please can I go?»

«No,» said Marilla angrily. «Tell me about the brooch first.»

«But I told you about the brooch, Marilla!» cried Anne.

Next morning, Marilla took Anne’s breakfast upstairs. Anne sat on her bed. Her face was white and her big gray eyes shone.

«I’ll tell you about the brooch now,» she said quietly. «I took it and I put it on my dress. Then I went outside and walked down the road to the bridge. I wanted to look at the brooch again, so I took it off my dress. It shone in the sun and was very beautiful. But then it fell from my hand-down, down to the bottom of the river.»

«You’re a very bad girl, Anne,» Marilla said angrily.

«I’m sorry,» said Anne. «Please can I go to the party now?»

«The party!» cried Marilla. «Of course you can’t go!»

«But, Marilla,» said Anne, «you wanted to know about the brooch. So I told you. Now please can I go to the party?»

«No,» said Marilla, and went out.

Anne fell on her bed and began to cry.

Marilla went downstairs with a very sad heart. «Maybe Mrs. Lynde was right about Anne,» she thought.

After lunch, Marilla wanted to go for a walk. She took her coat from the closet. Then she saw something on her coat. It was her beautiful brooch.

«What’s this?» thought Marilla in surprise. «Oh, I remember now. I put the brooch on this coat.»

She went to Anne’s room. «Anne, why did you tell me that story this morning?» she said. «The brooch is here on my coat.»

«I wanted to go to the party,» said Anne sadly. «You wanted me to tell you about the brooch. So I had to think of a story.»

Marilla began to laugh. «I’m sorry, Anne,» she said. «I made a mistake. Now get ready for the party.»

«Oh, Marilla!» cried Anne. «Isn’t it too late?»

«No,» answered Marilla. «It’s only two o’clock. Wash your face and put on one of your new dresses. I’ll give you some food for the party.»

When Anne came home that evening, she was very happy. «Oh, Marilla, the party was wonderful!» she said.