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likely　editors　have　more　sense　nowadays。〃



〃Margaret　Burton；　one　of　the　Junior　girls　at　Redmond；　wrote　a

story　last　winter　and　it　was　published　in　the　Canadian　Woman。

I　really　do　think　I　could　write　one　at　least　as　good。〃



〃And　will　you　have　it　published　in　the　Canadian　Woman？〃



〃I　might　try　one　of　the　bigger　magazines　first。　　It　all　depends

on　what　kind　of　a　story　I　write。〃



〃What　is　it　to　be　about？〃



〃I　don't　know　yet。　　I　want　to　get　hold　of　a　good　plot。　　I　believe

this　is　very　necessary　from　an　editor's　point　of　view。　　The　only

thing　I've　settled　on　is　the　heroine's　name。　　It　is　to　be　AVERIL

LESTER。　　Rather　pretty；　don't　you　think？　　Don't　mention　this　to

any　one；　Diana。　　I　haven't　told　anybody　but　you　and　Mr。　Harrison。

HE　wasn't　very　encouraging　　he　said　there　was　far　too　much

trash　written　nowadays　as　it　was；　and　he'd　expected　something

better　of　me；　after　a　year　at　college。〃



〃What　does　Mr。　Harrison　know　about　it？〃　demanded　Diana　scornfully。



They　found　the　Gillis　home　gay　with　lights　and　callers。　　Leonard

Kimball；　of　Spencervale；　and　Morgan　Bell；　of　Carmody；　were　glaring

at　each　other　across　the　parlor。　　Several　merry　girls　had　dropped　in。

Ruby　was　dressed　in　white　and　her　eyes　and　cheeks　were　very　brilliant。

She　laughed　and　chattered　incessantly；　and　after　the　other　girls　had

gone　she　took　Anne　upstairs　to　display　her　new　summer　dresses。



〃I've　a　blue　silk　to　make　up　yet；　but　it's　a　little　heavy　for

summer　wear。　　I　think　I'll　leave　it　until　the　fall。　　I'm　going

to　teach　in　White　Sands；　you　know。　　How　do　you　like　my　hat？

That　one　you　had　on　in　church　yesterday　was　real　dinky。

But　I　like　something　brighter　for　myself。　　Did　you　notice

those　two　ridiculous　boys　downstairs？　　They've　both　come

determined　to　sit　each　other　out。　　I　don't　care　a　single　bit

about　either　of　them；　you　know。　　Herb　Spencer　is　the　one　I　like。

Sometimes　I　really　do　think　he's　MR。　RIGHT。　　At　Christmas　I

thought　the　Spencervale　schoolmaster　was　that。　　But　I　found

out　something　about　him　that　turned　me　against　him。　　He　nearly

went　insane　when　I　turned　him　down。　　I　wish　those　two　boys　hadn't

come　tonight。　　I　wanted　to　have　a　nice　good　talk　with　you；　Anne；

and　tell　you　such　heaps　of　things。　　You　and　I　were　always　good

chums；　weren't　we？〃



Ruby　slipped　her　arm　about　Anne's　waist　with　a　shallow　little　laugh。

But　just　for　a　moment　their　eyes　met；　and；　behind　all　the　luster

of　Ruby's；　Anne　saw　something　that　made　her　heart　ache。



〃Come　up　often；　won't　you；　Anne？〃　whispered　Ruby。　　〃Come　alone　

I　want　you。〃



〃Are　you　feeling　quite　well；　Ruby？〃



〃Me！　　Why；　I'm　perfectly　well。　　I　never　felt　better　in　my　life。

Of　course；　that　congestion　last　winter　pulled　me　down　a　little。

But　just　see　my　color。　　I　don't　look　much　like　an　invalid；　I'm　sure。〃



Ruby's　voice　was　almost　sharp。　　She　pulled　her　arm　away　from　Anne；

as　if　in　resentment；　and　ran　downstairs；　where　she　was　gayer　than

ever；　apparently　so　much　absorbed　in　bantering　her　two　swains　that

Diana　and　Anne　felt　rather　out　of　it　and　soon　went　away。









Chapter　XII



〃Averil's　Atonement〃





〃What　are　you　dreaming　of；　Anne？〃



The　two　girls　were　loitering　one　evening　in　a　fairy　hollow　of　the

brook。　　Ferns　nodded　in　it；　and　little　grasses　were　green；　and

wild　pears　hung　finely…scented；　white　curtains　around　it。



Anne　roused　herself　from　her　reverie　with　a　happy　sigh。



〃I　was　thinking　out　my　story；　Diana。〃



〃Oh；　have　you　really　begun　it？〃　cried　Diana；　all　alight　with

eager　interest　in　a　moment。



〃Yes；　I　have　only　a　few　pages　written；　but　I　have　it　all　pretty

well　thought　out。　　I've　had　such　a　time　to　get　a　suitable　plot。

None　of　the　plots　that　suggested　themselves　suited　a　girl　named

AVERIL。〃



〃Couldn't　you　have　changed　her　name？〃



〃No；　the　thing　was　impossible。　　I　tried　to；　but　I　couldn't　do　it；

any　more　than　I　could　change　yours。　　AVERIL　was　so　real　to　me

that　no　matter　what　other　name　I　tried　to　give　her　I　just　thought

of　her　as　AVERIL　behind　it　all。　　But　finally　I　got　a　plot　that

matched　her。　　Then　came　the　excitement　of　choosing　names　for

all　my　characters。　　You　have　no　idea　how　fascinating　that　is。

I've　lain　awake　for　hours　thinking　over　those　names。　　The　hero's

name　is　PERCEVAL　DALRYMPLE。〃



〃Have　you　named　ALL　the　characters？〃　asked　Diana　wistfully。　　〃If

you　hadn't　I　was　going　to　ask　you　to　let　me　name　one　　just　some

unimportant　person。　　I'd　feel　as　if　I　had　a　share　in　the　story　then。〃



〃You　may　name　the　little　hired　boy　who　lived　with　the　LESTERS；〃

conceded　Anne。　　〃He　is　not　very　important；　but　he　is　the　only　one

left　unnamed。〃



〃Call　him　RAYMOND　FITZOSBORNE；〃　suggested　Diana；　who　had　a　store

of　such　names　laid　away　in　her　memory；　relics　of　the　old　〃Story

Club；〃　which　she　and　Anne　and　Jane　Andrews　and　Ruby　Gillis　had

had　in　their　schooldays。



Anne　shook　her　head　doubtfully。



〃I'm　afraid　that　is　too　aristocratic　a　name　for　a　chore　boy；

Diana。　　I　couldn't　imagine　a　Fitzosborne　feeding　pigs　and　picking

up　chips；　could　you？〃



Diana　didn't　see　why；　if　you　had　an　imagination　at　all；　you

couldn't　stretch　it　to　that　extent；　but　probably　Anne　knew　best；

and　the　chore　boy　was　finally　christened　ROBERT　RAY；　to　be　called

BOBBY　should　occasion　require。



〃How　much　do　you　suppose　you'll　get　for　it？〃　asked　Diana。



But　Anne　had　not　thought　about　this　at　all。　　She　was　in　pursuit

of　fame；　not　filthy　lucre；　and　her　literary　dreams　were　as　yet

untainted　by　mercenary　considerations。



〃You'll　let　me　read　it；　won't　you？〃　pleaded　Diana。



〃When　it　is　finished　I'll　read　it　to　you　and　Mr。　Harrison；　and　I

shall　want　you　to　criticize　it　SEVERELY。　　No　one　else　shall　see

it　until　it　is　published。〃



〃How　are　you　going　to　end　it　　happily　or　unhappily？〃



〃I'm　not　sure。　　I'd　like　it　to　end　unhappily；　because　that　would

be　so　much　more　romantic。　　But　I　understand　editors　have　a　prejudice

against　sad　endings。　　I　heard　Professor　Hamilton　say　once　that　nobody

but　a　genius　should　try　to　write　an　unhappy　ending。



And；〃　concluded　Anne　modestly；　〃I'm　anything　but　a　genius。〃



〃Oh　I　like　happy　endings　best。　　You'd　better　let　him　marry　her；〃

said　Diana；　who；　especially　since　her　engagement　to　Fred；　thought

this　was　how　every　story　should　end。



〃But　you　like　to　cry　over　stories？〃



〃Oh；　yes；　in　the　middle　of　them。　　But　I　like　everything　to　come

right　at　last。〃



〃I　must　have　one　pathetic　scene　in　it；〃　said　Anne　thoughtfully。

〃I　might　let　ROBERT　RAY　be　injured　in　an　accident　and　have　a

death　scene。〃



〃No；　you　mustn't　kill　BOBBY　off；〃　declared　Diana；　laughing。

〃He　belongs　to　me　and　I　want　him　to　live　and　flourish。　　Kill

somebody　else　if　you　have　to。〃



For　the　next　fortnight　Anne　writhed　or　reveled；　according　to

mood；　in　her　literary　pursuits。　　Now　she　would　be　jubilant　over　a

brilliant　idea；　now　despairing　because　some　contrary　character

would　NOT　behave　properly。　　Diana　could　not　understand　this。



〃MAKE　them　do　as　you　want　them　to；〃　she　said。



〃I　can't；〃　mourned　Anne。　　〃Averil　is　such　an　unmanageable　heroine。

She　WILL　do　and　say　things　I　never　meant　her　to。　　Then　that　spoils

everything　that　went　before　and　I　have　to　write　it　all　over　again。〃



Finally；　however；　the　story　was　finished；　and　Anne　read　it　to

Diana　in　the　seclusion　of　the　porch　gable。　　She　had　achieved　her

〃pathetic　scene〃　without　sacrificing　ROBERT　RAY；　and　she　kept　a

watchful　eye　on　Diana　as　she　read　it。　　Diana　rose　to　the　occasion

and　cried　properly；　but；　when　the　end　came；　she　looked　a　little

disappointed。



〃Why　did　you　kill　MAURICE　LENNOX？〃　she　asked　reproachfully。



〃He　was　the　villain；〃　protested　Anne。　　〃He　had　to　be　punished。〃



〃I　like　him　best　of　them　all；〃　said　unreasonable　Diana。



〃Well；　he's　dead；　and　he'll　have　to　stay　dead；〃　said　Anne；

rather　resentfully。　　〃If　I　had　let　him　live　he'd　have　gone

on　persecuting　AVERIL　and　PERCEVAL。〃



〃Yes　　unless　you　had　reformed　him。〃



〃That　wouldn't　have　been　romantic；　and；　besides；　it　would　have

made　the　story　too　long。〃



〃Well；　anyway；　it's　a　perfectly　elegant　story；　Anne；　and　will

make　you　famous；　of　that　I'm　sure。　　Have　you　got　a　title　for　it？〃



〃Oh；　I　decided　on　the　title　long　ago。　　I　call　it　AVERIL'S

ATONEMENT。　　Doesn't　that　sound　nice　and　alliterative？　　Now；

Diana；　tell　me　candidly；　do　you　see　any　faults　in　my　story？〃



〃Well；〃　hesitated　Diana；　〃that　part　where　AVERIL　makes　the　cake

doesn't　seem　to　me　quite　romantic　enough　to　match　the　rest。　　It's

just　what　anybody　might　do。　　Heroines　shouldn't　do　cooking；　_I_　think。〃



〃Why；　that　is　where　the　humor　comes　in；　and　it's　one　of　the　best

parts　of　the　whole　story；〃　said　Anne。　　And　it　may　be　stated　that

in　this　she　was　quite　right。



Diana　prudently　refrained　from　any　further　criticism；　but

Mr。　Harrison　was　much　harder　to　please。　　First　he　told　her

there　was　entirely　too　much　description　in　the