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president of the Freshman Class； a position of honor and
responsibility from a Fresh point of view； at least coveted
by many。 He was also invited to join the 〃Lambs〃 Redmondese
for Lamba Theta a compliment rarely paid to a Freshman。 As a
preparatory initiation ordeal he had to parade the principal
business streets of Kingsport for a whole day wearing a sunbonnet
and a voluminous kitchen apron of gaudily flowered calico。 This
he did cheerfully； doffing his sunbonnet with courtly grace when
he met ladies of his acquaintance。 Charlie Sloane； who had not
been asked to join the Lambs； told Anne he did not see how Blythe
could do it； and HE； for his part； could never humiliate himself so。
〃Fancy Charlie Sloane in a ‘caliker' apron and a ‘sunbunnit；' 〃
giggled Priscilla。 〃He'd look exactly like his old Grandmother
Sloane。 Gilbert； now； looked as much like a man in them as in
his own proper habiliments。〃
Anne and Priscilla found themselves in the thick of the social
life of Redmond。 That this came about so speedily was due in
great measure to Philippa Gordon。 Philippa was the daughter of a
rich and well…known man； and belonged to an old and exclusive
〃Bluenose〃 family。 This； combined with her beauty and charm a
charm acknowledged by all who met her promptly opened the
gates of all cliques； clubs and classes in Redmond to her； and
where she went Anne and Priscilla went； too。 Phil 〃adored〃 Anne
and Priscilla； especially Anne。 She was a loyal little soul；
crystal…free from any form of snobbishness。 〃Love me； love my
friends〃 seemed to be her unconscious motto。 Without effort；
she took them with her into her ever widening circle of
acquaintanceship； and the two Avonlea girls found their social
pathway at Redmond made very easy and pleasant for them； to the
envy and wonderment of the other freshettes； who； lacking
Philippa's sponsorship； were doomed to remain rather on the
fringe of things during their first college year。
To Anne and Priscilla； with their more serious views of life；
Phil remained the amusing； lovable baby she had seemed on their
first meeting。 Yet； as she said herself； she had 〃heaps〃 of
brains。 When or where she found time to study was a mystery； for
she seemed always in demand for some kind of 〃fun；〃 and her home
evenings were crowded with callers。 She had all the 〃beaux〃 that
heart could desire； for nine…tenths of the Freshmen and a big
fraction of all the other classes were rivals for her smiles。
She was naively delighted over this； and gleefully recounted each
new conquest to Anne and Priscilla； with comments that might have
made the unlucky lover's ears burn fiercely。
〃Alec and Alonzo don't seem to have any serious rival yet；〃
remarked Anne； teasingly。
〃Not one；〃 agreed Philippa。 〃I write them both every week and
tell them all about my young men here。 I'm sure it must amuse them。
But； of course； the one I like best I can't get。 Gilbert Blythe
won't take any notice of me； except to look at me as if I were a
nice little kitten he'd like to pat。 Too well I know the reason。
I owe you a grudge； Queen Anne。 I really ought to hate you and
instead I love you madly； and I'm miserable if I don't see you
every day。 You're different from any girl I ever knew before。
When you look at me in a certain way I feel what an
insignificant； frivolous little beast I am； and I long to
be better and wiser and stronger。 And then I make good
resolutions； but the first nice…looking mannie who comes my way
knocks them all out of my head。 Isn't college life magnificent？
It's so funny to think I hated it that first day。 But if I hadn't
I might never got really acquainted with you。 Anne； please tell me
over again that you like me a little bit。 I yearn to hear it。〃
〃I like you a big bit and I think you're a dear； sweet；
adorable； velvety； clawless； little kitten；〃 laughed Anne；
〃but I don't see when you ever get time to learn your lessons。〃
Phil must have found time for she held her own in every class of
her year。 Even the grumpy old professor of Mathematics； who
detested coeds； and had bitterly opposed their admission to
Redmond； couldn't floor her。 She led the freshettes everywhere；
except in English； where Anne Shirley left her far behind。 Anne
herself found the studies of her Freshman year very easy； thanks
in great part to the steady work she and Gilbert had put in
during those two past years in Avonlea。 This left her more time
for a social life which she thoroughly enjoyed。 But never for a
moment did she forget Avonlea and the friends there。 To her； the
happiest moments in each week were those in which letters came
from home。 It was not until she had got her first letters that
she began to think she could ever like Kingsport or feel at home
there。 Before they came； Avonlea had seemed thousands of miles
away； those letters brought it near and linked the old life to
the new so closely that they began to seem one and the same；
instead of two hopelessly segregated existences。 The first batch
contained six letters； from Jane Andrews； Ruby Gillis； Diana
Barry； Marilla； Mrs。 Lynde and Davy。 Jane's was a copperplate
production； with every 〃t〃 nicely crossed and every 〃i〃 precisely
dotted； and not an interesting sentence in it。 She never
mentioned the school； concerning which Anne was avid to hear； she
never answered one of the questions Anne had asked in her letter。
But she told Anne how many yards of lace she had recently
crocheted； and the kind of weather they were having in Avonlea；
and how she intended to have her new dress made； and the way she
felt when her head ached。 Ruby Gillis wrote a gushing epistle
deploring Anne's absence； assuring her she was horribly missed in
everything； asking what the Redmond 〃fellows〃 were like； and
filling the rest with accounts of her own harrowing experiences
with her numerous admirers。 It was a silly； harmless letter； and
Anne would have laughed over it had it not been for the postscript。
〃Gilbert seems to be enjoying Redmond； judging from his letters；〃
wrote Ruby。 〃I don't think Charlie is so stuck on it。〃
So Gilbert was writing to Ruby！ Very well。 He had a perfect
right to； of course。 Only ！！ Anne did not know that Ruby had
written the first letter and that Gilbert had answered it from
mere courtesy。 She tossed Ruby's letter aside contemptuously。
But it took all Diana's breezy； newsy； delightful epistle to
banish the sting of Ruby's postscript。 Diana's letter contained
a little too much Fred； but was otherwise crowded and crossed
with items of interest； and Anne almost felt herself back in
Avonlea while reading it。 Marilla's was a rather prim and
colorless epistle； severely innocent of gossip or emotion。
Yet somehow it conveyed to Anne a whiff of the wholesome； simple
life at Green Gables； with its savor of ancient peace； and the
steadfast abiding love that was there for her。 Mrs。 Lynde's
letter