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attention to it save Phil； who sprang up and opened it； expecting
a boy with the hat she had bought that morning。 On the doorstep
stood Mrs。 Gardner and her daughters。
Anne scrambled to her feet somehow； emptying two indignant cats
out of her lap as she did so； and mechanically shifting her
wishbone from her right hand to her left。 Priscilla； who would
have had to cross the room to reach the kitchen door； lost her
head； wildly plunged the chocolate cake under a cushion on the
inglenook sofa； and dashed upstairs。 Stella began feverishly
gathering up her manuscript。 Only Aunt Jamesina and Phil
remained normal。 Thanks to them； everybody was soon sitting at
ease； even Anne。 Priscilla came down； apronless and smudgeless；
Stella reduced her corner to decency； and Phil saved the
situation by a stream of ready small talk。
Mrs。 Gardner was tall and thin and handsome； exquisitely
gowned； cordial with a cordiality that seemed a trifle forced。
Aline Gardner was a younger edition of her mother； lacking the
cordiality。 She endeavored to be nice； but succeeded only in
being haughty and patronizing。 Dorothy Gardner was slim and
jolly and rather tomboyish。 Anne knew she was Roy's favorite
sister and warmed to her。 She would have looked very much like
Roy if she had had dreamy dark eyes instead of roguish hazel
ones。 Thanks to her and Phil； the call really went off very
well； except for a slight sense of strain in the atmosphere
and two rather untoward incidents。 Rusty and Joseph； left to
themselves； began a game of chase； and sprang madly into
Mrs。 Gardner's silken lap and out of it in their wild career。
Mrs。 Gardner lifted her lorgnette and gazed after their flying
forms as if she had never seen cats before； and Anne； choking
back slightly nervous laughter； apologized as best she could。
〃You are fond of cats？〃 said Mrs。 Gardner； with a slight
intonation of tolerant wonder。
Anne； despite her affection for Rusty； was not especially fond of
cats； but Mrs。 Gardner's tone annoyed her。 Inconsequently she
remembered that Mrs。 John Blythe was so fond of cats that she
kept as many as her husband would allow。
〃They ARE adorable animals； aren't they？〃 she said wickedly。
〃I have never liked cats；〃 said Mrs。 Gardner remotely。
〃I love them；〃 said Dorothy。 〃They are so nice and selfish。
Dogs are TOO good and unselfish。 They make me feel uncomfortable。
But cats are gloriously human。〃
〃You have two delightful old china dogs there。 May I look at
them closely？〃 said Aline； crossing the room towards the fireplace
and thereby becoming the unconscious cause of the other accident。
Picking up Magog； she sat down on the cushion under which was
secreted Priscilla's chocolate cake。 Priscilla and Anne exchanged
agonized glances but could do nothing。 The stately Aline continued to
sit on the cushion and discuss china dogs until the time of departure。
Dorothy lingered behind a moment to squeeze Anne's hand and
whisper impulsively。
〃I KNOW you and I are going to be chums。 Oh； Roy has told me all
about you。 I'm the only one of the family he tells things to；
poor boy nobody COULD confide in mamma and Aline； you know。
What glorious times you girls must have here！ Won't you let me
come often and have a share in them？〃
〃Come as often as you like；〃 Anne responded heartily； thankful
that one of Roy's sisters was likable。 She would never like
Aline； so much was certain； and Aline would never like her；
though Mrs。 Gardner might be won。 Altogether； Anne sighed with
relief when the ordeal was over。
〃‘Of all sad words of tongue or pen
The saddest are it might have been；'〃
quoted Priscilla tragically； lifting the cushion。 〃This cake is
now what you might call a flat failure。 And the cushion is
likewise ruined。 Never tell me that Friday isn't unlucky。〃
〃People who send word they are coming on Saturday shouldn't come
on Friday；〃 said Aunt Jamesina。
〃I fancy it was Roy's mistake；〃 said Phil。 〃That boy isn't really
responsible for what he says when he talks to Anne。 Where IS Anne？〃
Anne had gone upstairs。 She felt oddly like crying。 But she
made herself laugh instead。 Rusty and Joseph had been TOO awful！
And Dorothy WAS a dear。
Chapter XXXVII
Full…fledged B。A。's
〃I wish I were dead； or that it were tomorrow night；〃 groaned Phil。
〃If you live long enough both wishes will come true；〃 said Anne calmly。
〃It's easy for you to be serene。 You're at home in Philosophy。
I'm not and when I think of that horrible paper tomorrow I quail。
If I should fail in it what would Jo say？〃
〃You won't fail。 How did you get on in Greek today？〃
〃I don't know。 Perhaps it was a good paper and perhaps it was
bad enough to make Homer turn over in his grave。 I've studied
and mulled over notebooks until I'm incapable of forming an
opinion of anything。 How thankful little Phil will be when all
this examinating is over。〃
〃Examinating？ I never heard such a word。〃
〃Well； haven't I as good a right to make a word as any one else？〃
demanded Phil。
〃Words aren't made they grow；〃 said Anne。
〃Never mind I begin faintly to discern clear water ahead where
no examination breakers loom。 Girls； do you can you realize
that our Redmond Life is almost over？〃
〃I can't；〃 said Anne； sorrowfully。 〃It seems just yesterday
that Pris and I were alone in that crowd of Freshmen at Redmond。
And now we are Seniors in our final examinations。〃
〃‘Potent； wise； and reverend Seniors；'〃 quoted Phil。 〃Do you
suppose we really are any wiser than when we came to Redmond？〃
〃You don't act as if you were by times；〃 said Aunt Jamesina severely。
〃Oh； Aunt Jimsie； haven't we been pretty good girls； take us by
and large； these three winters you've mothered us？〃 pleaded Phil。
〃You've been four of the dearest； sweetest； goodest girls that
ever went together through college；〃 averred Aunt Jamesina； who
never spoiled a compliment by misplaced economy。
〃But I mistrust you haven't any too much sense yet。 It's not to
be expected； of course。 Experience teaches sense。 You can't
learn it in a college course。 You've been to college four years
and I never was； but I know heaps more than you do； young ladies。〃
〃‘There are lots of things that never go by rule；
There's a powerful pile o' knowledge
That you never get at college；
There are heaps of things you never learn at school；'〃
quoted Stella。
〃Have you learned anything at Redmond except dead languages and
geometry and such trash？〃 queried Aunt Jamesina。
〃Oh； yes。 I think we have； Aunty；〃 protested Anne。
〃We've learned the truth of what Professor Woodleigh told us
last Philomathic；〃 said Phil。 〃He said； ‘Humor is the spiciest
condiment in the feast of existence。 Laugh at your mistakes
but learn from them； joke over you