Further Chronicles of Avonlea

Patterson drove in. Miss Rosetta had seen him coming down the long red hill, but she had not supposed he would be calling at that time of the morning. So she had not run. Miss Rosetta always

because everybody in Avonlea kne

Rosetta had had no time to run; so, twitching off the checked apron, she stood her

that he was the bearer of bad news. Usually Mr. Patterson's face was as broad and beaming a

erfully. She, at any rate, would not go into eclipse u

solemnly. "I have just come from the Whee

meet her gadding off somewhere. Goodness knows who looks after her place. I shouldn't like to trust as much to a hired man as she does. Well, it is very kind of you, Mr. Patterson, to put yourself out to the extent of calling to tell me that Charlotte is sick, but I don't reall

Patterson desperately. "Quite well. Nothing

own heart isn't very strong-it runs in our family-and my doctor warned me to avoid all shocks and excitement. I don't want to be excited, Mr

not trying to excite

ration. "I merely c

do you mean to keep me in suspense, Mr. Patterson. No d

tter from a cousin of yours, and she's in Char

te's correspondence, goodness knows. But if Jane had anything in particular to write about she should have written to ME. I am the oldest. Charlotte had no business to get a letter from Jane

rsisted Mr. Patterson, nobly resolved to do

from her, since she got married fifteen years ago. I dare say her husband was a brute and neglected her, and she's pined away by slow

months ago, I understand, and she has a little baby six months old, a

u to call and tell me

ta ea

letter. She didn't mention you; but I

uld want to get the baby, seeing that Jane and I were such intimate friends long ago. And who has a better right to it than me, I should like to know? Ain't I the oldest? And

Mr. Patterson, gathering

u have wasted a lot of precious time getting it out. If it hadn't been for you I suppose I shou

f Mrs. Wheeler," advised Mr. Patterson. "She's p

nd go on the afternoo

"I'll show Charlotte

arried out of them i

em. Jacob Wheele

d done his duty in the face of fearful odds, and he d

e first. She vowed she had no use for Jacob Wheeler. There were not lacking malicious people to hint that this was because the aforesaid Jacob Wheeler had selected the wrong sister upon whom to bestow his affections. Be that as it might, Miss Rosetta certainly continued to render the course of Jacob Wheeler's true love exceedingly rough and tumultuous. The end of it was that Charlotte had gone quietly away one morning and married Jacob Wheeler without Miss Rosetta's knowing anyt

r Charlottetown, as she had threatened. All the way there she sat rigidly upright in her seat an

rong and healthy? Yes, even you have to admit that it did, Charlotte Wheeler. And yet you have the presumption to think that you ought to have Jane's baby! Yes, it is presumption, Charlotte Wheeler. And when William Ellis got married again, and took the baby, didn't the child cling to me and cry as if I was its real mother? You know it did, Charl

't find the journey to Charlottetown so long or tedious as might have been expected, considering her haste. She soon found her way to the

them about her little girl. She was my sister-in-law, and she lived with me ever since her husband died. I've done my best for her; but I've a big family of my own and

u please, Mrs. Gordon, let me see it right away, so it can get accustomed to me. Poor Jane! I wish I could have got here in time to see her,

iss Rosetta snapped

ldn't understand it

s to the room where

g away from her like a garment, and all her innate and denied motherhood shining out in

ing and glistening all over its tiny head. As Miss Rosetta hung over it, it open

it up in her arms. "You belong to me, darling-never, never, t

Gordon. "Guess you'll have to

and I have always thought Camilla the prettiest name in the world. Charlotte would be sure to give

with joy to its soft little breathing. She did not sleep or wish to sleep. Her waking fancies were more alluring than any vi

Another morning and no Charlotte. Miss Rosetta was hopelessly puzzled. What had happened? Dear, dear, had Charlotte taken a bad heart spell, on hearing t

istant home on a feather bed in an express wagon. Mrs. Wheeler could not leave home until she had obtained another hired man. Consequently, it was the e

of the funeral that afternoon. Mrs. Wheeler's face, except for eyes, was as expressionless as it usually was.

uptly, breaking the silence

ied, poor thing," sai

by, little Camilla

ssionately. "Jane wrote to me about her. Jane m

he law. "The child is mine, and she is going to stay mine. You can make up your mind to that, Charlotte

he fairly bridled with triumph; and underneath the triumph ran a queer undercurrent of satisfaction over the fact that Ch

herself to her farm. When her Avonlea neighbors sympathized with her in her disappointment, she said nothing, but looked all the more darkly determined. Also, a week later, Mr. William J. Blair, the Carmody storekeeper, had an odd tale to tell. Mrs. Wheeler had come to the store and bought a lot

ppy that she had almost given up inveighing against Charlotte. Her conversations, instead of tend

herry trees, but she had left the kitchen window open, so that she could hear the baby if it awakened and cried. Miss Rosetta sang happily as she picked her currants. For the first time since Charlotte had married Ja

t her an organ, and have her take painting and music lessons. Parties, too! I'll give her a real coming-out party when she's eighteen and the very pretti

kitchen, her eyes fell on an emp

had happened. Six months' old babies do not get out of their c

have known when I heard that story about her buying muslin and flannel. It's just like Charlotte to do such an underha

url-papers, Miss Rosetta hurried up the hill and down the shore road

long silvery ripples, and sent sheeny shadows flying out ac

doorstep, seemed deserted. Miss Rosetta pounded lustily on the front door. This producing no result,

I shall stay here until I see that perfidious Ch

e beheld Charlotte sitting calmly by the table with Camilla Jane on her knee. Beside her was a befrilled and bemuslined cradle, and on a chair lay the garments in which Miss Rosetta had

for that child! Bring her out to me at once-at once, I say! How dare you come to my hous

ow with the baby in her arms an

a Jane here," she said. "This is

Wheeler pulled

tterson and told him in full the story of her wrongs. It was all over Avonlea by night, and

ditated futile plots for the recovery of the baby. It was hopeless to think of stealing it back or she would have tried to. The hired man at the Wh

and if she was called Barbara for a century it wouldn't alter that fact! B

d into the yard. Miss Rosetta gave an exclamation of amazement and dropped her basket of apples. Of all incredible things! The woman was Charlotte-Charlotte who had

ta flew to

eath!" she exclaimed. "I always k

for the doctor. You were the nearest, so I came to you. Jenny White was there when they came on, so I left her and ran. Oh, Rosetta, come, come, if

sume?" said Miss Rosetta firm

Then she said passionately: "Yes, yes, C

omen and Jenny White worked over her for hours. It was not until dark, when the baby was sleeping soundly and the doctor had

eler, that you are hardly a fit person to have charge of a baby, even if you had to go and steal it from me. I should think

e gave her to me in her letter. But you have saved her life, Rosetta, and you-you can have her back, although it will break my heart

e back with the baby. You are worried to death trying to run this farm with the debt Jacob W

e wanted to be good friends with you again so much. But I

ough to know I didn't mean a word of it. It was your never saying anything, no matter

utting up with hired men. I'll be real glad to go home, Rosetta, and that's the truth. I'v

a word against him in my presence. Look at that blessed child, Charlotte. Isn't she the sweetest thing? I'm desperate glad you are coming back home, Charlotte. I've never been able t