Nelly listened eagerly. “I think it’s a lovely idea,” she said, hugging Anne around the neck. “You can’t be everything; but you are awfully clever—much smarter than I. I want to be a teacher, too. But you can do a lot beside. Some day you will be my boss, I know; and you will like it, too.” Nelly understood her cousin pretty well already.
“Hello, Anne!” called the Captain from the foot of the stairs. “Ain’t ye most ready to go? They’re expectin’ ye, I guess.” Anne turned red. He seemed anxious to be rid of her, she thought. But when she saw his kind face she knew better. “I’m going to tell Uncle Eph what you said you wanted to be,” Nelly whispered, and she burst out with the whole story before Anne could stop her. The Captain listened gravely, with his eyes resting affectionately on Anne, but all he said was—“That’s good!”
“Thank you for being so kind to me, and for telling me all about myself so nicely,” said Anne a little stiffly. “I have had a very nice time here, and—I’m glad you are my Grandfather!” The Captain beamed.
“I’m glad ye’re not ashamed,” he said. “Now ye’ll run over to see us often, won’t ye? It ain’t long before Mrs. Batchelder breaks up camp, ye know, and then—” he waited, “we dunno what.”
“Of course I’ll come,” said Anne. “This seems like home, now.”
“Does it?” the Captain’s face brightened. “Wal, I wish it was, truly. Of course it can be, Anne, if ye want it. It’s plain. But the door’s open. No, don’t say anything now. Maybe ye’ll have a better chance. But anyhow, here is my little Anna’s place ready for ye. I’ll send ye to school. I can help ye do whatever ye want to, I guess. Life won’t be so easy for ye, as it used to be. But it needn’t be empty. I don’t want to press ye, I give ye up once, and I guess that cost me the right to ye now. I thought I was doin’ the best thing for ye then. But I made a mistake. Now maybe ye’ll know what’s best for yourself, if you have a chance. Anyway—no hurry!”
“Oh Grandfather!” Anne ran up and hugged the old man around the neck, till the tears came into his eyes. “How good you are! I’d choose this home anyway!”
But the Captain gently shook his head. “There, there!” he said, “Don’t ye go too fast, little gal. I don’t want to take advantage of ye. Wait till ye get your bearin’s. It’s all so sudden for ye. I wanted ye to see this house and the way we live, so’s you’d know what ye was doin’ ef ye chose us. But take time. Finish out yer summer at the Camp, and see what happens. Then we can talk it over again. Run along now. They’ll be expectin’ ye.”
Aunt Polly added no word to the Captain’s invitation, but kissed Anne affectionately and said good-bye.
“Oh, I am so glad somebody wants me!” thought Anne, as she and Nelly walked slowly along the road together, talking of many things.