u look ahead; but when you
turn and look at it--it's gone."

"I have heard that you can see the shadow of Venus only once in a
lifetime, and that within a year of seeing it your life's most
wonderful gift will come to you," said Leslie. But she spoke rather
hardly; perhaps she thought that even the shadow of Venus could bring
her no gift of life. Anne smiled in the soft twilight; she felt quite
sure what the mystic shadow promised her.

They found Marshall Elliott at the lighthouse. At first Anne felt
inclined to resent the intrusion of this long-haired, long-bearded
eccentric into the familiar little circle. But Marshall Elliott soon
proved his legitimate claim to membership in the household of Joseph.
He was a witty, intelligent, well-read man, rivalling Captain Jim
himself in the knack of telling a good story. They were all glad when
he agreed to watch the old year out with them.

Captain Jim's small nephew Joe had come down to spend New Year's with
his great-uncle, and had fallen asleep on the sofa with the First Mate
curled up in a huge golden ball at his feet.

"Ain't he a dear little man?" said Captain Jim gloatingly. "I do love
to watch a little child asleep, Mistress Blythe. It's the most
beautiful sight in the world, I reckon. Joe does love to get down here
for a night, because I have him sleep with me. At home he has to sleep
with the other two boys, and he doesn't like it. Why can't I sleep
with father, Uncle Jim?" says he. 'Everybody in the Bible slept with
their fathers.' As for the questions he asks, the minister himself
couldn't answer them. They fair swamp me. 'Uncle Jim, if I wasn't ME
who'd I be?' and, 'Uncle Jim, what would happen if God died?' He fired
them two off at me tonight, afore he went to sleep. As for his
imagination, it sails away from everything. He makes up the most
remarkable yarns--and then his mother shuts him up in the closet for
telling stories. And he sits down and makes up another one, and has it
ready to relate to her when she lets him out. He had one for me when
he come down tonight. 'Uncle Jim,' says he, solemn as a tombstone, 'I
had a 'venture in the Glen today.' 'Yes, what was it?' says I,
expecting something quite startling, but nowise prepared for what I
really got. 'I met a wolf in the street,' says he, 'a 'normous wolf
with a big, red mouf and AWFUL long teeth, Uncle Jim.' 'I didn't know
there was any wolves up at the Glen,' says I. 'Oh, he com