ces of old paths still and
a double line of rosebushes through the middle; but all the rest of the
space was a sheet of yellow and white narcissi, in their airiest, most
lavish, wind-swayed bloom above the lush green grasses.

"Oh, how perfectly lovely!" three of the girls cried. Anne only gazed in
eloquent silence.

"How in the world does it happen that there ever was a garden back
here?" said Priscilla in amazement.

"It must be Hester Gray's garden," said Diana. "I've heard mother speak
of it but I never saw it before, and I wouldn't have supposed that it
could be in existence still. You've heard the story, Anne?"

"No, but the name seems familiar to me."

"Oh, you've seen it in the graveyard. She is buried down there in the
poplar corner. You know the little brown stone with the opening gates
carved on it and 'Sacred to the memory of Hester Gray, aged twenty-two.'
Jordan Gray is buried right beside her but there's no stone to him. It's
a wonder Marilla never told you about it, Anne. To be sure, it happened
thirty years ago and everybody has forgotten."

"Well, if there's a story we must have it," said Anne. "Let's sit right
down here among the narcissi and Diana will tell it. Why, girls, there
are hundreds of them . . . they've spread over everything. It looks as if
the garden were carpeted with moonshine and sunshine combined. This is
a discovery worth making. To think that I've lived within a mile of this
place for six years and have never seen it before! Now, Diana."

"Long ago," began Diana, "this farm belonged to old Mr. David Gray. He
didn't live on it . . . he lived where Silas Sloane lives now. He had one
son, Jordan, and he went up to Boston one winter to work and while
he was there he fell in love with a girl named Hester Murray. She
was working in a store and she hated it. She'd been brought up in the
country and she always wanted to get back. When Jordan asked her to
marry him she said she would if he'd take her away to some quiet spot
where she'd see nothing but fields and trees. So he brought her to
Avonlea. Mrs. Lynde said he was taking a fearful risk in marrying a
Yankee, and it's certain that Hester was very delicate and a very poor
housekeeper; but mother says she was very pretty and sweet and Jordan
just worshipped the ground she walked on. Well, Mr. Gray gave Jordan
this farm and he built a little house back here and Jordan and Hester
lived in it for four years. She never went out much and