Cecily King and Izzy Pettibone were walking through the main street of Avonlea, their arms interlocked, sharing confidences and laughing merrily. Their lighthearted conversation was interrupted when they noticed a commotion in the usually quiet village. A group of young men in their late teens and early twenties were shouting at each other. “What’s all that about?” Izzy asked her friend, who, not knowing, shrugged her shoulders.
“Probably some upset about the North Shore cricket team,” Cecily suggested.
The girls heard horse hooves behind them and turned to see Izzy’s older brother Arthur descending from their father’s horse Annabelle. “Hello, ladies,” he said.
“Hello, Arthur,” the girls greeted.
“What brings you up our way?” Cecily asked.
Their attention was drawn to the commotion as newspapers were being passed around. They saw Cecily’s brother Felix and his friend Elbert Werts among the throng. The two young men approached them.
“What I am going to do,” announced one of the young men, Matthew Lester, “is before I leave for war, I am going to kiss Cecily King.”
“And Izzy Pettibone,” chimed in another. One young man whistled.
The girls shook their heads. “Boys,” both of them said.
“Some brothers you are,” Cecily said, half jesting, to Felix and Arthur, in reference to their calm reactions to the young men’s joke.
“Are you afraid of them?” mocked Izzy.
“Hey, Cecily,” Matthew said, stopping next to her. “How ‘bout a little smooch?”
“Hey, get lost, Lester!” Felix yelled. Matthew held up his hands innocently and backed away.
“Felix, what in heck is happening?” Cecily asked.
“England might go to war,” Elbert said.
“War?” Cecily asked.
“That’s what all the papers are saying,” Felix explained. “Everybody’s just dying for a chance to go.”
Izzy and Cecily turned to each other and rolled their eyes. Felix, Elbert, and many of the other young men in Avonlea had been saying for quite a few months that a war might break out because of some trouble in Europe, but they hadn’t thought much of it. It was just the flights of fancy of some restless boys. They had no way of knowing that in two years’ time, everything that they knew, everything that they believed in and their quiet, tranquil existence would be challenged.
“There isn’t going to be any war, you two,” Izzy told them. “And even if there is, Father says it won’t last long and he ought to know.”
“Well, I know I’d really like a chance to see some action.”
“Felix!” Cecily said in disbelief.
“What’s the matter, Cecily? Aunt Hetty says if England declares war, it’s the duty of every able-bodied lad in Canada to rally ‘round and defend the crown,” Felix quoted.
“Aunt Hetty would say something like that.”
“You girls are just jealous because you couldn’t go,” Elbert observed.
“Yeah,” agreed Felix. “You agree with us, don’t you, Arthur?”
“No, Felix. I can’t say that I do.”
The two younger men looked at him as if he were insane. “What’s the matter with you?” asked Elbert.
“Arthur actually has some sense,” Izzy told them.
“Which is more than I can say for you, Felix King,” Cecily said contemptously. The girls locked arms and began walking away with an air of superiority. Arthur followed them, leading Annabelle by the reins.
“Oh, Izzy!” Felix called. She turned. “Before I forget. As my last official duty as an employee of the White Sands, I am to deliver this telegram to you. It’s for your stepmother.”
“Thank you, Felix.” Izzy took the telegram without looking into his eyes.
* * *
“Bless my stars,” Muriel Pettibone said upon reading the telegram.
“What is it, my dear?” Clive asked.
“Why-my dear old friend Miss Cavendish is retiring from teaching. She’s asked me to take over the principalship of Kingsport Ladies’ College in Halifax.”
“That would be a fine thing for you,” Clive said supportively.
“Oh, Clive. We couldn’t leave Avonlea.”
“Why not? Izzy’s nearly finished with school and my term as superintendent will be over in less than a month. Besides, we would all be able to see Morgan more often.”
“Well, if you’re sure. I’d like to speak to the children about this first. I simply don’t feel right uprooting all of you like this.”
“It wouldn’t be uprooting. I think the change would to us good. I could speak to Alec King about boarding Annabelle.”
“What’s going on?”
Clive and Muriel turned to see Izzy and Arthur standing in the doorway of the parlour. It was Izzy who had spoken. Their parents looked at one another.
“Muriel has been offered a tremendous opportunity,” Clive told them. “The principalship of Kingsport Ladies’ College.”
Izzy and her brother exchanged pleased looks. “Muriel, that’s wonderful,” Arthur said.
“Are you going to accept it?” Izzy asked.
“Well, I wanted to speak to you all about it. It would mean us leaving Avonlea.”
“But you want to do this,” Izzy began.
“Izzy, you would be able to spend your last term in school at Kingsport,” Clive said. “And then on to university.”
Muriel approached her stepdaughter and took her hands in hers. “Izzy, this will effect you the most, my dear. I want to be absolutely certain that it’s all right with you.”
Izzy reflected a moment. She thought of Felix’s plans to leave Avonlea. She thought of what he had said that afternoon: I know I’d really like to see some action. His words rang in her ears. She would miss Cecily of course, but with Felix going, what else was there for her in Avonlea? She looked straight into Muriel’s eyes.
“Yes,” she said firmly. “Let’s go.”
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