But Mary and Miller were both supremely happy on it . Miller Douglas was a big , strapping , uncouth lad , who thought Mary Vance 's tongue uncommonly gifted and Mary Vance 's white eyes stars of the first magnitude ; and neither of them had the least inkling why Jem Blythe wanted to hoist the lighthouse flag . `` What does it matter if there 's going to be a war over there in Europe ? I 'm sure it does n't concern us . '' Walter looked at her and had one of his odd visitations of prophecy . `` Before this war is over , '' he said -- or something said through his lips -- `` every man and woman and child in Canada will feel it -- you , Mary , will feel it -- feel it to your heart 's core . You will weep tears of blood over it . The Piper has come -- and he will pipe until every corner of the world has heard his awful and irresistible music . It will be years before the dance of death is over -- years , Mary . And in those years millions of hearts will break . '' `` Fancy now ! '' said Mary who always said that when she could n't think of anything else to say . She did n't know what Walter meant but she felt uncomfortable . Walter Blythe was always saying odd things . That old Piper of his -- she had n't heard anything about him since their playdays in Rainbow Valley -- and now here he was bobbing up again . She did n't like it , and that was the long and short of it . `` Are n't you painting it rather strong , Walter ? '' asked Harvey Crawford , coming up just then . `` This war wo n't last for years -- it 'll be over in a month or two . England will just wipe Germany off the map in no time . ''
`` Do you think a XXXXX for which Germany has been preparing for twenty years will be over in a few weeks ? ''
Canada Crawford England Germany Mary Miller Piper Walter month war