Rilla was standing by herself , but Una Meredith came to her and the two girls who loved him most stood together and held each other 's cold hands as the train rounded the curve of the wooded hill . Rilla spent an hour in Rainbow Valley that morning about which she never said a word to anyone ; she did not even write in her diary about it ; when it was over she went home and made rompers for Jims . In the evening she went to a Junior Red Cross committee meeting and was severely businesslike . `` You would never suppose , '' said Irene Howard to Olive Kirk afterwards , `` that Walter had left for the front only this morning . But some people really have no depth of feeling . I often wish I could take things as lightly as Rilla Blythe . '' CHAPTER XVI REALISM AND ROMANCE `` Warsaw has fallen , '' said Dr. Blythe with a resigned air , as he brought the mail in one warm August day . Gertrude and Mrs. Blythe looked dismally at each other , and Rilla , who was feeding Jims a Morganized diet from a carefully sterilized spoon , laid the said spoon down on his tray , utterly regardless of germs , and said , `` Oh , dear me , '' in as tragic a tone as if the news had come as a thunderbolt instead of being a foregone conclusion from the preceding week 's dispatches . They had thought they were quite resigned to Warsaw 's fall but now they knew they had , as always , hoped against hope . `` Now , let us take a brace , '' said Susan . `` It is not the terrible thing we have been thinking . I read a dispatch three columns long in the Montreal Herald yesterday that proved that Warsaw was not important from a military point of view at all . So let us take the military point of view , doctor dear . '' `` I read that dispatch , too , and it has encouraged me immensely , '' said Gertrude . `` I knew then and I know now that it was a lie from beginning to end . But I am in that state of mind where even a lie is a comfort , providing it is a cheerful lie . '' `` In that case , Miss Oliver dear , the German official reports ought to be all you need , '' said Susan sarcastically . `` I never read them now because they make me so mad I can not put my thoughts properly on my work after a dose of them . Even this news about Warsaw has taken the edge off my afternoon 's plans . Misfortunes never come singly .
I spoiled my baking of bread today -- and now Warsaw has fallen -- and here is little Kitchener bent on choking himself XXXXX death . ''
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