Walter had gone to town on the early train , and Nan offered to look after Jims for the day and so set Rilla free . Rilla was wildly busy all day , helping to decorate the Glen hall and seeing to a hundred last things . The evening was beautiful , in spite of the fact that Mr. Pryor was reported to have said that he `` hoped it would rain pitch forks points down , '' and to have wantonly kicked Miranda 's dog as he said it . Rilla , rushing home from the hall , dressed hurriedly . Everything had gone surprisingly well at the last ; Irene was even then downstairs practising her songs with Miss Oliver ; Rilla was excited and happy , forgetful even of the Western front for the moment . It gave her a sense of achievement and victory to have brought her efforts of weeks to such a successful conclusion . She knew that there had not lacked people who thought and hinted that Rilla Blythe had not the tact or patience to engineer a concert programme . She had shown them ! Little snatches of song bubbled up from her lips as she dressed . She thought she was looking very well . Excitement brought a faint , becoming pink into her round creamy cheeks , quite drowning out her few freckles , and her hair gleamed with red-brown lustre . Should she wear crab-apple blossoms in it , or her little fillet of pearls ? After some agonised wavering she decided on the crab-apple blossoms and tucked the white waxen cluster behind her left ear . Now for a final look at her feet . Yes , both slippers were on . She gave the sleeping Jims a kiss -- what a dear little warm , rosy , satin face he had -- and hurried down the hill to the hall . Already it was filling -- soon it was crowded . Her concert was going to be a brilliant success . The first three numbers were successfully over . Rilla was in the little dressing-room behind the platform , looking out on the moonlit harbour and rehearsing her own recitations .
She was alone , the rest of the performers being in the larger room XXXXX the other side .
After at for from in into of on that to