I do not want to quarrel with you , least of all at such a time as this , but our morale must be kept up , and I am going to speak my mind out plainly and tell you that if you can not keep from such croaking your room is better than your company . '' Cousin Sophia marched home in high dudgeon to digest her affront , and did not reappear in Susan 's kitchen for many weeks . Perhaps it was just as well , for they were hard weeks , when the Germans continued to strike , now here , now there , and seemingly vital points fell to them at every blow . And one day in early May , when wind and sunshine frolicked in Rainbow Valley and the maple grove was golden-green and the harbour all blue and dimpled and white-capped , the news came about Jem . There had been a trench raid on the Canadian front -- a little trench raid so insignificant that it was never even mentioned in the dispatches and when it was over Lieutenant James Blythe was reported `` wounded and missing . '' `` I think this is even worse than the news of his death would have been , '' moaned Rilla through her white lips , that night . `` No -- no -- ` missing ' leaves a little hope , Rilla , '' urged Gertrude Oliver . `` Yes -- torturing , agonized hope that keeps you from ever becoming quite resigned to the worst , '' said Rilla . `` Oh , Miss Oliver -- must we go for weeks and months -- not knowing whether Jem is alive or dead ? Perhaps we will never know . I -- I can not bear it -- I can not . Walter -- and now Jem . This will kill mother -- look at her face , Miss Oliver , and you will see that . And Faith -- poor Faith -- how can she bear it ? '' Gertrude shivered with pain . She looked up at the pictures hanging over Rilla 's desk and felt a sudden hatred of Mona Lisa 's endless smile . `` Will not even this blot it off your face ? '' she thought savagely . But she said gently , `` No , it wo n't kill your mother . She 's made of finer mettle than that .
Besides , she refuses to believe Jem is dead ; she will cling XXXXX hope and we must all do that .
for in on over than that through to whether with