`` I hate that hat already . But three years or the duration of the war , I said , and three years or the duration of the war it shall be . I vowed and I shall keep my vow , cost what it will . `` That is one of the ` catawampus ' things . The other is that I have quarrelled with Irene Howard -- or she quarrelled with me -- or , no , we both quarrelled . `` The Junior Red Cross met here yesterday . The hour of meeting was half-past two but Irene came at half-past one , because she got the chance of a drive down from the Upper Glen . Irene has n't been a bit nice to me since the fuss about the eats ; and besides I feel sure she resents not being president . But I have been determined that things should go smoothly , so I have never taken any notice , and when she came yesterday she seemed so nice and sweet again that I hoped she had got over her huffiness and we could be the chums we used to be . `` But as soon as we sat down Irene began to rub me the wrong way . I saw her cast a look at my new knitting-bag . All the girls have always said Irene was jealous-minded and I would never believe them before . But now I feel that perhaps she is . `` The first thing she did was to pounce on Jims -- Irene pretends to adore babies -- pick him out of his cradle and kiss him all over his face . Now , Irene knows perfectly well that I do n't like to have Jims kissed like that . It is not hygienic . After she had worried him till he began to fuss , she looked at me and gave quite a nasty little laugh but she said , oh , so sweetly , '' ` Why , Rilla , darling , you look as if you thought I was poisoning the baby . ' '' ` Oh , no , I do n't , Irene , ' I said -- every bit as sweetly , ` but you know Morgan says that the only place a baby should be kissed is on its forehead , for fear of germs , and that is my rule with Jims . ' '' ` Dear me , am I so full of germs ? ' said Irene plaintively .
I knew she was making fun of me and I began to boil inside -- but outside no sign XXXXX a simmer .
After as at besides like of on since that till