Would Ken say anything -- he must mean to say something or why should he be so particular about seeing her alone ? What if it rained -- Susan had been complaining about Mr. Hyde that morning ! What if some officious Junior Red called to discuss Belgians and shirts ? Or , worst of all , what if Fred Arnold dropped in ? He did occasionally . The evening came at last and was all that could be desired in an evening . The doctor and his wife went to the Manse , Shirley and Miss Oliver went they alone knew where , Susan went to the store for household supplies , and Jims went to Dreamland . Rilla put on her georgette gown , knotted up her hair and bound a little double string of pearls around it . Then she tucked a cluster of pale pink baby roses at her belt . Would Ken ask her for a rose for a keepsake ? She knew that Jem had carried to the trenches in Flanders a faded rose that Faith Meredith had kissed and given him the night before he left . Rilla looked very sweet when she met Ken in the mingled moonlight and vine shadows of the big veranda . The hand she gave him was cold and she was so desperately anxious not to lisp that her greeting was prim and precise . How handsome and tall Kenneth looked in his lieutenant 's uniform ! It made him seem older , too -- so much so that Rilla felt rather foolish . Had n't it been the height of absurdity for her to suppose that this splendid young officer had anything special to say to her , little Rilla Blythe of Glen St. Mary ? Likely she had n't understood him after all -- he had only meant that he did n't want a mob of folks around making a fuss over him and trying to lionize him , as they had probably done over-harbour . Yes , of course , that was all he meant -- and she , little idiot , had gone and vainly imagined that he did n't want anybody but her . And he would think she had manoeuvred everybody away so that they could be alone together , and he would laugh to himself at her . `` This is better luck than I hoped for , '' said Ken , leaning back in his chair and looking at her with very unconcealed admiration in his eloquent eyes .
`` I was sure someone would be hanging about and it was just you I wanted XXXXX see , Rilla-my-Rilla . ''
about after at if in of on that to with