She would much rather have walked with Joe than with Carl , with whom she did not feel in the least at home . Yet it was something of an honour , too , to have a college boy beside her , and a son of the manse at that . Shirley Blythe was with Una Meredith and both were rather silent because such was their nature . Shirley was a lad of sixteen , sedate , sensible , thoughtful , full of a quiet humour . He was Susan 's `` little brown boy '' yet , with his brown hair , brown eyes , and clear brown skin . He liked to walk with Una Meredith because she never tried to make him talk or badgered him with chatter . Una was as sweet and shy as she had been in the Rainbow Valley days , and her large , dark-blue eyes were as dreamy and wistful . She had a secret , carefully-hidden fancy for Walter Blythe that nobody but Rilla ever suspected . Rilla sympathized with it and wished Walter would return it . She liked Una better than Faith , whose beauty and aplomb rather overshadowed other girls -- and Rilla did not enjoy being overshadowed . But just now she was very happy . It was so delightful to be tripping with her friends down that dark , gleaming road sprinkled with its little spruces and firs , whose balsam made all the air resinous around them . Meadows of sunset afterlight were behind the westerning hills . Before them was the shining harbour . A bell was ringing in the little church over-harbour and the lingering dream-notes died around the dim , amethystine points . The gulf beyond was still silvery blue in the afterlight . Oh , it was all glorious -- the clear air with its salt tang , the balsam of the firs , the laughter of her friends . Rilla loved life -- its bloom and brilliance ; she loved the ripple of music , the hum of merry conversation ; she wanted to walk on forever over this road of silver and shadow . It was her first party and she was going to have a splendid time . There was nothing in the world to worry about -- not even freckles and over-long legs -- nothing except one little haunting fear that nobody would ask her to dance .
It was beautiful and satisfying just XXXXX be alive -- to be fifteen -- to be pretty .
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